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dan/california

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Posts posted by dan/california

  1. 1 hour ago, Battlefront.com said:

    Heh... well, someone on Twitter already posted exactly what I was thinking:

    Yup.  If the guy pictured in the theater really is the FSB agent in other videos, then the most plausible reason for him being there was either because they were trying to monitor this (and likely other) places based on US intelligence warning *OR* he was just there as part of routine autocratic security state duties.  I mean, does anybody think the FSB doesn't have agents showing up at public events just in case they need to jot down some names of "traitors"?

    As for the guy's alleged bad advice of locking the doors, it could be a) it wasn't a dumb idea generally, just not the right idea for this situation, b) he's not trained for this sort of thing and didn't make the right call, or c) there's other information being omitted that complicates/cancels the simplified portrayal of his actions.

    It's not wrong to be skeptical of coincidences, but it is dumb to presume there's only one explanation for them.  Context matters.

    Steve

    All details aside, the most important thing is that Putin is losing control of the narrative. That could matter.

  2.  

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    https://www.timesofisrael.com/russia-says-it-thwarted-islamic-state-plot-to-attack-moscow-synagogue/

    Russia’s FSB security service said Thursday it had killed Islamic State militants who were planning a “terrorist attack” on a Moscow synagogue, Russian state news agencies reported.

    The FSB said an ISIS cell based in Kaluga, southwest of Moscow, had been planning to shoot Jewish worshippers at a synagogue in the capital.

     

    This happened a couple of weeks ago, about the time of the first U.S. warning, and barely made a ripple. Clearly the theater was the second shoe that got through. Who knows what else ISIS-K has planned? It isn't like they have a shortage of very unhappy muslims inside Russia to recruit from. Who knows if Russia can roll up this network in time? Are there seven more? It is the down side of running the country on badly abused Central Asian labor.

  3. 19 minutes ago, Kraft said:

    Almost happened last year, FPV targeted missile dumping chopper but missed helicopter by ~100 meters as it couldnt catch up with the speed. 

    Yeah I remember that vid. Looking out five years, drone with specific functionality to go after helicopters are going to make helicopters not a thing. All the pieces are out there, they just haven't been put in a nice package yet.

    5 hours ago, FancyCat said:

     

     

    This set up for hunting tracking drone for instance should be able to flag low flying helicopters instantly. I see no reason that you couldn't scatter sensors to do the same basic thing well into the bad guys guys rear areas by either MLRS, or Baba Yaga type drones type drones. They would be passive sensors so they would not have emit a single peep until they heard one of the audio/vibration signatures they had been programmed for.

  4. 1 hour ago, Beleg85 said:

    Almost feel bad for those jihadists; simpletons don't even comprehend in what swamp of contradictory realities they packed themselves in with their terror message directed at Kremlin.

    If the guys they are parading around with missing bits, broken bones, and worse are in fact the guys that did it? Then my only question what were they thinking letting themselves be taken alive? The scary thought is that the guys they are more or less publicly torturing to death are four random guys they grabbed off the streets who had the misfortune o resemble the guys in the video. That would be uhm...BAD.

    That said the treatment these guys are getting in Russian detention is no different than what they have done to tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of of thousands of others in both Ukraine and Russia. They are just posting video of it in real time. That of course is the reason why Russia is going to get to pay a thousand casualties for every square kilometer of Ukraine they even temporarily occupy. Because the Russians have demonstrated beyond clearly that giving up is just not an option.

    Edited: for clarity

     

  5. 23 minutes ago, chrisl said:

    We really haven't seen much in the way of standoff EFPs dropped-from/carried-on drones yet, have we?  A former USAF tech development guy I know thinks the CBU-97/BLU-108 is the greatest thing since sliced bread for dealing with armor.

    The Javelin packs something similar into a missile transport, but the rocket equation makes it kind of big to haul around.  Drones give up the Javelin's speed for range, stealth, and smaller mass and could become an even bigger AT nightmare with sensor fuzed EFPs (either as FPV suicide drones or as EFP taxis with multiple warheads).  

    I think there is vast potential or a fixed wing suicide drone just big enough to carry the efp from that program, perhaps with some the type of modifications. The_Capt discussed a page or three ago. Better computer modeling improves almost everything after all. It just flies over the vehicle five or ten or twenty five meters up, and fires an EFP that penetrate anything except the front armor of an Abrams straight down.

    The Germans given have given Ukraine an artillery shell that deploys more or less the same tech by parachute. A drone just seems like a far better, far cheaper way to deliver it in most cases.

    Edit: Cross posted with Carolus.

     

  6. 11 minutes ago, Haiduk said:

    And some detal of these Tajiks detaining - Russian special police serviceman (but with Black Sun chevron by some reason) or whoever it was cut the ear of this guy and forced him to chew it. After this the video was shared in TG. Russians like bloody shows

    Warning, grafic content!

    https://twitter.com/666_mancer/status/1771545767250956576

    I wonder, how much ears now Tajik migrants teens will cut from Russian teens in own showdowns.  

    And of course, Kadyrov already made a statement his troopers also assisted in detaining of terrorists and will be awarded. 

