ArmouredTopHat

Wagner had a VERY bad time in Malia today. 

A very informative and somewhat sobering expert take on the F-16. Very valid points discussed.

Some positives not quite covered in the video that I think still make them entirely worth the venture.
Replacing aged and overworked soviet legacy fighters is crucial, even if it will be a long and painful process.  Access to NATO air delivered munitions is far more sustainable long term. said munitions are also likely to be considerably better than what the Ukrainians are currently firing (lack of a proper BVR missile on par with the Russians seriously compromises what can currently be done) F-16s still constitute a radically improved airframe with far more capability than the current inventory of UAF jets. (especially with regards to BVR combat / radar coverage)  While maintenance of the airframe will be a challenge, the airframes themselves are replaceable given vast stocks of F-16 in NATO use.  Even if used largely defensively, deployment of F-16s will complicate VKS plans and force them to consider an angle of attack that up until this point was simply not a problem beforehand (proper BVR air to air threat risk) Threat in being is a very serious thing for air combat.  Their existence will tie up a shed load of Russian resources dedicated to destroying them. It is likely Ukraine are going to wage a concerted war of deception together with F-16 operations to make the Russians waste as much assets as possible seeking them out. We already see this with other 'high value' targets such as HIMARs.  Further demonstration that Russian 'red lines' are a load of horsesh*t and that support for Ukraine must continue. 
 

Wagner had a VERY bad time in Malia today. 

A very informative and somewhat sobering expert take on the F-16. Very valid points discussed.

Some positives not quite covered in the video that I think still make them entirely worth the venture.
Replacing aged and overworked soviet legacy fighters is crucial, even if it will be a long and painful process.  Access to NATO air delivered munitions is far more sustainable long term. said munitions are also likely to be considerably better than what the Ukrainians are currently firing (lack of a proper BVR missile on par with the Russians seriously compromises what can currently be done) F-16s still constitute a radically improved airframe with far more capability than the current inventory of UAF jets. (especially with regards to BVR combat / radar coverage)  While maintenance of the airframe will be a challenge, the airframes themselves are replaceable given vast stocks of F-16 in NATO use.  Even if used largely defensively, deployment of F-16s will complicate VKS plans and force them to consider an angle of attack that up until this point was simply not a problem beforehand (proper BVR air to air threat risk) Threat in being is a very serious thing for air combat.  Their existence will tie up a shed load of Russian resources dedicated to destroying them. It is likely Ukraine are going to wage a concerted war of deception together with F-16 operations to make the Russians waste as much assets as possible seeking them out. We already see this with other 'high value' targets such as HIMARs.  Further demonstration that Russian 'red lines' are a load of horsesh*t and that support for Ukraine must continue. 
 

Wagner had a VERY bad time in Malia today. 

A very informative and somewhat sobering expert take on the F-16. Very valid points discussed.

Some positives not quite covered in the video that I think still make them entirely worth the venture.
Replacing aged and overworked soviet legacy fighters is crucial, even if it will be a long and painful process.  Access to NATO air delivered munitions is far more sustainable long term. said munitions are also likely to be considerably better than what the Ukrainians are currently firing (lack of a proper BVR missile on par with the Russians seriously compromises what can currently be done) F-16s still constitute a radically improved airframe with far more capability than the current inventory of UAF jets. (especially with regards to BVR combat / radar coverage)  While maintenance of the airframe will be a challenge, the airframes themselves are replaceable given vast stocks of F-16 in NATO use.  Even if used largely defensively, deployment of F-16s will complicate VKS plans and force them to consider an angle of attack that up until this point was simply not a problem beforehand (proper BVR air to air threat risk) Threat in being is a very serious thing for air combat.  Their existence will tie up a shed load of Russian resources dedicated to destroying them. It is likely Ukraine are going to wage a concerted war of deception together with F-16 operations to make the Russians waste as much assets as possible seeking them out. We already see this with other 'high value' targets such as HIMARs.  Further demonstration that Russian 'red lines' are a load of horsesh*t and that support for Ukraine must continue. 
 

Ukraine having to improvise makes a lot more sense with their significantly less deep stocks of...everything to be honest. 

The fact that Russian soldiers feel a need to take a BMP-1 gun and put it on a carriage that looks like something out of a Napoleonic gun battery says a lot about the state of affairs on the Russian side. Surely they have plenty of of SPG-9s laying around? Certainly the list of 'what the heck' improvisations  seem almost entirely Russian based. 

This sort of crappy improvisation screams growing shortages to me. Not even the Ukrainians with their own shortages have had to stoop to this level. At least put it on an MTLB or something. 

