Ukrainian Sea Drones Sink Two Russian Ships Docked In Crimea

Crimea is increasingly unsafe for Russian troops, ships and supplies. JL 

Howard Altman reports in The Drive:

Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR) destroyed two Russian landing craft docked in Crimea via explosive-laden uncrewed surface vehicles. The attack took place at a Russian Navy base in Chornomorske, in western Crimea. “The ships were carrying a crew and loaded armored vehicles, including BTR-82." The Akula was sunk "immediately." The Serna "unsuccessfully fought for survivability, but also sank." This is the latest in a string of Ukrainian USV attacks on Russian ships and infrastructure in Crimea and on the Black Sea.

Russian Soldiers In Crimea Beat Commander To Death, Then Desert

With winter looming, meat attack slaughter of attacking troops in Avdiivka as well as continued Ukrainian advances, there are again growing reports of Russian desertions.  

The 20th Motorized Rifle Division soldiers who beat their commander to death in Crimea then changed out of their uniforms into civilian garb and fled to Krasnodar, a neighboring Russian province. Ukrainian attacks on Crimea may also be responsible for rising tensions between troops stationed there and their officers. JL

Brendan Cole reports in Newsweek:

The soldiers from the 20th Motorized Rifle Division, part of the Eighth Army of Russia's southern military district, "inflicted severe bodily injuries on Colonel Musurbekov." Colonel Musurbekov died from his injuries in a hospital. The troops suspected of carrying out the attack changed out of their uniforms into civilian clothes and then left their base in Simferopol, fleeing to the neighboring Russian region of Krasnodar. Increasing numbers of Russian troops have deserted the war in recent months. There have been numerous reports of low morale, poor equipment and training, as well as problems with command.

Trying To Woo More Users, OpenAI's ChatGPT Attracted Cyber-Attacks

Another failed assessment of the tradeoff between growth and security - and by a company which should definitely know better. JL 

Faustine Ngila reports in Quartz:

Days after ChatGPT creator OpenAI made efforts to pull in more users at its first-ever developer conference, its platform has faced prolonged service throttling. The outage comes after OpenAI announced during its conference on Nov. 6 that it would allow users to create their own versions of the GPT chatbot. To respond to increasing competition from other AI chatbot creators, OpenAI also cut prices and promised more customer copyright protection. But massive site traffic attracts cyber criminals and raises questions about the security of ChatGPT, used by 100 million people every week.

Ukraine Foiled Russia's Avdiivka Attacks As It "Ran Out Of Troops"

Ukraine's drone, artillery and fortified infantry at Avdiivka thwarted Russia's attacks because the ferocity of their defense - including the accuracy of their targeting - literally caused the Russians "to run out of troops." JL 

Euromaidan Press reports:

The second wave of the Russian Avdiivka attacks ended as they ran out of troops. In the first 2 waves of the offensive, Russians managed to pass 2 tree lines at the cost of 200 pieces of equipment and around 10000 soldiers. This presents a window for Ukrainians to counterattack and improve their defences. The Ukrainians are constantly conducting counterattacks and are not allowing Russians to entrench. if Ukrainians manage to maintain such a high cost for each field crossed, this offensive will fail like Vuhledar.

How Ukraine's Avdiivka, Cross-Dnipro Battles Support Each Other, Hurt Russia

Ukraine has employed a classic martial arts tactic to surprise and disorient Russian forces. 

It has used the enemy's aggression to unbalance him by taking advantage of the Russian obsession with Avdiivka - where its strong defenses are annihilating Russian troops - to 'hit 'em where they ain't' - in this case, across the Dnipro where Russia's relatively weak defenses and troop strength give Ukraine an advantage they have seized. JL 

Mark Sumner reports in Daily Kos:

Russia relied on the Dnipro to be its buffer on the west, so this part of Kherson is not overrun with the defenses seen in Zaporizhzhia and has lost its air defense systems. Even with a limited force on the ground, Ukraine is making progress. The more success Ukraine has, the more reason they have to bring additional forces across. Russia’s losses around Avdiivka continue to be extremely high, and unlike the struggle over Bakhmut, the ratio of losses is also extremely high. Ukrainian forces are using artillery, drones, and precision weapons to hold. Russia is losing between 6 and 10 troops for every loss by Ukraine. Equipment losses are similarly lopsided. Ukraine says its defensive positions are “solid.”

Ukrainian Forces Increasing Pressure On Cross-Dnipro Russian Defenses

Ukraine may have found a genuine vulnerability in the Russian defenses east and south of the Dnipro. 

They are rapidly reinforcing the troops there and appear determined to force a break out which would enable them to flank the Russian defenders around Tokmak to the east. JL 

Alexander Query reports in the Kyiv Independent:

Pressure is mounting on Russian forces across the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast. The latest attacks Ukrainian troops have carried out tie up Russian forces and keep Russia from transferring more manpower to the southern Orikhiv-Robotyne-Tokmak front in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Controlling Krynky could open a safer route to Oleshky, an important Russian concentration point along the Dnipro River. Russian forces are staying on the defensive. The swampy terrain makes trenches impossible.

