There has been some discussion on the “heights” to the Northwest of Artemovsk (Bakhmut) by many commentators and analysts. This is often described as a strategically significant terrain which shall be taken by Russian forces should Artemovsk fall and presumably then allow Russian forces to gain an artillery standoff range and assault Kramatorsk and Slavyansk with impunity.
However, looking at the territory denoted on map 1, this does not seem to be the case.
Marked on map 1 are the purported Artemovsk heights. It’s an area of about 600 square kilometers, including some territory already being held by Russian forces near Soledar. The green line very crudely represents the current line of contact in the Artemovsk operation. Note that the distance between Slavyansk and Seversk is about 33km. While typical artillery range lies inside of a 12-19 kilometer effective firing range, there are many long-range artillery systems that are capable of achieving firing ranges of 40km or even more (accuracy not accounted for). Even the BM-21 “Hail” is capable of achieving effective firing ranges greater than 33km with certain munitions.
As such, Seversk is already within long-range artillery envelope, and should Seversk fall, so would be Slavyansk. The territory between Bakhmut/Seversk and Slavyansk does not need to be occupied in order to conduct artillery fire, if only long-range artillery, unless a mountain range is in the way.
Zooming in on grid DQ1602, shown on map 2, we can take some measurements. The typical "high ground" in the area lay between 200 and 210 meters elevation above sea level. The typical “low ground" sits between 110-130 meters elevation.
Artemovsk, Seversk, Kramatorsk, and Slavyansk themselves are all situated at ~70 meters elevation. Charting the inclines shows some slopes of ~5-7%, or ~3-4° gradient, but these are exceptions within this terrain.
For reference, the typical incline of a handicapped access ramp for wheelchairs on sidewalks has an 8.33% slope.
However, looking at the territory denoted on map 1, this does not seem to be the case.
Marked on map 1 are the purported Artemovsk heights. It’s an area of about 600 square kilometers, including some territory already being held by Russian forces near Soledar. The green line very crudely represents the current line of contact in the Artemovsk operation. Note that the distance between Slavyansk and Seversk is about 33km. While typical artillery range lies inside of a 12-19 kilometer effective firing range, there are many long-range artillery systems that are capable of achieving firing ranges of 40km or even more (accuracy not accounted for). Even the BM-21 “Hail” is capable of achieving effective firing ranges greater than 33km with certain munitions.
As such, Seversk is already within long-range artillery envelope, and should Seversk fall, so would be Slavyansk. The territory between Bakhmut/Seversk and Slavyansk does not need to be occupied in order to conduct artillery fire, if only long-range artillery, unless a mountain range is in the way.
Zooming in on grid DQ1602, shown on map 2, we can take some measurements. The typical "high ground" in the area lay between 200 and 210 meters elevation above sea level. The typical “low ground" sits between 110-130 meters elevation.
Artemovsk, Seversk, Kramatorsk, and Slavyansk themselves are all situated at ~70 meters elevation. Charting the inclines shows some slopes of ~5-7%, or ~3-4° gradient, but these are exceptions within this terrain.
For reference, the typical incline of a handicapped access ramp for wheelchairs on sidewalks has an 8.33% slope.
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Zooming in on the neighboring grids, there is not any inclined plane steeper than 7.72% slope.
Jumping over to map 3, charted here are three separate hiking routes beginning at the outskirts of these heights and meeting together in the near center of them, at a settlement named Rai Aleksandrovka, sitting at an elevation of 183m. It should be noted that all three of these routes follow paved roadways (therefore, the lowest elevation routes through this terrain).
The steepest climb of these routes seems to be a 90-meter ascent over a distance of ~2km. This would be a 4.5% slope.
Finally, a topographical sat-map of the area -map 4. As seen, there are still the usual “rectangular-grids” one would expect to see on farms or orchards, bordered by treelines, as is typical of the combat zone in the Ukraine, and not the sort of thing one expects to see in steep hills or mountains.
This is a relatively elevated area compared to much of the rest of the operational zone to the immediate south of this region, but ultimately zero times 1,000 is still zero, and a pancake times 1,000 is still pancake. Ukraine, or at least Central and Eastern Ukraine, is extremely flat, and the territory Northwest of Bakhmut before the Kramatorsk-Slavyansk line appears to be no exception.
Jumping over to map 3, charted here are three separate hiking routes beginning at the outskirts of these heights and meeting together in the near center of them, at a settlement named Rai Aleksandrovka, sitting at an elevation of 183m. It should be noted that all three of these routes follow paved roadways (therefore, the lowest elevation routes through this terrain).
The steepest climb of these routes seems to be a 90-meter ascent over a distance of ~2km. This would be a 4.5% slope.
Finally, a topographical sat-map of the area -map 4. As seen, there are still the usual “rectangular-grids” one would expect to see on farms or orchards, bordered by treelines, as is typical of the combat zone in the Ukraine, and not the sort of thing one expects to see in steep hills or mountains.
