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Ukraine Invasion Day 352: Dear SpaceX, using drones against invasion forces is self-defense [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.', 'Backgroundurl Avatar_Large', 'Nickname', 'Joined', 'Created_At', 'Story Count', 'N_Stories', 'Comment Count', 'N_Comments', 'Popular Tags'] Date: 2023-02-09 The president of SpaceX revealed the company has taken active steps to prevent Ukrainian forces from using the critical Starlink satellite technology with Ukrainian drones that are a key component of their fight against Russia - CNN SpaceX has taken steps to prevent Ukraine's military from using the company's Starlink satellite internet service for controlling drones in the region during the country's war with Russia, SpaceX's president said https://t.co/f5ThiG0WQA pic.twitter.com/ctXj6uABiQ I know Musk jamming communications to Ukrainian soldiers is news, but remember 4 months ago when he disabled Starlink to Crimea after talking to Putin on the phone — twice? Just *imagine* the kompromat Putin has on Elmo. He has everything on this guy. https://t.co/dEQlFnWfG3 The Kremlin continues to pursue measures to gradually prepare Russia’s defense-industrial base for a protracted war in Ukraine while avoiding wider economic mobilization. Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with the Supervisory Board of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives on February 9 and instructed the agency to support federal subjects in developing the production of unmanned aircraft systems.[4] Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev previously stated that Russian military manufacturers intend to expand the supply of reconnaissance and attack drones to support operations in Ukraine, and Russian and Iranian officials are reportedly planning to build a factory in Russia to manufacture 6,000 drones "in the coming years."[5] #UkraineWar : 1000 #Russian tanks are now visually confirmed to have been destroyed in #Ukraine since February 24, 2022. The total of Russian tank losses currently stand at 1688. Full list: https://t.co/QR37xcY8mq pic.twitter.com/iOJckl7dSO "Russia is a huge country, so even sending one million men to die in Ukraine won't matter much", the propagandists are saying. It seems Russian population doesn't care about human losses as well as they obediently go to war. pic.twitter.com/Qp99HBBbg5 x Japanese Intelligence states that more than 20 generals of the Russian army have been killed in Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale aggression. Source: Nikkei news outlet, citing Japanese Intelligence pic.twitter.com/ieiyH6rWuf — Ukrainian News24 (@UkrainianNews24) February 9, 2023 Russian Subordinate Main Effort #2—Donetsk Oblast (Russian objective: Capture the entirety of Donetsk Oblast, the claimed territory of Russia’s proxies in Donbas) Russian forces continued ground attacks around Bakhmut on February 9. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian troops repelled Russian attacks on Bakhmut itself; northeast of Bakhmut near Vyimka (22km northeast) and Fedorivka (15km northeast); north of Bakhmut near Krasna Hora (4km north) and Paraskoviivka (5km north); and west of Bakhmut near Ivanviske (5km west) and Chasiv Yar (10km west).[21] A Russian milblogger remarked that Russian troops have recently changed their tactics in the Bakhmut area and are focusing less on frontal assaults on small settlements and more on interdicting Ukrainian ground lines of communication (GLOCs) into Bakhmut along the E40 Bakhmut-Slovyansk and T0504 Kostyantynivka-Chasiv Yar-Bakhmut highways.[22] This observation is consistent with the Ukrainian General Staff report of Russian attacks towards Chasiv Yar and Ivanivske, both critical settlements along the T0504. Other Russian milbloggers similarly claimed that Wagner Group forces are pushing towards Ivanivske and attacking along the E40 near Orikhovo-Vasylivka (10km northwest of Bakhmut) and Dubovo-Vasylivka (5km northwest of Bakhmut).[23] Russian sources claimed that Wagner Group forces are additionally attacking toward Krasna Hora from three sides and that Ukrainian troops are close to withdrawing from the settlement.[24] www.understandingwar.org/... Russian Main Effort—Eastern Ukraine Russian Subordinate Main Effort #1- Luhansk Oblast ( Russian objective: Capture the remainder of Luhansk Oblast and continue offensive operations into eastern Kharkiv Oblast and northern Donetsk Oblast) Russian forces continued offensive actions along the Svatove-Kreminna line on February 9. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian troops repelled a Russian attack near Stelmakhivka, 15km west of Svatove.[15] Russian milbloggers circulated footage reportedly of elements of the 3rd Motor Rifle Division (20th Combined Arms Army, Western Military District) correcting artillery strikes in an unidentified sector of the Svatove-Kreminna line.[16] The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) claimed that Central Military District elements are operating in the Lyman direction (the area west of Kreminna) and using TOS-1 thermobaric multiple rocket launch systems.[17] The commitment of a military district-level asset such as the TOS-1 to the Kreminna area suggests that the Russian MoD is prioritizing this axis. Widely circulated social media footage posted on February 9 additionally shows a Ukrainian strike on a Russian BMPT Terminator armored fighting vehicle about 8km south of Kreminna, indicating that the Russian command is committing new equipment to this area of the front.[18] The Ukrainian General Staff noted that Ukrainian troops repelled a Russian attack near Bilohorivka.[19] A Russian milblogger claimed that Russian troops are conducting offensive operations north of Bilohorivka and attacked along the Shepilove-Dibrova line, about 5km south of Kreminna.[20] www.understandingwar.org/... Supporting Effort—Southern Axis (Russian objective: Maintain frontline positions and secure rear areas against Ukrainian strikes) Russian forces conducted a limited ground attack in Zaporizhia Oblast on February 9. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces repelled a Russian assault near Novoandriivka, Zaporizhia Oblast.[36] Russian forces additionally continued routine fire west of Hulyaipole and in Dnipropetrovsk and Kherson oblasts on February 9.[37] Ukrainian sources reported that Russian forces struck Kherson City and Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.[38] www.understandingwar.org/... x By constant and fruitless assaults on Vuhledar, Donetsk region, Ukraine, the 155th Marine Brigade of the Russian fascist invaders is being wiped out. Losses – especially of personnel – of this "elite" Russian unit are catastrophic. — Michael MacKay (@mhmck) February 9, 2023 x "Freya", Ukrainian grenade launcher. She used to be head of Luhansk regional housing union, entrepreneur. She joined territorial defense when the full-scale invasion began and quickly became a gunner. "Freya" serves in Bakhmut. Hear her spirit, her strength, her soul. pic.twitter.com/sfRTuR9oGC — Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) February 9, 2023 x "After the release of a Wagner commercial we have received over 10 million applications from US citizens wishing to join the Wagner PMC to fight NATO. We are considering 1 million. Therefore the recruitment from 🇷🇺 prisons is temporarily suspended," press service of Prigozhin🤪 pic.twitter.com/IxPuREaVLq — NOËL 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) February 9, 2023 [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/2/9/2152128/-Ukraine-Invasion-Day-352-Dear-SpaceX-using-drones-against-nbsp-invasion-forces-is-self-defense Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/