It appears that the Ukrainians just won an important battle at the Hostomel Airport outside of Kyiv.

[artemisia1]

https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/3412045-ukraines-armed-forces-regain-control-of-hostomel-airport-arestovych.html

Link to tweet

?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet


Information is still sketchy but it appears that the Ukrainians shot down 1/4 of the attacking Russian Helicopter squadron, prevented paratroopers from landing and retook the airport. Reports are of "elite" Russian troops fleeing to the woods and hiding.

GO UKR!!!

[uponit7771]

1. K&R, CNN was reporting on this hours earlier but couldn't confirm the Russians were pushed out of

... the airport

[artemisia1]

3. I should have written (May Have). There is still heavy fighting in the area, but the Russians are

unable to land more equipment, which bolsters the claim and there are, unvetted, multiple reports of disorganized Russian troops in the woods. Let's hope this is the case.

[Lovie777]

2. There is a thread down below .....

Russian troops have been captured by Ukrainian soldiers.

[DENVERPOPS]

26. I am waiting to see

if they were "captured" or just surrendered, because they can't morally do what Putin has ordered them to do in Ukraine......

[sop]

4. Shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, like the ones the CIA gave the Afghan mujahideen, should

already be on their way to Ukraine. Russians have forgotten how effectively a motivated citizenry, defending their families and homeland, can resist an invading army.

[artemisia1]

5. So true. The Russian helicopters shot down at Hostomel give tribute to this. /nt

[SergeStorms]

43. Avenger and Stinger missiles.....

for close air defense, supplied by the U.S. of A. plus English and French defense systems. Ukraine 🇺🇦 is definitely well armed, and they understand how to use these weapons. 😊

They're doing well. I don't think Pootie expected to lose many, if any, of his elite troops.

That said, I have no doubt the Russians will prevail, but the more body bags that are sent back to Moscow, the more difficult Pootie's propaganda program becomes. If the Russian people are protesting now, wait until their sons and daughters start coming home for burials.

And all this because their fearless leader would rather live in the past than greet the future. Hmmmm.....sounds curiously like a certain political party here in the U.S. 🤔

[icymist]

6. Here's a second source:

Link to tweet

?s=20&t=8h3yp49Ncxjcv3kar-7Spg

Ukrainian troops in full control of the Hostomel Airport, Russian airborne force eliminated.

[artemisia1]

8. Thanks. It appears that UKR conscripts and militia bloodied the nose of the "elite" Russian

paratroopers. Let's hope so.

[LiberalFighter]

7. I would be okay with all of the Russians invading being shot.

[Poiuyt]

11. It's too bad the soldiers have to die for Putin's ego.

[artemisia1]

15. True, but my sympathy for them is minimal. They are attacking their former "brothers" and "sisters"

with whom they fought a war of survival with during WW2. F' 'em. It appears the UKR's may be duplicating this success outside of Kharkov.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

23. It's easier for Russian troops to be racist about Afghanis, as they were in the 1980s

... than it is to be racist about people next door who speak your own language and where your mother vacationed a couple of times.

[monkeyman1]

42. Afghanistan kicked the rusk'ys ass too ! there is still old relics laying around over there !

[Eyeball_Kid]

33. As if they need more motivation for defending their land: they are Cossacks. n/t

[qazplm135]

9. It's true and it's awesome

Unfortunately for some reason roughly only half of Russian forces have been committed to the battle.

Not sure why, several theories.

[artemisia1]

10. Kick!!! /nt

[Straw Man]

39. Possibly ...

... because Putin wants to keep some in reserve in case he needs them for crackdowns at home?

[MarineCombatEngineer]

50. Or he views the Chinese alliance like Hitler viewed the Russian alliance during WWII.

China may say one thing, but do something else.

[thucythucy]

54. That's what I keep thinking.

The Chinese leadership must be loving this.

Russia launching a dangerous adventure to the west, leaving tracts of Siberia--which China has claimed as its own for decades--with a weakened defense.

The West arrayed against Russia, and Russia by necessity dependent on China's good will?

This must be music in the ears of Beijing.

[icymist]

12. ABC is now reporting this.

Link to tweet

?s=20&t=8h3yp49Ncxjcv3kar-7Spg

ABC News
@ABC
NEW: Ukrainian officials say they have reclaimed a key military airport on the edge of Kyiv that had been seized by Russian special forces.

I think Pooty Poot may have underestimated Ukraine.

[artemisia1]

13. If their (Russia's) special forces fair so badly, I am optimistic at the possibility of more UKR

victories.

