CayceG Posted April 26 Share Posted April 26 3 hours ago, CitizenVectron said: Time to go back to full ballistic weaponry! A big ball of iron launched in a parabolic arc doesn't care about jamming! That would be area artillery! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted April 30 Author Share Posted April 30 To Wade's previous point: Also Estonia is currently under a GPS blockade by Russia, preventing airlines from operating: The Black Sea is also currently experiencing this, causing major issues for commercial shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted April 30 Author Share Posted April 30 Russia attacked Odesa yesterday with cluster munitions, killing at least 4 people (and a dog) and injuring 30+. As a reminder, cluster munitions are banned against civilians, and their use is a war crime. Last night Ukraine struck the Dzhankoi airbase in occupied Crimea with 12+ ATACMS, targeting the base itself as well as S-300/400 emplacements. There are confirmation of hits, but no word yet on the extend of damage to Russian gear. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted April 30 Author Share Posted April 30 A bunch of stuff coming out recently about Germany's far-right AfD party having pretty explicit ties to Russia. German army captain admits spying for Russia WWW.DW.COM The officer, with ties to the far-right AfD party, said he provided information to a Russian intelligence service out of fear of a nuclear escalation in Moscow's war in Ukraine. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted April 30 Share Posted April 30 1 hour ago, CitizenVectron said: To Wade's previous point: This aligns with the briefing I attended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaladinSolo Posted April 30 Share Posted April 30 Gonna be awesome when battleships are a thing again. Hell they used drones to target Iraqi positions and to adjust fire, they practically pioneedered the tactics of this war over 30 years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TUFKAK Posted April 30 Share Posted April 30 6 minutes ago, PaladinSolo said: Gonna be awesome when battleships are a thing again. Hell they used drones to target Iraqi positions and to adjust fire, they practically pioneedered the tactics of this war over 30 years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted May 3 Author Share Posted May 3 Ukraine suffers while too many countries ‘sit on their hands’ WWW.THETIMES.CO.UK Ukraine’s commander of ground forces says end of the war will only be achieved by ‘isolation of Russia’ Ukraine says that FPV suicide drones now kill more soldiers (on both sides) than artillery or bullets. It looks like we've officially entered a new era of warfare. Quote “Drones kill more soldiers on both sides than anything else at present" Battle of Chasiv Yar begins: On the ground with Ukrainian forces defending city key to Russia’s plans KYIVINDEPENDENT.COM Editor’s note: In accordance with the security protocols of the Ukrainian military, soldiers featured in this story are identified by first names and callsigns only. CHASIV YAR, DONETSK OBLAST – As he creeps between rubble-strewn garages near the central square of Chasiv Yar, the eyes and ears of the reconnaissance Quote What bothers the commander, 41-year-old Andrii “Yankee,” more are not the sounds of explosions but of propellers; those belonging to the hundreds of drones, enemy and friendly, constantly surveying the battlefield. Quote Under a lush canopy of spring foliage, six figures in pixel camouflage walk in single file along a makeshift forest track. Each of them carries a crucial component of kit typical to Ukrainian front-line positions: petrol for the generator, a pair of quadcopter drones, a crate full of 3D-printed bombs, and a slab of energy drinks. Quote One team uses a Chinese commercial drone to maintain a constant vision of the zero line in the destroyed village of Bohdanivka, while another carries out bombing missions on Russian forces with an FPV (first-person-view) drone. Usually associated with one-way “kamikaze” missions against enemy equipment and personnel, FPV drones can be also used to drop grenades and other custom-made munitions, allowing one drone to be used many more times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uaarkson Posted May 3 Share Posted May 3 All the drone videos floating around on the internet show some fucked up stuff. Soldiers regularly getting blown to bits like it’s WWII again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted May 3 Author Share Posted May 3 Ukraine war: Kyiv can use British weapons inside Russia, says UK's David Cameron WWW.BBC.CO.UK UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron says it is up to Ukraine to decide how to use British arms. Excellent move, and hopefully one that paves the way for France and the US to do the same. I don't have any hope that Germany allows it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted May 4 Author Share Posted May 4 To deal with the GPS jamming, the US is going to provide Ukraine with GPS-seeking bombs: JDAM-ER Winged Bombs With Seekers That Home In On GPS Jammers Headed To Ukraine WWW.TWZ.COM Plans to give Ukraine JDAM-ERs with new seekers come as Western precision-guided munitions are reportedly suffering from Russian GPS jamming. Not sure how useful this is considering Ukrainian bombers can't really even fly at the front line. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted May 6 Author Share Posted May 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elbobo Posted May 6 Share Posted May 6 4 hours ago, CitizenVectron said: The are making straight up GI Joe vehicles now 1 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted May 10 Author Share Posted May 10 Just a moment... WWW.POLITICO.COM 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted May 10 Author Share Posted May 10 Details are out: Additional munitions for Patriot air defense systems; Additional munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS); Stinger anti-aircraft missiles; Equipment to integrate Western launchers, missiles, and radars with Ukraine's systems; Additional High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems(HIMARS) and ammunition; 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds; Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles; M113 Armored Personnel Carriers; Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles; Trailers to transport heavy equipment; Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles; Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems; Precision aerial munitions; High-speed Anti-radiation missiles (HARMs); Small arms and additional rounds of small arms ammunition and grenades; Demolitions munitions and equipment for obstacle clearing; Coastal and riverine patrol boats; Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear protective equipment; and Spare parts, training munitions, maintenance, and other ancillary equipment. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted May 10 Author Share Posted May 10 Nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted May 10 Author Share Posted May 10 Even nicer: First F-16 fighter jets from West will be in Ukraine in weeks - military source WWW.STANDARD.CO.UK Kyiv has sought the US-made aircraft to help it counter Russian air superiority during Putin’s illegal war Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted May 10 Author Share Posted May 10 Videos coming out of multiple sites in Russia and occupied Ukraine right now of Ukrainian drone and ATACMS strikes, primarily on refineries and fuel targets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted May 10 Author Share Posted May 10 Breaking rule for these videos of Ukrainian missiles hitting targets in Belgorod. No clue what kind of missiles, though they appear ballistic: I know the UK has apparently given permission for Ukraine to use their weaponry in Russia, but I don't think the US has. Russia has massed about 50,000 troops in Belgorod for an apparent May offensive against Kharkiv. It's very unlikely to succeed, but the only way Ukraine can defend is by striking targets inside Russia itself, since the fight is going to be along the border. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted May 13 Share Posted May 13 Vladimir Putin removes Sergei Shoigu from Russian defence ministry WWW.BBC.COM Sergei Shoigu, a close ally of the president, will be replaced by Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov. Quote Russian President Vladimir Putin is to remove his long-standing ally Sergei Shoigu as defence minister, the Kremlin has announced. The 68-year-old had been in the role since 2012 and will be replaced by Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov, an economist with little military experience. Mr Shoigu is to be appointed secretary of Russia's Security Council. The Kremlin said the defence ministry needed to stay "innovative". Reshuffles in Russia don't happen very often so this is a big moment at the top of Russian politics. But Vladimir Putin remains the person who ultimately calls the shots. It was his decision to start the war in Ukraine and all the big decisions are taken by him. The appointment of Mr Belousov as defence minister will come as a surprise to many, given his previous experience. But analysts suggest President Putin is seeking to align the Russian economy more closely with the war effort. The decision to put an economist in charge of the Ministry of Defence reflectsthe changing priorities of the Kremlin and the huge amounts of money the Russian authorities are now pouring into the war in Ukraine - and Russia's need to boost efficiency in the armed forces. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the proposed appointment of a civilian showed the role of defence minister called for "innovation". He said Russia was becoming more like the Soviet Union in the mid-1980s, when a high proportion of GDP went on military spending. As a result, it was necessary to make sure that military expenditure was better integrated into Russia's overall economy, he added. "The one who is more open to innovations is the one who will be victorious on the battlefield," he said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Vic20 Posted May 13 Share Posted May 13 The war is the economy, the economy is the war? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted May 13 Author Share Posted May 13 Russia has begun their invasion of Kharkiv Oblast from Belgorod (red sliver in the north): Their goal is to get within artillery range of Kharkiv to allow indiscriminate shelling of the city (pop 1.5 million). As far as I am aware, they only need to advance 10km or so. This situation is 100% on the US and other NATO allies for not allowing Ukraine to strike within Russia. Russia has been able to build up forces in Belgorod for months, but Ukraine can't use western artillery or HIMARS or anything else to hit them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CayceG Posted May 13 Share Posted May 13 19 minutes ago, CitizenVectron said: This situation is 100% on the US and other NATO allies for not allowing Ukraine to strike within Russia. Russia has been able to build up forces in Belgorod for months, but Ukraine can't use western artillery or HIMARS or anything else to hit them. Is this