I have go to work for the rest of the afternoon, but I want to remind you all of the following: when the real Ukie offensive materializes (maybe later tonight, maybe not) the Novorussians will most definitely retreat along certain axes. This does not mean that they will be "defeated", only that they are retreating which is a defensive tactical maneuver. So, please, let's not have a repeat of the general panic attack of last Spring, okay? By itself retreating indicates nothing at all, it is neither good nor bad, it is neutral. To evaluate/assess a retreat we must look into the "fine print" of the military situation and understand why and how this retreat has been ordered. Questions such as "did the enemy force go beyond the 2nd tactical defensive echelon" are absolutely crucial for any evaluation.
I just want to make sure that when the hurray-patriots and Putin-bashers resume their hysteric you don't get fooled by their antics.
Gotta go now. See ya'll later!
The Saker