The_MonkeyKing

Yes, this is exactly that I expect being send. Old ass mothballed close to baseline T-72. Czech have upgraded somewhat modern ones and these mothballed T-72M1 in the pictures. (<100pcs.)

I cannot see any confirmation of PT-91 or any actively maintained tanks being send from Poland. This would be Poland giving up significant part of their own military force. It is going to take years until the new Abrams are operational and have replaced the PT-91 in service. Poland has hundreds of older T-72 mothballed. These are the ones (maybe) being send to Ukraine.

Interesting, seems like Russians broke the dam to have defensive advantage for themselves (and for the Ukrainians). This is going to make the front grind to a halt.

That video would have been an amazing step up from the past Russian propaganda films in this conflict. Only way of faking that would have been to do it for real. Meaning Russians actually shooting and torturing their own "undesirables" like inmates, deserters ext.

I admit. My hopeful opinion is just that, a hopeful one. I am seeing same trend with Mariupol as elsewhere in Ukraine. First it was falling with in days and now it has been falling within days for a month... And couple of days ago we found out Ukrainians have been flying transport helo missions there still... Also only gains made on Mariupol side of the Donbas front have been Ukrainian. Yes, small ones but still. Geolocations are only few and Cities are jungles. You can secure streets and get surprisingly deep without wider control. What Azov or Ukr says is what is best for them on the ground. I can see it beneficial for them to seem weak there.

You and Michael are getting close to each other by the day. (Michael doing most of the moving)

I think it can hold out for months. Just look at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_Fallujah https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Homs https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Aleppo_(2012–2016) (parts of this) I am even holding out hope for successful relive effort by Ukraine. Mariupol was encircled surprisingly fast without significant casualties. This might tell it was planned to let it go under siege. Maybe suicidal effort to attrition the enemy, or maybe Ukrainians were planning to break the siege when enemy has bled enough.

what?

This gu is calling the Russian pullout from Kiev "organized and well executed". Opinions? I too am surprised we are not seeing entire formations surrendering after being cut off. Maybe this is coming in the next days? Russian had so much trouble sustaining their forces and attack how can they now all a sudden execute a organized fighting retreat?

And how would that happen exactly? Officials selling the Javelins to god knows where?

I on the other hand expect Ukrainians keep pushing past the Rus border on all possible fronts. They must keep Russia tied to as wide of a front as possible. This can be done with the Ukr local defence forces. Ukraine is going to have trouble in if they play the Russian game of limited front in the east.

https://liveuamap.com/en/2022/1-april-ukrainian-army-liberated-ivankiv-in-kyiv-region Wow, this means full encirclement for the Russian forces remain west of Kiev. We did see Russians pull out what they could last couple of days (VDV especially) but all engaged units and thousands more must remain.

seems so

https://censor.net/ua/news/3330052/zsu_zvilnyly_sche_try_naselenyh_punkty_genshtab What is this? This town Orlove, Zaporizhia Oblast really taken back? (circled on the red)

haha, never though that the known presence of a drone would have comparable effect good old terror armor could cause.

latest from Michael Kofman

Some pretty high quality footage of the Kharkiv counter offensives: https://streamable.com/8awkt8

Yes you cannot hide yourself completely if you are a mechanized force. The measures I stated will make it: harder for the enemy to uncover the exact composition and size of the force The battle positions will be found but It will be harder to judge if and by who they are defended Enemy recon will take longer so more time for the air defense to remove the UAV thread

In Finnish defense forces this frontage would be allocated to one platoon (this is very crowded for a company). At least 3 fighting positions for each tank with safe passage between them. And also safe locations for the tanks when not needed at battle positions. The safe locations would be such that they could not be seen from the air. Finland camouflage net + dense forest. But here probably inside houses.

Yes this too. That is why you don't keep the tanks in the battle positions all the time. And this is why you have lots of "spare" positions. The hide positions should be such that the tanks cannot be spotted from the air or are protected. In these photos drive the tank inside houses or garages for example. Also crews are not inside tanks 24/7, in relaxed defensive posture actually very little time is spend inside the tanks. I would say it is worse to be like this in these "holes" than to be without and conduct maneuver defense between unprepared fighting positions. If there is time for only one prepared positions then have one prepared positions and the rest are not. In modern warfare you can only really shoot once or twice from any one positions. If you don't move you are dead. Spotting is so goods and systems so deadly. This is exactly the same for infantry, can you just have your head out from one positions and keep on shooting? Every positions should also have room to have separate observation position, meaning only the tanks sight is visible. Turret cannot be exposed any longer than you are actively firing.

As an ex tanker these positions look something that Irak would do in the gulf wars. Not what a skilled army would do. Yes, prepared positions are a big part of defensive tank warfare but you need multiple positions for one tank and you do not keep your tanks on the line by default. You drive to the fighting positions from hide/safe positions when needed (when under attack) and switch between your tanks allocated positions every couple of shots. Normally there are only couple of tanks in the company fighting positions keeping guard.

I could see a naval operation to get civilians out and aid in.

Sounds like boys in white are going in to ensure humanitarian corridors.

hmm, I suspect the Donbass/Donets area troops might need some more training: both videos absolutely unbelievable. Not sure if the explosion part is edited? but still...

good point but I believe it is still " Tochka attack that the Russians claimed to shot down a day or two ago"