L0ckAndL0ad

True, and I really do appreciate it. The drones, however, are flying over the city (one went pretty much overhead), and stray missiles and bullets (30mm with failed airburst fuzes) tend to hit whatever is in their way. The midnight strikes went for almost two hours, I think. The most intensive air raid so far IMO.

Pretty intense, wallshaking bavovna after 0000. Massive and long. No sirens/alerts, no shelters opened. Informational vacuum in the dark of the night. Seems to be happening all over the place. Here's to low CEP errors and reliable hardware.

I've deleted my twitter account some months ago (and don't regret it), but I've unrolled it via another site and yeah, in my opinion that's accurate information. Just like with inserting and supplying Girkin and his buddies (Babai, Bezler etc) in the east (I still remember seeing a photo of that first truck fully loaded with RPGs "magically" appearing, and their first AKs on photos near administrative buildings), Russia was responsible for all sorts of events like that one. Odessa was just another point where they've created tension via various means. They've been doing stuff like that for a while, and for a lot of countries. Their special services are behind all kinds of really nasty stuff. ps: There's a lot of burning grass today in Crimea.

Various tidbits I can point out: - There was a "flying wing" drone that fell within the city limits during the recent attack near Yevpatoriya. It looked undamaged (downed by EW?) and fell right next to the main office of RNCB bank (biggest bank in Crimea that uses old Privatbank infrastructure). The drone fell less than 1.5km away from where I was at the time. - The morons cannot scale their production of propaganda BS school books. They've issues orders/laws that cannot be implemented, yet again. It is said that it will take years to print thier new "unitary" schoolbooks. Imagine them trying to switch their economy to the "war footing" as some want ;D That would be even funnier. - There's a special, dedicated NDA they force upon people (first responders?) after missile/drone strikes that starts with words "becasue of the current geopolitical situation" that prevents them from talking about anything. - The fuel prices continue to rise locally, and people are really noticing. There's quite a lot of rambling about it, and even some organized (and, strangely, authorised) street protests. Did not see much details yet about the latter.

Sorry to reply so late to this, but I really wanted to point it out, because I personally adore BBC. BBC.com is blocked in Russia and in the occupied territories. Except the Russian BBC channel on Telegram that I personally follow, but that's just because they've given up trying to block Telegram That one is fast as a lightning and is easy to access, thankfully. BBC posts in Russian language in Telegram very frequently on a wide range of topics and is covering all kind of things, and they're doing a very good job. If there's any one news source on this planet one should follow, that's BBC.

What air defenses? ;D Apperently, there's less and less of them. BBC was pretty quick to report the local (my hometown) events, so you may wanna check that out. No air raid warnings, no nothing. Nothing is happening, as always. Just bavovna and smoke. Even the announcer at the train station skips the usual "be observant and careful, careful and observant" this morning. How come, I wonder? ps: I'm okay, and the windows are fine, for now.

My gut feeling says that they're sent for use with NASAMS. Not sure if they're able to lock onto drones, because their IR signature is very different from jet engine exhaust. Point defense against incoming missiles (assisted by slaving from radar/datalink) is more likely usage I would assume. Whatever use they find, I hope it's helpful. The prices are already rising for some things, bit by bit. Moscovites often rant that Moscow prices are lower than here. Fuel is the most noticable one, and it WILL drive the rest as a result at the minimum. I think that quite a lot of vatniks will stay, even those that are not originally from here, unless being "evacuated" by some order or decree. Because they're not very good at thinking on their own. Unless it's raining shells literally right on their heads. At which point it's no longer needed, I suppose. I think that is kremlin's intention, isn't it? They've been brainwashing people into passiveness for the past 20 years. Nothing different now, except when you suddenly need manpower on the frontlines. Ooops. On the other hand, I know exactly what it's like to feel powerless and small when facing this.. leviathan. Hmm, yes, indeed. Really not sure about russians actually caring about anything happening to Crimea, but it doesn't mean it won't be used as an excuse to rally/mobilize actively again. It would be stupid (as pretty much all they do), but not unexpected. True, but what kinds of ammo? If they dig into urban areas among civilian population with just AK-74s and RPG-7s (for the "last stand" type of situation), it would be hard to get them out without leveling the whole place altogether.

