*** Official Russia vs. Ukraine Discussion - Invasion has begun *** (2 Viewers)

[Chadstroma]

Russia use to be the 2nd best military in the world.
Then they were the 2nd best military in Ukraine.
Now they are the 2nd best military in Russia.

 

[Don't Toews Me]

How a General’s Blunder Left Russia’s Border Vulnerable

In the spring of this year, Moscow’s new military appointee overseeing security in the Kursk province dismantled a council tasked with protecting the vulnerable border region. Col. Gen. Alexander Lapin said the military alone had the strength and the resources to protect Russia’s border, according to an official in Russian security services.

That plan left yet another hole in Russia’s weak border defenses, which crumbled earlier this month when Ukrainian troops executed a lightning offensive across the border into Kursk. Ukrainian troops crossed the border to find Russian troops in disarray. They surged ahead and now say they occupy more than 400 square miles of Russian territory.

To be sure, Lapin alone didn’t open the gates to the first foreign invasion of Russian territory since World War II. He was faced with a critical shortage of men. But his misstep is characteristic of a top brass often out of touch with battlefield realities, which now plagues Moscow as it seeks to oust Ukrainian forces from its territory.

In the days leading up to Ukraine’s invasion, Russia’s military correspondents have said, Lapin’s command had sent reports to Moscow warning that Ukrainian forces were building their numbers on the front line. But the trick had been employed on both sides before as a tactic of psychological warfare, people familiar with border maneuvers said, and Moscow dismissed the warnings.

Regardless of the intelligence about military movements, troops under Lapin’s command still failed to act by enforcing defensive lines or laying mines as Russian soldiers had done last year to stymie a major and well-telegraphed Ukrainian counteroffensive. When Ukrainian soldiers entered the no-man’s-land between Ukraine and Russia, they were met with no resistance and, inside Russia, no territorial defense forces to help slow them down.

Likewise, when the Ukrainian soldiers drove into Russia, their first armed resistance was from the 488th motor rifle regiment of the 144th motor rifle brigade, a unit consisting almost entirely of conscripts, who according to Russian policy aren’t supposed to fight inside Ukraine. The demands of the front had depleted the manpower and resources of Russia’s forces.

Under normal circumstances, they would have had around 120 armored vehicles, including tanks and armored personnel carriers. In their first armed encounter, the conscripts likely had between 10 and 20, said Muzyka.

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Bohdan, the officer of the Air Assault unit of the 80th Air Assault Brigade talks about the breakthrough of the "Sudzha" checkpoint, the detailed planning of the operation in Kursk directly by the top leadership, and the high morale of the defenders of Ukraine.

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New video from the Ukrainian military from Kursk showing HIMARS strikes on the Russian pontoons on the Seym river. Yet another episode of Lapin and Rivers.

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The Mayor of Moscow Sergei Sobyanin says that Russian air defenses have shot down 10 UAVs tonight. He says this is one of the largest UAV attacks on Moscow.

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Some Russian channels are warning about Ukrainian forces becoming active in Zaporizhzhia oblast.

 

[WVU Alum]

I wonder if that general has a window phobia.

 

[Chadstroma]

I wonder if that general has a window phobia.

Putin seems to be forgiving of incompetence as long as you are loyal. If you are not loyal or appear not to be then that is when you tend to die under mysterious circumstances.

 

[Don't Toews Me]

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The fires and continuing explosions at the Russian Air Force base Marinovka in the Volgograd region look pretty apocalyptic. One of the most successful Ukrainian long-range strikes on Russian military facilities so far, by the looks of it.

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Deep State mentions that Russia can send reinforcements to Kursk from Krynky, Robotyne, Luhansk, and Kharkiv instead of drawing away forces from Pokrovsk and Toretsk fronts, which remain a priority for Russia. 205/

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Russian forces captured the settlements of Komyshivka, Novozhelanne and Zavitne on the Pokrovsk front in Donetsk Oblast of Ukraine, according to a new DeepState map update.

The Russians are now less than 1 kilometer away from the E50 road, linking Pokrovsk and Karlivka.

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Updated map from @Deepstate_UA showing Russian advances on the Pokrovsk front and expanded assessed Ukrainian control of territory in Kursk oblast.

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Russian channels claim that a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group attempted to cross the border in Bryansk oblast with light armored vehicles.

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Russian sources report about a clash between Ukrainian and Russian forces in the area of the settlement of Zabrama in Bryansk Oblast of Russia on the Ukraine-Russia border this evening.

Mash said that the Ukrainian force consisted of three BMP IFVs and around 200 troops, armed with Western-made weapons.
The outlet also claimed that the Ukrainian forces were repelled and forced to withdraw after two incursion attempts.

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Over the past week, Ukrainian forces have mounted an incredibly effective strike campaign to trap and cut Russian forces off in the Glushkovsky District, Kursk Oblast.

3 prewar bridges were destroyed or heavily damaged, and 2 pontoon bridges were destroyed or heavily damaged.

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The first pontoon bridge is east of Glushkovo. It is targeted by at least three M31 GMLRS. The apparent dispersion is likely a consequence of Russian GPS denial.

The second bridge is east of Zvannoye. It is targeted by at least two M30A0 GMLRS, dispensing DPICM submunitions.

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Footage of Ukrainian airstrikes with US-supplied GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs in the Russian town of Glushkovo in Kursk Oblast.

