Washington's Downed Drone + Growing Admissions of Ukraine's Military Deterioration (TheNewAtlas)

Update on Russian military operations in Ukraine for March 16, 2023:

- Russian warplanes intercepted and apparently clipped the propeller of a US MQ-9 drone carrying out surveillance near Crimea;

- The US has no means of recovering the drone, though Russia may have an opportunity to recover it;

- While the drone operated in international airspace according to the US, it was collecting intelligence on behalf of Ukraine as part of ongoing hostilities, as a party of the conflict and thus threatening Russian national security;

- Bakhmut continues to face encirclement;

- The Western media has begun admitting to the grim deterioration of Ukraine’s forces under the weight of Russia’s strategy of attrition;

- Ukraine has lost the majority of troops trained by NATO over the last 8-9 years;

- Ongoing NATO training is rushed, incapable of meeting or exceeding Russia’s pool of trained manpower;

- Ammunition and weapons are also admittedly running out;

- Ukraine may or may not be diverting reserves for an upcoming spring offensive to instead fight in Bakhmut;

- Any possible counteroffensive around Bakhmut might indicate just how badly deteriorated Ukraine’s forces have become;



The Russian fighters did indeed hit that drone, and it looks like it was very close to Crimea, whereas the US is saying it was not. See video below.

Troops Cut-Off & Russian Jet Strikes US Drone - Ukraine War Map Update / Analysis (Willy OAM)


[Posted at the SpookyWeather2 blog, March 18, 2023.]