How Hot is Ukraine Gonna Get?

[Battlefront.com]

1 hour ago, Zeleban said:

 

This is something I think Ukraine and/or the West should be doing more of.  Russians are vulnerable to disinformation generally, so why not feed their fears by spreading false rumors to cause a "run on the bank"?  Actions like that could cause great harm to the Russian economy with just a few posts in social media.

Steve

[pintere]

2 hours ago, Haiduk said:

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)

 

It’s good to see something like this where they make their intent pretty obvious.

[Battlefront.com]

Interesting video talking about tanks and what this war has emphasized from The Chieftain (Nicholas Moran).  Yeah, we've talked about this stuff lots of times, but there's something new discussed here.  First, his opinion is that forces should either go with high end or low end.  Middle of the pack will be more expensive than low end, but if the opponent has high end then they are just vulnerable as low end.  So why waste the money?

Related to this is he thinks the make or break feature for a tank is thermal optics with integrated fire control.  If a tank doesn't have it, then it's no better than a naked Cold War era tank.  As an example he pointed to the upgraded Slovenian T-55s that were donated to Ukraine.  It is his opinion that this tank is better than ANY Russian tank on the battlefield that lacks thermal optics and integrated fire control.  Of course not all integrated systems are created equal, but if you have one then you are at least still in the game.

Also, the Chieftain is a believer that the tactical misuse excuses to explain Russian tank losses is bunk.  His opinion is that if they had been used properly Russia would have lost less tanks, sure, but they wouldn't have performed their role significantly better overall.  The fact is their tanks are extremely vulnerable and bad employment just made it worse.

 

[Beleg85]

Short article about Bakhmut and Russian tactics:

https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-kreminna-battle-recapture-russia-supply-lines/32197165.html

1 hour ago, Battlefront.com said:

This is something I think Ukraine and/or the West should be doing more of.  Russians are vulnerable to disinformation generally, so why not feed their fears by spreading false rumors to cause a "run on the bank"?  Actions like that could cause great harm to the Russian economy with just a few posts in social media.

Steve

Oh, definitelly. However it can be both more more difficult (very specific Russian-language platforms like VKontake or Telegram that are relatively unkown in the West) and potentially more promising (less moderation there and public more prone to conspiracy theories) than using regular, Western social media. It's actually curious if Western agencies indeed conduct such boad actions as Ukrainian ones. Trust toward Russian governemnt is traditionally rather low, at least judging by people's comments in the net. So it should be quite easy target for disinfo.

 

Edited December 28, 2022 by Beleg85

[kevinkin]

Another one bites the dust:

https://www.the-sun.com/news/7003433/mystery-death-russian-general-putin/

[The_Capt]

7 hours ago, sburke said:

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.

The difference is that I have spent a fair amount of time in that part of the world and can confirm that this particular general observation directly applies to the scenario you raised originally.  There is no “brotherhood of Islam” in the Stans (or really anywhere else for that matter…Palestine…anyone, anyone?), any more than there is a brotherhood of Christianity.  If China “pays and plays” them off deep clan and tribal schisms then China is likely to be successful much like every other colonial power in history.  I seriously doubt the people of the Stan’s would cross the street to put out a burning Uyghur of China is pushing money and power in enough directions.

As a region the Stans have never united, even under threat of the Mongols.  Perhaps the empire of Samarkand was as close as they ever came. The region was pretty much a Wild East, run over by one empire or another until it became Russia’s side porch.  In fact Chinese influence in the region is more likely to get a reaction out of Moscow than regional powers - and in the end they are probably going to care about the Uyghurs as much as the average Saudi does.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/04/14/saudi-uyghur-refugees-china/

Edit: or Iranians, just to keep the bases covered - https://en.radiofarda.com/a/iran-hardliners-claim-china-is-serving-islam-by-suppressing-uyghur-muslims-/30766289.html

 

Edited December 29, 2022 by The_Capt

[dan/california]

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/sikorsky-formally-protesting-armys-black-hawk-replacement-choice

Army trying to move ahead with next generation vertical lift. My question is should all that money be spent on drones? I am profoundly unconvinced helicopters are viable gong forward. Really curious about peoples people opinions?

[sburke]

Vladimir Putin Plays Lord Of The Rings At Meeting, Gives Golden Bands To Leaders Of Friendly Former Soviet Republics (yahoo.com)

[chrisl]

28 minutes ago, sburke said:

Vladimir Putin Plays Lord Of The Rings At Meeting, Gives Golden Bands To Leaders Of Friendly Former Soviet Republics (yahoo.com)

Did he get all the way to the end of the books/movies?

[Battlefront.com]

4 hours ago, kevinkin said:

Another one bites the dust:

https://www.the-sun.com/news/7003433/mystery-death-russian-general-putin/

Yeah, that guy was one of the three we discussed.  However, that was a good link as it provided some background on the guy AND it speculated that the reason why Putin cancelled his visit to the tank factory at the last minute is because of his ill health:

https://www.the-sun.com/news/6988359/vladimir-putin-kept-alive-foreign-doctors/?rec_article=true

The Sun certainly has been consistent about its prognosis for Putin, that's for sure.

Steve

[LongLeftFlank]

1. Bahmut

 

2. Kreminna

https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-kreminna-battle-recapture-russia-supply-lines/32197165.html

"First, they throw in the mobilized soldiers for certain death, like meat," said one soldier who asked not to be identified due to military regulations. "Then, if they break through, the more experienced fighters move in."

