Haiduk

A girl ZU-23-gunner )

This. Russians continuously attacking and counter-attacking on Svatove and Bakhmut directions, using mobilized and former prisoners. Russian milbloggers angry, because HQ's often don't attach mobilized to existing units (or make it in formal way) - they just combine them in "march battalions", equipped only with infantry weapon, with huge lack of radios (and if they have something, this is Cold War age R-159 or crowdfunded Chineese radios) and throw in desperate attacks only with one goal - to delay UKR advance. Though, on Svatove direction already almost deployed reinforcements of troops, who withdrew from Kherson, so in nearest time, Russian attempts to push UKR troops back will be intensified

Spanish and Lithuanian 105 mm additionally to L118

Brimstone 2 have arrived Despite many videos of Brimstone launches from cars, there are no any information about their effectiveness

"Kraken" has captured Russian squad likely somewhere in Kharkiv or Luhansk oblast

This night Russians launched two S-300 missiles, which hit a ostrich farm in Zaporizhzhia oblast %) Survived ostrichs walked near the crater %)

@sburke +1 major %) Major Vladimir Stakhiryuk, senior officer of organization&plan department of Military Medicine Directorate of Southern Military District. Was killed on 20th of November

@sburke Major Andrey Orlov, unit unknown, probably tank troops, was killed on 9th of July Major Roman Gribchenko, chief of RAV service (missile&artillery weapon service). Served in Shali, Chechnya - either 70th MRR or 50th SP artillery regiment of 42nd MRD, 58th CAA, Southern Military District, was killed on 6th of April. Major Andrey Lisunov, duty unknown - likely HQ of tank battalion of 291st MRR of 42nd MRD, 58th CAA, Southern Miliatry District. Was killed on 9th of March

Chernozem in Bakhmut area some other from chermozem in, for example, central Ukriane. By texture it belongs to light-clay type of chornozem soils, so more heavy and more sticky if wet, than in central Ukriane. Usually chermnozem is easy to dig in, but on Donbas, especially in it south-eastern part under chernozem soil is more thin and under it lays very hard ground of Ukrainian Crystal Shield. So you can't dig in from surface with a shovel more than to waist-deep or even in some places to knee-deep without a hack, special sapper HE charges, trench-digging machine or excavator. During Debaltsevo battle UKR troops were deployed in mostly poor fortified positions, which they can dig with shovels and battalion PZM vehicles (if they were available). Sector C Command didn't care about establishing of heavy fortified positions - on whole salient there was a single engineer excavator!

Allegedly three Sea Kings already in Ukraine. UK says theese helicopters only SAR variant, but who knows %). It's unknown we will receive 10 helicopters or theese just reserve crews.

Today electicity was turned on from 4:00 to 9:00 and from 13:30 and still present now (20:30) Hot water and heating also turned on. Even more - before a last strike, even if we have electricity by shedule, the streets mostly weren't illuminated. Now I see all so too bright ) But let's see next week, time of Kh-101 %)

Russian tank got direct hit with HE shell from UKR tank, was heavy damaged and abanoned

Second known destroyed T-90M - Georgian Legion issued a ground footage of this convoy, HIMARSed in September

Donbas ground in many places very tough to dig in. Probably because of this it slower absorbs the water and continous rains cause such "basins" in trenches. Also in Bakhmut area UKR positions are in more lower land than Russians

UKR SPG-9 on buggy

Today's morning somethig hit cottadge area in Dnipro city. Reportedly this was hypersonic Kinzhal missile. Several houses destroyed, 7 people wounded. It's remains only to guess what was depicted on old Russian maps for this place to spent rare missile for such target...

