Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 18.27 Russians lost thousands of soldiers in the battles for Toretsk: the number of missing in action alone exceeded 13 thousand. This was reported by the speaker of the OTU Lugansk Dmitry Zaporozhets on the air of Yedinye Novyny.
17:46 US Defense Secretary Pete Gagset
…clearly Hegseth is meant...
took his wife, former Fox News producer Jennifer Gagset,
…she goes by Jennifer Rauchet Hegseth since their wedding in 2019. It is possible that as a professional news producer she knows something about current events as related to this nation’s wars and not-wars…
and his brother Philip
...Mr. Philip Hegseth’s official title is senior adviser to the secretary for the Department of Homeland Security and liaison officer to the Defense Department, so quite possibly he ought to be there. His resumé includes founding a podcast production company, and doing social media and podcasts for The Hudson Institute. He also did media relations for Secretary Hegseth’s NGO, Concerned Veterans for America, back in the day. SOFREP describes his career as media production and policy analysis…
to several meetings with foreign military colleagues where confidential information was discussed, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing its sources.
Jennifer Hagseth attended the February meeting of defense ministers at NATO headquarters, which also included a meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine's defense.
16:54 The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has updated its baseline forecast, which suggests that the war in Ukraine could end in the last months of 2025. At the same time, the fund acknowledges that "risks remain exceptionally high."
14.48 Washington is completely satisfied with the developments in Ukraine. They believe that the "energy ceasefire" is in effect and that a ceasefire in the Black Sea will soon begin to operate. This was stated the day before by US Vice President J.D. Vance during a speech at the US military base Pituffik in Greenland.
13.50 Russians launched a missile attack on Krivoy Rog. The number of injured has risen to seven. Photos of the aftermath have been released, the State Emergency Service and the Prosecutor General's Office reported.
13.01 Ukraine has returned five more children from the temporarily occupied territories (TOT) and Russia. This was reported by the head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak.
12.21 Russian aggressors launched a missile strike on the city of Krivoy Rog. Five people were injured, reported the head of the Dnipropetrovsk OVA Serhiy Lysak.
11.35 The aggressor country Russia is dragging out the war in Ukraine because it has not yet experienced real pressure. The Russians are laughing at the world's peacekeeping efforts. President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote this on Facebook, commenting on the Russians' night attack on the Dnieper and other cities of our country on Saturday.
10.01 Ukrainian partisans set fire to a Russian base in Mariupol. Several vehicles burned, Mariupol mayoral adviser Petro Andryushchenko reported .
9.19 On Saturday night, the Russian army attacked Ukraine with 172 drones of various types. Most of them were destroyed or affected by electronic warfare, the Ukrainian Air Force reported .
9.00 As a result of an attack by Russian drones, a recreation center in the Akhtyrsky district of the Sumy region was destroyed. This was reported by the National Police.
8.42 Over the past 24 hours, 183 combat clashes were recorded at the front in 12 directions. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the morning report. The greatest activity of the Russian invaders is recorded in the Pokrovsky direction - 73 assaults in the areas of 14 settlements.
8.02 Over the past 24 hours, the Russian army lost 1,740 soldiers killed and wounded on the front in Ukraine. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the morning report. Ukrainian soldiers burned 23 Russian tanks, dozens of armored vehicles and artillery systems.
7:44 Large-scale fires have been extinguished in the city of Dnipro after yesterday's attack by Russian drones. According to the latest data, four people have died and 21 have been injured, said the head of the Dnipropetrovsk OVA, Serhiy Lysak.
01.01 As a result of the evening attack on the Dnieper, four people were killed and 19 were injured. Several multi-story buildings were damaged. Fires broke out in almost a dozen private houses. A hotel and restaurant complex, garages and service stations also burned.
00.04 Explosions were heard in the temporarily occupied Luhansk in the evening. Russian media reported a major fire in the industrial zone in the north-east of Luhansk. Social networks write that a UAV hit the Transmash plant. It is engaged in the production of railway locomotives and rolling stock, as well as the processing of metal products, the production of electrical equipment, etc.
#1
I saw a comment somewhere, so I looked up the Wall Street Journal article, which MSN has here. The thing is, the entire article is based on anonymous stories, in paragraph after paragraph undescribed.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who is facing scrutiny over his handling of details of a military strike, brought his wife, a former Fox News producer, to two meetings with foreign military counterparts where sensitive information was discussed, according to multiple people who were present or had knowledge of the discussions.