51.3441667, 34.6488889

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There's only one EU country that's cracking down on the totally absurd flood of goods to Kyrgyzstan: Poland (top row, middle chart). Everywhere else in the EU exports to Kyrgyzstan are at all-time highs. Over two years of this nonsense and EU policy makers just do nothing...

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Russian military sailors are learning how to fly FPVs and quadcopters as counters to Ukrainian USVs - the sitting on a swing is supposed to mimic the motion of the waves so that operators can pilot these drones in bad weather.

 

[Don't Toews Me]

Ukraine Encircles Russian Troops in Kursk and Digs In for Long Fight

Ukrainian troops said they are moving to encircle an estimated 3,000 Russian troops that are hemmed against a river in Russia’s Kursk province, seeking a fresh blow against Moscow in the third week of a surprise incursion.

Ukraine’s military said it used U.S.-supplied Himars rocket systems and explosive drones to strike pontoon crossings and bridging equipment as Russia scrambled to prevent the encirclement of its forces between the Seym river and the Ukrainian border.

The incursion hasn’t, so far, shifted the dynamic on the war’s main battlefields in eastern Ukraine, where Russia is advancing in toward Pokrovsk, a key Ukrainian logistical hub, and Toretsk, a city on strategically important high ground.

Meanwhile, Russian authorities said Wednesday they had thwarted a barrage of drone attacks on Moscow and other regions. Russia’s Defense Ministry said it had destroyed 45 drones deployed by Ukraine, including 11 that were shot down over the Moscow region.

In Kursk, Ukraine is stretching the breadth of its incursion rather than seeking a deeper advance that would be easier to cut off, said Mick Ryan, a military strategist and retired major general in the Australian Army.

“They are holding more-defensible terrain that’s closer to Ukraine and easier to support,” said Ryan.

“We want to bring the war to their territory,” said the commander of a drone battalion in Ukraine’s 14th Regiment who has the call-sign Cold.

Cold’s drone units were among the first troops who entered Kursk and are now hunkered down in the basements of homes north of Sudzha, using their reconnaissance and strike drones to help Ukrainian forces blast their way forward.

He said Russia is putting up a stiffer fight. Earlier this week, it sent a force of 80 men into one of the Ukrainian-held villages, dropping 21 glide bombs on the settlement in the space of an hour in advance of its assault, which Ukraine repelled with difficulty.

“We’re paying a price too,” Cold said.
The troops Russia is bringing in are well-equipped, Cold said, and some clearly have extensive combat experience. Russia has also successfully used its electronic warfare systems to down some of his unit’s drones. He can see from the drones’ feeds how some Russian troops are digging in and establishing defensive positions along the new front line, clearly expecting a lengthy campaign.

As the Russians assemble pontoon bridges to try to cross the Seym, the Ukrainians are smashing them with artillery. Pvt. Andriy Brigadir of Ukraine’s 44th artillery brigade, which operates Western-supplied M777 artillery guns, said the Russian river crossings are often conducted in a panicked way that exposes them to Ukrainian fire.

“The Russians are rushing in any men they can get right now,” he said.

Those men now include marines from Russia’s Black Sea fleet, normally based far to the south in the Russian-held Crimean Peninsula, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. On Tuesday, the ministry also announced the creation of three new military formations tasked with defending Kursk province and two neighboring regions.

Ukrainian soldiers say that is unlikely to help the Russian soldiers severed from their supply lines near the Seym river.

“Now that we’ve blown three of their bridges, it’s only a matter of time before this pocket closes for them,” said the commander of a reconnaissance unit in the 14th Regiment who has the call-sign Croat.

Signals Intelligence Center Targeted In Drone Attack On Moscow: Ukraine’s Intel Chief

The head of Ukrainian intelligence told The War Zone that his agency carried out drone attacks on a signals intelligence center and airport near Moscow and a Russian airbase in the Rostov region. In addition, video emerged on social media showing an unsuccessful drone strike near the Olenya Air Base in Murmansk, home of Russian strategic bombers in the Arctic Circle about 1,200 miles from Ukraine.

“We conducted a couple of drone operations today,” Lt. Gen. Kyrulo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR), told The War Zone.

In addition to the attack on the signals intelligence center, GUR also conducted drone strikes on the Ostafyevo airport in Moscow as well as the Millerovo air base in the Rostov region. In total, about 50 drones were used, Budanov said.

 

[Don't Toews Me]

Poorly trained recruits contribute to loss of Ukrainian territory on eastern front, commanders say

Some new Ukrainian soldiers refuse to fire at the enemy. Others, according to commanders and fellow fighters, struggle to assemble weapons or to coordinate basic combat movements. A few have even walked away from their posts, abandoning the battlefield altogether.

While Ukraine presses on with its incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, its troops are still losing precious ground along the country’s eastern front — a grim erosion that military commanders blame in part on poorly trained recruits drawn from a recent mobilization drive, as well as Russia’s clear superiority in ammunition and air power.

“Some people don’t want to shoot. They see the enemy in the firing position in trenches but don’t open fire. ... That is why our men are dying,” said a frustrated battalion commander in Ukraine’s 47th Brigade. “When they don’t use the weapon, they are ineffective.”

Commanders say the recruits have contributed to a string of territorial losses that enabled Russia’s army to advance, including near the city of Pokrovsk, a critical logistics hub. If it falls, the defeat would imperil Ukraine’s defenses and bring Russia closer to its stated aim of capturing the Donetsk region. Russian soldiers are now just 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) away.