Bradley once again demonstrating why having survivable, mobile and potent DF capability remains so important. The issue now is that Ukraine needs more, because they are so heavily relied on that the 47th are constantly in action with them and they are getting worn out.

https://www.reddit.com/r/CombatFootage/comments/1ecqeoq/bradley_fighting_vehicle_rotating_troops_under/

The high demand for chassis capable of surgical fire missions and transport should really seal the deal why these vehicles continue to remain so important despite the drone environment constraining concentration. Ukraine needs more units equipped with them to spread that burden with a boatload of spares. Its frustrating that the US seems so reluctant to do this, especially with surplus aid having been discovered due to over accounting. I really hope the US sends a couple of hundred more before the elections. 
Full read here. 

 

I saw reports but wanted something of a visual confirmation first before posting it myself. We have had false reports like this before. 

Some interesting comments here made by the Russians.
Logistics increasingly hampered and constrained overall, Ukrainians are making a concerted effort to focus on logistics at least in some areas. UGVs deployed by the Russians break within days. (!) Drone resupply possible but lack of heavy drones means limited payloads. (In contrast to heavy Ukrainian drones that can deliver more) Grave concern made about logistical prospects come the winter. Suggestion that terrain is currently helping with concealment (lots of leaves) and that this will be changed within a few months and only exasperate issues.  Ukraine really might be onto a long term winner here if they keep up the logistical harassment with drones. The Russians dont see to really have an answer for this. 

The Bradley is proving to be feasible in a light tank role. The key is to stay mobile, limit exposure time and don't concentrate (operate in ones and twos).
 

Some interesting comments here made by the Russians.
Logistics increasingly hampered and constrained overall, Ukrainians are making a concerted effort to focus on logistics at least in some areas. UGVs deployed by the Russians break within days. (!) Drone resupply possible but lack of heavy drones means limited payloads. (In contrast to heavy Ukrainian drones that can deliver more) Grave concern made about logistical prospects come the winter. Suggestion that terrain is currently helping with concealment (lots of leaves) and that this will be changed within a few months and only exasperate issues.  Ukraine really might be onto a long term winner here if they keep up the logistical harassment with drones. The Russians dont see to really have an answer for this. 

Some interesting comments here made by the Russians.
Logistics increasingly hampered and constrained overall, Ukrainians are making a concerted effort to focus on logistics at least in some areas. UGVs deployed by the Russians break within days. (!) Drone resupply possible but lack of heavy drones means limited payloads. (In contrast to heavy Ukrainian drones that can deliver more) Grave concern made about logistical prospects come the winter. Suggestion that terrain is currently helping with concealment (lots of leaves) and that this will be changed within a few months and only exasperate issues.  Ukraine really might be onto a long term winner here if they keep up the logistical harassment with drones. The Russians dont see to really have an answer for this. 

The guy name is Konstantin Golovin. He have health issues (40 years old) and AFAIR knee wound from prior assaults. But instead of going to hospital he was politely asked (first time they always polite) to go to assault to help his boys. Being typical RU man he decided to show how Patriotic Macho he is and agreed. 
What you see is not actual assault. This is widely dispersed column I was talking about before. What you do not see on video (some parts were edited out) he had buddy not far (do not remember what happened to buddy). And there was anti-drone shotgunner somewhat away. Everybody else is from 5 to 20 minutes away. 
They guy was walking to reinforce already captured position and to continue assault He was spotted by Observer drone and then got FPV drone that gave him more shrapnel wounds and left him blind on one eye Being wounded and shocked the guy ran backward and tried to hide in line that was tree line in the past (due to crappy FPV optics it is still better than hiding in the open field) Few more drones arrived to finish him but the shotgunner arrived and drones switched all attention to him The shotgunner managed to take few drones down but was eventually overwhelmed and killed Due to FPV crappy optics with narrow field off view drones overlooked the guy and he was able to crawl away while shotgunner was blasting at drones They guy managed to return, got finally to hospital, went through several surgeries, became low grade celebrity (due to surviving terror of drone encounter) and left to live terrible life of half blind disabled person in RU.

With the recent talk about smart mines, this seemed a little fitting. FPV munition landed and lurked next to a concrete shelter until the Russians hiding inside peeked their heads out of it. The result is as expected. 

Back in normal times it was often said Russia's economy was roughly on par with Italy's. Imagine Italy trying to wage a two year near-peer full scale war of aggression on a neighbor. Their labor and industrial resources would be exhausted by now too.

The strain continues to deepen

With the recent talk about smart mines, this seemed a little fitting. FPV munition landed and lurked next to a concrete shelter until the Russians hiding inside peeked their heads out of it. The result is as expected. 

This is simply the Wall Street Journal shilling for Trump, trying to keep last EDIT(generation) non MAGA Republicans in side. It is wishful thinking that after selecting Vance as VP that Trump would do anything other than throw Ukraine to the wolves, or rather bears, actually.