…The group that met at the Pentagon, which included Adm. Tony Radakin, the head of the U.K.’s armed forces, discussed the U.S. rationale behind that decision, as well as future military collaboration between the two allies, according to people familiar with the meeting.
attendees are typically expected to possess security clearances given the delicate nature of the discussions, according to defense officials and people familiar with the meeting. There is often security near the meeting space to keep away uninvited attendees.
Etc. Given that the Wall Street Journal is decidedly anti-Trump — and the news room is a liberal as the generality of the Mainstream Media, whereas the editorial page is more along the country club Republican end of the spectrum, what odds nobody they “quoted” was anywhere near the rooms in question?
#3
...according to multiple people who were present or had knowledge of the discussions.
...according to people familiar with the meeting.
...and people familiar with the meeting.
I'm not a lawyer, but I believe the legal term for that is hearsay. Us commoners would call it gossip.
[EngMilRu] The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
In Belgorod direction, the Sever Group of Forces inflicted fire damage on manpower and hardware of two mechanised brigades, an assault regiment of the AFU, a naval infantry brigade, and two territorial defence brigades close to Krasnopolye, Ugroyedy, Prokhody, and Miropolskoye (Kharkov region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 185 troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, four motor vehicles, three field artillery guns, an Israeli-made RADA radar, and a Nota electronic warfare station.
Units of the Zapad Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and positions. The Russian Armed Forces inflicted fire damage on manpower and hardware of three mechanised brigades and two assault brigades of the AFU close to Novoye, Yampol (Donetsk People's Republic), Nadiya (Lugansk People's Republic), and Krinichki (Kharkov region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 210 troops, a tank, two armoured fighting vehicles, six motor vehicles, and four field artillery guns including two of Western-made. Two electronic warfare stations and one ammunition depot were eliminated.
The Yug Group of Forces liberated Panteleymonovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
Russian troops engaged formations of two jaeger brigades, two mechanised brigades of the AFU, a territorial defence brigade, and a special forces brigade near Starayaya Nikolayevka, Novoolenovka, Ulyanovka, and Seversk (Donetsk People's Republic).
The enemy lost up to 300 troops, a tank, a U.S.-made HMMWV armoured fighting vehicle, and five motor vehicles. One ammunition depot was destroyed.
Units of the Tsentr Group of Forces improved the tactical situation. Russian formations damaged formations of two mechanised brigades two assault brigades and an assault regiment of the AFU close to Zelenoye, Kotlino, Yelizavetovka, Novoaleksandrovka, Krasnoarmeysk, Kotlyarovka, Petrovskoye and Novosergeyevka (Donetsk People's Republic).
The Ukrainian losses amounted to more than 480 troops, two tanks, six armoured fighting vehicles, five motor vehicles, and three field artillery guns including a U.S.-made 105mm M-101 howitzer.
Units of the Vostok Group of Forces continued advancing into the depth of enemy defences. Russian troops engaged manpower and hardware of a tank brigade, a mechanised brigade, an airmobile brigade of the AFU, and two territorial defence brigades near Yalta, Otradnoye, Voskresenka, Novopol (Donetsk People's Republic) and Gulyaypole (Zaporozhye region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 150 troops, three motor vehicles, and three field artillery guns. One ammunition depot was destroyed.
The units of the Dnepr Group of Forces liberated Shcherbaki (Zaporozhye region).
Russian troops hit formations of a mechanised brigade, a mountain assault brigade of the AFU, and a territorial defence brigade near Novoandreyevka, Kamenskoye, Stepnogorsk (Zaporozhye region), Dneprovskoye, and Nikolskoye (Kherson region).
Over 70 troops, a motor vehicle, and an electronic warfare station were neutralised.
Operational-Tactical Aviation, attack drones, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have engaged the infrastructure of military airfields, a workshop, storage areas and control posts of unmanned aerial vehicles, ammunition depots as well as clusters of enemy manpower and hardware in 148 areas.
Air defence systems have shot down a U.S.-made JDAM guided aerial bomb, HIMARS MLRS projectile as well as 73 fixed-wing UAVs.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 660 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 48,952 unmanned aerial vehicles, 601 anti-aircraft missile systems, 22,569 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,532 MLRS combat vehicles, 23,064 field artillery guns and mortars, and 33,499 units of support military vehicles have been neutralised.
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the operation to neutralise AFU formations on the territory of Kursk region.
The Sever Group of Forces liberated Veselovka (Sumy region) during the offensive.
Moreover, strikes were delivered at a mechanised brigade, two air assault brigades, the president's brigade, and a territorial defence brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Gornal, Guyevo, and Oleshnya.
Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, and Artillery strikes engaged AFU manpower and hardware close to Gornal, Guyevo, and Oleshnya as well as Basovka, Belovody, Varachino, Velikaya Rybitsa, Veselovka, Vladimirovka, Vodolagi, Grunovka, Zhuravka, Zapselye, Kiyanitsa, Loknya, Mogritsa, Novonikolayevka, Obody, Sadki, Khrapovshchina, Yunakovka, and Yablonovka (Sumy region).
For the past 24 hours, the AFU losses amounted to more than 190 troops, two infantry fighting vehicles, an armoured fighting vehicle, eight motor vehicles, an artillery gun, three mortars as well as six UAV command posts, and an ammunition depot.
Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk direction, the AFU losses amounted to more than 70,890 troops, 402 tanks, 329 infantry fighting vehicles, 290 armoured personnel carriers, 2,234 armoured fighting vehicles, 2,569 motor vehicles, 590 artillery guns, 53 MLRS launchers, including 13 of HIMARS and seven of MLRS made by the USA, 26 anti-aircraft missile launchers, one self-propelled anti-aircraft system, ten transport-loading vehicles, 123 EW stations, 18 counter-fire radars, ten air defence radars, 56 units of engineering and other materiel, including 23 counterobstacle vehicles, one UR-77 mine clearing vehicle, five bridge launchers, one engineering reconnaissance vehicle as well as 15 armoured recovery vehicles, and one command post vehicle.
The operation to neutralise the AFU units is in progress.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 23:59 Official summary of the Office for Documentation of War Crimes of Ukraine from 00:00 03/29/2025 to 00:00 03/30/2025.
Seven facts of armed attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
There were reports of six civilians being injured, including a child born in 2012.
DAMAGED:
Seven residential buildings,
Two civil infrastructure facilities.
Seven armed attacks in the Gorlovka direction.
A total of 22 units of various ammunition were fired.
21:52 Russian fighters storm a hideout of Ukrainian militants —video.
20:51 Destruction of a "Motolyga" with two Ukrainian Armed Forces militants using an FPV drone in Sumy Oblast —video.
20:26 Special forces "Anvar" covered Ukrainian occupiers hiding in farms in Demidovka, Belgorod region —video.
19:34 Kherson direction:
Beautifully captured destruction of enemy UAVs using FPV drones. The work of UAV operators of the 61st Separate Guards Kirkenes Red Banner Naval Infantry Brigade —video.
18:57 Operation of combat helicopters of the army aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces in the area of the SVO —video.
18:25 Over the past 24 hours, the Kyiv regime continued attacks on energy infrastructure facilities of the Russian Federation.
– On March 28 at about 5.30 in the Belgorod region, as a result of a UAV attack on a facility of the branch of PJSC Rosseti Centre – Belgorodenergo and a wire break, the 35 kV high-voltage line Aidar – Bely Kolodez was disconnected.
– At 10:34 in the Belgorod region, an attack by a Ukrainian UAV on the 110 kV Krasnaya Yaruga substation of the branch of PJSC Rosseti Centre – Belgorodenergo was recorded, as a result of which a transformer was significantly damaged.
– At 13:45 in the Belgorod region, as a result of an attack by a Ukrainian UAV and damage to a transformer, a complete transformer substation of the branch of PJSC Rosseti Centre – Belgorodenergo was disconnected, with the cessation of electricity supply to consumers.
– At 17:03 in the Belgorod region, as a result of an attack by a Ukrainian UAV on the power facility of the branch of PJSC Rosseti Centre – Belgorodenergo, a 10 kV high-voltage line was disconnected and more than 1,100 household consumers in the Grayvoronsky district were de-energized.
– At 18:07 in the Belgorod region, as a result of an attack by a Ukrainian UAV, the 110 kV high-voltage line Borisovka – Krasnaya Yaruga of the branch of PJSC Rosseti Centre – Belgorodenergo was disconnected, followed by the cessation of power supply to more than 8 thousand household consumers in the Borisovsky district.
– In addition, as already reported, on March 28 at about 10:20 the Sudzha gas measuring station (GMS) was attacked using HIMARS rockets, which resulted in a strong fire. The Sudzha GMS as an energy facility was effectively destroyed.
Thus, regardless of Zelensky’s statements about the Kyiv regime’s alleged cessation of the deliberate destruction of Russian energy facilities, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have only increased the number of attacks on energy infrastructure in the Kursk and Belgorod regions of the Russian Federation.
17:27 UAV operator of the North group of forces destroyed an ATV of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Khar'kov region —video.
16:40 Geran attack drones attacked the deployment site of the 80th Airborne Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the village of Basy in Sumy Oblast at night —video.
16:05 Russian operators of the kamikaze drones "Prince Vandal Novgorodsky" destroy an abandoned Ukrainian tank in the Chasovoyarovsky direction -video.