Adding to Ukraine’s woes are Russia’s huge advantage in manpower and its willingness to accept staggering losses in return for capturing small objectives.

The recently conscripted Ukrainians are a far cry from the battle-hardened fighters who flocked to join the war in the first year of the full-scale invasion. The new troops lack even a minimal level of training, commanders and soldiers from four brigades defending the Pokrovsk area said.

They described having to plan operations with infantry who are unable to shoot targets and uninformed about basic topography. Some recruits simply lacked faith in the battle plans of their superiors and walked away from prepared positions.

Frustrated with the quality of the new conscripts sent to the front line by territorial recruitment centers, commanders are now seeking to conduct their own mobilization drives to better screen and train new fighters, multiple commanders and soldiers said.

“The main problem is the survival instinct of newcomers. Before, people could stand until the last moment to hold the position. Now, even when there is light shelling of firing positions, they are retreating,” said a soldier with the 110th Brigade.

Not everyone is turning around and running away from battle, he added.

“No, there are motivated people, but they are just very, very few,” he said. “The position is held as far as there are these people who are motivated and committed.”

Some point the finger back at commanders who single out recent recruits for losses.

Viktor Kevliuk, a military expert with the Ukraine-based Center for Defense Strategies think tank, said the training offered to recruits is adequate. He said brigade commanders “are looking for an explanation for tactical failures.”

“Likewise, the brigade commander has the appropriate tools to influence morale. If all these processes are established in the brigade, there will be no significant problems. If these mechanisms fail, we read about the negativity in social networks,” he added.

And in intense fights such as the one in Pokrovsk, “it is the timely tactical decisions of commanders that make the difference, Kevliuk said.

In some instances, terrified new recruits have fled from the fight.

“This fear creates panic and chaos,” said the battalion commander in the 47th Brigade. “This is also the reason we have lost.”

The loss of the village of Prohres last month in the Pokrovsk region is the most recent example of territorial loss blamed on new recruits, commanders said. Units from the 31st Brigade left in a poorly coordinated frenzy, prompting the 47th Brigade to enter the battle and attempt to stabilize the line. A similar scenario unfolded in the village of Ocheretyne in May.

Not enough is done to train newcomers, the battalion commander said. “They don’t receive even the lowest standard of training required for our (combat) actions,” he said.
The new men do not have enough practice assembling and shooting their rifles, he said. They also have not learned how to coordinate combat tasks in small groups or to use even simple tactics, he added.

“From the command point, I would like to issue orders to small (infantry) groups, but I am not sure if they are capable of executing these orders because they lack coordination and communication,” he said, adding, “Sometimes, I want to shoot myself.”

Another challenge for Ukraine is a new tactic in which Russia deploys recurrent waves of smaller infantry units of two to four men. That has flummoxed Ukrainian drone operators, who find it difficult to target them, according to a drone operator with the 25th Brigade who uses the call sign Groot.

“This is one of the main reasons for (Russia’s) success in Pokrovsk,” he said. “It’s harder to detect them,” especially under the cover of leafy trees.

“As soon as the infantry get under the tree lines, it’s really hard to get them out of there with drones, and that’s why we depend a lot on our infantry.”

 

[higgins]

An interview I found equal parts interesting & shocking.

Next month will be the 25th anniversary (starting September 4th) of the 1999 bombings of the Russian Apartment buildings, events that were widely believed to be false flag operations and that were catalysts in popularizing Putin, while he was prime minister, and his successful run to the presidency.

Now that Ukrainian forces have created havoc in Russia itself, could Putin create another series of false flag catastrophes within Russia in order to start what would be a massively unpopular mobilization (within the main population)?

 

[The Z Machine]

An interview I found equal parts interesting & shocking.

Next month will be the 25th anniversary (starting September 4th) of the 1999 bombings of the Russian Apartment buildings, events that were widely believed to be false flag operations and that were catalysts in popularizing Putin, while he was prime minister, and his successful run to the presidency.

Now that Ukrainian forces have created havoc in Russia itself, could Putin create another series of false flag catastrophes within Russia in order to start what would be a massively unpopular mobilization (within the main population)?

Yes, but it would be harder to keep quiet now than in 1999.

 

[Dezbelief]

Ukrainian drone showers Russian positions with "molten thermite": video

"An FPV drone with a thermite warhead is destroying Russian positions," wrote an X user which translates materials about the war.

www.newsweek.com

A video circulating on social media shows a Ukrainian drone shower Russian positions with a fiery substance, Ukrainian war social media purports

Eastern Ukraine, a Ukrainian drone drops molten thermite on a Russian-held treeline, setting it ablaze," open-source X, formerly Twitter, user OSINT Technical said, sharing the footage circulated by multiple Ukrainian Telegram accounts posting war updates.

Thermite is a mix of aluminium and rust that reaches more than 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit when set alight—twice as hot as molten lava—according to the Science Channel. The Ukrainian Military Center reports that thermite is capable of burning through the armor of vehicles.

Kyiv's military regularly shares drone combat footage showing front line clashes in the ongoing full-scale war, which began in February 2022.

 

[Dezbelief]

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[The Z Machine]

What's the latest in this conflict? Why not updates? This thread was amazing for that info.

 

[Dezbelief]

Russia is still making gains in the East with meat grinder assaults. Ukraine still holds Russian land in Kursk. Russia doesn't appear able to dislodge them. Ukraine has recently caused large explosions at 3 Russian ammunition dumps. At least two of the depot explosions registered on the Richter scale.