Not unexpected, but I've missed this development. Thanks! On a similar note, I have another question. Why does the US sends AIM-9 missiles? Is that for modified Mig-29s? Or any land-based system like MIM-72 Chaparral or similar? I've seen it come up on several lists so far, but was puzzled. In my DCS A-10C experience, their use is quite limited on the front line due to short range. How are they being used? Re: propaganda coverage It is quite often VERY ridiculous (to someone who can compare information from multiple sources and has a brain). That Independence day raid was first described in local TG channels as "several unknown men [perpetrators] on boats attacked tourists on the shore line, then quickly retreated. No toruists were hurt". Other attacks are often described as "The grass is burning at [place X]. Emergency services are working. Trust only official sources!". Yeah, of course it's just a random patch of grass burning in the steppes. "Nothing to see here, citizen! Move along!" But I can tell you that there are reports on tourist season not being succesful here. It is not true, IMO. Unfortunately, there are LOADS of tourists. I have no idea how stupid one must be to come here for a vacation, but there are so many arrogant moscovites here, it doesn't seem any different from other years. It may be statistically smaller number, but it's not a "dead season", not even close. The question that is bothering me is that, if we're going to be cut off from all sides here, how would 1.5-2 million civilians would be supplied here with food?

Thank you and everyone else! I'm lurking around and read this juicy thread occasionally, but I've been self-isolating myself after coming back and don't communicate much at all. Reaching out to anyone is... hard, after everything that's happened, and when you know you are being watched/monitored. But sometimes I force myself to communicate, because that's what therapists recommend. I'm mostly using Telegram these days, and that's it. I appreciate all the support. Thank you as well. I've talked to a lot of people, with all kinds of opinions, of different ages and genders. Even almost got robbed by two orcs one time in broad daylight. Who knows? Maybe my opinion is just wishful thinking, because my brain simply needs something good to hope for. I've always tried to be as much realistic as possible, but, as you said, we're just humans. Uhm. To drop a JDAM from that kind of range, it must either be powered, or the attack profile must be really really high. I guess that's gotta be Mk 82 turned into a missile package?

I do have all the pre-2014 documents, both originals and digital backup scans in the cloud. But it doesn't matter, because I have reasons to believe I may not reach your side of the border. Not particularly fond of the idea of figuring if I am wrong or not. I am 95% sure it's not gonna end well. So I stay put for now. Uhm. I was born in Crimea ('89), so as my mother and grandparents. My father is originally from Russia, but came here also during Soviet era and was registered here with Ukrainian documents before 2014. I do have all the old documents, but I never left Crimea to renew them after 2014. It costs money, and there's always something more important, like dental, or clothes, or broken boiler. I was going to when I felt comfortable to properly resettle. But who cares? I've never collaborated nor commited any crimes. Those who did know it and take their own risks by staying. I do get your point about documents disappearing when things blow up and burn, and it's a good one, but it's not like someone intends to repeat Soviet style deportations in the middle of the night with freight trains. Not the country commited to join the EU, at least. Ministry of reintegration and other state services have a lot of experience with this sort of thing by this point, I'm sure. The ethnic hatred, on the other hand, is something to watch out for, definitely. I've identified myself as ethnically Russian my whole life. I speak Russian in my head 75% of the time. 20% my thoughts are in English, and sometimes I think like 5% in Ukrainian (mostly Poderev'yansky memes ;D). After 24th February 2022, it suddenly became clear that ethnicity and even culture does not define me. I felt it in my gut and still do. Our actions define who we are. But also laws. By international law, and by Ukrainian law, I am Ukrainian citizen. Even if Estonians did not recognize me as such. That's who I am. I do see your concerns as valid and they are worth the discussion.