Ukrainian Marines Cut Crucial Russian Supply Route At Two Points South of River

Ukraine's cross-Dnipro bridgehead is expanding to the point that some observers are now calling it a front. 

Ukrainian forces have now cut in two places the road Russia uses to supply and connect it troops in the area, further degrading the Russians' ability to defend against the Ukrainian attacks. The Ukrainian advance south of the river has gained momentum as well as territory and continues to pose a serious threat to Russia. JL 

Olena Ivashkiv reports in Ukraine Pravda:

Ukrainian troops have cut the Oleshky-Nova Kakhovka Road in at least two districts. (They) established continuous control over positions from the Antonivka Railway Bridge north of Poima to the Antonivka Road Bridge north of Oleshky (7 km south of Kherson and 4 km from the Dnipro River.) and have advanced into the forests south of Krynky. Russian forces currently on the Kherson front will not be (sufficient) to respond to Ukrainian operations on the eastern bank of the Dnipro.

As Losses Grow In Ukraine, Russia Pressures Customers To Let It Buy Back Arms

Not exactly lend lease. And given the poor performance in Ukraine of Russian arms compared to NATO's, these countries may be relieved to be able to get rid of weaponry that is clearly inferior to those manufactured in the west. JL 

Thomas Grove and Summer Said report in the Wall Street Journal:

Russia has sought to retrieve parts from defense systems it exported to countries such as Pakistan, Egypt, Armenia, Belarus and Brazil, as it tries to replenish the enormous stocks of weapons being expended for the war in Ukraine. The Russians asked Egypt to give back 150 engines for the Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopters it had sold to Egypt—and to move quickly to avoid detection by the U.S. Russia lost more than 100 helicopters in the first weeks of the war. “Russia spent decades building its arms trade. Now they’re going back in secret to their customers trying to buy back what they sold them.”

Ukraine's US Bradley Armored Vehicles Survive Russian Lancet Drone Strike

One of the benefits of US and NATO supplied armor and other weapons is that they are better designed than the legacy Soviet models both the Ukrainians and Russians have been using. 

Survivability is a crucial feature because it not only allows for repair but also saves the lives of the experienced and expensively trained fighters using them, providing a key asset providing competitive warfighting advantage. JL 

Brendan Cole reports in Newsweek:

A clip posted on Telegram shows aerial footage of a Lancet drone hitting a Ukrainian US-supplied Bradley infantry fighting vehicle and the explosive aftermath. The Ukrainian military vehicle remains intact after the blast. Bradleys can carry several military personnel and are equipped with a 25 mm cannon. It is an improved version of the Bradley M2A1 with "enhanced vehicle survivability," The infantry fighting vehicle has "outstanding survivability, mobility and lethality." Bradleys have been a welcome addition to Ukraine's armed forces

Russia Struggles To Redeploy Troops To Meet Ukraine Cross-Dnipro Threat

Because of its commitment of troops at Avdiivka, Bakhmut and Tokmak, Russia is struggling to redeploy troops to face the growing Ukrainian threat from the cross-Dnipro bridgehead near Kherson. 

Occupied Kherson oblast southeast of the Dnipro was never as heavily fortified as are the areas on southern Zaporizhzhia oblast north of Tokmak, and Russian attempts to attack at Avdiivka, Kupiansk, Vuhledar as well as to defend Bakhmut have decimated Russian troops in those areas, making redeployments strategically challenging. This has provided Ukrainian forces with an opportunity they have seized. JL

Euromaidan Press reports:
 

Ukrainian forces have established control over new positions in Krynky and near the Antonivsky bridges while conducting assaults towards Russian positions south and southwest. The Russian command will struggle to bring in units from other sectors and redeploy combat-ready reinforcements to counter (these) Ukrainian operations while also defending Zaporizhzhia Oblast (towards Tokmak) and offensive efforts in eastern Ukraine at Avdiivka, Kupiansk and Bakhmut. Redeployments of VDV formations and units in western Zaporizhzhia Oblast would also disrupt Russian defensive operations there.

Ukraine Is Close To Securing Cross-Dnipro Pontoon Bridge Site For Armor

Ukraine may closer to securing a site across which it can construct a pontoon bridge across the Dnipro near Kherson which would enable the deployment of sufficient heavy armor and additional troops to expand its cross-Dnipro bridgehead and launch a more determined assault towards Russian-held Crimea. JL  

RO 37 reports in Daily Kos:

Securing the pontoon crossing from artillery fire would require Ukraine to secure a handful of villages. Clearing small villages should be easier than trying to clear a larger town. (And) with more combat taking place in rural settings, Ukraine can make better use of its cluster munitions integral to its firepower. Russia is already aware of the importance of this location. Both sides are pouring resources into this area, rushing heavy equipment to secure it. If Ukraine can wrest the the bridgehead it needs (it can) build a pontoon crossing that serves as a logistical hub for further advances toward Crimea or Melitopol

Why Abortion Rights Keep Winning Elections In Red States

Data reveal that women receiving abortions are generally poorer and less well educated. And many women who receive abortions - perhaps as many as 60% - have already had children, meaning that they are older than frightened teenagers and conscious of why they are making this decision. 

