How Hot is Ukraine Gonna Get?

[kevinkin]

A new twist on an endgame. Let the private sector help fund a stalemate in Donbass. The article never mentions the human toll the war is placing on Ukraine while ceding territory to Russia claiming the Mother is *ucked geopolitically already e.g. the damage is done.

https://lawliberty.org/who-should-really-support-ukraine/

Give 1:1 tax deductions and credits for all donations to the Ukrainian cause (including hourly in-kind volunteering). Make giving less onerous.

Honey we have to offset that Avon income. I am heading to the front to shoot me some Russkies. 

 

[sburke]

7 hours ago, The_Capt said:

I wouldn’t count on that angle too much.  We have Afghan mercs fighting for Russia apparently, deep grudges exist in that part of the world but they tend to be pretty pliable.

couldn't that be said for probably every war ever fought?  There were indigenous people who fought alongside the US calvary.  Every colonial army ever formed usually had a portion made up of the indigenous population.  It is more a statement of humans than it is about any regional behavior in that part of the world.

[Zeleban]

A report about the Ukrainian crew of the captured BMP-3. Unfortunately no translation. But there are quite detailed shots of the interior.

[Zeleban]

 

consequences of a Russian mortar explosion

[akd]

34 minutes ago, Zeleban said:

 

A report about the Ukrainian crew of the captured BMP-3. Unfortunately no translation. But there are quite detailed shots of the interior.

Looks like it is one upgraded with thermal sight and flat screen display for gunner.

[Haiduk]

Parts of this episode already were issued in different media more than month ago. This is likely near Pavlivka, Donetsk oblast.

Here is full video of this episode, showing stupid Russian advance (but maybe commanders just said them that the trench in tree-plant is clear) and strange spotting issues of the armor.

First part of video

Russian tank with minesweeper drives first, probably blown by the mine and halt directly near trench with (surprize!) UKR soldiers. Some sort of RPG projectile hit his left side hull at engine compartment, but probably the skirt degraded HEAT charge. Tank crew helplessly turns the turret left and right, but eben doesn't try to turn it to treeplant side. Next time the tank got more hits and likely became knoked out. 

Second part of video 

Russian assault group on two BMPs drives some later follow the tank, bypasses it, doesn't spot any threat (hm... who knows, maybe their tank had to be standing in smoke... not interesting, let's go forward!), approaches to other tank recently blown up by mine and... (surprize!) catches next AT-mines. Remained infantry (corpses lay on the road) tried to get cover in tree-plant, but likely they all died.

 

Edited December 28, 2022 by Haiduk

[dan/california]

7 minutes ago, Haiduk said:

Parts of this episode already were issued in different media more than month ago. This is likely near Pavlivka, Donetsk oblast.

Here is full video of this episode, showing stupid Russian advance (but maybe commanders just said them that the trench in tree-plant is clear) and strange spotting issues of the armor.

Russian tank with minesweeper drives first, probably blown by the mine and halt directly near trench with (surprize!) UKR soldiers. Some sort of RPG projectile hit his left side hull at engine compartment, but probably the skirt degraded HEAT charge. Tank crew helplessly turns the turret left and right, but eben doesn't try to turn it to treeplant side. Next time the tank got more hits and likely became knoked out. 

Second part of video - Russian assault group on two BMPs drives follow tank, bypasses it, approaches to other tank recently blown up by mine and... (surprize!) catches next AT-mines. Remained infantry tried to get cover in tree-plant, but likely they all died.

 

Mobiks trying to inch worm their way back to safety in the ruts of the same road they just inexplicably just drove down to "attack" is becoming the video theme of this stage of the war.

[Haiduk]

24 minutes ago, dan/california said:

Mobiks trying to inch worm their way back to safety in the ruts of the same road they just inexplicably just drove down to "attack" is becoming the video theme of this stage of the war.

That was Russian naval infantry - 155th or 40th brigade %)

Edited December 28, 2022 by Haiduk

[Grossman]

Here is an interview with Ben Wallace. Britain's Minister of Defence.  13 days ago. ( he goes into internal UK stuff after 16 mins). It gives the flavour of the long term co-operative alliance to defeat Russia in Ukraine. 

 

[Haiduk]

Ho! Shakheds are launched. Air raid alarm is expanding from south-eastern direction. 

Russian now launch Shakheds from Azov sea area and if this attack on Kyiv, try to guide them along Dnipro riverbed, then they divide on several groups and attack from different directions

[OldSarge]

It looks like Poland will be adding reconnaissance satellites to their force inventory.
https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2022/12/28/poland-buys-two-spy-satellites-from-airbus/?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=dfn-rss-zap

Translate version:
Deputy Prime Minister @mblaszczak
: today we had the opportunity to approve the agreement on equipping the Polish Army with reconnaissance satellites. This is a good opportunity to strengthen the ability to identify threats early.

More eyes in the sky has to be a good thing.

[Haiduk]

Probably Fighterbomber TG issued right info about UKR attack on Engels airfield, telling about 3 killed. Today they were burried. Local media wrote about this. Maybe this is only officially ALLOWED number of victims, but for now we have only this. 

All killed - aviation engineer personnel of Tu-160 maintenance. Major and two lieutenants. 

@sburke

Major Anfrey Voronov, engineer of aviation complex of engineer-aviation service, 121st heavy bomber aviation regiment (17 Tu-160) of 22nd heavy bomber aviation division of Long-range Aviation Command

 

 

[Grossman]

11 minutes ago, Haiduk said:

Ho! Shakheds are launched. Air raid alarm is expanding from south-eastern direction. 