@Don't Toews Me

We miss you.

 

[Chadstroma]

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

 

[The Z Machine]

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

Watched a bit of that. Seemed way too pro-Ukraine and more propaganda than unbiased facts.

 

[Chadstroma]

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

Watched a bit of that. Seemed way too pro-Ukraine and more propaganda than unbiased facts.

A bit so but a good amount of it is 'true' to one degree or another.

Russia has used it's vast Soviet stockpiles to continue the war machine with putting the economy focused on the war effort. The stockpiles are running out. They don't have many more T-55's to patch together and send to the front. Russia does not have the manufacturing capacity to produce many T-90's- not near enough to continue their meat grinder tactics. They do not have an easy route to obtaining more armor as well since out of their 'allies' China is the only one that could produce armor for them. Perhaps they could reach deals with N. Korea for it's old armor or Iran's older armor or indigenous designs but neither can easily replace anything they send to Russia or have the manufacturing capacity to build on a scale that would matter.

Even more important than armor are weapon systems that are harder to manufacture. The Russians are getting thin on anti air coverage. The Ukrainians have steadily been taking out their S300 and S400's as well as systems like the Pantsir. As well as other systems like the A50 AWACS (lost 2 out of the total of 9 they had and basically impossible for them to replace).

The economy is on borrowed time. The drain of manpower both from military recruitment and those fleeing the country is significant. The wages are up for the average Russian worker and that means that luring the poor Russians to join the military will be harder and hard or more expensive and more expensive.

The Russians seemed incapable of conducting any combined arms warfare even when they had fresh units fully trained (in Russian terms at least) let alone the production of new recruits to the frontline with little training. They are now only able to continue to press human wave tactics and hoping sheer numbers grind down Ukrainian defenses. They also seem incapable of movement as I do not believe that the Russians would react as they have to Kursk if they have the ability to react in a stronger counter offensive. They severely lack the transportation ability to move troops outside of their set up funnel to the established frontline.

Now, all is not rosy for Ukraine but after the near starving of military aid from political posturing in foreign countries, they have been getting the much needed aid and bolstering their ability with things like F-16's. Kursk shows that the Ukrainians are capable of conducting well planned out, well executed large scale maneuvers in ways the Russians can not match. As long as other countries continue to support Ukraine, I think the clock is ticking for Russia.

 

[thecatch]

Ukraine is still barely getting enough supplies from the West to keep things together, and will run out of manpower long before Russia runs out of equipment and expendable troops. IIRC Russia alone is now outproducing Ukraine's coalition of suppliers for basic munitions.

 

[The Z Machine]

What's the latest with the F-16s? I hadn't heard much about their effect (if any) on the tactics used. But there was a time when glide bombs were doing horrific things to the Ukrainians. Maybe the F-16s are causing the MiG bombers to stand off further, reducing the tange of the glide bombs?

 

[Dezbelief]

The early F16 missions have been using air to air munitions to shoot down ballistic missiles and drones.

 

[Dezbelief]

Missile Strike Near Donetsk Eliminates 6 North Korean Officers – Intel

Six officers from North Korea were among the 20 soldiers killed in a Ukrainian missile strike on Russian-occupied territory near Donetsk, intelligence sources say.

www.kyivpost.com

 

[Chadstroma]

Ukraine is still barely getting enough supplies from the West to keep things together, and will run out of manpower long before Russia runs out of equipment and expendable troops. IIRC Russia alone is now outproducing Ukraine's coalition of suppliers for basic munitions.

Artillery shells is basically the only thing that they are able to produce in numbers. They are losing something like 10-20 artillery systems a day. They can't produce those on the level of their losses. They have extremely limited capability of producing pretty much anything else in terms of armor and airpower unless you count drones as airpower.

For Russia, they are no longer getting the poor rural conscripts lured by monetary incentives. They are starting to realize it isn't likely to go well if they join. Once Russia has no choice but to start pulling Moscovites, that will have a real political price that Russia hasn't had to pay yet as they have sent the poor to the slaughter.

Also, Russia's economy is a ticking timebomb. Everything they have done to keep it going will not last forever and it all has a price to be paid. The Russian economy could completely implode.

I am not saying Ukraine is on the verge of winning the war but if they can continue to get enough support to keep in the fight, the pressures against Russia will start to increase and could very well bust the pipes at some point.

 

[Chadstroma]

What's the latest with the F-16s? I hadn't heard much about their effect (if any) on the tactics used. But there was a time when glide bombs were doing horrific things to the Ukrainians. Maybe the F-16s are causing the MiG bombers to stand off further, reducing the tange of the glide bombs?

We don't know how many they got so far but it is a small portion of the 60ish that they have been promised. They did lose one to friendly fire.

 

[Orange&Blue]

What's the latest with the F-16s? I hadn't heard much about their effect (if any) on the tactics used. But there was a time when glide bombs were doing horrific things to the Ukrainians. Maybe the F-16s are causing the MiG bombers to stand off further, reducing the tange of the glide bombs?

We don't know how many they got so far but it is a small portion of the 60ish that they have been promised. They did lose one to friendly fire.

i think it came back as going down due to collateral damage from shooting down a drone

 

[Dezbelief]

What's the latest with the F-16s? I hadn't heard much about their effect (if any) on the tactics used. But there was a time when glide bombs were doing horrific things to the Ukrainians. Maybe the F-16s are causing the MiG bombers to stand off further, reducing the tange of the glide bombs?

