Fair warning, this one is a difficult watch. Latest video of the last remaining defenders in the Azovstal tunnels in Mariupol, #Ukraine. No gore, or combat, or anything like that. It's truly beautiful, and horrifically grim if you know what these soldiers have been through, and what likely awaits them for the remainder of their lives.
@jgold I can't understand why no reinforcements came to help them.
@Jayren93982080 Mostly because they simply can't. Mariupol is entirely surrounded (see blue circle). It is also *well* within the zone controlled by Russian air and artillery.
Any sort of rescue attempt has to be part of a much larger push in that direction. But they can't really start a push there without first taking care of the forces around Kherson/Crimea (otherwise they'll have huge forces on either side of the push).
It's a shit situation, but I don't honestly see any good solution.
@Jayren93982080 Well, mostly because of the distances involved. From the absolute closest Ukrainian controlled area to the trapped troops, it is 45 miles (straight line, so probably closer to 70 actual driving miles). That's about the size of the UA bulge in the East.
For comparison, that bulge is being held by 7 brigades (~14,000 personnel) of dug-in UA troops.
There is a single UA brigade in position to make the strike you're talking about.
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@Jayren93982080 So that would be a single brigade (~2,000 troops) trying to attack into, briefly hold, and then conduct a massive fighting withdrawal over the same distance that it is currently taking 7 brigades to hold.
Additionally, there are 9 Russian BTGs in the area that could quickly respond to any such attack. And all of that is ignoring the artillery and air support Russia has in that area.
Sadly, it just isn't possible with the forces that exist in the area.
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@jgold I still don't see why they can't come behind the western side of the circle or at least strike it.