This is a relatively elevated area compared to much of the rest of the operational zone to the immediate south of this region, but ultimately zero times 1,000 is still zero, and a pancake times 1,000 is still pancake. Ukraine, or at least Central and Eastern Ukraine, is extremely flat, and the territory Northwest of Bakhmut before the Kramatorsk-Slavyansk line appears to be no exception.
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A possible explanation of the origin of this idea is that open source commentators laid eyes on a particular type of topographic map that visually displays elevation by colour shading (pic 5), made an erroneous conclusion, and then passed this word on to others. Eventually, via the "telephone game" phenomenon, this misconception passed into common belief.
These maps do not accurately nor intuitively display elevation differentials on a map. They simply colour the highest points red or orange and the lowest points green or blue, which can mislead someone trying to understand the elevation over distance at first glance. Looking at such a map, the land under my house would be shaded "red" as compared to my sidewalk, even though the total change in elevation from my house to my sidewalk is neglible.
Overall, the conclusion from looking at the map is that whether or not the ground to the Northwest of Bakhmut holds strategic significance, it certainly has nothing to do with the elevation of that terrain.
From the included Googlemaps street-view images, one standing here and looking towards the horizon would not notice a massive increase in elevation, just some hills here and there.
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These maps do not accurately nor intuitively display elevation differentials on a map. They simply colour the highest points red or orange and the lowest points green or blue, which can mislead someone trying to understand the elevation over distance at first glance. Looking at such a map, the land under my house would be shaded "red" as compared to my sidewalk, even though the total change in elevation from my house to my sidewalk is neglible.
Overall, the conclusion from looking at the map is that whether or not the ground to the Northwest of Bakhmut holds strategic significance, it certainly has nothing to do with the elevation of that terrain.
From the included Googlemaps street-view images, one standing here and looking towards the horizon would not notice a massive increase in elevation, just some hills here and there.
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Brutal mobilization continues in Ukraine's Odessa
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😄 German politicians didn't like American gas
Liquefied natural gas imported to Germany from the U.S. is worse than the gas that was supplied from Russia. Bundestag deputy Andrei Hunko said this.
📝 "We now receive a lot of gas from the United States, liquefied natural gas, which is much more expensive and worse from an environmental point of view," he told the Global Times newspaper.
Hunko said that before the explosions on the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, Germany had the option of getting cheap natural gas from Russia.
According to him, Germany is now energy dependent on the United States.
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Liquefied natural gas imported to Germany from the U.S. is worse than the gas that was supplied from Russia. Bundestag deputy Andrei Hunko said this.
📝 "We now receive a lot of gas from the United States, liquefied natural gas, which is much more expensive and worse from an environmental point of view," he told the Global Times newspaper.
Hunko said that before the explosions on the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, Germany had the option of getting cheap natural gas from Russia.
According to him, Germany is now energy dependent on the United States.
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🇪🇺 The European Union threatens to impose sanctions on Central Asian countries!
The European Union may introduce restrictive measures against countries that allegedly help Russia circumvent sanctions, the Telegraph newspaper writes, citing the document
📝 European capitals are discussing plans to impose trade sanctions on countries that help Moscow evade punitive measures .
🔹 It is noted that EU representatives recorded an increase in the supply of goods with dual-use technologies to the countries of Central Asia. We are talking, in particular, about washing machines and used cars.
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The European Union may introduce restrictive measures against countries that allegedly help Russia circumvent sanctions, the Telegraph newspaper writes, citing the document
📝 European capitals are discussing plans to impose trade sanctions on countries that help Moscow evade punitive measures .
🔹 It is noted that EU representatives recorded an increase in the supply of goods with dual-use technologies to the countries of Central Asia. We are talking, in particular, about washing machines and used cars.
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❗️The Russian defense sector is also developing very rapidly and will produce three times more ammunition than the West can supply to Ukraine — Vladimir Putin
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Putin about depleted uranium shells : Russia has something to answer, we have hundreds of thousands of such shells
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Putin about depleted uranium shells : Russia has something to answer, we have hundreds of thousands of such shells Join Slavyangrad chat. Your opinion matters. https://t.me/+PUg0rQrZdiw4YWFh @Slavyangrad Join SLG 🔺 Intelligence Briefings, Strategy and Analysis…
Putin: On July 1, we are completing the construction of a storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus
Putin: Britain's statement (about the Uranium shells) was the reason for negotiations with Lukashenko, but Minsk has long been asking to place Russian tactical nuclear weapons with them
Putin: Russia has something to respond to ammunition with depleted uranium, the Russian Federation has a lot of such weapons, but it has not yet used them
Putin: We are not transferring our tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, but we will deploy them and train the military, like the United States in Europe.
