Learn to die and kill: frontline newsletter
Zaluzhny's deathsong. HIV and tuberculosis. Zaporizhzhia, Kurakhove, Pokrovsk, Chasiv Yar
Today’s topics:
Former head of the army Zaluzhny’s battle cry: ‘There is almost no chance to survive. Learn not to fear death.’
Proles with tuberculosis and HIV to the army
And the frontline itself. The numbers I drew on the DeepState map below correspond to the locations below:
Will there be a Russian offensive in the southern Zaporizhzhia region?
The Kurakhove direction and the war against official lies. Weak units and the need to retreat.
The Pokrovsk direct - golf cars and tanks
The Chasiv Yar/Toretsk direction. Movement on a long-frozen section of the front.
To die and kill
To begin with, an interesting call to arms by former army chief Valery Zaluzhny (he was removed from his post at the start of the year after a poll found he was much more popular than Zelensky). It was delivered on the 19th at a training ground for Ukrainian soldiers in the UK, the country he was sent to as ambassador to push him out of Ukrainian politics (despite being practically unable to speak English):
"...The war becomes more brutal with each passing day. It leaves almost no chance to survive. However, even so, the war will fear those who are ready to join it.
You must learn this here. Learn not to fear death. Learn not to fear looking the enemy in the eye. This is very, very important. Above all, you must learn here to protect yourself. Learn to survive here.
Second, look each other in the eye carefully. Remember one another. You must remember each other for life and worry about where your comrade is—where Vasyl is, where Petro is, what happened to him, is he alive?
On the battlefield, look at a comrade just like you and try to save him. Do whatever it takes to protect your comrade as much as possible.
But this is not enough—it is not enough to protect yourself and your friend, your brother-in-arms.
You must also complete the mission. For this, you will need to kill. Kill without hesitation when you see the enemy. Kill him first before he tries to kill you or your comrade.
Learn this here, please. Love one another. And remember Ukraine. If you fall, perhaps someone else will take your place.
But Ukraine must be preserved. Our children, our women, our parents must live in peace, no matter the cost to us. We have only one Ukraine. And we will definitely win. Together. Glory to Ukraine!"
As some Ukrainian commentators have noted, such calls to accept death must not be particularly hard to make as a foreign ambassador in an Atlantic island. One of Zaluzhny’s scandals was that he left the army for a civilian career by receiving a medical slip regarding an unknown ‘disability’. As parliamentarian Bezuhla noted in March:
"The 'disabled' Zaluzhnyi and Shaptala were discharged through the medical commission, yet they supported the mobilization of individuals with third-group disabilities and opposed the possibility of discharge for those with second-group disabilities 🤔.
Ordinary men with tuberculosis and HIV must serve in the army - or those with cancer, as I wrote here. But top generals including Zaluzhny and Sodol (see this article for his conflict with Azov) both easily escaped the article through ‘disability slips’.
And far from Zaluzhny’s comfortable death-worship, here is what western-funded polls say about people lucky enough to be stuck inside Ukraine: Keep in mind that polls should not be seen to reflect actual general opinion, given the conditions of repression for ‘treasonous’ pacifism, as I wrote this week.
Instead, polls are valuable for showing trends over time - the amount of people willing to take the risk of voicing one’s opinion. At a certain point, the danger of continued war outweighs the risk of having the ‘wrong’ opinion.
Zaporizhzhia
DeepState, November 13. Keep in mind that Zaporizhzhia is one of Ukraine’s biggest and most industrially important cities, with a population of 700,000 (pre-war, in any case).
ℹ️ Offensive on Zaporizhzhia, Dam Explosion, Huliaipole, and Geographic Facts
🌐 Various reports are circulating online, often incorrectly linking unrelated events, causing confusion and misinformation. Let’s break it down step by step:
🟡 Offensive on Zaporizhzhia
For about a month, there have been rumors of a "large-scale" offensive on Zaporizhzhia, supposedly starting near Vasylivka, particularly in Kamianske. It's unclear what these claims are based on, as no significant troop buildup has been observed in the Vasylivka area, contrary to the rumors. For some time, two airborne assault divisions have been present there—one of which has been partially relocated—and a new regiment made up of various assembled units has been identified.
Currently, there is no noticeable increase in activity around Kamianske. If something does happen, it’s important to prepare physically rather than fuel fear with daily alarmist statements to the residents of Zaporizhzhia. The situation in Robotyne remains unchanged, with no signs of escalation.
🟡 Dam Explosion in Vasylivka
Yesterday, reports began spreading that Russian forces intend to blow up the dam in Vasylivka. However, it’s unclear how this could be achieved, considering the dam was already destroyed in 2022 and currently holds almost no water.
🟡 The "Offensive on Zaporizhzhia" in Relation to Huliaipole
Mentions of an offensive on Zaporizhzhia, along with activities near Huliaipole, have been tied together due to geographical misunderstandings and reports of Russian advances in the Rivnopil-Novodarivka area and attempts to break through from Staromayorske to Makarivka.
First, Rivnopil, Novodarivka, and Makarivka are in Donetsk Oblast and geographically far from the south.
Second, these settlements are not near Huliaipole, so it’s unclear why Huliaipole is being brought up in this context.
Third, there’s no reason to reference Zaporizhzhia Oblast here. While it borders Rivnopil, this proximity does not justify claims of an "offensive on Zaporizhzhia."
Kurakhove and the war against lies
To begin with, here is a comparison of the DeepState maps for the Kurakhove frontline.
DeepState, November 16:
🏚 Situation Around Kurakhove
🏹 The enemy continues to exert pressure from the north, south, and east:
🟡 North of the City
The Russians persist in their attempts to gain a foothold in the village of Sontsivka and fully occupy it. They are also pressing on Novoselydivka, but their primary focus on the northern front of Kurakhove is the Berestky-Illinka sector. Regarding these two settlements, we wrote a post here yesterday. Despite contradictory claims and false reports being sent up the chain of command, Illinka is occupied, and individual enemy infantry units have even been visually spotted in the Berestky area. The Russian objective in this area is to advance to Stari Terny.
🟡 Eastern Outskirts of Kurakhove
The eastern outskirts are under constant pressure from Russian forces conducting mechanized assaults and attempting to infiltrate the city's edge. They have also tried to land infantry in the private sector to establish positions. A recent assault succeeded with their occupation of School No. 3, though it has since been cleared of enemy forces.
❗️ Situation Between Dalne and Uspenivka
A "pocket" along the Antonivka-Katerynivka-Yelyzavetivka-Illinka-Romanivka-Hannivka line is under threat of future enemy control. The Russians are persistently advancing through Dalne toward Uspenivka, achieving some successes. Uspenivka is crucial for logistics and overall control of the situation for Ukrainian forces in the pocket.
Once again, false reports up the chain of command are likely the reason for a lack of attention to the flanks in this area. The situation is deteriorating, and one day we may wake up to find the enemy has reached Uspenivka—by then, it might be too late.
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