As the Republican party has come to rely more on working class voters, this means that even though they politically control certain states - eg "Red states" - may men and women in those states who are inclined to vote Republican also seek to preserve the right to abortion because they do not want or cannot afford more children. This may also be attributed to the deeply conservative values of those voters, who are frequently uncomfortable with the social changes Pro-lifers advocate. JL

Jon Shields reports in The Atlantic:

Ohio is hardly an outlier. In the 17 months since Roe fell, citizens in Kansas, Montana, and Kentucky have voted for measures that protect abortion rights. The pro-life movement’s ambition—the abolition of abortion—is also a call for social revolution that scares Americans. As soon as Roe was overturned, voters turned against the pro-life cause. Citizens fear the disruption of the status quo. Americans have come to rely on these protections. (And) as the GOP’s base has become more working-class, research shows women without a college degree are more likely to get an abortion than women with more education. Across the political spectrum, calling the local police or Planned Parenthood is sometimes a necessity, however ambivalent they might feel about those institutions.

As Russia Sends More Troops To Slaughter At Avdiivka, Ukraine Holds Firm

The paradoxical logic of the disastrous Avdiivka slaughter is increasingly based on the Russian belief that having already sacrificed so many lives and weapons, there is no alternative but to keep doing so.

The Ukrainians are willing to keep annihilating Russian troops, but question their enemy's value proposition. JL  

Reuters reports via US News and World Report:

Russian forces, their numbers swelled by reserves, tightened their vise around Avdiivka, but Ukrainian forces are holding defensive lines. The Russians were holding back on a "third wave" of assaults after a week of heavy rain. Russia has little to gain in a protracted drive that has already sustained high losses. "This task now has a more political nature, given the losses the Russian army has already suffered here. There will be a third wave of attacks. And a fourth."

Moscow-Supporting Luhansk Leader Assasinated In Car Bombing

The objective is to keep them looking over their shoulders and to never get comfortable. JL 

RFE/RL reports:

Mikhail Filiponenko, a member of the regional assembly in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine, was killed in a car bombing. Filiponenko was a former head of Moscow-backed separatist troops in Luhansk and had represented the Luhansk separatists at the cease-fire monitoring center in the region before Russia's full-scale invasion. Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence claimed responsibility - "A special operation to eliminate the executioner Filiponenko was implemented with representatives of the resistance" - for what it called the "liquidation of a war criminal."

Hollywood Strike Ends Promising To "Protect Actors From AI Threat"

The contract is good for three years, suggesting that the use of AI will continue to be a battleground as studios look for ways to increase profits by cutting costs while actors fight to protect their images and incomes from being digitized but uncompensated. JL

Carl Franzen reports in Venture Beat:

After 118 days, the longest strike by actors in the history of Hollywood has ended with a new deal valued at $1 billion that includes new protections against AI. 3D scanning of actors has grown as it has become more affordable with multiple tech vendors offering it, to the point that background actors are being scanned for a day’s worth of work and their likeness kept by studios to use perpetually into the future. Actors feared their likenesses could be puppeted by studios beyond what they had signed onto, depriving them of income. "We have achieved a deal that includes unprecedented provisions for consent and compensation that will protect members from the threat of AI."

Russian General Staff Insists Frontline Units Operate In "Compliance" With Falsely Optimistic Maps

A 'culture of lying' within the Russian military has been reported throughout the Ukraine war and to which is attributed not only falsely positive reports about battlefield performance to the Kremlin, and that similar falsifications about staffing and operational readiness may have led to Putin's original authorization for the invasion. 

Recent revelations suggest that the Russian General Staff is now insisting the units in the field operate in compliance with maps produced by the General Staff that are based on falsely optimistic siting of Russian advances and which are causing more deaths and failures such as those at Avdiivka. JL

Leo Chiu reports in the Kyiv Post:

The Russian General Staff have been using maps that differ from the real situation on the front-line, forcing its soldiers to conduct operations based on false depictions, according to first-hand accounts from Russian military on the front line. The General Staff “demands more and more positive reports” with its own assessments portraying much faster progress than reality on the front-line, (insisting) soldiers “catch up” with (these optimistic depictions) with operations having to be planned in “compliance” with the General Staff’s maps. The Study of War (ISW) corroborates these claims, reporting a “culture of lying” within the Russian military,

Why Ukraine's Cross-Dnipro Offensive Is Becoming More Threatening To Russia

Ukraine's cross-Dnipro assault is becoming a front, which poses a serious strategic threat to Russian defenses in southern Ukraine. 