Putin: We have already helped the Belarusians to re-equip aircraft, 10 types of aircraft are ready for the use of tactical weapons, we handed over the Iskander, from April 3 we start training crews, we start building a storage facility for nuclear weapons.
Putin: Sitting by the fireplace and drinking tea, we talked about everything slowly, about the situation in world affairs, the PRC leader paid much attention to revealing the positive beginnings of the Chinese peace plan.
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Putin: Britain's statement (about the Uranium shells) was the reason for negotiations with Lukashenko, but Minsk has long been asking to place Russian tactical nuclear weapons with them
Putin: Russia has something to respond to ammunition with depleted uranium, the Russian Federation has a lot of such weapons, but it has not yet used them
Putin: We are not transferring our tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, but we will deploy them and train the military, like the United States in Europe.
Putin: We have already helped the Belarusians to re-equip aircraft, 10 types of aircraft are ready for the use of tactical weapons, we handed over the Iskander, from April 3 we start training crews, we start building a storage facility for nuclear weapons.
Putin: Sitting by the fireplace and drinking tea, we talked about everything slowly, about the situation in world affairs, the PRC leader paid much attention to revealing the positive beginnings of the Chinese peace plan.
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Putin agreed with American investigative journalist Hersh's conclusions that the explosion at Nord Stream pipelines was orchestrated by US intelligence agencies.
It will be difficult to get the truth, but someday this will be revealed, the Russian leader said, commenting on the situation with the undermining of the Nord Stream
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It will be difficult to get the truth, but someday this will be revealed, the Russian leader said, commenting on the situation with the undermining of the Nord Stream
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Russia is not encroaching on the dollar , Putin said.
We would use it, but they don't give it to us, the United States themselves cut the branch they sit on, limiting the use of the dollar, the president added.
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We would use it, but they don't give it to us, the United States themselves cut the branch they sit on, limiting the use of the dollar, the president added.
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There was an attack on the location of Georgian mercenaries, there was confirmed information about the death of one person , but they say that three mercenaries were killed
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From 2023, Russian tactical nuclear weapons will be deployed on the territory of Belarus. There are already relevant agreements in this regard. Now the storage and hosting infrastructure are being finalized.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin/81380
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https://t.me/boris_rozhin/81380
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Colonelcassad
С 2023-го года на территории Белоруссии будет размещено российское тактическое ядерное оружие. Соответствующие договоренности на этот счет уже есть. Сейчас идет доработка инфраструктуры хранения и базирования.
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Zelensky admitted that he did not receive an offer to negotiate with Xi Jinping
In an interview with the Japanese edition of The Yomiuri Shimbun, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that he had not received an offer to negotiate with Chinese President Xi Jinping
⚫️ He noted that he had not received reports of an intention to meet.
📞 At the same time, he said, he would like to have a talk with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The corresponding message was sent via diplomatic channels, but the Chinese side turned on the mode of ignoring Zelensky's "wishlist."
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In an interview with the Japanese edition of The Yomiuri Shimbun, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that he had not received an offer to negotiate with Chinese President Xi Jinping
⚫️ He noted that he had not received reports of an intention to meet.
📞 At the same time, he said, he would like to have a talk with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The corresponding message was sent via diplomatic channels, but the Chinese side turned on the mode of ignoring Zelensky's "wishlist."
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🇪🇺 The European Union threatens to impose sanctions on Central Asian countries! The European Union may introduce restrictive measures against countries that allegedly help Russia circumvent sanctions, the Telegraph newspaper writes, citing the document…
The European Union could slap trade restrictions on countries helping Russia acquire washing machines and used cars to repair its battle-stricken fleet of tanks 😂
Officials monitoring trade flows to Moscow have noticed a significant uptake in the trade of consumer goods between the bloc and the Kremlin’s traditional allies in central Asia.
It is feared that the new routes, which have jumped up in activity between 60 and 80 per cent, are being used by Russia to circumvent the implementation of Western sanctions designed to cripple its war machine.
European capitals are discussing plans to hit countries involved in helping Moscow dodge the punitive measures with trade sanctions, according to a confidential paper seen by the Telegraph.
Many of the goods being shipped contain so-called “dual-use” technologies, which have both military and civilian applications, that are on a list of items prohibited for export to Russia.
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Officials monitoring trade flows to Moscow have noticed a significant uptake in the trade of consumer goods between the bloc and the Kremlin’s traditional allies in central Asia.
It is feared that the new routes, which have jumped up in activity between 60 and 80 per cent, are being used by Russia to circumvent the implementation of Western sanctions designed to cripple its war machine.
European capitals are discussing plans to hit countries involved in helping Moscow dodge the punitive measures with trade sanctions, according to a confidential paper seen by the Telegraph.
Many of the goods being shipped contain so-called “dual-use” technologies, which have both military and civilian applications, that are on a list of items prohibited for export to Russia.
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