panzermartin

So, the Germans have in fact given more % to Ukraine than US and have been hurt the most economically with Nord stream shut down etc. 
Let's keep this in mind in the next round of German bashing. 
 

So, the Germans have in fact given more % to Ukraine than US and have been hurt the most economically with Nord stream shut down etc. 
Let's keep this in mind in the next round of German bashing. 
 

Yeah, Germany has been doing were well on the ground for the last year or so. Still PR and communication disaster.

So, the Germans have in fact given more % to Ukraine than US and have been hurt the most economically with Nord stream shut down etc. 
Let's keep this in mind in the next round of German bashing. 
 

Abandoned ship on a channel being used as a Russian base is so 1960s French spy fiction.

Russians are welcoming our PM 😶 One hit got 150-200m close. 

Russians are welcoming our PM 😶 One hit got 150-200m close. 

You saying that makes this whole thing feel very reminiscent of the early torpedo boats: small brand new boats threaten the existing warships with the notion of swarm attacks by many small, cheap vessels carrying serious ordnance.
Torpedo boat/kamikaze craft destroyers become a whole new, significant all around ship in any serious navy's arsenal.

Russians are welcoming our PM 😶 One hit got 150-200m close. 

Russians are welcoming our PM 😶 One hit got 150-200m close. 

Russians are welcoming our PM 😶 One hit got 150-200m close. 

Still a mystery that no Lancet caught a Himars off guard and the first kill is from a GMLRS. (Although I recall unconfirmed russian claims of destroyed himars in the past ) 

To buy? Would Germany really agree to sell them in that time, when in 2014 they rejected to supply engines for BTR-4, because "it may cause more civilian deaths". And even in 2022 there were half years of discussions "will Russia nuke us if we give Leos?"

You are hoping that the younger ones of your opponent don't have any desire for war either. No more wars. Problem solved. If suddenly no one would enlist, then all wars could stop. Could be a reality after this war ends. But how will it end? 
The next option is war from distance, AI, robots, drones, guided by 16yr olds boys and girls but no human is allowed on the battlefield. 
Russia is in better shape because :
- has survived the humiliating defeats of the first year. 
-It now has the momentum in the front lines and is gaining ground steadily. 
- defeated the long awaited Ukrainian counter offensive. 
-defeated (or maybe crushed) the hype around western wunderwaffen. 
-At last found a successful cheap way to employ the air force in support of ground operations. 
- Vastly improved drone fleet  capabilities and operational efficiency.
-has no conflicting internal voices anymore. No Prigozyn, no Navalny, no opposition, no crazy ultra nationalists. Just a dull grey homogenous military state. 
-caused serious cracks and doubt among Ukrainians and westerners if victory is possible. 
-western funding is now more insecure than ever. 
- has overcome sanctions and tech and production shortcomings.
- has the upper hand in manpower and widening the gap while Ukraine is facing serious issues with mobilization. 
That doesn't mean it's in great shape of course. But in most ways it has adapted and wages war better than Feb 2022.
 
 

You are hoping that the younger ones of your opponent don't have any desire for war either. No more wars. Problem solved. If suddenly no one would enlist, then all wars could stop. Could be a reality after this war ends. But how will it end? 
The next option is war from distance, AI, robots, drones, guided by 16yr olds boys and girls but no human is allowed on the battlefield. 
Russia is in better shape because :
- has survived the humiliating defeats of the first year. 
-It now has the momentum in the front lines and is gaining ground steadily. 
- defeated the long awaited Ukrainian counter offensive. 
-defeated (or maybe crushed) the hype around western wunderwaffen. 
-At last found a successful cheap way to employ the air force in support of ground operations. 
- Vastly improved drone fleet  capabilities and operational efficiency.
-has no conflicting internal voices anymore. No Prigozyn, no Navalny, no opposition, no crazy ultra nationalists. Just a dull grey homogenous military state. 
-caused serious cracks and doubt among Ukrainians and westerners if victory is possible. 
-western funding is now more insecure than ever. 
- has overcome sanctions and tech and production shortcomings.
- has the upper hand in manpower and widening the gap while Ukraine is facing serious issues with mobilization. 
That doesn't mean it's in great shape of course. But in most ways it has adapted and wages war better than Feb 2022.
 