     

    I wonder if the Tajik in question had anything to do with the attack? Or was just in jail for something random, and drew a very short straw? I have the strongest possible feeling that the Russians are making this up as they go along, and making any investigation into what actually happened impossible in the process. In a decade or so maybe we will at least find out what was the U.S. intercepts that prompted the warnings

  7.  

    10 minutes ago, Haiduk said:

    Most serious incident before this took place in training center, where Tajiks shot out Slavic servicemen, which humilitated them. Usually only insults, bulling and browls between Russians and Middle-Asians. Though many of Middle-Asians are indigent low-educated Muslims and can be easily enlisted by many of Muslim terrorist organisations for not so big money. In the same way like they enlist to Russian army. 

    Whatever the Russian regime knew, whenever they knew it, and whatever they had to do with it, this is the same regime that managed to turn a three day coup attempt into the biggest mess since AT LEAST the Iran/Iraq war. What ever happened it is being responded to by the same incompetents who made the rest of this fiasco. Just because blame it on Ukraine is what their vodka soaked, cocaine damaged, brains came up with doe NOT mean what they are doing now makes any sense. We are trying MUCH to hard to make it make sense. And that is true regardless of who actually did the attack on the theater.

  8. 26 minutes ago, kimbosbread said:

    The above is why the drones need to be designed to kill as creatively and painfully as possible (and to record the killing on social media ofc). Designer death, as it were, lovingly customized for a single soldier.

    Join the Imperial horde, you get to loot and rape to your hearts content is one thing. Join up  to become a chew toy for a truly nasty robot does have the the same ring.

  9.  

    Quote

     

    https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-march-22-2024

    Russian authorities reportedly intend to significantly expand crypto-mobilization efforts starting in Spring 2024 amid reports about significant decreases in the number of voluntary recruits. Russian opposition outlet Verstka reported on March 22 that high-ranking sources from the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD), presidential administration, and regional governments stated that the Russian MoD plans to increase force generation starting in the spring and that Russia may intend to generate an additional 300,000 personnel within an unspecified time frame.[30] Verstka’s sources reportedly stated that the Russian military will first focus on recruiting reservists who have signed contracts with the MoD to join the “personnel mobilization reserve” that undergoes military training twice a year. An officer from an unspecified military unit in Trans-Baikal Krai reportedly told Verstka that Russian authorities are currently recruiting such reservists in ways similar to those used before partial mobilization in 2022, but that it is unclear if Russian authorities will order another mobilization wave. Verstka reported that presidential administration sources stated that Russian authorities aim to persuade and even coerce conscripts whose service term will end in April 2024 or has already ended in 2023 to sign military contracts. Verstka reported that sources indicated that military registration and enlistment offices started to issue more deferment certificates to employees of state enterprises and some defense enterprises at the end of February but that the reason for this phenomenon is unclear. Verstka reported that sources differed on whether recent activity in the Moscow Mayor’s office, including the resumption of work by employees who had previously helped military registration and enlistment offices during the fall 2022 mobilization wave and the creation of a new center for conscripts, is related to the upcoming biannual spring conscription cycle or something else.

    Verstka reported that employees of the military recruitment center in Moscow indicated that the pace of Russian voluntary recruitment “dropped sharply” starting in October 2023 with the number of visitors to the Unified Contract Hiring Center in Moscow decreasing from 500-600 per day to 20-30 per day.[31] Russian forces’ ability to replenish their significant losses in recent months has been crucial for their ability to maintain the tempo of their offensive operations throughout eastern Ukraine, particularly offensive operations near Avdiivka that began in October 2023.[32] Should Russian authorities be unable to recruit the quantity of personnel needed to replenish losses and maintain the current tempo of offensive operations in Ukraine through intensified volunteer recruitment efforts, Russian authorities would likely intensify other crypto-mobilization methods, such as the coercive mobilization of convicts and migrants, to sustain offensive operations before deciding to do so by conducting another unpopular wave of mobilization.

    A Russian Storm-Z instructor noted that Russian authorities must consider the conflicting interests of the Russian military command, various groups of military personnel in Ukraine, and Russian society when deciding whether to conduct another wave of mobilization or not. The instructor claimed that Russian authorities have resorted to recruiting volunteer military personnel since they are concerned that another mobilization wave would likely spark social tension in Russia and lead to another mass exodus from the country. The instructor claimed that volunteers’ recruitment prospects in the post-election period are “ambiguous” and that another mobilization wave would be “fairly logical” to fill both the active army and the strategic reserves. The instructor highlighted, however, that Russian authorities must consider various problematic factors when deciding whether to call for another mobilization. The instructor stated that if Russian authorities were to conduct another mobilization without demobilizing those already called up in Fall 2022, there would be tension between the newly mobilized and previously mobilized personnel; if Russian authorities conduct a larger-scale mobilization than the one in the fall of 2022 and replace those previously mobilized, there would be tension with volunteer recruits who have open-ended contracts; and if Russian authorities do not conduct another mobilization wave, there would be increased tension among the military personnel who have been on the front for a long time. The instructor claimed that Russian authorities can avoid a possible mobilization if Russian forces systematically improve their reconnaissance-fire complexes (RFC) and reconnaissance-strike complex (RSC) in coordination with offensive actions. The instructor also suggested that Russian “meat assaults” are aggravating Russian forces’ personnel problems and complained that Russian authorities praise "meat assault” commanders who “amuse” Russian authorities with “beautiful” but untrue frontline reports.