Re: possible insurgency 1. First off, as Steve already said, things can theoretically happen. We're talking about the most likely scenario. Anyone who predicts future with 100% certainty is a fraud. 2. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of bad blood. Just as you saw a lot of Crimeans genuinely cheering up and supporting the invaders in 2014, the Crimeans saw people on mainland Ukraine cheer powerlines being blown up as 2 million people plunged into darkness, water channel being cut off, the roads being blocked for cargo traffic, with all the little nasty consequences that were actually physically felt here. The reactionary post-2014 policies, laws and rethoric weren't great either. But compared to all the mayhem what's been happening since Feb 2022, this is nothing. And people are TIRED of chaos, flying jets, drones, explosions and death. Those who are currently in the trenches or came from there are tired as well. 3. What would be "the cause" to rally behind? They can't even formulate victory conditions for the current war. Nor can they achieve anything significant, with all their men and equipment in the field. Rallying (who, civilians?) to do something a huge army can't do? That requires guts and there's none. Only stupidity and hubris. They are unable to say NO when told to do something stupid or illegal. Saying no requires guts. 4. You need to understand the reality on the ground. Pretty much all Crimeans who haven't left have Russian passports. What, 1.5-2 million people? Myself included. Because living here without one is practically impossible. Hell, I know Crimeans who left and are currently on mainland Ukraine that also have Russian passports, issued in Crimea in 2014 (illegaly, obviously). For Ukrainian government to take back control, they'll have to deal with it somehow. And bunch of other documents. There's already been laws and decrees passed aimed to make the transition back as painless as possible. There's a whole ministry that's dealing with issues like these. Refer to Ministry of Reintegration sources for more information. 5. That being said, it's been nine years, and nobody can pretict how much more time will pass before that. It can happen in two months, or in two years, or in ten. And with every single day, people are growing more tired. They are trying as hard as they can not to notice what's happening now. And there's no land warfare close by yet. When it comes, they'll have much more incentive to make it stop ASAP. Re: how am I doing? My life isn't as horrible as for some others out there. But things can change literally any minute, as for everybody else in the region. So I am trying to live in the moment while I can. For those who don't know, I tried to get to Estonia via St.Petersburg back in September. Before Feb 2022, it was illegal (by Ukrainian laws) thing to do. I managed to contact some Ukrainian officials and learned that it is okay during the war, if your purpose is to leave the occupied areas/Russia. But, as I also have Russian passport (issued locally after 2014, and almost impossible to get rid of without being put into danger), Russia views me as Russian citizen first, and by their laws, I had to get foreign travel passport in order to leave. I did that, and it took time. I also had to prepare money and other affairs. Thus I managed to get to the Estonian border only in September. My thinking was that it would be safer to deal with Russian documents after I cross the border, not before. I knew that Russian passports issued in Crimea are not recognized by the EU. My Ukrainian foreign travel passport was outdated by that point. The rules are: you can apply for asylum if you have no valid travel documents. But when I got to the border, Estonian police and border guard told me that everything is fine with my Russian passport (the travel document I had to use to leave the Russian side of the border, because Russian laws) and thus I cannot ask for an asylum. I told them many things about myself, and that I would be in danger if I return, but they did not care. They were angry and not cooperative, unwilling to listen. They blamed me for not coming sooner and for other things I had no control over. That night at the border is something that still haunts me to this day. Being rejected by the people who you considered to be good and being sent back to modern day neo-USSR. And there are things that I am not telling you here, because it is dangerous... Anyway.. I came to St.Petersburg. Got seriously ill. Still, I got tickets to Vladikavkaz in order to try crossing into Georgia. But soon I found a lot of info online that told me the same story would happen there as well. There were no other good alternatives that came to my mind. Going somewhere else eastward wasn't looking like a good idea either, legally, logistically and for other reasons. At that time, my little sister was still in Crimea. I've decided to come back here and deal with whatever happens to all of us together. Since then, there was a harsh winter without work. Serious depression, from which I barely managed to recover on my own, without meds or therapist. The dangers that are lurking out there are real. But I know who I am and what I stand for, and where my allegiance is. Most importantly, I know that the bastards have already lost. I knew that back in Feb 2022. They will not succeed, no matter what happens to me personally. They can't do anything good in this world, and there's no "winning" for them in any shape or form. I've stopped working on my Unity dev career for now. I tried to find some remote work, but failed and had to return back to working in a store. I do see a future where things go at least a little bit better. But for that to happen, a lot of people have to put in a lot of effort. There's nothing free, and freedom itself is not free. We all have to work for it. Alright, I've already said much more than I should've. Over and out.

I agree with Haiduk and Steve that there won't be any pro-russian insurgency in Crimea in case of UKR troops going in hot. But, yes, it is going to be hard to govern, for sure. Something good to look forward to anyway. It is quite hard to predict how the events will unfold exactly from now on. That raid was definitely fun though, even if only symbolical.

