Confirmed by Ukraine's Opeerational Command: there is an ongoing military operation on Kinburn Spit.

[Beastly Boy]

Kinburn Spit is the western-most Ukrainian territory currently occupied by Russia. It is a small peninsula that is strategically located at the junction of shipping traffic between Dnipro and Pivdenny Buh rivers and the Black Sea.

Last week, there were persistent rumors among war bloggers about the presence of Ukrainian troops on the peninsula. Then, the rumors abruptly stopped.

We now have confirmation that there is indeed a military operation happening on the peninsula, in "silent mode":
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2022/11/21/7377334/

This is far more significant than it looks. According to the unnamed South Operational Command representative, control over the spit will secure the grain corridor from the Port of Mykolaiv to the Black Sea, but there seems to be a lot more to it. I couldn't help but recall the reported projection from Ukraine's Defense Ministry of liberating Crimea by December (https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/ukraine-crimea-christmas-war-russia-end/). This was proposed at the same time the military action on Kinburn was taking place. The news of action on Kinburn lends some credence to this otherwise exceedingly rosy scenario: it potentially opens a new front that not only protects shipping in the Black Sea, but can outflank the defenses that the Russians are currently building on the east side of Dnipro after losing Kherson. More importantly, this front has the potential of threatening one of only two remaining land links between Crimea and and Russia at Armiansk, choking off delivery of supplies and troops to Crimea, just like UAF did in Kherson, but on a larger scale.

While the official goal of the Kinburn operation is to "secure the grain corridor from the Port of Mykolaiv", it appears to be, at least potentially, a lot more than that. Stay tuned.

[Otto_Harper]

1. At several times during this "Special Military Operation" I have thought that

whoever the Ukrainian general is that is planning and directing these operations, he is very good at his job, against the uncreative orcs. And, I guarantee you they ain't paying him enough.

[Tomconroy]

2. General Valerii Zaluzhnyi

Link to tweet

[localroger]

3. They seem to be intelligent and creative from the trenches to the generals

Ukraine has had eight years to build up knowing Russia would come again. Russia has been continuing their usual pattern of grift to enrich the oligarchs. Ukraine has given local leaders power to innovate, and made sure their supply lines are secure and their personnel trained. They have by any measure erased all those advantages Russia supposedly had, and this was largely obvious in the first couple of weeks of the war. Ukraine will win, and the only person who doesn't know it at this point is Putin.

[Beastly Boy]

5. There is a whole cadre of young, brilliant, creative commanders in charge of conducting the war.

Zaluzny, the commander in chief of the Ukrainian armed forces is 49 himself.

Putin made the mistake (not the only one and not his worst) of assuming that Ukrainian army is a branch of the old Soviet armed forces, just as Putin's army still is.

[Kaleva]

6. After 2014, the UKR military recieved a lot of western military training

Prior to that, the UKR military operated under the old Soviet model which Russia still uses today.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

11. Bear in mind that the Ukr. Armed Forces are western trained,

US and UK advisors trained the Ukrainian army in western warfare tactics, which is hugely paying off for the Ukr. and shows just how superior western warfighting doctrine is over Russia's.

Also, western weapons systems are far superior over Russia's weapons systems and the Russians are paying dearly for it.

[3Hotdogs]

4. Nuthin' going right for poor Pootie.

Sad.

[roamer65]

7. This just proves to me the Ukrainians were the backbone of the Soviet military.

[uponit7771]

9. +1,

[Hermit-The-Prog]

8. The entire Russia - Ukraine disaster is a warning about parasites being uncontrolled.

Oligarchs consume societies. If their power is left unchecked for too long, it takes extreme sacrifices, bravery, and smart planning to stop them.

[uponit7771]

10. +1,