petit_bateau
Active Member
It seems I was definitely wrong re the last year's attack on the Kerch bridge. This is pretty convincing explanation of how a VBIED did it rather than a USV attack.
-
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
That bridge looks out of action until after the war.
Those USVs aren't being very successful at reaching a target, but they are doing a job of keeping the Russian navy on alert. Not knowing when the enemy is suddenly going to strike wears on the nerves of everyone. Once in a while kamikazes slipped through all the air defenses and hit a target, but just the constant stream of them all the time wore down the stamina of Allied sailors. Some ships during the Okinawa campaign didn't stand down from general quarters for days at a time.
X Fan
Active Member
Also posted there today….not a good look for the Germans re: reaching defense spend targets. Free loading as usual:
Germany under fire for dropping Nato spending pledge
Berlin abandons legally binding commitment to spend two per cent of GDP on defence in last-minute reversal
www.telegraph.co.uk
bo3bdar
Member
Also posted there today….not a good look for the Germans re: reaching defense spend targets. Free loading as usual:
Germany under fire for dropping Nato spending pledge
Berlin abandons legally binding commitment to spend two per cent of GDP on defence in last-minute reversal
Perhaps it is being too generous, but I'd give Germany a pass for this year at least, and also next winter. While not putting direct budget into NATO obligations, Germany definitely stepped up and has paid a really steep cost in energy costs and rationing to avoid giving aid to Russia. In my simplified bookkeeping, that counts as NATO support, and genuine aid to Ukraine.
It's also worth noting the very substantial German military equipment being provided to Ukraine, and helping to shame the US into giving better support.
SwedishAdvocate
Active Member
Germany is also harbouring more than a million UKR refugees...
Ukraine's war refugees feel increasingly at home in Germany – DW – 07/14/2023
What is life like for Ukrainian refugees in Germany? What are their hopes? How have they integrated? New results from a long-running project by four German research institutes offer insights.
www.dw.com
Ukraine continues to rapidly evolve their drone capabilities. Russia will have to choose between intensifying air defenses throughout western Russia or leaving their war front more exposed. Even if target success is 0%, Ukrainian drones will absorb Russian air defense munition stock in a very cost-effective manner.
“SkyKnight 2” UAVs:
https://euromaidanpress.com/2023/08...o-destroy-russian-equipment-defense-ministry/
“SkyKnight 2” UAVs:
…featuring AI technology …soon be delivered to the armed forces, said the Defense Ministry of Ukraine…operate autonomously in an automatic flight mode, are capable of transporting payloads of up to 2.5 kg…fast and silent…built to reach their intended even when hit by electronic warfare countermeasures.
https://euromaidanpress.com/2023/08...o-destroy-russian-equipment-defense-ministry/
Russians really need to be encouraged to stop smoking. It's not healthy at all.
Massive Fire Breaks Out in Russian Black Sea Port of Novorossiysk
Massive Fire Breaks Out in Russian Black Sea Port of Novorossiysk
I thought the counter offensive was a failure according to the people who know nothing?
‘We Cannot Win’ Says Top Russian Commander
‘We Cannot Win’ Says Top Russian Commander
Terrorist Russians murder civilians going to church with a missile.
Chernihiv: Russian missile strike kills seven and injures 144, Ukraine says
Chernihiv: Russian missile strike kills seven and injures 144, Ukraine says
A few hours ago Roscosmos reported their Russian Luna 25 spacecraft reported an “emergency situation on board”.
No updates so far and nothing on RT. Not an encouraging sign for team Putler to repeat an unimpressive 50+ years ago prior solved feat.
No updates so far and nothing on RT. Not an encouraging sign for team Putler to repeat an unimpressive 50+ years ago prior solved feat.
He talks about how Russia should "freeze the front", but that isn't up to Russia. The only way Russia has been able to have frozen conflicts in the past is because the enemy was too weak to really do much about it. But Ukraine isn't weak anymore.
Russia has been wasting resources trying to go on the offensive. If they were taking a purely defensive stance it would be tougher going for the Ukrainians, but I think the Ukrainians would still be grinding down the Russians.
The forces Russia is losing trying to go on the offensive are their mobile reserve intended to plug gaps if the Ukrainians do break through. They probably wouldn't be thrown into trenches if the Russians were trying to freeze the lines.
With so much sabotage going on throughout Russia I wouldn't be surprised if someone did something to ensure the mission failed.
Definitely a possibility. But going to the moon is hard, and Roscosmos has to deal with both rampant kleptocracy and severe brain drain. The sabotage was quite likely unintentional.
SwedishAdvocate
Active Member
I think there's been one (or more) articles like this one in the thread, but anyways, here's one more...
www.theguardian.com
Russian women fear return of murderers freed to fight for Wagner
Concern that convicts re-entering society after stints in Ukraine will bring ‘wave of murder, rape and domestic violence’
www.theguardian.com
"Massive" in an urban context, but it's less than 1/3 of a soccer field.
Russia has done the same thing with the Iranian drones. I am sure the missiles shooting them down cost more than the drones. It would be nice to finally give Russia some payback.
This was some good news. It was quite a ways into Russia.
mil.in.ua
Showed up in Wikipedia too.
"
Russia reports a UAV attack on a military airfield: planes damaged
The Russian Federation has reported an attack on a military airfield where Tu-22M3 supersonic bombers are based
mil.in.ua
Showed up in Wikipedia too.
"
Missile attacked[edit]
On 19 August 2023 at about 10.00 am local time, the airbase was attacked by missiles or drones, which Russia claimed to be launched from Ukraine, 620km away[8]. Two Tupolev Tu-22M long-range bombers, were reported damaged.[9][10][11][12]"
Tiger
Active Member
Both the US and USSR had their space mishaps, but the Soviets had a lot of problems landing on other celestial bodies. I think all their attempts to land on Mars failed. They succeeded a few times on the Moon, but several attempts crashed and one missed the Moon entirely.
The Ukrainians got AD guns in the form of the Gepard which is mush cheaper, but the Russians don't really have the equivalent except some WW II era towed guns. The Gepard is the descendant of the WW II Coelian and Kudgblitz SP AA guns. Neither went into full production.
The Russians have a couple of AA gun systems. They have a fair number of the ZSU-23-4, which are very poor. They have a smaller number of 2K22 that have twin 30mm cannons as a backup, but the main armament are missiles.
This was some good news. It was quite a ways into Russia.
Russia reports a UAV attack on a military airfield: planes damaged
The Russian Federation has reported an attack on a military airfield where Tu-22M3 supersonic bombers are based
Showed up in Wikipedia too.
"
Missile attacked[edit]
On 19 August 2023 at about 10.00 am local time, the airbase was attacked by missiles or drones, which Russia claimed to be launched from Ukraine, 620km away[8]. Two Tupolev Tu-22M long-range bombers, were reported damaged.[9][10][11][12]"
Russia can't replace those strategic bombers. They only have a handful left.
Though the problem is the cluster munition rockets for the HIMARS have much shorter ranges than the rockets they have been using. I don't think HIMARS with cluster munitions are going to have much more range than 155mm with cluster munitions, though the payload may be larger.