Hi everyone. Nikita here. I'm still in Crimea. I have to be careful with every word, especially after being detained on 24th by police and FSB, so I will be brief. I am literally shaking as I type due to adrenaline, but we all need to be strong these days. 1) Ukraine will be free. The bastards will fail. I can clearly see it. 2) We witness an insane amount of heroism. Which is truly inspiring. 3) Thanks to Steve and other people from here who were kind to me in the past and took time and patience to communicate with me. It made a lot of difference in the end and made me a person who I am today.

Oh, and as promised, I'm revealing the origins of the unsolved objective names. Detective Cole Phelps Jessica Jones

RESULTS Full gallery at Google Photos Headcount tracker spreadsheet I've failed my force preservation objective. But still got enough points for Major Victory. USMC 194 OK, 10 KIA, 54 WIA, 1 MIA 1 Armored vehicle and 2 other vehicles lost Partisans 10 OK, 91 KIA, 70 WIA, 7 MIA 14 other vehicles lost

Sitrep @ 10:05 Elements of the 2nd Platoon were able to sneak up on the enemy, but got quickly noticed after the first of the Marines have crossed the low wall. Thankfully, enemy armed with 7.62 WP is not particularly accurate on full auto, even at close range. So none of my guys were hit. I did send two squads there, so one of them was able to fire back, and the other assaulted the building. 5 enemy combatants were killed around and inside that building in total. On the main street, the enemy continued retreating. One of the walled compounds I initially wanted to assault with LAR Platoon dismounts remained the main point of resistance in the area. But as soon as my Marines have taken that house at the SE edge of the village, the whole neighborhood was pretty much blocked. With that move I think I've achieved the complete isolation of the target. And that was the last turn, ladies and gentlemen!

Sitrep @ 10:04 There seem to be a difference in morale of various enemy groups. Some desert under pressure, some won't even move away under heavy crossfire. I think I've dealt with all of the enemies in the rubble pile. But it's impossible to say for sure without clearing that particular compound. Which I am unlikely to do any time soon. I was wrong about the enemy presence on the southern side of the street. There are still some units present. And elements of the 2nd Platoon, who made it there through the Green zone, are about to storm their positions. The approach is made from reverse slope (+ low wall somewhat masks my Marines), so I'm not sure how visible they were while running up. I am rather hesitant about giving direct firing orders in that area for any of the units, because it can very easily result in friendly fire or my units firing at the wrong area, both of which will lead to a catastrophic result, so I'm simply going to "step back and allow the Marines to do their job" ((c) some RL USMC AAR, I think). The most distant enemy walled compound, which I knew was occupied from the very first minutes of the mission, became active part of the firefight. Four men appeared on the rooftop at the same time, and were immediately greeted by a wall of fire. Even 3rd Platoon's SMAW team which I moved up closer to the frontline fired a shot at them (with little result, though, but I think it at least suppressed them). I do certainly win the firefights due to superior unit count. At this point enemy simply cannot mass fires from more than a couple of teams at the same time. Also, there's nowhere for him to withdraw now, which makes the whole situation much more dangerous for advancing Marines. 3rd Platoon's SMAW team reacts to enemy contact: Marines of the 2nd Platoon approach enemy positions from the southern flank:

Like I've said, it's kind of complicated. Yeah, I've got SF1 with all the modules, but they were published by a local, Russian, publisher. So it's not compatible with recent upgrades, and probably won't ever be. So I need the full new package now to get the upgraded version. And although it costs a small fortune in my local currency, and I got recently fired while still trying to save money to get off from this em... sierra hole island I still reside on, Steve kindly offered to help me with this by promising a copy. He seems to be really busy lately, so I wanted to wait for some time before actually bothering him and following through with his offer. And I'm not yet done with this AAR anyway. We're 2 minutes past the mission end time, so it's supposed to end any turn now, but my opponent is also really busy and the turns flow very slowly. So, I'm gonna get there eventually. No worries. And while we're getting over RL stuff here, I'd like to tell you folks that I chose to go back and refresh my programming skills, took several online course of Game Design and C# in an attempt to try out if I can become an independent game developer. Together with my long delayed escape attempt from the peninsula, it seems as hard as climbing Everest, but at least it's what I find true enthusiasm for. Oh, and 10 years after the last attempt, I revived my board and came back to skating. I suck at it, but it's a fun way to stay in shape, which is essential for people who sit in front of a PC all the time. Oh, and happy holidays, folks!