     

    Really good ISW today, but the most interesting part is quoted above. It quotes several sources about Russian recruiting issues, and highlights several issues that might occur if Russia conducts another mobilization.

  10. 27 minutes ago, Battlefront.com said:

    Timing could very well be based on the age old adage of "kicking a man when he's down".  Think about it.  If you're part of a group that's got a long standing beef with the Kremlin, and you've seen it totally preoccupied?  Wouldn't you start to think "hmmm... maybe we should start planning something?".  Then seeing Priggy having free run of the country thinking "maybe we should do something bigger?".

    For all of its strengths at controlling the masses, Russia's internal security services have not made an impression on me as being particularly adept at combating well organized activities.  I could be wrong, but that's been my impression.

    So my bet is timing is based on perceived opportunity to cause mayhem.

    Steve

    The Russian security forces are massively distracted crushing the last of Nalvany's movement, and ensuring no one raise in his place as the face of the Russian opposition. The guys who attacked the theater were probably at more risk of being randomly shanghaied into the Russian army than they were of actually get caught.

  11. I can't get it to copy and paste to save my life but Medvedev just did a Telegram post that seemed to imply the Russians are going to blame it the Ukrainians regardless of what happened, and then go full Reichstag Fire with it. Of course it is Friday night in Moscow, and Medvedev may simply have already been to drunk/high to check what the party line actually is supposed to be.

  12.  

    Quote

     

    https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/03/22/congress/gallagher-leaving-early-00148586

    Johnson's margin drops to one vote as Gallagher heads for early exit

    Allies of the Wisconsin Republican say he was long jaded by the antics of the House following the ouster of Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

     

    It is not Mike Johnsons week. It remains to be seen if Gallagher wants to take a parting shot on the way out. There are scenarios where one vote could matter, a lot.

    Edit: The sheer volume of news today is overwhelming. I hope nobody that matters in DC had weekend plans...

  13. 27 minutes ago, Grigb said:

    The primary issue now is that, according to rumours, the attackers do not resemble Ukrainians but rather Chechens. Ru Nats are currently confused.

    FSB is perfectly capable of arranging corpses for the final presentation that are not the people who did the attack. They would just have the propaganda machine say any video to the contrary was fake. The "investigation" will have about as much integrity as the "election" that was just concluded. Which is to say both were dictated in advance.

  14. 39 minutes ago, billbindc said:

    How do we know Jake Sullivan has anything to do with this discussion? This could just as easily have been a Pentagon analysis or any of 20 other agencies involved. I have my issues with Sullivan but generally speaking, the idea that everything is an out growth of Sullivan's foreign policy outlook or chops is just not on. This is a large, complex effort not the sandbox of the NSC adviser. 

    I would agree with that, mostly. But I have read several things I don't have time to go looking right now for about his approach to Ukraine in spring 2022 that set a trajectory I think we have been on ever since. Then there was his little faux pax in the Atlantic a week before Hamas kicked off that mess. 

  15. 2 minutes ago, cesmonkey said:

    This seems to imply she is still at the nastygram stage, although obviously she is just nuts and might change her mind before I finish typing this. 

    Edit: Nothing counts at this point until there is a vote scheduled, anything she does that doesn't put the vote on the calendar is just posturing.

  16.  

    Quote

     

    https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/03/22/congress/greene-drops-the-motion-vacate-johnson-00148543

    Greene, who supported Johnson's October election as speaker, is one of several members on his right flank who have publicly soured on his leadership in recent weeks. She had hinted earlier Friday that she was considering a maneuver to force the ouster vote. Johnson may or may not have to take it up, since it's not yet clear whether Greene filed it as a "privileged" resolution that requires House floor time.

     

    This is the critical bit. There is a way that she can do this that is just a high profile nastygram, and there is way she can doit that forces a vote on Johnson next week. It isn't quite clear which way she intends to go.

    And Trump hasn't said anything that I can find. And I honestly don't know which way he will jump on this. He may want absolutely maximum chaos, or may realize that making the Republicans look COMPLETELY feckless is not good for him. 

  17.  

    Quote

     

    https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/22/us/politics/congress-spending-bill-government-shutdown.html

    Ms. Greene told reporters on the House steps minute after the vote that she would not seek an immediate vote to oust Mr. Johnson, but had begun the process as a “warning” because his actions were a “betrayal.”

     

    Or may this is just MTG being theatrical. Given how bleeped up everything in the house is Johnson isn't going to make a deal on Ukraine until five minute before the vote on his ouster, we don't quite seem to be there yet. Subject to change without notice obviously. Trump hasn't weighed in that I am aware of at this exact moment.

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