[Brother Buzz]

14. I understand armed Ukrainian grandmothers are patrolling the woods

[artemisia1]

16. Great picture! The "elite" Russian "special forces" don't stand a chance... /nt

[AverageOldGuy]

27. Do not ever . . .

. . . mess with little old ladies. Don't mess with Ukrainian little old ladies, American little old ladies, Chinese little old ladies, Mexican little old ladies . . . just do not mess with little old ladies.

Remember: They have given birth a few times. They have reared children and grandchildren; dealt with daughters- and sons-in-law and a husband or two. All the while putting three meals a day on the table, washing the dishes, doing the laundry, and tending a garden. When a little old lady speaks to you, the correct response is: "Yes. ma'am, anything you say."

[tavernier]

37. And she's wearing a gold satin kimono to the war.

Classy!

[EndlessWire]

41. I like her jacket. n/t

[Lettuce Be]

17. I hope these reports are true

[artemisia1]

18. It's always hard to know what's going on on the ground. However, the reports are accumulating. Of

course the Russians will reinforce and try again. Given their numerical and materiel advantage, I fear they will ultimately succeed.

[artemisia1]

19. It may not ultimately matter as Kyiv is likely to fall soon according to many experts. However, the

fact that Russians are now using only jet aircraft to attack Hostomel gives truth, imho, to reports of a UKR repulse of Russian forces there:
https://www.foxnews.com/media/russia-war-ukraine-kyiv-could-fall-within-days

Yes, I'm sourcing FOX as a big FU to FORMER President Trump...

[FakeNoose]

20. At least one Russian platoon has surrendered, rather than kill Ukrainians

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142876593

Neither the soldiers nor their families knew that Putin wanted them to attack Ukraine. They thought it was peaceful training mission, or whatever, not killing. Let's hope they start a trend.

[SheltieLover]

30. Yaaaaaay!

[artemisia1]

31. Let this be the first of many such incidents... /nt

[honest.abe]

21. Yes!!!

[bucolic_frolic]

22. How well armed is the UKR army? Afghanistan turned against the Soviets when the US supplied

Stinger missile launchers. Does UKR success here mean they have such capability?

[artemisia1]

25. They have many small arms and a fair bit of artillery but little of the big stuff. /nt

[Sgent]

51. They have

small arms and handheld anti-aircraft / anti-tank weapons. Not much in the way of ranged weapons, high altitude (we don't either) anti-aircraft, nor artillary.

[Boomerproud]

24. Please let this be the start of the liberation. 🌈

🙏

[Ohioboy]

28. I hope the Ukrainians surprise the hell out of Putin and send his ass running

[groundloop]

29. Sadly Putin's ass is nice and comfortable in his plush office.....

while young men and women are forced to carry out his orders.

[monkeyman1]

44. seem's like the way it work's ! we had one of them not to long ago ?

[artemisia1]

32. Ultimately, the overwhelming Russian superiority in men and materiel will win, but if

Putin's Russia gets a big enough bloody nose it will, imho, bolster Poland and the other, now Western allied states that have the misfortune to share a border with Russia.

If the Ukrainians can win battles against Russia's "best", imagine what a more Westernized nation such as Poland could do with NATO support.

[Eyeball_Kid]

34. For now, we should be confident that Putin won't invade a NATO country.

That would really be too much for his conventional army. He'd be in a world of hurt.

[artemisia1]

48. Let's hope not. He's crazy, though. I wonder if the Russian helicopter attack failure will lead

to a review by the world's armed forces on such tactics.

[icymist]

35. Heroes of the Hostomel Battle

Link to tweet

?s=20&t=mQYS2uOcU9OsvwASfs5IUw

[artemisia1]

36. Incredible! Thanks so much for sharing this. /nt

[roamer65]

47. Go Ukraine!

[ancianita]

38. YAAYY!!

[liberalla]

40. We can't underestimate the passion, strength and resourcefulness of people fighting for

their lives, their families and their way of life. Reports of events like this will keep their spirits and confidence up... powering them forward in their quest for independence and freedom.

I'm not religious but I send good thoughts and strong energy to all who fight to protect and keep Ukraine safe.

[artemisia1]

45. Ukrainian victory now confirmed. See link:

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/44446/russian-forces-have-captured-the-worlds-biggest-cargo-jet-in-ukraine

[roamer65]

46. QUAGMIRE.

Let’s just keep pumping in the weaponry for the Ukrainians.

Especially Stingers.

[artemisia1]

52. Exactly. /nt

[uponit7771]

53. +1

[artemisia1]

49. kick /nt