DesertFox

About time, innit?
 
 

Apparently on the move. Lets see what the next hours bring.
 
 

Mashovets writes Russia threw into the battle there PMC "Potok" ("Stream") and "Fakel" ("Torch") of Gazprom. On the northern flank already was invoilved PMC "Veterany" of Shoigu. All these PMCs are just cosplay of Wagner, having poor effectiveness. "Potok" already appeared on Bakhmut direction several months ago, but after first clashes and artillery hits abandoned positions. Russian milbloggers wrote, that as commander of this PMC was appointed employee of Gazprom, retired police officer, who had some security duties in this company. He had no skills in military like and most of commanders of lower levels, personnel had poor training, so first fight they failed in several days, reveiving scorn from Wagners

Russian TG:
Now contact line near Rabotino [ukr. Robotyne] is along this white line. UKR need to overcome just one field to reach northern part of the village

The soldier, who dug up his comrade says him at the end: "Now you will have callsign "Mole" %)

Right now without paywall. Worth reading.
 
 

Ask these clowns
 
 

The idea of dropping munitions from planes to clear minefields was always a nonstarter in the past, for a number of reasons. As a new combat engineer private in the US army I remember watching a video (VHS I think) of Iraqi positions before deploying and the DoD wanted recommendations on how to breach them. Afterward I told the lieutenant we should just do a B-52 strike to clear a path. He didn't respond. The airstrikes were always too inaccurate and the ground could be impassible to vehicles.
There are two different ideas here that should be clarified: breaching a minefield and clearing a minefield. Frankly both are scary.
The explosives in mines is very stable, and the fuse is the key to setting it off. (when fatigued and stupid we would toss explosives around in really unsafe ways, but here I still am) So to actually clear a mine explosive needs to be placed directly on/next to it or it needs to be physically removed. Both of these require the mine to have been discovered by the persons doing the clearing. And then you have to be in the minefield doing stuff like, pop and drops, ring mains and line mains.
To breach the minefield the mines simply need to be moved out of the way. This is where MICLICs and bangalore torpedoes come in, vehicles with plows, and maybe airstrikes if they can be precise and not destroy the ground rendering movement impossible. They are expected to blow the mines out of the way, and if they detonate them that's good. But not expected. So napalm could work if it was hot enough to ignite the fuses. Otherwise it would be very poor as it would not push the mines out of the way.
I appreciate these discussions about the more modern state of mines and mine clearing, especially drones. My heart breaks to see the density of the minefields that are being laid. This will takes many years to clear and the cost to the locals will likely be extraordinary. Perhaps more and better automated mine clearing is the key, I feel like we have neglected this like many things as we thought these wars were a thing of the past.

I READ this and I believe it.
But wait... should I?
😉

Its abundantly clear Biden needs to provide longer range Himars and F15's. The Russians are showing no restraint whatsoever. And now targeting politicians, journalists going about their business in their own country. It has to stop.

It aint over before its over...
 
 

Informative summary thread about the mine threat UAF is facing since advancing.
 
 

It aint over before its over...
 
 

Yup, deliberate.
 
 

According to Girkin
 
 
 

According to Girkin
 
 
 

There is an even better one. Mobile detention center or aviary to transport genetically engineered anti-anglo-saxon birds?
 
 

Not that anyone had any doubts, but it is good to hear that russia spoke it out in front of the world. Wagner is the state terror organization of russia. So all atrocities of Wagner are atrocities committed by the russian state.