15:28 Geran-2 drones hit the temporary deployment point of the airborne assault battalion of the 80th Separate Airborne Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The settlement of Basy in Sumy region —video.
14:46 The BMP-3 driver-mechanic with the call sign "Ufa" spoke about the tasks that the crew of his combat vehicle performs as part of a special military operation —video.
13:51 Units of the North group of forces during offensive operations released settlement Veselovka, Sumy region.
13:21 From 10:00 to 12:00 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed two Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the territory of the Belgorod region.
13:10 Criminal Kyiv regime continues to shell civilian infrastructure of populated areas of the left bank of the Kherson region, yesterday during the day the Ukrainian Armed Forces released:
– Nine rounds to the village of Aleshki;
– Three rounds in the village of Golaya Pristan;
– Five rounds in the village of Gornostaevka;
– Four rounds in the village of Dnepryany;
- according to n.p. Kakhovka three Rounds;
– Two rounds to the settlement of Novaya Mayachka.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces shelled the village of Aleshki, as a result of which two women were injured. Golaya Pristan was also shelled, after which it was partially de-energized.
In addition, Kyiv militants shelled the Aleshki Central District Hospital. Due to the impact of two large-caliber rounds, the building of the medical institution received serious damage, windows and doors were broken, the facade and roof of the hospital were damaged.
During the night, the Kiev regime continued to shell civilian infrastructure in the settlements of Proletarka, Novaya Mayachka, Novaya Kakhovka, Aleshky, Kakhovka, and Korsunka, firing a total of 20 rounds from cannon artillery.
12:23 Footage of the destruction of Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel and Starlink kits by drone operators of the 39th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 68th Army Corps of the Yug group in the area of the settlement of Pokrovskoye —video.
11:46 Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers threw down their weapons and retreated from their shelters; those who did not have time raised the white flag.
During the storming of the stronghold in Malye Shcherbaki, Zaporizhia Oblast, 17 Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers tried to leave, but they were noticed by a "birdie". While they were loading into an infantry fighting vehicle, they were destroyed along with their equipment -video.
11:27 Russian drone operators work on Ukrainian soldiers using drone drops —video.
10:52 Destruction of Ukrainian Armed Forces equipment in the Pokrovsk direction —video.
10:15 Ten days of fighting on the border - Analysis «Fisherman»
The Ukrainian Armed Forces' offensive on the Krasnoyarsk region Ukrainian formations did not stop their attacks in the Belgorod region and already on Monday, March 24, they increased pressure on Demidovka. At the same time, special forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were able to jump into neighboring Popovka on light wheeled vehicles, another group entered on foot from Miropolskoye through ravines.
More details about the chronology of events on the site:
- Heavy fighting broke out in Popovka, the enemy was able to occupy the entire village for some time and block the Russian border guards in the stronghold. The border guards called fire on themselves, the enemy was forced to retreat, and reinforcements of Russian troops from Goptarovka broke through to the area.
– Despite this, it was not possible to completely liberate the settlement due to the terrain features: Popovka is cut off from Goptarovka by a wide ravine.
- In addition, both the Ukrainian Armed Forces and Russian troops continue to isolate the combat zone with drones, cutting off approaches and destroying each other's equipment. The enemy has not made any significant attempts to advance towards Grafovka, although it has struck two bridges over the Gryazny stream.
In Prilesye, Russian troops managed to regain control over the settlement, pushing the enemy back into nearby gullies.
- Ukrainian formations continue to maintain large forces opposite the Krasnoyarsk region, and new attempts to attack the Russian frontier are being made daily. Russian troops have also transferred reinforcements here, and therefore the battle on the Russian border will continue, regardless of the negotiations.
09:54 FPV Operator GV "North"discoveredin the sky over the Sumy region (in the area of the state border) a reconnaissance drone "FlyEye" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, after which it quickly caught up with and destroyed it.
08:45 Destruction of the M-777 howitzer of the Ukrainian Armed Forces by an FPV drone of the Russian Armed Forces in the area of the settlement of Shiykovka in the Kupyansk direction, –video.
07:54 During the past night, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed three Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were over the territory of the Belgorod region.
07:36 Changes to map over the past 24 hours:
- Gogolevka was liberated;
- Advance in the Guevo area;
- Veselovka was liberated;
– Advance in the direction of Bogdanovka;
– The Russian Armed Forces entered Bogdanovka;
– Expansion of the control zone west of Dzerzhinsk;
– Advance in Dzerzhinsk;
- Krasniy Perviy was liberated;
– The Russian Armed Forces entered Razliv.
07:33 Russian Armed Forces are advancing near Makeyevka, Novolyubovka and Katerinovka, –MAP.
