Is Russia losing? No, they've already lost. They started of wanting to keep NATO at arms length and now have NATO on their doorstep. Irrespective of the final outcome, their initial war aims are now unachievable.

Is Ukraine winning? No. Even if they somehow push Russia back to the ante bellum boarders, their development has been set back several decades and the country will remain under a permanent cloud which will scare away investors and native entrepreneurs. So an economic back-water for decades to come.

Which side is more truthful at the moment? Ask me next year.

Mhaze,

One side has a free press and the other only the Kremlin's propaganda. Unless the 100s of independent journalists are also lying then there is a more than even chance of some honesty from the West if not from Ukraine.

AC is claiming that Russia is building 100 T90 tanks a month. The only factory that can build tanks in Russia has a capacity of 20 p.m. and maybe 30 working 24/7. So unless they have suddenly built 2 more factories this is complete bollocks.

Next AC repeat Russian propaganda that general zaluzhny has been critically injured only to have a video posted yesterday of him completely uninjured.

Say no more.

Russia is losing this war.

Even Prigozhin believes that Russia could lose the war in Ukraine.

I still have the impression that Ukraine is content to keep picking off Russian targets. The special military operation in the Belgorod direction showed how stretched the Russian forces have become, and Ukraine's "Any day now" pitch for the counteroffensive is leaving 150,000 Russian troops tied up in the south with no offensive capability.

With Russia perhaps losing 30,000 troops and 8 BTGs per month the success of Ukraine's counteroffensive will be more likely to succeed if they continue as they have been.

Better the devil you know.

SM wrote: "One side has a free press and the other only the Kremlin's propaganda. Unless the 100s of independent journalists are also lying then there is a more than even chance of some honesty from the West if not from Ukraine"

Yes, true, but beside the point. Russia also has its milbloggers who are at least independent of the Russian propaganda apparatus. But none of these independent sources on either side is capable of seeing the entire story or understanding the overall situation.

Any study of the reporting on past wars shows how the government/military are able to manipulate the story to suit its purposes. Embedded journalists see a small part of the war and cannot possibly make overall assessments that matter. Its like someone trying to describe an elephant having seen only its tail. Ben Rhodes talked about how Obama easily manipulated the Iran story because they were dealing with people who " literally know nothing." "The average reporter we talk to is 27 years old…They literally know nothing."

Veteran reporters become cynical because they know what they don't know.

Yes, there are many unknowns, most importantly the status of each force and the damage being inflicted. What does appear to be known is Russia's lack of offensive capability and Ukraine's range and accuracy advantages. If Ukraine also has a surveillance advantage then it makes perfect sense for them to keep doing what they are doing.

My take from the peanut gallery is that with 150,000 troops tied up in the south, Russia has had to put its meat wave offensive on hold, which is allowing the Ukrainians to target artillery and specialist equipment.

Hi Fester,
I wonder if you and SM would believe one thing Progozin said but not another?
- Mind you the bloke does a lot of trolling just to stir things up
http://twitter.com/GonzaloLira1968/status/1641506771800842246

He's said to be linked to a Russian troll factory, said to be responsible for manipulating US elections,
(If you believe Hillary Clinton and Democrats narratives in relation to Trumps 2016 election)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Research_Agency

"Even Prigozhin believes that Russia could lose the war in Ukraine."
- I think he likes to shake up the Russian military commanders, there's a kind of a rift between him and them.

He also said this though, so if you believe him on that, do you believe him on this?

"Prigozhin said that in Bakhmut, Ukraine had suffered casualties of 50,000-70,000 wounded and 50,000 dead. He said around 20,000 of his own mercenaries had been killed during the war."
http://www.reuters.com/world/russias-mercenaries-send-back-bodies-us-turkish-citizens-ukraine-2023-05-25/

At least he had the respect and decency to respect the dead.
"Mercenaries from Russia's Wagner Group were shown in a video clip nailing closed the two wooden coffins and then draping a U.S. "Stars and Stripes" flag over one coffin and the "red banner" flag of Turkey on the other."

Unlike US warmonger Lindsay Graham...

Video shows US Senator Graham's infantile comments: "Russians Dying Best Money We've Ever Spent."
http://youtu.be/fArYADgOTaI

Meanwhile...

Russia checkmates the West. Russia to spread Nukes to ANYONE who joins Russia-Belarus Union.
http://youtu.be/Dm7ZstRCyOw

You lot must be keen on a nuclear war backing people like Vicky Nuland and Lindsay Graham?