true? I would like to see a citation of the US specifically stating that Ukraine can't strike ANYWHERE inside Russia. Because what I've seen around the ATACAMS issue is in response to the bomber airfields that the cruise missile strikes originate from--not troop concentrations in Belgorod. The ISW's report this came from cites 2 articles. The first is from December 2022 and is hopelessly out of date (and refers to the bomber airbase): Ukraine war: US neither encouraged nor enabled Kyiv to strike inside Russia - Blinken WWW.BBC.COM Russia says a third site was attacked by drones on Tuesday, a day after two of its airfields were hit on Monday. The second is an opinion piece that has a single citation. Let Ukraine strike military targets in Russia with Western weapons WWW.TELEGRAPH.CO.UK Amid gridlock in Congress and delays in European production, Ukraine’s allies must think creatively Quote Despite the weapons’ extended range, however, Ukraine won’t be able to use them to hit military targets inside Russia itself. Why? The US won’t allow it out of fear that American weapons taking out targets within Russia could escalate the conflict. This links to a second article behind a paywall. Paywall bypass here: https://archive.ph/BLREh#selection-2761.131-2773.148 But nothing in this article even gestures towards an actual policy prohibition on the use of these weapons. So this citation goes literally nowhere. And therefore, I'm skeptical that there's anything keeping Ukraine from using ATACAMS on the troops in Belgorod in terms of policy or conditional use. My take is that there's operational issues with HIMARS/ATACAMS in this area. We've already seen GPS jammers used to good effect and if the Russian concentrations are around populated areas, that in combination with GPS jamming might make the Ukrainians wary of turning a precision strike into an indiscriminate one. ISW report for ref: Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, May 12, 2024 | Institute for the Study of War WWW.UNDERSTANDINGWAR.ORG Russian President Vladimir Putin replaced Sergei Shoigu with Andrei Belousov as Russian Minister of Defense on May 12, moving Shoigu to the position of Security Council Secretary in place of Nikolai Patrushev. These high-level reshuffles following the Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted May 13 Author Share Posted May 13 1 hour ago, CayceG said: Is this true? I would like to see a citation of the US specifically stating that Ukraine can't strike ANYWHERE inside Russia. Because what I've seen around the ATACAMS issue is in response to the bomber airfields that the cruise missile strikes originate from--not troop concentrations in Belgorod. The ISW's report this came from cites 2 articles. The first is from December 2022 and is hopelessly out of date (and refers to the bomber airbase): Ukraine war: US neither encouraged nor enabled Kyiv to strike inside Russia - Blinken WWW.BBC.COM Russia says a third site was attacked by drones on Tuesday, a day after two of its airfields were hit on Monday. The second is an opinion piece that has a single citation. Let Ukraine strike military targets in Russia with Western weapons WWW.TELEGRAPH.CO.UK Amid gridlock in Congress and delays in European production, Ukraine’s allies must think creatively This links to a second article behind a paywall. Paywall bypass here: https://archive.ph/BLREh#selection-2761.131-2773.148 But nothing in this article even gestures towards an actual policy prohibition on the use of these weapons. So this citation goes literally nowhere. And therefore, I'm skeptical that there's anything keeping Ukraine from using ATACAMS on the troops in Belgorod in terms of policy or conditional use. My take is that there's operational issues with HIMARS/ATACAMS in this area. We've already seen GPS jammers used to good effect and if the Russian concentrations are around populated areas, that in combination with GPS jamming might make the Ukrainians wary of turning a precision strike into an indiscriminate one. ISW report for ref: Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, May 12, 2024 | Institute for the Study of War WWW.UNDERSTANDINGWAR.ORG Russian President Vladimir Putin replaced Sergei Shoigu with Andrei Belousov as Russian Minister of Defense on May 12, moving Shoigu to the position of Security Council Secretary in place of Nikolai Patrushev. These high-level reshuffles following the I've seen it written in a few places that the US/UK still require final approval on any targets for advanced weapons. Since these weapons appear to have been only used in Ukraine, that would fit with the other narrative that they are not approving any strikes in Russia (and why Ukraine is using their own drones/missiles). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted May 13 Author Share Posted May 13 Considering that the Baltic states have the most to lose from Russian aggression against NATO, this makes sense: Estonia 'seriously' discussing sending troops to 'rear' jobs in Ukraine: Official - Breaking Defense BREAKINGDEFENSE.COM The national security advisor to the Estonian president is the latest NATO nation official to weigh into the debate over the wisdom of foreign forces in Ukraine, while a senior British officer said it's still "not a path that the [UK] Prime Minister wants to go down." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted May 14 Author Share Posted May 14 As Russia Advances on Kharkiv, Ukraine Faces Shortages of Weapons and Troops - The New York Times WWW.NYTIMES.COM Ukraine’s forces are stretched thin and have minimal reserves to draw on, the chief of military intelligence said, in addition to shortages of weapons. The American aid was passed too late. The vast majority of the ammunition still hasn't reached Ukraine, and the frontlines are being hammered right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar SFLUFAN Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 Ukraine no longer has any reserve forces left to plug holes created by Russian breakthroughs. To say that the situation is "dire' would be an understatement. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted May 14 Author Share Posted May 14 1 hour ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said: Ukraine no longer has any reserve forces left to plug holes created by Russian breakthroughs. To say that the situation is "dire' would be an understatement. While the delay and lack of aid from the US and other NATO countries is definitely half of the problem (and I would argue is the result of Russian operations and control within western political parties), the other is Ukraine's unwillingness to perform a full martial conscription. At the start of the war they had more volunteers than they could process, but that only lasted so long. They should have processed a full draft last summer, but politically it was dangerous, and they delayed too long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted May 15 Author Share Posted May 15 Russia-Ukraine war live: Blinken announces $2bn in aid as Russia claims to have taken more settlements and Zelenskiy cancels trips | World news | The Guardian WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM US secretary of state says ammunition, armoured vehicles and missiles will be rushed to frontline as Moscow says it has captured more territory Blinkin is in Kyiv and just announced $2 billion in additional aid (including a new Patriot launcher). Bigger news is that the US is soft-announcing that Kyiv can use American weapons on targets in Russia. However...we'll see what happens, because in reality it sounds like the Ukrainians aren't even able to input coordinates themselves on some systems, they require Americans to do so. Quote The US does not encourage Ukraine to strike targets inside Russia with US-supplied weapons but believes it is a decision Kyiv should make for itself, secretary of state Antony Blinken said on Wednesday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted May 15 Author Share Posted May 15 In bad news, Russia is claiming to have retaken Robotyne, one of the settlements Ukraine retook in last summer's counteroffensive. In reality the village doesn't even exist anymore as it's completely wiped out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted May 15 Author Share Posted May 15 Last night Ukraine performed long-range ATACMS strikes against an airbase in Crimea. So far it appears they destroyed an S-400 AA system, an S-300 system, and at least 1 fighter. 3+ fighters damaged. Photo of S-400: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marioandsonic Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 On 5/14/2024 at 8:52 AM, Commissar SFLUFAN said: Ukraine no longer has any reserve forces left to plug holes created by Russian breakthroughs. To say that the situation is "dire' would be an understatement. So Ukraine as a nation may not exist soon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted May 15 Author Share Posted May 15 8 minutes ago, marioandsonic said: So Ukraine as a nation may not exist soon? The flip side is that Russia is lacking armour and large troop movements to take advantage. Even with the lack of reserves and ammo, Ukraine is making it very difficult for Russia to take more than slivers of land in most cases. I don't think there is any real chance of the frontlines totally collapsing, but Russia could definitely move them forward 10-20km in some areas this spring. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted May 16 Author Share Posted May 16 To win against totalitarian states, you need to have absolute superiority (or be willing to accept similar losses). Honestly the only way Ukraine has a chance at this point of even keeping the land it currently holds is for the US/NATO to give everything they plan to give in the next 1-2 years now, and place no restrictions on use. People I know from Ukraine are growing more cynical towards the US and European NATO countries. Even though the amount of gear provided is immense, I wouldn't be surprised if overall public opinion towards the US/NATO ends up further negative than it began, in the next year or two. This is because there is a growing (anecdotal) feeling that the US/NATO aren't trying to help Ukraine win, they are just trying to bleed Russia over an extended period of time, with the only cost to them being retired military stocks (and then millions of Ukrainian lives). The US/NATO are so scared of Russia losing (which is ridiculous) that they just want to weaken them, and Ukrainians be damned. I don't fully subscribe to that belief...but I'm certain there are players within the US/NATO that are effectively trying to accomplish that. However, the views I've heard put almost all of the blame on the US, with the view towards the EU/European NATO states being that they are just soft and weak, not malicious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitizenVectron Posted May 16 Author Share Posted May 16 Blinkin: maybe we might consider letting Ukraine strike at Russians inside Russia when they are literally massing right next to the border USA: lol just kidding Ukraine simply can't win or even defend if Russia can unilaterally (and unanswered) strike from behind a safe border. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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