If a breakout were to occur, Ukrainian forces could turn the Surovikin lines protecting Melitopol, Crimea and the Russian land bridge. JL 

RO 37 and Mark Sumner report in Daily Kos:

Ukraine’s presence on the left bank has grown in size and importance. This is beginning to look like a front. With reports that Russia had moved large numbers of forces to the north and its recent losses at Avdiivka, it’s unclear if Russia has replaced its forces in Kherson oblast. If Ukraine can secure a supply route across the river, Ukraine could threaten Russian defenses around Melitopol and the Surovikin line from behind. From there, it would be just a little over 100 kilometers (60 miles) to Crimea. Ukraine is relying on light infantry supported by armored vehicles. Russia clearly sees Ukrainian gains as a serious threat.

Ukraine Attacking Cross-Dnipro With Armor On Tank-Engined Amphibious Tractors

These are Soviet-era behemoths of which Ukraine retained a couple dozen. They are well suited for the cross-Dnipro offensive now under way. 

In addition to ferrying troops and lighter armored vehicles, they can also carry bridging equipment which can be set up at night and dismantled before sunrise. But however they are deployed, their use suggests a serious assault is being undertaken. JL 

David Axe reports in Forbes:

Ukrainian forces have secured a bridgehead across the Dnipro, launching a fresh counteroffensive toward Russian-occupied Crimea. They’ve expanded, this bridgehead: by shuttling armored vehicles across the river aboard 1980s-vintage PTS-2 amphibious transports. A PTS-2 can haul 75 infantry or a single truck or armored vehicle. (But) to get tanks across the river, the Ukrainians will need to erect an assault bridge: either a floating pontoon span or a girder bridge. The Ukrainians soon could be building heavy spans across the Dnipro—perhaps starting the crossings at sunset and dispersing people and equipment before sunrise - carried on those PTS-2s.

Tanks, Meat Attacks, Artillery: Nothing Russia Tries Is Helping It Take Avdiivka

Russia is clearly determined to claim a victory at Avdiivka - no matter how pyrrhic - just as it did at Bakhmut. 

But so far, nothing has worked for the Russians. The losses they are taking are worse than those it suffered at Bakhmut while the Ukrainians, having learned from that battle, are not being hurt as much. The question is how long Russia can keep this up as its losses at Avdiivka are helping Ukraine advance around Bakhmut, towards Tokmak and across the Dnipro. JL 

Bashir Katacheyev reports in the Moscow Times:

Russia’s monthlong offensive on Avdiivka has formed the  latest focal point of Moscow’s war effort. After four weeks of intense fighting with heavy artillery, tanks, and armored vehicles, Russia has taken heavy losses and is now redeploying units from the Luhansk region. Units are being withdrawn from the 2nd Combined Arms Army, including the 21st Separate Motor Rifle Brigade, considered the most combat-capable in the northern front. (But as) Russia is expending huge manpower and resources on Avdiivka, Ukrainian forces may liberate Tokmak (and) on the left bank of the Dnipro, the 'grey zone' is expanding.

Ukraine ATACMS Strike On Russian Dnipro HQ Kills 3 Senior Airborne Officers

And not just any three officers, but senior staff officers of Russia's elite airborne forces, whose chief was just named commander of the Dnipro front. 

So, in effect, the leaders of the airborne corps, brought in to stabilize Ukraine's cross-Dnipro bridgehead threat were all just eliminated by adroit application of new Ukrainian weaponry. JL 

Isabel van Brugen reports in Newsweek:

Three Russian colonels were killed when Ukraine fired a missile at the headquarters of the Russian Dnieper military group. The three officers killed were Colonel Vadim Dobriakov, deputy head of the command center of the Airborne Forces Command; Colonel Alexey Koblov, head of the operational department of the Airborne Forces headquarters; and Colonel Alexander Galkin, deputy head of the command center of the Airborne Forces Command. Colonel General Mikhail Teplinksy, the commander of Russia's airborne forces, was named as commander of the Dnipro military group last week. It's unknown whether Teplinsky was injured in the attack.

More Ukrainian Women Are Volunteering For Combat As Snipers, Drone Pilots

More Ukrainian women are volunteering for combat roles in the war against Russia. 

Sniper and drone pilot are especially popular with women recruits. JL 

Andrew Kramer and Maria Varenikova report in the New York Times:

Ukrainian women are fighting in combat in southeastern Ukraine now, in roles such as machine gunner, tank commander and sniper, and driving trucks. Women have been drawn in particular into piloting drones flown for surveillance or to drop explosives on the enemy. The age limit for female recruits (is) 60, the same as for men. 43,000 women now serve in the Ukrainian military, an increase of 40% since 2021. They were spurred by a sense of duty, realizing they might some day end up on the front lines. "I understand: If not me, who?”

Russia's Avdiivka Losses Mount As Ukraine Cross-Dnipro Attack Threatens Crimea

Russia's unwillingness to give up its unproductive attacks on Avdiivka have given Ukraine an opening in the cross-Dnipro region near Kherson. 

