SPECIAL: By Brian Berlectic—
Washington's Downed Drone + Growing Admissions of Ukraine's Military Deterioration

Update on Russian military operations in Ukraine for March 16, 2023:

• Russian warplanes intercepted and apparently clipped the propeller of a US MQ-9 drone carrying out surveillance near Crimea.
• The US has no means of recovering the drone, though Russia may have an opportunity to recover it.
• While the drone operated in international airspace according to the US, it was collecting intelligence on behalf of Ukraine as part of ongoing hostilities, as a party of the conflict and thus threatening Russian national security.

• Bakhmut continues to face encirclement.
• The Western media has begun admitting to the grim deterioration of Ukraine’s forces under the weight of Russia’s strategy of attrition.
• Ukraine has lost the majority of troops trained by NATO over the last 8-9 years; - Ongoing NATO training is rushed, incapable of meeting or exceeding Russia’s pool of trained manpower.
• Ammunition and weapons are also admittedly running out.
• Ukraine may or may not be diverting reserves for an upcoming spring offensive to instead fight in Bakhmut.
• Any possible counteroffensive around Bakhmut might indicate just how badly deteriorated Ukraine’s forces have become.