We don't know how many they got so far but it is a small portion of the 60ish that they have been promised. They did lose one to friendly fire.

i think it came back as going down due to collateral damage from shooting down a drone

There was also a few that got hit with ballistic missiles at their base.

Missile Strike on Ukrainian Airbase Takes Out F-16s on the Ground - Reports

Unconfirmed reports from a number of European sources have indicated that an attack on an airbase in Ukraine destroyed four newly supplied F-16 fighter aircraft on the

militarywatchmagazine.com

 

[Chadstroma]

What's the latest with the F-16s? I hadn't heard much about their effect (if any) on the tactics used. But there was a time when glide bombs were doing horrific things to the Ukrainians. Maybe the F-16s are causing the MiG bombers to stand off further, reducing the tange of the glide bombs?

We don't know how many they got so far but it is a small portion of the 60ish that they have been promised. They did lose one to friendly fire.

i think it came back as going down due to collateral damage from shooting down a drone

There was also a few that got hit with ballistic missiles at their base.

Missile Strike on Ukrainian Airbase Takes Out F-16s on the Ground - Reports

Unconfirmed reports from a number of European sources have indicated that an attack on an airbase in Ukraine destroyed four newly supplied F-16 fighter aircraft on the

militarywatchmagazine.com

I don't think it was ever confirmed. And as a rule, it is always best to take a position that anything Russia says is a lie. I mean, if you believed what they say, they have already downs all 60ish planes that haven't even been delivered yet.

 

[Chadstroma]

What's the latest with the F-16s? I hadn't heard much about their effect (if any) on the tactics used. But there was a time when glide bombs were doing horrific things to the Ukrainians. Maybe the F-16s are causing the MiG bombers to stand off further, reducing the tange of the glide bombs?

We don't know how many they got so far but it is a small portion of the 60ish that they have been promised. They did lose one to friendly fire.

i think it came back as going down due to collateral damage from shooting down a drone

I didn't see that... the sad thing is that it was one of their best pilots who was a big part of getting the US to allow F-16's to be donated.

 

[Orange&Blue]

What's the latest with the F-16s? I hadn't heard much about their effect (if any) on the tactics used. But there was a time when glide bombs were doing horrific things to the Ukrainians. Maybe the F-16s are causing the MiG bombers to stand off further, reducing the tange of the glide bombs?

We don't know how many they got so far but it is a small portion of the 60ish that they have been promised. They did lose one to friendly fire.

i think it came back as going down due to collateral damage from shooting down a drone

I didn't see that... the sad thing is that it was one of their best pilots who was a big part of getting the US to allow F-16's to be donated.

i heard it from unofficial sources, but either way
it is a big loss for them.

 

[Chadstroma]

On 5 October 2024, an S-70 was shot down by an air-to-air missile from a Russian Su-57 near Kostiantynivka, in Ukraine.Together the S-70 and the Su-57 had taken off from Akhtubinsk Air Base 365 miles (587 km) from the front lines for an operational test flight. The drone apparently lost contact with its ground control and flew in the direction of Ukrainian-controlled territory. By the time attempts to regain control over the drone had been given up the drone had crossed the front lines into Ukrainian-controlled territory and the Su-57 deliberately shot down the drone. The Armed Forces of Ukraine consequently gained access to the drone's wreckage for analysis.

S-70 is their 'stealth' high end UAV likely the Russian attempt at our RQ-170. I believe this is one of their two that they have operational.

 

[Chadstroma]

Countries that have supported the most to Ukraine by percentage of GDP in order:

Denmark
Estonia
Lithuania
Latvia
Finland
Sweden
Poland
Slovakia
Netherlands
Czech Republic
Croatia
Belgium
Germany
Norway
Bulgaria
UK
France
Austria
Luxembourg
Italy
Slovenia
Canada
Spain
US
Portugal
Greece
Romania
Cyprus
Hungary
Malta
Japan
Ireland
Iceland
Switzerland
Australia
S. Korea
New Zealand
Turkey
Taiwan
India
China

As you get down the list, obviously it isn't as much military support as humanitarian/economic.

 

[Da Guru]

This has turned into a "survival" mission for Putin. Putin does not care if a million Russian soldiers are killed, or if the economy is destroyed, he will never give in to anything that is not considered a Russian victory he can sell the masses.

 

[Dezbelief]

Russian Su-34 supersonic fighter-bomber shot down by F-16: reports

A Russian military blogger said that a Sukhoi fighter plane had been downed while it was dropping air bombs.

www.newsweek.com

Another pro-Moscow milblogger said that the Sukhoi Su-34 aircraft had been downed by a Western-supplied F-16

 

[Chadstroma]

France has committed to donating Mirage 2000-5 multirole fighters to Ukraine, but the exact number has not been publicly disclosed. The delivery is scheduled for early 2025, and it's expected that Ukraine will receive at least a squadron of 20 jets to make a significant impact.

 

[The Z Machine]

Russian Su-34 supersonic fighter-bomber shot down by F-16: reports

A Russian military blogger said that a Sukhoi fighter plane had been downed while it was dropping air bombs.

www.newsweek.com

Another pro-Moscow milblogger said that the Sukhoi Su-34 aircraft had been downed by a Western-supplied F-16

If so, that's great news. Hopefully it forces the Russians to stand off further, decreasing the risk of glide bombs. Forces the orcs into more meat assaults to make minor gains.