 

You are hoping that the younger ones of your opponent don't have any desire for war either. No more wars. Problem solved. If suddenly no one would enlist, then all wars could stop. Could be a reality after this war ends. But how will it end? 
The next option is war from distance, AI, robots, drones, guided by 16yr olds boys and girls but no human is allowed on the battlefield. 
Russia is in better shape because :
- has survived the humiliating defeats of the first year. 
-It now has the momentum in the front lines and is gaining ground steadily. 
- defeated the long awaited Ukrainian counter offensive. 
-defeated (or maybe crushed) the hype around western wunderwaffen. 
-At last found a successful cheap way to employ the air force in support of ground operations. 
- Vastly improved drone fleet  capabilities and operational efficiency.
-has no conflicting internal voices anymore. No Prigozyn, no Navalny, no opposition, no crazy ultra nationalists. Just a dull grey homogenous military state. 
-caused serious cracks and doubt among Ukrainians and westerners if victory is possible. 
-western funding is now more insecure than ever. 
- has overcome sanctions and tech and production shortcomings.
- has the upper hand in manpower and widening the gap while Ukraine is facing serious issues with mobilization. 
That doesn't mean it's in great shape of course. But in most ways it has adapted and wages war better than Feb 2022.
 
 

To be fair, I put in a certain perspective. That, if there is no collective desire to defend Ukraine *among the population of Ukraine, then there is no point in continuing this war and killing the willing and the bravest in a defensive retreat. These people have been the most heroic lot I have witnessed in my post 70s life. 
They can of course keep fighting until the end if that's their desire. 
But as an outsider  peace seems like better option than a war until the very end. Peace would unfortunately mean Crimea and Donbas to Russians officially. For now. The fact they are already russian and probably not possible to retake, makes things less painful I guess. 
But what if peace now can prepare Ukraine better for the future? In a couple years time. With a proper airforce, with enough artillery shells, with even western presence in their land? Not to gear for another war but to show that they are impossible now to overcome. And at the same time a phyrric victory of an isolated Russia would mean that they are not able to keep up or prepare for second war. Then they slowly disintegrate, with the old people and the old soviet memories that somehow brought us here. With a Soviet flag of victory in the ruins of Bakhmut and the Black Sea fleet locked in Port and rusting. And a new generation of more open minded people that are fed up with a decaying country will eventually bring the change and bridge the two countries that speak the same words again. Actually war is what keeps Russia running at the moment. The idea that they are fighting the big collective West and the Slavic traitors feeds their struggle against daily misery. If this war ends what will keep them together? Kinda like pedaling and balancing a war bicycle. They are definetly in better shape than two years ago,yes can you believe this? 
As for demanding more from Ukrainians, It's somewhat cynical of us to expect them to carry the burden  and defend all "western values" that they know little of, while we sit safely on our couch. I don't like it to be honest. 
 

 

Chill farmers and brothers of the East...

Chill farmers and brothers of the East...

This is genuinely great title for one of old John Woo's movies.

It is my biggest gripe in this forum. Closely followed by the idea russia is hanging on by mere threads, collapsing any day now.

Absolutely. It's now a country geared for war like Nazi Germany in the beginning of WW2. Plus they have huge stockpiles of weapons. We'll probably catch up later, when things get more serious... 
The continuous comedian approach on the russian army and state, didn't help the overall effort I think. 

Absolutely. It's now a country geared for war like Nazi Germany in the beginning of WW2. Plus they have huge stockpiles of weapons. We'll probably catch up later, when things get more serious... 
The continuous comedian approach on the russian army and state, didn't help the overall effort I think. 

Let's look at detection and early warning ranges.
New sketch based on UKR Mashovets post

Here are detection ranges from A-50 Old Patrolling Route.
Some info
 

Yeah, that was Zelensky's and the West's mistake in the first place. To promote the counteroffensive with directors cut videos, to brag about the wunderwaffen Leopards, Bradleys, Himars etc and publicly promote the idea that the goal was to reach Azov and kick the Russians out of Crimea. 
Even Russians believed that and created multiple zones of defense on Crimeas bottleneck. 
The results (while not so disastrous) really discouraged the public in the West