05:08 Crews of 122mjm D-30 howitzers of the 25th Combined Arms Army of the "West" group destroyed military equipment, pickups and manpower of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Stanislav Smirnov
[REGNUM] In 1907, the decadent poet Konstantin Balmont, who suddenly realized he was a revolutionary and went into European “relocation,” published the arch-radical “Songs of the Avenger ” in Paris. The most scandalous poem began like this: “Our king is Mukden, our king is Tsushima, our king is a bloody stain…”
The insults directed at Nicholas II escalated (the poet seemed not to suspect that he would be forgiven on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov) and ended with the promise of the scaffold.
One can argue whether the symbolist prophesied the massacre of the royal family in the Ipatiev House. But it is obvious that both the liberals who carried out the coup in February 1917 and the Bolsheviks who overthrew the liberals in October were united in their attitude towards the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905.
And the battle of Mukden, and Tsushima, and all the previous and subsequent battles on the hills of Manchuria and at sea are nothing more than “a bloody stain, the stench of gunpowder and smoke, in which the mind is dark.”
To this day, there is a perception, “blessed” by Vladimir Lenin’s article “The Fall of Port Arthur,” of the war of 120 years ago as a series of failures. After all, in Ilyich’s opinion, the tsar’s “generals and commanders turned out to be mediocrities and nonentities.”
The Bolshevik leader also got his share of criticism from the ordinary soldiers of the Russian army: “The darkness, ignorance, illiteracy, and oppression of the peasant masses came forward with terrifying frankness when confronted with a progressive people (the Japanese. — Ed.) in a modern war, which just as necessarily requires high-quality human material as modern technology.”
This ideologically distorted optics still prevents us from understanding the real balance of power in the Far Eastern war, the course of the campaigns, and the heroism of Russian soldiers and sailors, which was evident in the first months of the war.
If earlier we looked at the details of the key episode of the war - the Battle of Mukden in February 1905, now we will pay attention to the initial stage of the war - the campaign of 1904.
THE WEST HELPED
In essence, the Russo-Japanese War was also a proxy war of Russia against the hegemonic power – the British Empire and the growing United States. Formally, the Anglo-Saxons maintained neutrality. But London and Washington feared our military and political strengthening in East Asia and the capture of Asian markets. It is not surprising that Theodore Roosevelt – the US President who opened the era of American globalism – openly “rooted” for Japan.
It is also not surprising that the British not only supplied the army of Emperor Meiji with the necessary amount of weapons, but also essentially created a modern Japanese fleet. All four squadron battleships and 11 destroyers were built in English shipyards. In addition to the British and Americans, France also participated in the production of cruisers.
By the beginning of the open clash with Russia, the Japanese army, including thanks to Western assistance, had a significant advantage in the future theater of military operations. An advantage more than sufficient to implement plans to “zero out” our presence in the Chinese northeast, in Manchuria, and to seize the ice-free Port Arthur built by Russia on the Liaodong (Kwantung) Peninsula leased from China.
If the Russian army group in the Far East by January 1, 1904 numbered only 98 thousand people (united into eight rifle brigades), and also dispersed over a vast area from Vladivostok to Port Arthur, then the Japanese invasion army had four field armies numbering 350 thousand people.
Serious Soviet military historians, writing on behalf of the party leadership and for the education of army and navy officers, also reported on this imbalance of power. For example, Major General Alexander Sorokin, author of the 1952 work “The Defense of Port Arthur. The Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905,” cites the figures mentioned above.
FLEXIBILITY OF ARMY LEADERSHIP
Just like the Second World War and the Great Patriotic War, the Russo-Japanese War began with a treacherous attack, preceded by a political crisis and a negotiation process – behind its façade, the enemy was accumulating and deploying forces. The decision to start a war against Russia was made by Emperor Meiji after a meeting of the Privy Council on January 22 (February 4), 1904. The next day, two tasks were set – to invade Korea (where Japanese influence was weakening and Russian was growing) and to attack our ships in the Port Arthur roadstead.
On January 24 (February 6), units of Tamemoto Kuroki's 1st Japanese Army landed in Korea. Three days later, Rear Admiral Sotokichi Uryu's squadron, consisting of six cruisers (two armored and four armored deck) and two destroyers, blockaded the cruiser Varyag and gunboat Koreets, which were moored in the Korean port of Chemulpo. The sailors' feat, celebrated in the song, is worthy of a separate story, but for now we will only note that the unequal 50-minute battle ended with the greatest possible "loss" for the Japanese: the Russian sailors, as is well known, sank the Varyag and blew up the Koreets, leaving the enemy without a trophy.
