larry johnson is effectively giving a daily situation report on our various wars, and here's todays edition;

Danny Davis is back from his European odyssey and I am back as a guest pundit. Nature is back in balance. Danny and I did a Deep Dive on Ukraine’s offensive into Russia’s Kursk Republic and addressed claimss raised by many Western pundits about the implications of this attack on the future of the war. Here is the bottom-line, Ukraine is suffering a strategic defeat despite some limited tactical gains. It diverted scarce resources from the front-lines in the Donbass and incurred devastating, irreplaceable losses in Kursk.

The Russian Ministry of Defense claims that it has killed more than 4,400 Ukrainian and mercenary troops, destroyed 65 tanks and more than 400 armored and infantry fighting vehicles. It appears that some of the Russian forces in the area are using this as a training exercise — i.e., a live fire event for untested troops where they get to put their training into practice. The new units are fighting alongside and under the guidance of experienced forces, with the Chechens playing their typical gnarly role.

The euphoria among the Western media and pundits is subsiding. Bernard, at Moon of Alabama, provides a nice summary of the media reaction (he has been battling some health issues and I am glad to see he is working his way back to fighting shape).

• Russia Seeks to Turn Humbling Incursion Into Military Gains (archived) – New York Times

After being initially heralded as a brilliant military stroke, the Kursk operation could end up becoming a trap for the Ukrainian Army, these analysts said.

Ultimately, the expansion of the war to new areas will, over time, favor the side with bigger resources, the analysts said. With triple the population and a larger industrial base, that side remains Russia.

• Military briefing: Kursk incursion heaps pressure on Ukraine’s east (archived) – Financial Times

One Ukrainian artillery brigade commander in eastern Ukraine told the Financial Times that part of the reason for the Russian advance was Kyiv moving its scarce resources north.............more........