Couple of Russian milbloggers articles about backwardness of Russian artillery in training and equipment in Rob Lee thread Briefly: - Syria war was a building of new artillery fire control system - before it forward observers have to sit in front trench and transmit targeting via wire phone TA-57 to HQ. In Syria, forward observers and FACs were moved to HQs and generals observed battlefield from TV panels. - warfare in Syria showed poor training of artillery crews - usage of usual ammunition had +/- 300 m accuracy and this considered as usual thing. And if then stationary targets at last could be hit, that hitting of moving targets turned out "mission impossible" - Syria war resqued guided ammo like Krasnopol and Kitolov - before they guided from the ground with old bulky laser designators and because of this results were not very good, so army was ready to reject from this ammunition and only appearance of Orlan-30 UAVs in 2017 with laser designators turned out artillery guns in "sniper rifles" - Syrian and Karabakh experience wasn't analized and experience of local conflicts didn't work in "SMO" - Orlan-10 and Orlan-30 ran out too fast and forward observers again moved back to trenches, so a lack of Orlans caused a lack of guided shells usage. - Russia now is suffering a lack not only of UAVs for guiding, but of guided ammo Krasnopol and Kitolov themselves - Russia didn't design anything equal to 777 or Caesar - many of artillery units went at war 24th Feb, having only artillery compasses and binocilars. There was a lack or even absence of UAVs, so sometime forward observers were forced to climb on trees to adjust fire - Russia had nohing even similar to UKR "Kropyva" or other battlefield information system. Only in single cases Russians used "Offlinemaps" service, were coordinates were present - in Russian arty training centers personnel is continuing to train by old Soviet methods, so when new formed artillery brigade arrived to front, commander directed forward observers to the trenches with classical equipment - arty compass and binocular. Observers also had Mavic, but nobody of them knew how to use it and they took it only because commander oredered "to take all equipment" - lack of proper fire ajustment caused firing of echelones of shells (aka the wall of fire) with bad effectiveness and caused lack of ammunition now. - Personnel has poor training with ajusting fire and tarheting for arty with PSNR ground radars and new-developed 1L271 "Aistyonok" (close analog AN/TPQ-48) light counter-battery radar, blogger says he didn't know lucky examples

According to GUR (Intelligence Directorate) information, Russians are bringing 8 Kh-101/Kh-555 missiles for a day to Engels airbase, where Tu-95 and Tu-160 strategic bombers are deployed. Reportedly Russians prepare about 100-missile salvo, so if that, they might be ready to 5-7th Dec. But likely they will strike on next week, mixing different missiles

Left - WWI photos, right - Bakhmut, present days

Next example of Russian losses near Bakhmut Though, one UKR civil volunteer, who supplies soldiers there has written in Twitter that he knew level of UKR casualties around Bakhmut for all time of battle already exceeded losses of Rubizhe, Siverodonetsk and Lysychansk taken together and almost near the total losses of UKR troops in ATO for 8 years - officially MoD claimed 2665 KIA for 2014- Jan 2021 (w/o other force structures, it can be about 600-700 more). Enough brutal video how UKR troops terrorize Russians near Bakhmut with drone bomblets (especially right one) https://twitter.com/small10space/status/1596403807730155521/video/2

The same unlocked video:

Several days of icy rains over most part of Ukraine. Day and night temperature is from 0 to +3, but because of wind and humidity over 95 % it feels like below zero. UKR positions, damaged by shellings somewhere near Bakhmut. Soldier says at the begining of video: "...and here is our 5* appartment" UKR soldiers returned to Bakmut from forward positions

Bourgeoises )

Despite AD shot down 51 missiles yesterday, Russians could hit some critical objects, which caused emergency halt of all nuclear power plants, except Chornobyl as well as most of thermal and hydro plants. Almost whole country in a darkness. Very tough situation in Kyiv. Since 15-00 yesterday 80 % in the city hadn't electricity, water, somewhere even gas, no heating, cell phone internet was almost dead. Today electricity turned on from 5-00 to 9-30 of morning and then gone again. Water apperared after 14-00. Still no heating. Internet much better, but this forum loaded only now. Very interesting quest how to heat a can of soup with dry spiritus tablet ))) -we have electric stove and it's now "out of action" Reportedly nuclear plants have been launching to work this evening, but they can get own normal output only to next day of more. Now power grid has 50% defficite of energy