This bridgehead is only 90 km from Crimea. Russian defenses are weak and the Ukrainians have not only widened their bridgehead but have begun bringing in armored vehicles to support further advances south. JL 

Serge Havrylets reports in Euromaidan Press:

Russian troops suffer heavy losses but fail to break through the Ukrainian defense and cut off key supply routes to the Avdiivka garrison. “Storm Z infantry in Avdiivka and the southern flank of Bakhmut are wiped out to zero." This heavily fortified area remains under complete Ukrainian control (as) the Ukrainians continued to expand their bridgehead on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River 90 kilometers from Crimea. Ukraine has started to move armored vehicles across the Dnipro River. The Ukrainians continue to widen the bridgehead, moving south toward a strategically important T2206 highway that connects Crimea with occupied Melitopol, a vital logistics hub.

Ukraine's Increasing Accuracy Destroys Russian Drone Pilot School, Airfield, Ships

In the past week, Ukraine missiles and drones have hit and destroyed or damaged a Russian warship 160 miles from the front (striking it in the central part of the hull where its radars and missile launchers are located), destroyed a Russian training center for drone operators in Donetsk, and hit another Russian airfield, where, ironically, the planes and helicopters that survived a previous attack on Berdiansk airfield had been moved because the new location was thought to be safer.  

Such strategic targeting is a major reason why Russian capabilities continue to degrade. JL

Annielli reports in Daily Kos:

Russia’s military airfield at Taganrog which is only 45 km from the border with Ukraine, was hit. This is where Russia had moved most of its helicopters after Ukraine hit the airfield at Berdyansk. Might have to move those choppers to Vladivostok. (And) The Donetsk center to train Russian drone operators just had an impromptu lesson in HIMARS 101. The Ukrainian missile attack on the Russian ship Askold in Kerch harbor hit the ship's multifunctional radar system. The strikes hit the central part of the hull, where 8 vertical launchers for launching Kalibr and/or P-800 Onyx cruise missiles were located.

The Reason Venture Investors Are Cooling On Supply Chain Startups

The pandemic convinced a lot of big logistics companies like Amazon that ecommerce would be dominant forever. Many startups and venture backers also thought that would be the case. 

But it wasn't and isn't. As a result, venture backing for supply chain has dropped significantly, mirroring the decline in demand for shipping, trucking, warehousing and other modes of logistics transport. This is consistent with performance disappointment in other venture backed sectors as the markets readjust to post-pandemic realities. JL 

Liz Young reports in the Wall Street Journal:

Venture firms that provided supply-chain tech startups with backing at gaudy valuations have been tightening pursestrings this year, pushing businesses to slash costs and to survive in a weak freight market. VC funding for the sector skyrocketed to more than $62 billion in 2021, as supply-chain disruptions during the pandemic put a spotlight on tools to help solve shortages. (But) venture firms concluded 404 deals totaling $5.7 billion for logistics companies in the first half of 2023, down from 727 deals totaling $22.7 billion last year. Freight prices, from ocean shipping to domestic trucking, retreated in the past year as demand waned. Some startups “relied on subsidization longer than they should have."

Ukraine's "Army of Drones" Struck 355 Russian Targets In the Past Week

The use of drones, already dominant, is actually growing due to their relatively inexpensive cost, their accuracy and their effectiveness against armor and prepared defensive positions. JL 

Thibault Spirlet reports in Business Insider, image Alina Smutko, Reuters:

Ukraine's "army of drones" is pounding Russian forces at an unprecedented rate, hitting an "absolute record" number of Russian targets last week. Between October 30 and November 6, Ukrainian airborne drones claimed a record 335 Russian targets, including 36 tanks, 83 armored combat vehicles, 18 self-propelled artillery systems, and 72 trucks. Between October 23rd and October 30th, the previous week, Ukrainian drones hit 65 howitzers, 42 tanks, and 14 self-propelled artillery systems.

Another Russian Warship, 160 Miles From Front, Badly Damaged By Ukrainian Missile

The ship struck was the newest of its class and may be irreparably damaged. 

The shipyard in which it was docked is on the western side of Crimea, 160 miles from the war's front line and is within 5 miles of the logistically important Kerch bridge, which the Ukrainians have struck before. This attack reinforces Ukraine's growing ability to hit strategic Russian targets far from the front. JL 

Howard Altman reports in The Drive:

Images show the Project 22800 Karakurt class corvette Askold with extensive damage to its port side, including to its superstrcuture and mast, which includes its radar arrays. The ship may be beyond repair. The image also shows damage to the dock where the Askold - designed to carry eight Kalibr cruise missiles - was berthed at the Zaliv shipyard in the Crimean port of Kerch. The strike hit about 160 miles from the front lines. The Kerch port is located less than five miles the Kerch Bridge. The Storm Shadow's warhead could also cause significant damage to that bridge.

The Reason TikTok Is Shutting Its $1 Billion Creators' Fund

TikTok's Creators Fund was a clever strategy to get lots of people to post in hopes they could monetize their content and become career influencers. 

