From "The Analyst":

FRONTLINE UPDATE…ETC

I haven’t posted a frontline update for a while for the simple reason, that other than ongoing clashes and probing attacks, most if not all of the line has been fairly static.
Both sides are using this period to regroup and in Ukraine’s case, install defences as fast as they can in long fortified lines behind their current positions so they have somewhere to go in the event of a retreat.
Heavy reinforced concrete underground bunkers, dragons teeth and deep and wide anti-tank ditches, all proved last year effective for Russia. Mass production of the required materials is well underway.
This has actually been a very inefficient and fraught process until recently. To put it simply bureaucracy got in the way. Arguments over weather the Oblast governments should build and pay rather than central government went on for too long.
Zaporhizia built its own, but that could hardly happen in Donetsk and Luhansk which are both mostly occupied. Eventually a central government agency took over the role late last year and coordinated the standards and designs, along with the material requirements. That resulted in contracts and production with the agency then organising delivery and distribution.
We actually saw truck loads of dragons teeth being shipped east last week.
To their credit, now they have decided to do this, they’re getting on with it at quite a pace.
However the Ukrainian defences face tougher weapons than Russia did. They use heavy mortar ‘tanks’ to fire shells specifically designed to break defences down - though these are major drone targets when located, and not so many are left now.
The biggest challenge is the huge aerial glide bombs. These are effective and devastating- with an accuracy of about 5m. Of course the bigger the bomb the accuracy matters less.
Exposure of Russian tactics has been helpful to understand how their process works as they try to advance.
Small groups of low quality troops maybe four men strong are given just 4 clips of ammo. Enough to get them where they’re going because it’s a one way trip. Watching them from the rear are highly trained soldiers- usually just one, who keeps an eye on the sacrificial soldiers to see how far they get before the Ukrainians kill them. They repeat these attacks to probe for weakness. When they find a hole in the lines, that’s when the trained soldiers and equipment move in. It can take dozens of sacrificial troops to map out an area but they don’t care about the losses or the morality of what they’re doing.
In some good news, Sweden has again made it clear it’s actively looking to supply Gripen fighters to Ukraine now it is in NATO. These are what Ukraine needs. I have gone on about them before, but they are ideal. They don’t need bases, manning and support crews are minimal and they’re designed to operate at dispersed sites and use low quality roads if need be for runways. That’s exactly what Ukraine needs. On top of that they’re proven to be outstandingly good at dealing with the enemy. Thailand ran air war games against Chinese made fighters and was shooting them down at a rate of 9-1. They can also carry Stormshadow/Scalp/Taurus.
Talking of which MBDA is warning that the production and support line will soon be closed unless there are parts and even missile orders. They say that without update request of new missile orders there’s no point in maintaining the supply chain if it has nothing to do. The UK/France were supposed to have agreed on a procurement deal in July last year.
So what happened to that? I’d bet my bottom dollar that’s the UK MoD procurement office up to its usual crap.
The Washington Post interview with Zelensky was very interesting in two ways. It portrayed the realities but it also was clearly aimed at explaining it in a way Washington’s decision makers could understand. This is the tone of dire consequences that seems darker than we imagine. It’s what we hope motivates Americans to act. I don’t think Americans are the problem. The problem is Trump and his fascist acolytes in Congress.
Slowly but surely though aid will come. Republicans have just one seat as a majority and the speaker is under threat- Democrats could save him but the price will be aid for Ukraine. Sometime in April it’s likely to finally be decided.

Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦!