Russia-Ukraine Flash Report 16 OCT 2022 11:30 PDT - Kherson Blackout

The Ukrainian government has asked for a complete and total media blackout for the ongoing counteroffensive in Kherson, including analysis.

We will honor that request in our Situation Reports and on our maps. We will only share information from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Operational Command South. We will only share information that we can verify looking at other sources. Which is to say, we will look at other available sources to authenticate GSAFU reports, but not share that additional information.

I understand for some this may seem unreasonable, given that there will be information available in the public domain, or see this as picking a side.

As a team we are horrified at the treatment of Russian mobiks. For me personally, it has been depressing to see so much wasted human life and potential lost. Honoring the request for operational security will, in the long term, save lives. Ukrainian military lives. Ukrainian civilian lives. And yes, Russian soldiers lives. 

The ratio of combat deaths in Kherson is estimated at 1 Ukrainian soldier to 6 to 7 Russian soldiers. Russia's invasion is illegal, horrific, and the litany of verified war crimes is the worst this planet has seen in four to five decades. We are hearing reports that the slaughter, and that's the right word, of Russian troops is taking a toll on the mental health of Ukrainian soldiers. The mobiks are just being thrown to the front lines with regular Russian troops holding the second line of defense behind them. If the mobiks try to retreat without orders to do so, political officers solve the problem.

It is easy to get into the moral trap of, "kill them all and let God sort it out," but if you allow yourself to get to that place, then you become the enemy that you hate. So it is for that reason, we will honor the request from the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

I hope you can understand this decision, and how it aligns to our values.