What it actually did was help identify the most productive, who have now been invited to participate in TikTok's new Creativity Program, which provides much bigger payouts based on views and engagement. This is simply another example of tech using users to improve its own performance, while giving those few who surpass expectations a chance to earn somewhat more. As tech experts have been warning for years, "if you dont know who the target is, it's you." JL

Mia Sato reports in The Verge:

Creators in the US, UK, Germany, and France will no longer be able to monetize their content through the original fund. The creator fund was originally introduced in 2020, with the company promising to pay out $1 billion over the course of three years to people making the app’s viral content. Earning money on TikTok has been more unpredictable than other platforms like YouTube or Twitch. Influencers and other content creators have noted low payouts - just a few dollars for millions of views - making it impossible to earn a living through the creator fund. TikTok has been inviting eligible creators to switch over to the Creativity Program (where they) can earn 20 times the amount.

Russians in Occupied Kherson Oblast Plant Explosives As They Prepare For Retreat

As Ukrainian forces continue to make headway on several fronts, but especially as their cross-Dnipro bridgehead expands, Russian occupation troops are planting explosives at critical infrastructure sites such as electric substations, railroad rights of way and bridges in case they are forces to begin retreating further south towards Crimea. JL

Yuri Zoria reports in Euromaidan Press:

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry reported that Russian forces are planting explosives at sites "such as gas regulating points, electrical substations, and critical infrastructure facilities”in the Russian-occupied part of southern Ukraine’s Kherson Oblast. “These actions of the occupiers indicate their probable intention to destroy elements of critical infrastructure when they have to retreat.”

Armored Vehicles Now Bolster Ukraine's Growing Cross-Dnipro Bridgehead

The transport of armored vehicles to support and expand the Ukrainian bridgehead on the east bank of the Dnipro River near Kherson is a significant military development.

It suggests that the Ukrainian Marines are sufficiently well-established that they can transfer armor across a wide river under drone surveillance without fear of losing them in the crossing or on land. And it further reveals that the Ukrainians appear determined to expand this bridgehead with enough force to threaten Russian defenses to the east, west and south. JL 

Stefan Korshak reports in the Kyiv Post:

A growing Ukrainian bridgehead on the east bank of the Dnipro River has for the first time been reinforced by armored vehicles. Ukrainian Marines are now digging in at least four sites along the river’s east bank (or “left bank” due to the river flowing south) along a stretch of territory 30-35 kilometers (19-22 miles) long. The Ukrainian military’s unopposed transfer of force to the left bank, now including armored vehicles, (suggests) Moscow was still (not effectively) responding to a worsening tactical situation. Russian troops facing the Ukrainians are unable to deal with Ukrainian drone swarms, jamming and Ukrainian artillery firing in support of the Marines from the Dnipro’s right bank,

Ukraine's US M1A1 Abrams Tanks Are At the Front - And Why That Matters

To be clear, the US M1A1 tanks are not a panacea. They are vulnerable to mines, drones and missiles. 

But they may be the tank that gives its crew the best chance of survival, saving not just their lives, but their training and experience. Which, compared to the Soviet-era tanks in which they've been fighting - and which are all the Russians have - is going to give them an advantage in the near and long term as this war continues and the Ukrainians are increasingly better equipped to fight a more numerous enemy. JL 

David Axe reports in Forbes:

Ukraine’s best tanks have arrived at the front line. The 31 M-1s the US donated to Ukraine’s war effort won’t alter the war’s dynamics. They’re not invulnerable to Russian mines, artillery, anti-tank missiles and explosives-laden drones. But if Ukraine’s experience with Western tanks is any indication, far fewer tankers will die while fighting in M-1s than in Soviet tanks. For a crew to survive the loss of its tank preserves its training and experience. That’s a boon to the whole army. An experience-free Russian tank corps eventually will face a highly experienced Ukrainian tank corps with crews that have bailed out of more than one damaged tank, increasing Ukraine's fighting power and morale.

Russian Forces At Kupiansk "Regroup" After Suffering "Significant" Losses

Russian efforts to attack in the direction of Kupiansk have been halted after significant losses of men and materiel forced them to retreat and regroup. 

Yet another in a string of failed Russian offensives this autumn. JL 

Roman Petrenko reports in Ukraine Pravda:

The Russians, "relying on six combined arms armies and one tank army," are suffering significant losses - 220 killed in the past week - have ceased active operations, and are currently regrouping on the Yahidne-Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi section of the front after continuing their efforts to capture Kupiansk.

The Reason Modern Manoeuver War Requires Destroying Long Range Logistics

Ukraine knows what it needs to win and it is hitting Russian logistics with what it has. But it needs more if it is to stop an enemy who has no red lines and recognizes no international authority other than raw military power. JL 

Phillips O'Brien reports in his substack:

We have a chance to end the European security question for decades by having Ukraine win and getting the country into NATO and the EU. If this opportunity is not grasped, it will be a failure of historic proportions. (But) if Ukraine (is) to win the logistics war, continuing destruction of enemy warehouses, disruption of supply chains and an increasing trucking distance for ammunition and other logistics assets, Ukraine needs to adopt missiles with an increased range. Modern maneuver warfare is about trying to protect the vulnerable tank to give it a chance to advance. The real heavy lifting occurs before the tank goes into action.