But the rest of the Japanese plan seemed to go according to plan. Simultaneously with the attack on Chemulpo, on the night of January 26-27 (February 8-9), 1904, Japanese destroyers attacked Russian ships in the outer roadstead of Port Arthur.
By this time, the Japanese were deploying an occupation force in Korea. By early March, the armies were "concentrated," after which the enemy advanced to the Yalu River (Amnokkan), which separates Korea and Manchuria, and prepared to invade.
The Russian plan envisaged an initial concentration of troops in two detachments - the Southern and the Eastern. The first, numbering 22 thousand people, was tasked with defending Southern Manchuria. The second, with 20 thousand bayonets and sabres, was moving towards the Yalu River to block the Korean border. At the same time, part of the troops, up to 30 thousand fighters, occupied positions in the Vladivostok region and in the Ussuri region.
The further development of the campaign showed that, in unequal conditions, the Russian command, represented by the Emperor's Viceroy in the Far East, Admiral Yevgeny Alekseyev (whom Soviet historiography labeled a warmonger) and the commander of the Manchurian Army, General Aleksey Kuropatkin, demonstrated sobriety and flexibility.
The maneuvering of army units allowed them to escape from a crushing blow time after time. Throughout the 1904 campaign, our Manchurian army was never surrounded or suffered serious damage. On the contrary, the Japanese did not achieve a blitzkrieg.
WITH A CROSS FOR A BREAKTHROUGH
On the night of April 18 (May 1), 1904, the main forces of the 1st Japanese Army of General Kuroki, having a six-fold numerical superiority over our Eastern Detachment under the command of General Mikhail Zasulich, crossed the Yalu River. In the battle near the village of Tyurenchen, three Japanese divisions were opposed by only five Russian battalions.
However, the enemy failed to destroy the Eastern Detachment. The attempt to encircle was thwarted by a stubborn defense and, in particular, the dedication of the soldiers of the 11th East Siberian Rifle Regiment under the command of Colonel Vladimir Laiming, who stopped the advance of two divisions. "The heroes of the 11th Regiment, who covered their neighbors who were leaving the battle, showed the greatest heroism and tenacity," wrote the Soviet historian Sorokin.
In the Battle of Tyurencheng, 60 officers and 2,130 lower ranks were killed and wounded, while the Japanese lost 1,036 officers and soldiers.
The issue of losses is debatable, and we will dwell on it in more detail later. For now, we will note that most works on the history of the 1904-1905 war use predominantly Japanese data on the losses of their army.
There are no sufficient grounds to consider these data reliable, and the point of view that the Japanese deliberately underestimated both the number of their troops and the size of their losses in order to convince the world of the obvious superiority of their strategy, the art of their military leaders and the combat effectiveness of their army seems quite convincing.
Here and below, information is given about the losses of the parties, taken from a major study that was published by the military-historical commission of the General Staff of the Russian Army in 1910-1912 and which experts consider a reliable source.
The Battle of Yalu went down in history, among other things, thanks to an episode that, unlike the feat of the Varyag, was not publicized in Soviet times. At the most difficult moment of the battle, when the regimental commander was wounded and the Siberian soldiers almost wavered at some point, a 29-year-old regimental priest, Stefan Shcherbakovsky, a native of Odessa, came out in front of the soldiers. He blessed the soldiers with the cross and said, “Christ is risen!” and then, clutching the cross, rushed forward, toward the Japanese chains.
As Father Stefan himself said:
"I put on the epitrachelion, took the cross, blessed the soldiers and, singing "Christ is risen," went at the head of the riflemen of the standard company... Without the slightest hesitation, the glorious riflemen went to certain death, into the hellish fire, among the exploding shells... Some ran forward, some fell killed or wounded. I felt a strong blow to my arm and leg and fell backwards, losing consciousness."
Father Stefan was seriously wounded (he was carried off the field by soldiers) and miraculously survived. He became the fifth Orthodox priest in Russian history (and the first since the Crimean War) to be awarded the Order of St. George. In 1918, Father Stefan, who served in one of the parishes of Odessa, was arrested by the Cheka and shot.
LOSS OF SHIPS
Three days after the Battle of Tyurencheng, the vanguard of the Japanese army on 36 ships left the Korean port of Qingampo (Nampho) and on April 22 began landing in the south of Manchuria, in the area of the city of Biziwo, 150 kilometers north of Port Arthur.
In eight days, up to 200 transports were unloaded - divisions, rear services and services of the 3rd Army of General Yasukata Oku, numbering 60 thousand people.
