Seems like a significant development.
-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Russia/Ukraine conflict
- Thread starter amolina
- Start date
A couple more links.
This article is also a few years old, but it talks about the poor engineering of the Kerch Bridge. Again politics trumped common sense when building the bridge.
Europe’s Longest Bridge Spans Troubled Waters
And the guy who runs Military History Visualized interviewed a German combat engineer who is fighting as a foreign volunteer in Ukraine. In the opinion of the engineer, the Leopard 1 is a better choice for this war than the Leopard 2 and he goes into why. I agree with him.
The only area where more modern tanks are significantly better is in tank vs tank combat which almost never happens in this war. With all the anti-tank weapons available now, tank vs tank combat will probably remain rare in future conflicts. For all the other roles of a tank in this war, an older tank is perfectly adequate and logistically it's easier to support. A smaller, lighter tank can also operate in some places where a larger tank can't. For example quite a few road bridges can't handle the weight of the current generation of western MBTs.
A large number of reliable "good enough" tanks will be better than a few great tanks in most situations. There are edge cases where having a few of the best might make a critical difference, but the bulk of the time, a quantity of good weapons that are easy to keep in the field is better.
This article is also a few years old, but it talks about the poor engineering of the Kerch Bridge. Again politics trumped common sense when building the bridge.
Europe’s Longest Bridge Spans Troubled Waters
And the guy who runs Military History Visualized interviewed a German combat engineer who is fighting as a foreign volunteer in Ukraine. In the opinion of the engineer, the Leopard 1 is a better choice for this war than the Leopard 2 and he goes into why. I agree with him.
The only area where more modern tanks are significantly better is in tank vs tank combat which almost never happens in this war. With all the anti-tank weapons available now, tank vs tank combat will probably remain rare in future conflicts. For all the other roles of a tank in this war, an older tank is perfectly adequate and logistically it's easier to support. A smaller, lighter tank can also operate in some places where a larger tank can't. For example quite a few road bridges can't handle the weight of the current generation of western MBTs.
A large number of reliable "good enough" tanks will be better than a few great tanks in most situations. There are edge cases where having a few of the best might make a critical difference, but the bulk of the time, a quantity of good weapons that are easy to keep in the field is better.
Leopard 1 has some quite weak points in armor. I am sure they are better than most of the options available but I expect to see losses.
Additional to likely poor engineering, in the kleptocracy that is modern Russia, I would expect that much of the concrete that went into the Kerch Bridge may have been lean on Portland.
Do Russians really support the war?
A key take away is that fewer Russian survey respondents are answering all the questions about the war compared to over a year ago. So they are probably not interested in saying what they think now.
Also that the people supporting peace (majority young and poor) are now about the same as those supporting war (older and richer).
A key take away is that fewer Russian survey respondents are answering all the questions about the war compared to over a year ago. So they are probably not interested in saying what they think now.
Also that the people supporting peace (majority young and poor) are now about the same as those supporting war (older and richer).
Russian mercenaries exploit a war-torn African nation as they lead Putin’s fight in Ukraine
Wagner group has found a way to evade sanctions and fill its coffers with cash generated from the natural resources of the Central African Republic.
Wagner group has found a way to evade sanctions and fill its coffers with cash generated from the natural resources of the Central African Republic.
SwedishAdvocate
Active Member
And Switzerland continues to not support Ukraine.
www.france24.com
Swiss MPs reject allowing arms transfers to Ukraine
Switzerland's lower house of parliament on Thursday voted against a proposal that would have specifically authorised the transfer of Swiss-made arms to Ukraine.
www.france24.com
The hijinks continue all the Ukrainian border with Russia. If I were a russian I'd certainly flee, no need to stick around for a war zone as the volunteer armies continue to make gains into russia. I expect much of the Belgorad region will eventually be freed from Putins yoke and then will have an important decision to make, join the EU and Ukraine or push to free the rest of the oppressed russian peoples. Decisions decisions. In the meantime what's it to the overworked russian volunteer army if Ukraine drives a few thousand men around to the rear of the russian army? Helps speed up freedom for the people of russia.
FYI this town is almost within artillery range of a vital northern rail connection to Luhansk (starbolisk) and is ...the most interesting place on the Ukrainian/russian border.
FYI this town is almost within artillery range of a vital northern rail connection to Luhansk (starbolisk) and is ...the most interesting place on the Ukrainian/russian border.
Last edited:
anyone see any reports on the composition of these Russian Freedom Fighters? Are many deserters from the conscripted Ruzzian meat grinder, or are they mostly expats and those who fled at the beginning of the war when young people could still get out of Ruzzia?
I dont know where the Ukrainian intelligence agency found them but it is beyond brilliant to give them a base to "free russia" . Urazovo is ...really interesting and is a spot I've been looking at for 8 months. 1000 troops might be needed to get to Valyuki but if they could just get there that really really puts a knife in the back of the russians. No secrets here, russian mil bloggers are chatting about it and it's the most logical route to attack starbolisk. lightly defended rear and they'd have to move reserves for this, cannot ignore. Not sure Ukraine follows through with this but watching the response by russian MOD will be interesting. They'll have some idea of Ukrainian reserves and troop concentrations in the area and how seriously to respond but who knows....