Ukrainian Missiles Destroy Major Russian Ammo, Copter Depot Near Mariupol

Long range Ukrainian missiles have destroyed a major Russian ammunition, logistics and repair depot near Mariupol close to the Sea of Azov. 

In addition to the ammunition, fuel, supplies, vehicles and helicopters damaged or destroyed, the distance of the depot from the front reveals the increasingly threat Ukrainian missiles pose to Russian forces. JL 

Euhenia Martinyuk reports in Euromaidan Press:

In the occupied Ukrainian village of Siedove in Donetsk Oblast, a sizable Russian ammunition depot is on fire, causing explosions and a significant blaze. the Russians had converted the village into an ammunition depot and a parking area for military vehicles. Russian helicopters that had landed in Siedove for repairs were destroyed, along with the repair base. Siedove is located on the shores of the Sea of Azov, 7 kilometers from the occupied Novoazovsk and near the Russian border.

Why Ukraine's Mud Season Advent is Bad News For Russians At Avdiivka, Tokmak

It's baaack. Ukraine's infamous autumn mud season that is, as the picture of Russian vehicles near Avdiivka indicates. 

This is bad news for the Russians attempting to attack Avdiivka because it limits their ability to attack. But it may be good news for the Ukrainians attacking towards Tokmak, as the weather and ground are drier in that region further to the south. JL 

RO 37 reports in Daily Kos:

As Eastern Ukraine enters mud season, Russian armored assaults on Avdiivka will necessarily be restricted to paved roads, greatly reducing the pace of attacks. Russian attacks around Kreminna and Kupiansk, as well as Ukrainian attacks at Bakhmut and Velyka Novosilka are likely to be significantly impacted by the mud as well. Where operations are unlikely to be much impacted by mud season: the Ukrainian attack towards Tokmak, and the attacks around Kherson. Southern Ukraine’s warmer climate, lower rainfall, and different soil composition make Southern Ukraine more akin to winter in Germany than the muddy morass that characterizes Russia and northern Ukraine.

The Strategic Importance of Ukraine's Expanding Cross-Dnipro Bridgehead

The cross-Dnipro bridgehead is valuable because it ties down Russian troops which could be used elsewhere along the front where defenses are stronger.

It also relieves pressure on Kherson city as it pushes Russian artillery further away, reducing the threat of bombardment while serving as a constant embarrassing reminder that Russia held the city - but then lost it to Ukrainian attack. JL 

Thomas Gibbons-Neff and Oleksandr Naselenko report in the New York Times:

A series of secretive assaults across the Dnipro River - which serves as Kherson’s southern and eastern boundary - helped Ukrainian forces secure land on the Russian-held bank in recent weeks. Small craft move across the Dnipro at night to avoid Russian drones before depositing infantry on the eastern bank. The attacks could push Russian formations and artillery farther away from Kherson. Ukrainian forces have gained a foothold on the Russian-held bank (which) appears to have vexed Russian forces to the point where Moscow switched out one of its key commanders in the area.

How Leaders Are Helping Employees Integrate AI Into Their Work

Almost all organizations learned the hard way that  generating optimized outcomes from technology required far more than plug and play. 

With AI, the organizational disruption is likely to be more challenging, time-consuming and expensive. Interestingly, the crucial variables do not appear to be AI-specific, but rather, human skill sets that already exist within the organization, such as good communication, strong interpersonal relationships nurtured over time, the ability to discern context - and domain expertise which guides effective implementation. JL 

Nada Sanders and John Wood report in Harvard Business Review:

Leaders have been inundated by AI’s potential to transform work. The future involves humans working with AI. Leaders feel pressure to “do something” to implement AI solutions. But how does their workforce integrate AI to achieve business outcomes? The current hype is around AI capability and organizational change, but it is the human ability to understand context - which AI lacks - that necessitates interpersonal skills, such as conflict resolution and communication (as well as) domain expertise preserving knowledge among experienced talent and developing it among young workers. “Companies acquiring AI without a new business model (are) digitizing a horse and carriage." Competitive advantage cannot be achieved without humans in the loop.

Why A Settlement Can Be Reached In Gaza But Not In Ukraine

Ukraine's existence is threatened by Russia. Israel's is not threatened by Hamas. 

The civilized world is unwilling to impose a truce on Ukraine because it would reward aggression in ways that threaten world peace. In Gaza, Israel feels pressure to settle because while there is recognition of Hamas' culpability, the Israeli self-defense response is beginning to appear disproportionate. Israel can and will seek global assistance for a just settlement. Russia has made it plain is recognizes no such standard and so Ukraine must continue to battle. JL 

Samuel Freedman reports in Comment Is Freed:

Western countries are loath to impose peace on Kyiv. To do so would reward aggression. With the Hamas-Israel War, outside parties will play a large role in determining when and how this ends. Israel is acting in self-defence but is under pressure to reduce violence. Israel cannot resolve the conflict, unable to dictate a political settlement. It needs international support, which will require concessions. Ukraine has little choice but to fight while it's occupied. Russia has a choice though agreeing to withdrawals now would be seen as a defeat. The least harmful prospect is for the two sides drifting into a no war/no peace situation with skirmishing, tension and efforts to return life to normality away from the front lines.