 

[Chadstroma]

Russian Su-34 supersonic fighter-bomber shot down by F-16: reports

A Russian military blogger said that a Sukhoi fighter plane had been downed while it was dropping air bombs.

www.newsweek.com

Another pro-Moscow milblogger said that the Sukhoi Su-34 aircraft had been downed by a Western-supplied F-16

If so, that's great news. Hopefully it forces the Russians to stand off further, decreasing the risk of glide bombs. Forces the orcs into more meat assaults to make minor gains.

for using the Ukrainian slur for the Russians.

 

[Dezbelief]

18 North Korean Soldiers Have Gone AWOL Near Ukrainian Border

A Ukrainian news outlet citing intelligence sources says the servicemen left their positions on the border between the Bryansk and Kursk regions of Russia.

www.kyivpost.com

 

[Chadstroma]

18 North Korean Soldiers Have Gone AWOL Near Ukrainian Border

A Ukrainian news outlet citing intelligence sources says the servicemen left their positions on the border between the Bryansk and Kursk regions of Russia.

www.kyivpost.com

Prob a lot easier to cross no man's zone to freedom than it is the DMZ in Korea. Now those NK units will have death squads behind them to ensure more don't do this.

 

[Chadstroma]

Ukraine to receive nearly fifty Abrams tanks from Australia​

Story by Kateryna Shkarlat

Australia will provide Ukraine with 49 Abrams tanks as part of a new military aid package worth $245 million, ABC informs.

According to the media outlet, Australia will provide Ukraine with Abrams tanks that will soon be decommissioned from the country's army. The official announcement of the tank transfer is expected to be made by Australia's Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery Pat Conroy during a NATO defense ministers' meeting in Brussels.

It is also worth noting that Australia recently received the first of 75 new M1A2 tanks, which will gradually replace the older M1A1 models. The transfer of the tanks required approval from the United States under international arms trade regulations.

Transfer of Australian Abrams tanks to Ukraine

In August, it was reported that Australia had decommissioned Abrams tanks that Ukraine had requested. At the time, Ukraine urged Australia to provide 14 tanks and train Ukrainian crews. However, the Australian government decided to reject the request.

Later, media outlets wrote that Australia might still transfer the decommissioned American Abrams tanks to Ukraine. The possibility of such supplies was under consideration by the government.

 

[Chadstroma]

Norway has announced that it will send six F-16 fighters to Ukraine "in the near future," Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said on Thursday.

Minister Umerov disclosed the decision after meeting with Norwegian Defense Minister Bjoern Arild Gram. The two leaders spoke during the NATO-Ukraine Council in Brussels.
The Norwegian government made the decision to transfer the fighters in July. The first planes are expected to arrive in Ukraine in 2024.
At the end of June, the Dutch Defense Minister announced that the country would grant Ukraine permission to use the F-16 fighters it transferred to attack targets on Russian territory.

"We only ask them to comply to international law and the right to self-defense as stated in the U.N. Charter, which means they use it to target the military goals they need to target in their self-defense," said Kajsa Ollongren, the Dutch Minister of Defense, at that time.

On July 31, the first F-16s arrived in Ukraine. The number of aircraft delivered in the initial batch has not been disclosed by Kyiv authorities. A coalition of countries, including Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, and Belgium, has committed to delivering approximately 60 fighters.

 

[Chadstroma]

Ukraine war latest: Zelensky says he told Trump that either Ukraine will join NATO or pursue nuclear weapons​

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Oct. 17 that he told Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in their meeting in September that Ukraine would either become a NATO member or pursue nuclear capabilities to protect itself.

Zelensky was speaking from Brussels, where he presented his victory plan to EU leaders.

"Either Ukraine will have nuclear weapons, which will serve as protection, or it must be part of some kind of alliance. Apart from NATO, we do not know of such an effective alliance," Zelensky said that he had told Trump.

"I believe Trump heard me and said that it was a fair argument," he added.

Zelensky also invoked the Budapest Memorandum, in which Ukraine agreed in 1994 to give up its nuclear arsenal in exchange for security guarantees from Russia, the U.S., and the U.K.
The agreement resulted in Ukraine losing its nuclear shield, Zelensky argued, while other powers that have maintained their nuclear arsenal have not suffered from a full-scale war.

At the same time, Zelensky emphasized that he would choose NATO membership over pursuing nuclear weapons.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Oct. 17 that Ukraine was not pursuing nuclear weapons, clarifying comments he had made previously.

Earlier in the day, Zelensky said that he told Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in their meeting in September that Ukraine needs to be part of NATO, or it would pursue nuclear capabilities to protect itself.

In a press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Zelensky walked back the comments and said explicitly that Ukraine was not seeking nuclear weapons.

"We never spoke about...that we are preparing to create nuclear weapons or something like this," he said.

Zelensky chided the reporter for asking about the earlier comments and said they were made to describe how the Budapest Memorandum had failed to provide Ukraine with an effective security umbrella.

Zelensky emphasized that, given the failure of the Budapest Memorandum, Ukraine has no other option for effective security besides joining NATO.

"But we don't do...nuclear weapons," he emphasized, adding that he would ask for such a narrative not to be propagated.

Following Zelensky's comments, Rutte reiterated that Ukraine will become a NATO member but did not specify a timetable for when it would join.

 

[Chadstroma]

'First step to World War' — North Korea preparing 10,000 soldiers to join Russia's war, Zelensky says​

North Korea is preparing 10,000 soldiers of different branches and specializations to join Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Oct. 17.