This is, to me as a casual strategy bloke, where things get interesting. So it doesn't get too interesting I look at pics of the real side of war, the pic yesterday of the grandfather that brought his chair out by the wall where is grandchild had died and was under a tarp (in the missle attacks 2 days ago). That's the reality of this war and lets not forget that as we sit on computers drinking coffees or beers.
On the strategy side this is absolutely the place to put a knife in the russian flank, from that point on the border down towards Urazavo into Ukraine to Svatove. Less than a handful or roads and 1 very key railhead. It's one of the three critical railheads for Russia. Puts your forces behind the flanks.
The View From the Tundra -
The following is likely not going to be well received by certain Swedish participants nor, perhaps, by our in-house logger.
Regarding the Hagglunds BV206 APCs that Germany appears to be sending to Ukraine:
Here they go by the name SUSVs (Susvees). They have a following among well-funded resorts, and a fair number of individuals with ample pockets and remote cabins.
At first.
They also, lamentably, have a reputation here of being cranky trailer queens, capricious in their habit of developing drivetrain breakdowns in the most forbidding of locations, unsolvable in the field (tundra) - hence, “trailer queen”.
Great when they work- or are operated by militaries with infinitely deep service departments like NATO and, of course, the US. Possibly not so great for shoestring Ukraine.
Fun fact: those articulating halves are not separable. Even though the front half is the motorized portion, when detached from the rear personnel cab it is no more able to move than a wingless house fly.
Your Centimeterage May Vary
The following is likely not going to be well received by certain Swedish participants nor, perhaps, by our in-house logger.
Regarding the Hagglunds BV206 APCs that Germany appears to be sending to Ukraine:
Here they go by the name SUSVs (Susvees). They have a following among well-funded resorts, and a fair number of individuals with ample pockets and remote cabins.
At first.
They also, lamentably, have a reputation here of being cranky trailer queens, capricious in their habit of developing drivetrain breakdowns in the most forbidding of locations, unsolvable in the field (tundra) - hence, “trailer queen”.
Great when they work- or are operated by militaries with infinitely deep service departments like NATO and, of course, the US. Possibly not so great for shoestring Ukraine.
Fun fact: those articulating halves are not separable. Even though the front half is the motorized portion, when detached from the rear personnel cab it is no more able to move than a wingless house fly.
Your Centimeterage May Vary
EVNow
Well-Known Member
This is exactly what you would expect in any invasion - whether it was the Iraq war or Vietnam. People who have the least to lose are always the most willing to support the war. They are more worried about national "status" or "respect" or some such thing than actual life and well-being of its people.
BitJam
Active Member
The gates of war have opened up on Russian territory
Perhaps overstated but this is what I would do (from the comfort of my armchair) shortly before launching a counter-attack inside of Ukraine. I hope and expect the attacks in Russia will intensify significantly before the counter-offensive.
Perhaps overstated but this is what I would do (from the comfort of my armchair) shortly before launching a counter-attack inside of Ukraine. I hope and expect the attacks in Russia will intensify significantly before the counter-offensive.
With modern AT missiles, most tanks are vulnerable, especially if you get a side or back shot. The Leopard 1 can survive small arms fire just as well as an Abrams, which is what the Russians will be throwing at it if they don't have ATGMs to fire.
The Leopard 1 is more vulnerable to a wider range of AT guns than the newer tanks, but the only things with the guns they are vulnerable to are other, newer tanks and those are getting rarer. If you need something to take out a bunker or troops in a concrete building, a Leopard 1 can do the job just as well as another tank.
Russia has been slow to transfer units back around to Belgorod. The worse things get there, the more urgent the transfers are going to be.
Destabilizing Russia is a great way for Ukraine to end the war and get back its territory without taking many more casualties. And if parts of Russia fall to friendly rebel groups, those groups will want to return kidnapped Ukrainians to Ukraine.
Early on in the war I was reading about the free Russian legion who were fighting with the Ukrainian army. I think most of them were ex-contract soldiers from the Russian army who were fed up with the Putin regime. I expect most of the rebels came from that unit.
My partner read last night that the rebel group has had deserters from the Russian army join them. If that becomes significant, that spells very serious trouble for Moscow. A significant portion of the army defecting to the rebels would be a bad sign for Russia.
Artful Dodger
"Neko no me"
WhamBam TeslaCam, Kyiv edition:
"Watch: Dashcam captures missile falling on busy Kyiv highway"
"Ooh, what you do for me, Toy Yoda!"
Lol, I bin dere...
Can only imagine. Never had a rocket fall close, mortar some ways away never in range."Ooh, what you do for me, Toy Yoda!"
Lol, I bin dere...
SageBrush
REJECT Fascism
