Larry On Bakhmut (Artemovsk)...

Yesterday a good sitrep from Larry with, finally, proper map with the scale. 

Larry asks the question:

Is Russia Closing the Cauldron Around Bakhmut?

This morning we have the answer--yes. Morning reports tell already about tactical, not just operational, envelopment of Bakhmut and trapping there by unreliable 404 sources of 2,500 VSU (primarily from Western Ukraine (in Russian)), by other, much more reliable sources (I know them personally), of about at least 3-4 times this number. Also, officially is reported that the number of bodies of VSU littering the battlefields around Bakhmut is simply appalling and Wagner Group formed special teams for removing those corpses in order to prevent further decomposition and smell with the risk of infections. 

But by far more important news is this bit of CIA Director Burns complaining that:

Burns said on CBS that the meeting with Naryshkin was “pretty dispiriting,” describing the Russian as “defiant” and displaying “cockiness.” “There was a very defiant attitude on the part of Mr. Naryshkin,” Burns said. “A sense of cockiness and hubris, in sense reflecting Putin’s own view … that he can make time work for him, that he believes he can grind down Ukrainians, that he can wear down our European allies, that political fatigue will eventually set in.”

Somebody has to explain to Burns that he should be grateful that Naryshkin agreed to meet him at all, especially on the BS occasion of the US "warning" Russia against the use of... nuclear weapons. Naryshkin's attitude is indicative not just of Putin but of the fact that Russian military-political elite views, absolutely correctly, present US Administration as a collection of amateurs, ideologues and fanatics. Burns, who is a classic modern US "diplomat", meaning ignorant, uncultured and a political appointee, as a current Director of CIA should learn things other than how to conduct PR BS and study Russian military doctrine and, surprise-surprise, the actual state of the affairs in the United States. 

But then again, anyone who agreed to serve in Biden's Admin should be automatically disqualified as professional and a person with integrity. Burns' tenure as US Ambassador to Russia didn't contribute to his education in the matter. Per military part--most people within the Beltway are clueless in such matters and Burns is an Exhibit A of this. In other words, Naryshkin, when speaking to Burns, was talking to an amateur who wouldn't know shit from shineola and there is no other way anymore to talk to Biden Admin's people. In related news, another train in the US has derailed today. Is anyone in Biden's cabinet minding the country which literally tears at the seams?