His statement came days after a Western diplomat told the Kyiv Independent that Pyongyang had sent 10,000 soldiers to Russia. Zelensky said that Moscow plans to "actually involve" North Korea in the war in the coming months.

Speaking at a press conference in Brussels, the president said that Russia is planning to train and engage not only infantry but also North Korean specialists in various branches of the military.

"We know about 10,000 soldiers from North Korea they are preparing to send to fight against us," he added.

According to military intelligence, some North Korean officers are already in occupied territories of Ukraine and joined the Russian army. Their number is unknown, Zelensky added.


According to Zelensky, the participation of the North Korean military in Russia's war "is the first step to a world war."

Moscow and Pyongyang have deepened military cooperation as Russia seeks arms and other support in its full-scale war against Ukraine. North Korea has been supplying Russia with ballistic missiles and vast quantities of artillery shells.

Iran is another Russian ally, aiding Moscow in its aggression against Ukraine. Tehran has provided Russia with thousands of Shahed kamikaze drones that are used for daily attacks across Ukraine.

"Iran gave (Russia) drones, license to produce these drones and missiles. But not people, not officially. And here we see this first step in this war," Zelensky added.

 

[Chadstroma]

Getting out of 'protracted' war with Russia 'almost impossible,' Zaluzhnyi says​

Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine's former commander-in-chief and current ambassador to the U.K., said it is almost impossible to escape the state of "protracted" war with Russia in a speech at the Chatham House on Oct. 17, according to a Kyiv Independent reporter.

Zaluzhnyi reiterated that back in 2023, the West did not provide Kyiv with a sufficient number of weapons, which is why Ukraine failed to achieve "significant success in defeating Russia" during the counteroffensive.


"Consequentially, we ended up in a state of protracted war. In my personal opinion, a way out of this protracted war seems...almost impossible," he said.

In November 2023, The Economist published an interview with Zaluzhnyi and an op-ed by the general, in which he characterized the state of the war as a "stalemate."

The comment contrasted the outlook usually offered by President Volodymyr Zelensky and his administration in public comments and reportedly triggered a discord between the two.

Zaluzhnyi warned that Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine was moving to a "positional" stage. This new stage is characterized by "static and attritional fighting" that will allow Russia to restore its military power.

Throughout 2024, Ukraine has faced a challenging situation in defending the front line, particularly in Donetsk Oblast, where Russia has consistently concentrated its offensive potential.


Following Ukraine's withdrawal from Vuhledar in early October, Russian forces have been focusing their efforts against the Donetsk Oblast towns of Pokrovsk, Toretsk, and Kurakhove, where outnumbered and outgunned Ukrainian soldiers are slowly losing ground under Russian pressure.

 

[Chadstroma]

Intelligence officer shot dead in Moscow Oblast, Russian media reports​

Nikita Klenkov, a deputy commander of a unit for Russia's military intelligence agency (GRU), was shot dead in Moscow Oblast by an unknown assailant, Russian media reported on Oct. 16.

Klenkov, 44, was reportedly the deputy commander of GRU unit 43292, which serves as training center for Special Operations Forces, the Moscow Times reported.


Russian Telegram channel Baza reported that Klenkov was shot at on the side of a road in the town of Melenki, east of Moscow. The assailant reportedly fire eight shots from the window of a car.

According to the Russian state-run media outlet TASS, Klenkov "returned home a week ago" from Ukraine's front line, according to a GRU source.

Russian state media reported that an investigation into the shooting is ongoing.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify any of the reports in Russian state media.

It is currently unclear if the attack was intended as a politically-motivated assassination. Kyiv has not commented on the situation.

In July, another officer from Russia's GRU had his feet blown off in a car bomb attack in Moscow.

Kyiv denied any involvement in that attack. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak told independent Russian media he believed there was "a malfunction with the gas equipment in the car."

 

[Chadstroma]

French Caesars: Ukraine's nightmare for Russian forces​

According to a report from the Spanish military-focused service Infodefensa, of the 67 Caesar self-propelled howitzers delivered to Ukraine so far, the Russians have destroyed only four. Subsequent deliveries of this weapon to the front have already been confirmed, making the French artillery increasingly considered a nightmare for the Russians.

Journalists from Infodefensa cite data provided by Oryx analysts, who systematically update the list of losses suffered by both sides of the ongoing war. It includes only four destroyed Caesar self-propelled howitzers (French Camion Équipé d’un Système d’ARtillerie). The invaders managed to damage another three, but they may return to service after repairs.

Caesar is performing well in Ukraine​

Thus, Caesar stands out compared to other NATO artillery systems, which the Russians eliminate much more often.

Caesar self-propelled howitzers are being delivered to Ukraine from France and Denmark, the latter of which decided to donate all its systems of this type to Ukraine. The Scandinavian country had a modernized version based on the Tatra 8x8 chassis, while the French standard variants use the Renault 6x6 chassis. Danish Caesars additionally have an armored cabin, an automatic loading system, and more ammunition space. However, both variants perform equally well regarding range and accuracy, features highly praised by Ukrainian soldiers.

Capabilities of Caesar self-propelled howitzers​

French designers opted for a 155 mm caliber gun (standard for modern NATO artillery) with a barrel length of 52 calibers, which gives the Caesar a high range. The range of target engagement is approximately 25 miles to even 34 miles, depending on the type of shells, although with the new Vulcano GLR sub-caliber shells, the range can reach up to 50 miles.