Ukrainian forces were focused on disrupting Russian supply lines in the settlements around Kreminna.... "There's a railway junction. [Seizing it] will greatly disrupt their logistics. Then, I think, they will retreat from Bakhmut."

 

(same article, with video)

3.  Ukroid gladio message grrlz got yr IG message in 5.45mm....

 

 

 

Edited December 29, 2022 by LongLeftFlank

[Haiduk]

Missile attack on Ukraine has started now. Two distant explosions already was heard in Kyiv, reportedly from western suburbs. Other wave of missiles is approaching from Konotop-Sumy direction. Also launches from Black Sea

Edited December 29, 2022 by Haiduk

[Haiduk]

Whoa! Three loud explosions like rolling thunder. Maybe impacts in SE part of Kyiv, but I don't see a smoke.

[Simcoe]

8 hours ago, Battlefront.com said:

Interesting video talking about tanks and what this war has emphasized from The Chieftain (Nicholas Moran).  Yeah, we've talked about this stuff lots of times, but there's something new discussed here.  First, his opinion is that forces should either go with high end or low end.  Middle of the pack will be more expensive than low end, but if the opponent has high end then they are just vulnerable as low end.  So why waste the money?

Related to this is he thinks the make or break feature for a tank is thermal optics with integrated fire control.  If a tank doesn't have it, then it's no better than a naked Cold War era tank.  As an example he pointed to the upgraded Slovenian T-55s that were donated to Ukraine.  It is his opinion that this tank is better than ANY Russian tank on the battlefield that lacks thermal optics and integrated fire control.  Of course not all integrated systems are created equal, but if you have one then you are at least still in the game.

Also, the Chieftain is a believer that the tactical misuse excuses to explain Russian tank losses is bunk.  His opinion is that if they had been used properly Russia would have lost less tanks, sure, but they wouldn't have performed their role significantly better overall.  The fact is their tanks are extremely vulnerable and bad employment just made it worse.

 

Thanks for sharing. Another interesting question to ask. If the Russians knew they wouldn't be able to decapitate the government in a quick strike, what would they have done differently? Would they have changed their tank tactics? Artillery?

My understanding is their artillery wasn't able to keep pace with the tanks because of the need to hit Kyiv as fast as possible. Would they have used that artillery effectively though?

[Haiduk]

Looks like AD of "Belgorod People Republic" has shot down Russian cruise missile,flying to Ukraine. Well, thanks...

 

[Hapless]

9 hours ago, Battlefront.com said:

Related to this is he thinks the make or break feature for a tank is thermal optics with integrated fire control.  If a tank doesn't have it, then it's no better than a naked Cold War era tank...  It is his opinion that this tank is better than ANY Russian tank on the battlefield that lacks thermal optics and integrated fire control.  Of course not all integrated systems are created equal, but if you have one then you are at least still in the game.

Still fascinating that this pretty much exactly what we find in CM.

[Haiduk]

Tu-22M3 have launched missiles over Black Sea. 

4 more Tu-95 over Kursk oblast are approaching to launch zone

Looks like primary objectives of attack - western Ukraine, Kyiv and Kyiv oblast and Odesa oblast. Many missiles entered to airspace from northern part of Ukraine - Chernihiv, Kyiv, Zhytomyr oblasts and fly further to western Ukraine. Several impacts in L'viv reportedly.

Source told Shakheds launched from Belarus

 

Edited December 29, 2022 by Haiduk

[Zeleban]

 

my yesterday's post about the BMP-3 but with English subtitles

[Taranis]

CAESAR ! 
Loading. You can notice the semi-automatic (hydraulic) loading system aligned with the breech. At this time and as is currently the case, the piston introduces the shell into the chamber. The white blocks are the propellant charges and are introduced after the (automatic) removal of the charging system. Load 6 (6 blocks) is the maximum load, so they shoot at about maximum range. The propellant charges are self-consumed and there is no residue or ejection left after firing, which allows the immediate loading of a new shell. The guy on the right is brought in a new shell which he will put directly on the stretcher while the breech closes. He can press a button on the box just in front of him to launch a new loading procedure which will be triggered automatically (security systems, which I will not detail) as soon as the breech reopens and therefore the gun has fired its shell ( safety system which also allows the opening of the breech only when the shell is fired)

[Huba]

Absolutely hilarious rant:

 

[Zeleban]

https://t.me/place_kyiv/23060

shooting down a cruise missile with the help of Igla MANPADS. Impressive explosion

[Zeleban]

 

End of alarm. This time there were no blows to Kryvyi Rih. It looks like the recent attack on the Engels air base did affect the variability of Russian missile strikes.

[Haiduk]

15 missiles were shot down in Kyiv vicinities and over the city. Despite loud sounds, turned out there are no impacts, fragments of four missiles,intercepted over the city damaged private house, some industrial object, kids playground (this one in central part of Kyiv) and urban train railways. Three civilians were wounded

Edited December 29, 2022 by Haiduk

[Huba]

UA is counterattacking! Air defense working at Engels-2 airbase, the one that was struck multiple times in recent days.

 

[Haiduk]

69 missiles were launched, 54 shot down. S-300 also were used, but they are not in the list

Edited December 29, 2022 by Haiduk