Ukraine Destroys 3 Russian S-400 Missile Systems Worth $1.5 Billion

Strategic targeting to help degrade Russian defensive capabilities. JL 

Alia Shoiab reports in Business Insider:

Ukraine has  destroyed at least four Russian long-range air defense systems in the last week including three prized S-400 Triumf missile systems, which were destroyed in the Luhansk region on October 26. The S-400 long-range surface-to-air system is designed to shoot down aircraft and missiles at long ranges and high altitudes. The loss means that Russia will have to replace them from other operational areas, weakening its air defenses there. Ukraine likely used the long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to strike the S-400s.

Apple Hardware Sales Continue To Stall But Services Grow

Mac, iPad, Apple Watch and AirPod revenues were all down for Apple's 2023 fourth quarter. iPhones were the only hardware product that grew, but services which include subscriptions to Apple TV, iCloud and Apple Music also continue to expand. 

Though it may be too early to suggest this is a definitive trend, it is possible that consumers no longer feel they need the latest device, given the price and performance of what they already own, even as they are apparently willing to pay for more content. This is a development worth watching, as intangibles like services once again surpass tangibles in yet another sector. JL

Samuel Axon reports in ars technica:

Apple reported its earnings for the fourth quarter of its 2023 fiscal year, and while the revenue dollar count was enormous as usual, the company reported lower year-over-year revenue for the third consecutive quarter. The iPhone was the only hardware product that saw any growth compared to last year; revenue was down across the rest of the board for Mac, iPad, and wearables (primarily Watch and AirPods). The company's services business again beat expectations and helped make up for lagging hardware sales. Services is a large bucket that includes many things, from subscriptions like Apple TV+, iCloud, and Apple Music to the company's search deal with Google

Poor Living Conditions, Shortages Plague Russian Frontline Forces

Shortages of essentials, including food and ammunition, continue to plague Russian troops in Ukraine, contributing to poor battlefield performance and occasional unrest. JL 

Euphynia Martinyuk reports in Euromaidan Press:

Russia struggles to provide comfortable living conditions for its occupying forces on the frontlines in Ukraine, noting the testimonies of Russian military personnel. Russian soldiers shared that for weeks on end, they were “soaked from head to toe” on the frontline in Ukraine. Due to the risk of alerting Ukrainian forces, he “couldn’t even boil a mug of tea.” They lived and ate “monotonous” food in the pervasive mud. Maintaining a decent level of personal comfort in defensive positions is challenging for any army. (But) evidence suggests an abysmal status of  basic field administration amongst Russian forces in Ukraine, likely caused by a deficit in motivated junior commanders and logistical support

Russia's Failure In Ukraine Has Weakened Former Subjects' Fear And Support

Russia's invasion of a former subject country in what had once been its empire was bad enough for the countries on its periphery. 

But its abject failure to subdue Ukraine, the poor performance of its army and weapons and the apparent decline of its economy have given those former colonies incentive to seek alliances with the US, China and other nations they perceive they can trust, both as partners, but also as protectors. JL

Yaroslav Trofimov reports in the Wall Street Journal:

In most countries across Moscow’s former empire, Russian influence has declined markedly as its economy and military reputation were damaged by the failure to win in Ukraine. The invasion bared the limits of Russian power Moscow's backyard. Spooked by the bloodshed in Ukraine and by the sanctions imposed on Russia, its neighbors and allies are diversifying their relationships, hedging against Moscow by deepening ties with China and the West. The leaders of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan held in their first ever joint summit with an American president. "Russia’s policies are much more unhinged. The principle of recognizing borders has been broken.”

US Keeps Arms Flowing To Ukraine As Russia's Suicidal Assaults Provide Targets

As Ukraine continues to thwart literally suicidal Russian attacks across the front, the US government is thwarting attempts by the Putin wing of the Republican party in the US House of Representatives to end aid to Ukraine. 

Russia has been funneling funds to these Republicans through third parties like the NRA, other gun lobby and religious groups but, fortunately, a bipartisan majority in the senate and the governing administration are determined to keep it going. JL

Mark Sumner reports in Daily Kos:

Whether it was the first Vuhledar attacks at the beginning of the year, repeated attempts to retake Klishchiivka (Bakhmut), or the repeated failures at Avdiivka, and Vuhledar  revisited, these Russian attacks have a hugely lopsided cost. Not even Russians are arguing that Ukraine is taking a fragment of the losses Russia is seeing: fields covered in smoking Russian wreckage and a ghastly array of Russian corpses. But just because nothing is likely to move out of the US House soon doesn’t mean the pipeline is shut. On Friday, the Biden administration announced a $425 million package of assistance for Ukraine