Hey. Uhm, it's kind of a tricky question. No clue when I'd be able to get it. But I love the idea and looking forward to it.

Sitrep @ 10:02 So, the battle rages on. I can surely use some additional time to move my forces around. Despite the casualties. Enemies on both sides of the main street opened up on my forces. I mean, I think pretty much all of them. I have no contacts outside of the built up area. Not in the Green Zone (or even NE further from it), nor on the NE corner of the map, which is still in enemy's hands. Because there are trenches there I will not even think to assault with my LAR Platoon. More so, I don't even need to do anything in that area. Only the village is my concern and responsibility. I do have the road leading out of it in my sights, so anyone trying to sneak out would have a hard time doing so. 2nd Platoon's fire from the south have forced most known enemy units on the southern part of the road to run away north. I guess they're simply doing this in panic. The guys that smacked my LAR Platoon dismounts simply refuse to die. I leveled ALL the buildings in their compound. And they're still alive and kicking. I managed to maneuver some units into position to deal with them, but it's not 100% to succeed, given their track record. Also, there are enemies right in the street who I also need to deal with, so my forward-most units have their hands full. Will see how it goes in the next minute or so. Survivors still resist and fight back: SMAW guys opened up on an enemy contact and made a big bada boom: Further maneuvering:

Sitrep @ 9:58 It's not over yet! As soon as the message about our recent Marine losses hit the net, every local commander of what seems to be the United States Amphibious Demolitions Corps gave the order to increase the volume of fire upon the enemy. The guys that I haven't used that much in this battle in their direct fire role, the SMAW gunners of the assault teams, targeted enemy HQ in the building. ON MY COMMAND! BACKBLAST AREA SECURE! ROCKET! I haven't forgotten about my TOW humvees! Work of the wrecking crew: New hint: Phelps is male, Jones is female. Oooh. What a mystery.

Sitrep @ 9:56 Force preservation. Right. Little did I know... 3 WIA, 1 KIA. My Marines, who were advancing over an open field. The field with quite a few dead enemies lying around. Who tried to do the same thing. Oh dear... Scout Sniper fired a shot from M40A3 rifle at not fully visible contact. Units do that sometimes. But that's the first time I'm seeing a sniper do that. Wonder if he actually hit anyone. New hint: Phelps is from California. Jones is from NYC.

Ha-ha! I totally forgot about Ellen's cat! But, unfortunately, no. Nice try though! Jones and Phelps in question are not parts of the Alien franchise. And are not related to each other directly. But do have something strong in common. Oh, alright, and one of them is a fictional US Marine. They are both fictional characters, from completely different franchises. That's enough hints for today

Sitrep @ 9:54 1st Platoon reinforced the 3rd. It took defensive positions but also sent one squad across the road to help clearing the buildings. All the enemy forces I'm in contact with are in Obj Jones area. Elements of the 3rd Platoon who are currently advancing NE on the northern side of the road are valiantly crossing the open area under enemy fire while being supported by other Marines. Fire & maneuver is the name of the game. Overview: At this point, I've pretty much isolated the Obj Jones and gained a foothold there. Unfortunately, as I suspected, I will not be able to clear the Obj Jones in time. Therefore, from this point on, I'm focusing on force preservation. LAR Platoon dismounts are unable to capture the second compound as planned due to casualties. But even so, I was able to identify several enemy positions and can target them with fire from multiple directions. Coy HQ with FO team have set up at Obj Vasquez, but I won't be calling in neither Cobras nor the mortars. No time for that. One of the key points in the briefing was ammo preservation, so there's that too.

Sitrep @ 9:53 Multiple enemy units tried withdrawing further NE through the alleys, and pretty successfully. LoS in MOUT is rather limited at ground level. Oh well.. At this point I suspect that Obj Phelps (older boundary reference) is free of enemy forces, but I'm yet to actually finish clearing every single building. 3rd Platoon: 2nd Platoon got eyes on the Green Zone and starts clearing it. One contact immediately pops up and gets neutralized. Enemy MG was hidden among the trees, ready to ambush my Marines. My positioning was better though: LAR Platoon dismounts tried using the compound they've captured to get a glance at nearby buildings. Bad idea. Kind of. They were immediately fired upon from a nearby building. Were suppressed and unable to return fire. All vehicles in the vicinity are tasked with providing support for them.