Russian now launch Shakheds from Azov sea area and if this attack on Kyiv, try to guide them along Dnipro riverbed, then they divide on several groups and attack from different directions

Haiduk, my friend. Your country is in a dark hour. But this is the beginning of the end, my friend, a desperate ploy by those playing out the last of their cards. It was Vasily Grossman, a Ukrianian who said 

“In the cruel and terrible time in which our generation has been condemned to live on this earth, we must never make peace with evil. We must never become indifferent to others or undemanding of ourselves.”

Vasily Grossman

[Huba]

5 minutes ago, OldSarge said:

It looks like Poland will be adding reconnaissance satellites to their force inventory.
https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2022/12/28/poland-buys-two-spy-satellites-from-airbus/?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=dfn-rss-zap

Translate version:
Deputy Prime Minister @mblaszczak
: today we had the opportunity to approve the agreement on equipping the Polish Army with reconnaissance satellites. This is a good opportunity to strengthen the ability to identify threats early.

More eyes in the sky has to be a good thing.

Yup, we are getting full ownership of 2 photo reconnaissance satellites, a ground control station to be built in PL and also access to French Pleiades constellation of 2 (4 in the future) similar birds. The cost of it is about $500M, with projected lifetime of the satellites of at least 10 years. There's talk about acquiring SAR capability in the near future too. There wasn't much public discussion about this purchase - the value of modern satellite recon is probably the most obvious lesson from the UA war.
 

[Haiduk]

12 minutes ago, Grossman said:

It was Vasily Grossman, a Ukrianian who said 

 

I doub't he identified himself like Ukrainian, because he was born in Jewish family in Russian Empire (though on teritory of modern Ukraine) and then studied and worked in Moscow, so he more Soviet dissident, but in his words he is completely right

[dan/california]

50 minutes ago, Haiduk said:

That was Russian naval infantry - 155th or 40th brigade %)

Well that pretty much sums up the state of the Russian military.

[Haiduk]

More trolling - UKR soldier plays on harmonica some similar to "O, mein lieber Augustin" and writing below "well, if we are Fritzs, then we will be Fritzs" (Fritzs - jokingly name of German soldiers in Red Army)

 

[Haiduk]

The drone filming of thermite ammunition fallis on ruines of Maryinka

 

Edited December 28, 2022 by Haiduk

[Zeleban]

 

[Zeleban]

 

Some humor from unlucky Russian tankers

[Haiduk]

Lucky UKR mortar crew. Probably 82 mm mortar shell hit very close, but only one wounded

 

[Haiduk]

UKR serviceman shows afternmath of their Mastiff was hit by Russain tank almost point blanc shot - their column suddenly encountered Russians. He says this tough vehicle survived after three direct (sic!) hits from tank and all soldiers could evacuate, getting only shell-shock and light injuries. Mastiff burned later.

Though, further in comments he told the second vehicle was not so luky and the tank shell hit directly in cabine. Their company commander, driver and gunner were killed.

Later he posted one more video about toughness of Mastiff - this one got only light damages, when Russian arty shell exploded in 5-10 m nearby. First layer of armor was penetrated by fragments, radiator and filter were damaged, so vehicle later was immobilized, but all equipment inside remained intact as well as a crew

 

[Beleg85]

1 hour ago, Haiduk said:

All killed - aviation engineer personnel of Tu-160 maintenance. Major and two lieutenants. 

Interesting, given Russian claims that Ukrainian drone hit flight personel quarters.

Overall, it's dfficult to find reliabale info about this second Engels attack. Zholkin claimed several destroyed heavy bombers, but so far no convincing evidence arrived.

Edited December 28, 2022 by Beleg85

[Vet 0369]

On 12/27/2022 at 11:04 AM, dan/california said:

Good video, pretty solid tank infantry coordination.

Whelp, I realize I’m about 50 years out of date with “combined arms” tactics, but in my day , as soon as “enemy” armor was spotted, the Battalion 81mm mortars would fire on them (not to do much conceivable damage to the armor, but to knock out any Infantry support with them). If the armor was within range of the Company weapons section, we’d open up with them to. As infantry, we’d never get that close to our supporting armor either.

[Vet 0369]

22 hours ago, kraze said:

Worth noting that "do not have any common with Russia" has nothing to do with it. When Lenin became the new emperor of Russia - one of his first decrees was to actually not have anything in common with the evil capitalist west - so the decision was made to move to a "new calendar" - and so russians started celebrating Christmas on Jan 7th and New Year on Jan 13th. Yes it was that damn stupid - it was like Jan 12th 1918 and then Jan 13th 1919. So eventually they had to bring back Jan 1st as New Year to make things a little less retarded. But they kept Jan 13th as "Old New Year" day so nice try. And that's how Christmas after New Year came to be which is even more 'nice try'.

So when russians finished occupying Ukraine in 1921 - they forced us to celebrate Christmas on Jan 7th, but most Ukrainians still celebrated it the right way way into the 1930s.

So it's about restoring the Ukrainian way of celebrating Christmas.

Also Stalin replaced Santa with a murderous frost demon in 1937 that killed people left and right instead of putting coal into the sock - but that's just a bonus to underline how messed up things were.

Personally, I’m at a loss to understand why the “Western” calendar starts the “new year” on January 1 just because a megalomaniacal French King decided to “decree” it start on January 1 instead of April 1 (which was the traditional start of planting season). Many farmers kept to the April 1 New Year date instead of switching which gave rise to “April Fools Day.” The New Year should start on the Winter Solstice when the day begins to get longer (December 21 or 22 in the Northern Hemisphere or June 21 or 22 in the Southern Hemisphere. Off topic done!