From the sea, the landing was supported by a detachment of six Japanese battleships, four cruisers and 30 destroyers, called upon to block the exit of the Russian squadron from Port Arthur. And during this operation, the enemy again suffered significant losses. Two Japanese battleships, the Hatsuse and the Yashima, were blown up and sank by mines laid by the sailors of the minelayer Amur.
Overall, as the historian notes, “in a relatively short time, the Japanese fleet lost two first-class battleships, a cruiser and several other warships. This was tantamount to a major defeat.”
The next unpleasant surprise for the Japanese was the battle near the city of Jinzhou on May 13 (26).
After landing at Bitsiwo, General Oku's army rushed to Port Arthur. The few Russian screens retreated to a fortified position at the isthmus of the Kwantung Peninsula. Here, at the city of Qinzhou (Kinzhou), the Japanese army was confronted only by the 5th East Siberian Rifle Regiment under the command of Colonel Nikolai Tretyakov. Further on, the path to the fortress was blocked by the 4th Division of Siberian Riflemen under Major General Alexander Fok.
The battle on the isthmus, where the enemy had a tenfold numerical superiority, lasted until late at night, after which the defenders abandoned their positions.
THE ACQUITTED GENERAL
The losses of the Siberian riflemen amounted to 20 officers and 770 soldiers killed, 8 officers and 626 soldiers wounded, a total of 1,424 people.
The Japanese lost, according to their data, 33 officers and 716 soldiers killed, 100 officers and 3,355 soldiers wounded, a total of 4,204 people. The losses of the 5th Regiment, from which 37% of soldiers and 51% of officers dropped out, testified to tenacity and heroism, as noted by Soviet historians.
At this price, the enemy approached Port Arthur and was able to occupy the port city of Dalniy (Dalian), which Russian troops abandoned due to the threat of encirclement.
It should be noted that the battle at Qinzhou is assessed critically in Russian historiography. It is believed that General Fok was obliged to come to the aid of the 5th Siberian Rifle Regiment and defend the strategically important Kwantung Isthmus, the loss of which resulted in the surrender of the port of Dalniy. Subsequently, the Japanese used this to supply their troops. However, an objective analysis allows us to assess the situation differently.
Alexander Fok was not a "parquet" general - he had experience in the Russo-Turkish War and the Chinese campaign of 1900-1901. But "here and now" in the Kwantung Fortified Region, the enemy had a huge numerical superiority. It was defended mainly by two rifle divisions. The 7th Division of Lieutenant General of Engineering Troops Roman Kondratenko (the future hero of the defense of Port Arthur) was dispersed among the forts and fortifications of the Port Arthur fortress.
Phocas' 4th Division represented practically all available field troops. Its defeat would have accelerated the capture of Port Arthur, which the enemy was striving for at any cost.
By the way, General Fok was put on trial for his participation in the fortress's capitulation, but the court acquitted him of all charges. And later the military leader showed himself worthy during the defense of Port Arthur.
IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO DEFEAT THE RUSSIAN TROOPS
The enemy, taking advantage of its superiority in manpower and equipment, meanwhile continued its assault on the Kwantung Peninsula. General Oku's army was joined by two more units that had landed from the sea. These were General Maresuke Nogi's 3rd Army, which had the goal of taking the fortress of Port Arthur, and Marshal Michitsura Nozu's 4th Army, which advanced north against our group near the city of Liaoyang.
The enemy landing force interrupted the connection between the Port Arthur garrison and our other units. Therefore, the Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Alekseyev, demanded decisive action to unblock it.
The task was assigned to the 1st Siberian Corps of Lieutenant General Georgy Shtakelberg, consisting of the 1st and 9th Siberian Rifle Divisions and a brigade of the 35th Infantry Division (Morshansky and Zaraysky Regiments), reinforced by the Primorsky Dragoon Regiment. The battle unfolded south of the Vafangou station and proceeded with varying success.
The First Siberian Corps was confronted by the main forces of the 2nd Japanese Army of General Oku. Having numerical superiority, the Japanese launched a frontal offensive and simultaneously tried to envelop our positions, but they failed to defeat the Russian troops. Our losses in killed, wounded and captured amounted to 3,300 soldiers and officers, the enemy, according to Japanese data, lost 1,190 people.
"IF WE HAD A RAILROAD..."
Most historians agree that the forces assigned to strike Oku's army were insufficient. This can be agreed with, but the actions of the Manchurian army commander become understandable if we take into account the complexity of the situation. There was a huge advantage in infantry and artillery for the Japanese.
On the one hand, the enemy was supported by “our Western partners”, on the other hand, the Russian army faced logistical problems.
The theater of military operations was located 8 thousand miles away from the regions and provinces that supplied the army with manpower and supplies.
