AuntiE Loc: 45th Least Free State

U.S. to Send 'Up to 60' More Military Advisors to Ukraine
Rick Moran9:22 AM on April 21, 2024

The Pentagon is saying that the U.S. will be sending more military advisors to Ukraine along with the $61 billion in military aid approved by Congress on Saturday.

“Throughout this conflict, the DOD has reviewed and adjusted our presence in-country, as security conditions have evolved. Currently, we are considering sending several additional advisers to augment the Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC) at the Embassy,” Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement to Politico. He added that “personnel are subject to the same travel restrictions as all embassy employees.

The ODC helps Ukraine in a variety of support and advisory positions, exclusively in non-combat roles. They are attached to the embassy and under the command of the Chief of Mission.

In addition to logistics support, the advisors will help the Ukrainian military with weapons maintenance and perform oversight of where those weapons end up. Previous shipments of U.S. weapons have occasionally ended up being diverted to less savory groups like criminal gangs that sell them to anyone, including terrorists and jihadists.

The question of how many advisors will be sent is still being decided but Pentagon sources told Politico that "up to 60" advisors will be sent.

Biden has promised that U.S. troops will not be in combat roles. We've heard that before. The temptation to assist Ukraine as they try to regain the initiative against Russian forces will be great.

Politico:

Ukraine has clamored for more artillery, air defenses, long-range missiles and fighter jets, which frontline troops and leading politicians insist would help the Ukrainians break through Russian lines and hold their positions.

The news that the U.S. is sending additional forces to Ukraine comes as senior officials warned last week that Russia has been gaining momentum.

CIA Director Bill Burns said Ukraine could lose the war this year if Congress didn’t approve the assistance package.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, speaking to lawmakers, said, “We’re already seeing things on the battlefield begin to shift a bit in Russia’s favor. We are seeing them make incremental gains. We’re seeing the Ukrainians be challenged in terms of holding the line.”

Any Russian gains are likely to increase as Moscow will intensify attacks before the bulk of the new tranche of U.S. weapons can reach the battlefield and make any kind of difference.

Business Insider:

The think tank the Institute for the Study of War said in an update on the conflict that Russia would now likely intensify its attacks on Ukraine in order to make the most of "a******lly dry spring ground conditions and persisting Ukrainian materiel shortages" ahead of the new package.

"The now expected arrival of US security assistance has likely emphasized these considerations for Russian forces," the report said. "The Russian military command will likely intensify offensive operations and missile and drone strikes to pursue operationally significant effects that will certainly become harder to achieve against well-provisioned Ukrainian forces."

It added that Russia will likely target areas where Ukraine's defenses seem relatively unstable or where they are close to achieving an "operationally significant objective," such as to the west of Avdiivka or near Chasiv Yar — both in the Donetsk region.

A realistic goal for Ukraine — and one that Biden should insist upon — is to stabilize the front lines in the East and look to win back territory in the North. At that point, Putin might be more open to some kind of deal.

Trump could negotiate such a deal once he's president.

If anything adverse should befall these unfortunate advisers, Joe will not be looking at his watch. He will be standing upright saluting their f**g draped coffins.

Lily

60 now. 60 more in a while more. It will keep on and on.

AuntiE Loc: 45th Least Free State

Exactly so!

NotMAGA Loc: Upstate NY - in a very red county

Are there dates on any of those reports?

Lily

Took me about five seconds to find them on Yahoo News and MSN. One dated 4-20.

Research is your friend.

NotMAGA Loc: Upstate NY - in a very red county

I try to save other people time by dating articles I use in posts.

Lily

NotMAGA Loc: Upstate NY - in a very red county

Thanks

MidnightRider

Until it is just advisors against Russia.

AuntiE Loc: 45th Least Free State

Being less than kindly, if it was advisor against advisor Russia would clean everyone’s clock when you consider what currently sits in the Pentagon in such positions.

PS: I beg you not to diagram that abysmally written sentence.

NotMAGA Loc: Upstate NY - in a very red county

That last sentence was worth a chuckle! 🤣

AuntiE Loc: 45th Least Free State

The first one could be an example of a lacking conciseness in a sentence!

I once wrote one similar. Smedley sent me a PM with the sentence diagramed.

NotMAGA Loc: Upstate NY - in a very red county

The general meaning was clear.

Laughing about the sentence diagram too!

AuntiE Loc: 45th Least Free State

He a descendant of the Scottish Mountain people, in Appalachia, and is fluent in that dialect. On Chit Chat, he did an entire commentary on repairing his truck, in Scottish Mountain dialect. It led to great frivolity and hilarity.

NotMAGA Loc: Upstate NY - in a very red county

Oh fun!