It is also possible to fire in the destructive MRSI mode. The rate of fire can reach up to 6 rounds per minute. The French howitzer can be ready to fire in less than a minute after stopping. Speaking about Caesar's capabilities, Ukrainian soldiers emphasize its high mobility and maneuverability in the field and its great range and accuracy.

 

[Chadstroma]

Germany delivers 8 Leopard tanks to Ukraine​

The Leopard tanks were provided jointly with Denmark, the message specified.

Ukraine is also set to receive one BEAVER bridge-laying tank, two WISENT 1 armored engineering vehicles, and four MRAP (mine-resistant, ambush protected) vehicles.

Furthermore, Germany has supplied additional ammunition for the Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 tanks, Marder IFVs, 24,000 artillery shells, Sea Sparrow missiles, IRIS-T air defense system missiles, and 30 Vector reconnaissance drones.

In addition, the package includes 100 H-PEMBS portable demining systems, 90 mine detectors, one mine plow, two mobile antenna mast systems, 57 laser rangefinders, 3,000 RGW 90 anti-tank rocket launchers, and 25,000 40mm rounds.

The aid shipment included 75,000 tourniquets and an assortment of small arms and small arms ammunition.

Another key item was an unspecified quantity of AIM-9L/I-1 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, to be wielded by Ukraine’s growing fleet of F-16 fighter jets.

 

[Chadstroma]

Ukraine increases drone production 10 times​

Ukraine has increased the production capacity of the drone industry ten times in 2024 compared to 2023.

Source: the press service for the Ministry of Digital Transformation

Quote: "The production capacity of the Ukrainian drone industry increased more than 10 times in 2024 compared to 2023," the statement said.

It is noted that the number of investments in 2024 amounted to up to US$50 million, whereas in 2023, this figure was up to US$5 million.

At the same time, the average investment increased from US$500,000 to US$1-3 million.

Production capacity, according to the Ministry of Digital Transformation, increased from 300,000 drones in 2023 to 4 million in 2024.

Background: Ukraine plans to lift the ban on drone exports as state resources are insufficient to cover all military needs for unmanned aerial vehicles, making it necessary to attract funds for their production.

 

[Chadstroma]

How Ukraine ‘battlefield taxis’ destroyed Russia’s best tank T-90M​

- YouTube

Auf YouTube findest du die angesagtesten Videos und Tracks. Außerdem kannst du eigene Inhalte hochladen und mit Freunden oder gleich der ganzen Welt teilen.

www.youtube.com

 

[The Z Machine]

Pretty old news though it's cool to see.

 

[Chadstroma]

Pretty old news though it's cool to see.

The Bradley's beating the T-90? Yea, very old, but I thought it was a very interesting video that dove into it beyond seeing the drone footage.

 

[Chadstroma]

Number of Ukrainian soldiers trained abroad revealed by General Staff​

More than 100,000 servicemen of the Ukrainian Defense Forces have already been trained in the territory of partner countries, says Deputy Chief of the Main Department of Doctrine and Training of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Yevhen Mezhevikin. We are talking about the period since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion.

He clarified that there were different areas of training. Both basic training and training of specialists, leaders, and staff.

“In 2022, 2023, and 2024, more than 100,000 servicemen were trained in various areas of training on the territory of partner countries, starting with basic training, specialists of various types/branches of the military, leadership training, staff coordination, etc. That is, a very large amount of work has been undertaken by our partners,” Mezhevikin said.

The representative of the General Staff also added that cooperation with NATO countries and partners in training the Ukrainian military continues and is developing.

“And this clearly confirms that Ukraine is not alone in the fight against the Russian aggressor,” he summarized.

Just over a week ago, The Times reported that the UK military leadership was considering sending troops to Ukraine. One of the newspaper's sources explained that they would help train new recruits, as sending British troops to Ukraine instead of training at military bases in the UK would be cheaper, better, and faster.

 

[Chadstroma]

Ukraine strikes Lipetsk-2 airfield in Russia: General Staff​

Ukrainian defense forces have attacked yet another airfield in Russia. This time, the target was Lipetsk-2, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

"Last night, fire damage was inflicted on the infrastructure of the military airfield Lipetsk-2 in the Lipetsk region of the Russian Federation," the statement said.

In particular, military sources reported that the targets were ammunition depots, fuel and lubricant storage areas, and aviation equipment.

"It is known that Su-34, Su-35, and MiG-31 aircraft of the enemy's aerospace forces are based at the airfield," the General Staff noted.

Strikes on Russia in the night of October 20

Explosions were heard in several regions of Russia during the night of October 20, with the occupiers claiming that air defense systems were active in eight regions. Reports indicated that air defense systems were reportedly operational in the Lipetsk, Tula, Ryazan, Oryol, Ivanovo, Kursk, Kaluga, and Moscow regions.

In particular, explosions were reported in the city of Dzerzhinsk in the Nizhny Novgorod region, with claims that air defense systems were also in operation there. Later, sources from RBC-Ukraine confirmed that on the night of October 20, drones from the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) and the Main Intelligence Directorate (DIU) struck the largest explosives manufacturing plant in Russia, located 900 km from the border with Ukraine.

It should be noted that this is not the first attack on the Lipetsk-2 airfield. In August, Ukraine also targeted the Russian military airfield Lipetsk-2, which was reported to be an important facility for the Kremlin's forces rather than just a regular airfield.