The communication routes were not developed, the Siberian route remained single-track, its carrying capacity at the beginning of the war did not exceed three pairs of trains per day, and for the rapid delivery of new divisions and the complements needed to replenish losses, no less than 14 pairs of trains were needed daily. Increasing the capacity of the road required enormous and coordinated efforts from the financial, railway and military departments.
And these efforts have been made in recent years: new sidings were built to allow oncoming trains to separate, repair depots, platforms, staff houses, locomotives were replaced with faster ones... It was not possible to do all this quickly.
General Kuropatkin wrote in his memoirs:
"If we had a railway prepared for the beginning of military operations for at least 6 military trains, we could have had not one 1st Siberian Corps at Vafangou, but three corps: 1st and 4th Siberian and 10th Army. The outcome of the battle would have been different, which would undoubtedly have affected the course of the entire campaign, because we could have taken the initiative in the actions."
But the army command had to proceed from the "current reality" - in it, our army was faced with circumstances of insurmountable force. Which Russian officers and soldiers nevertheless managed to overcome. But the most difficult trials were ahead - the siege of Port Arthur and the Battle of Tsushima, which will require a separate story.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The Russian troops received the first batch of Su-35S fighters this year. This was reported on March 29 by the press service of Rostec.
“The planes were manufactured by our United Aircraft Corporation and have already flown to their home airfield,” the corporation said in a statement on its Telegram channel.
Rostec added that the fighters had undergone a full cycle of factory tests, were accepted by the technical staff, and tested in various operating modes by Defense Ministry pilots.
The state corporation said that the Su-35S is a multifunctional 4++ generation fighter with two engines, a digital navigation system and a controlled thrust vector. The aircraft has improved flight and technical and maneuverability characteristics. It is designed to destroy ground and surface targets during the day and at night in simple and difficult weather conditions. At the same time, the machine is capable of operating at a large distance from its base airfield.
"Pilots highly appreciate the characteristics of the Su-35S. The fighters are equipped with advanced weapons and long-range information and targeting systems," said Vladimir Artyakov, First Deputy General Director of Rostec.
UAC CEO Vadim Badekha added that for each aircraft type — Su-34, Su-35, Su-57 — an increase in production volumes is planned for this year. To achieve this, Badekha said, the corporation will continue to expand production.
As reported by Regnum News Agency, at the end of December, UAC manufactured and transferred new batches of Su-57 fighters and Su-34 frontline bombers to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Rostec CEO Sergei Chemezov noted that the state corporation's aircraft manufacturing enterprises are rhythmically supplying the Russian army with aircraft equipment, and the Su-57 and Su-34 aircraft transferred to the troops will soon take their place in service.
He called the Su-57 the only fifth-generation fighter that has proven its breakthrough characteristics in all combat scenarios. According to the head of Rostec, the Su-57 is a formidable weapon with advanced means of destruction.
In November, the corporation delivered a new batch of fifth-generation Su-57 aircraft and multifunctional 4++ generation Su-35S fighters to the troops. Chemezov also spoke about the world premiere of the Su-57 in the export version.
In early October, UAC delivered another batch of new Su-34 frontline fighter-bombers to the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS).
[RedState] A limousine in the personal fleet of Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly exploded and burned in Moscow. Details are sketchy as of this writing; it is not known if this was an attempt on President Putin's life.
[X]
🚨 #BREAKING: POSSIBLE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON PUTIN?! 🚨
⚡A luxury limousine from Vladimir Putin’s official motorcade EXPLODED in the streets of Moscow, just blocks from FSB HQ.
🔥 The Aurus Senat — a £275,000 armoured beast — was engulfed in flames, fuelled by a violent… pic.twitter.com/I71B8afDHE
❓Who was inside?
❓Was it sabotage?
❓Was this a targeted hit on Russia’s most protected man?
This comes amid reports of intensified security around Putin: 🔎 Ceremonial guards searched head to toe
🕳️ Sewers inspected for bombs
💥 A real threat emerging?
The Kremlin is silent.
Speculation is NOT.
📢 If this was an assassination attempt, the global consequences will be seismic.
Speculation - and speculation only - is circulating that this was an attack and that it may have been ordered by Ukraine's President Zelensky.
Nothing as yet has been confirmed except the fact that the explosion and fire have taken place. In the videos attached to the X posts presented here, you can see the flames, and unidentified personnel throwing water on the blazing limousine.
The limo was near the Moscow headquarters of the Federal'naya Sluzhba Bezopasnosti Rossiyskoy Federatsii, or FSB, Russia's primary security agency and successor of the Soviet-era KGB. There is no news as to whether the limousine was going to or coming from the FSB, or who (if anyone) was inside.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
