Sanctions against Russia

[willedoo]

I was reading that the Marker unmanned combat vehicles that the Russians recently sent to the Donbass will undergo two tests. The first is an ISR (Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) test where a tethered drone that runs on a power cable to a height of 150 meters will be able to see out 15 to 20klm.. That might have some limited success but is still within range of enemy artillery.

 

The second test is a combat test with antitank weapons. It's hard to see any scenario where that would be successful. The point was made that it might have been sent to Ukraine as a demonstration that years of research and sunk money wasn't in vain. Possibly Putler has been asking where are all these high tech projects we've been funding for years. If that's the case, they'll fake some dodgy tests, send back rosy reports and video to air on the media, Putler will be happy and the corruption and siphoning of government funds is covered up. Maybe I'm being a bit too cynical, but it seems to be how Russia's defence industry works.

 

 

 

[red750]

Notice anything?

 

 

[rgmwa]

Musk will probably flip flop again if he gets enough pushback on Twitter.

 

[willedoo]

The Russians have been copping a hiding at Vuhledar. The 155th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade from Vladivostok have been virtually destroyed. According to statements of Russian POWs who surrendered at Vuhledar, about 50% are KIA. Adding wounded figures to that and there wouldn't be many left. The colonel commanding the brigade was among those killed as well.

 

Also in news, another mercenary group, 'PMC Patriot', is operating at Vuhledar. The group is said to be headed by Russian Defense Minister Shoigu. It might explain why Wagner boss Prigozhin said Wagner's will no longer recruit prisoners. His statement came out around the same time it was announced that the Russian Army will start to recruit prisoners. It sounds like Prigozhin has been accumulating too much power, and they want to put him back in his place.

 

Meanwhile Prigozhin has said that their recruitment ads have attracted millions of applicants from U.S. citizens wanting to fight with Wagners. He said they are considering one million of them. Are these Russian elites really that delusional or is it just crappy propaganda for a dumb domestic audience? I recon it's a bit of both. As time goes by, they are probably starting to believe their own BS.

[willedoo]

These are handy gadgets being delivered to Ukraine soon. BANAIR's rail protective mat system for unloading armour from rail stock when your railhead is unavailable or destroyed.

 

[kgwilson]

There was drone footage of the badly organised attack by the Orcs. It was over flat ground with no cover & they lost an entire armoured battalion of 40 armoured vehicles including 7 tanks. Again they drove in close formation rather than space out & zig zag. Ukraine occupies the high ground of 2 artificial hills by the coal mines so directing fire was easy for them. The Russians had 3 goes, each time losing armour and an entire platoon of men killed.

 

Also Ukraine carried out a HIMARS attack on Melitopol airbase with apparently 7 direct hits within 40 minutes which included several ammunition dumps a warehouse of heavy equipment and a Russian barracks. The Russians also fired  about 100 cruise missiles & Iranian drones at civilian infrastructure yesterday. 61 cruise missiles & 5 drones were shot down. Only a few got through and caused minor damage and no casualties. 

 

Ukraine is getting better at its defence every day with new equipment and well trained personnel, whereas Russia keeps doing the same thing and expects different results. At present the reports are that an average of 1000 Russian troops a day are being killed since they sent in extra troops using the Stalingrad tactic of overwhelming manpower. This worked at Soledar but Ukraine changed its tactics for more solid defence against hordes of infantry headed by some armour with devastating results.

[willedoo]

3 minutes ago, kgwilson said:

whereas Russia keeps doing the same thing and expects different results.

Reminds me of that old saying 'never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake'

[willedoo]

Just a correction to a previous post on Vuhledar; I posted fake news. The brigade commander killed was from a special forces brigade, not the marine infantry brigade that was wiped out.

[Old Koreelah]

52 minutes ago, willedoo said:

Meanwhile Prigozhin has said that their recruitment ads have attracted millions of applicants from U.S. citizens wanting to fight with Wagners. He said they are considering one million of them. Are these Russian elites really that delusional…

Maybe not. It wouldn’t surprise me if lots of US citizens showed an interest in being paid to fondle guns. Hopefully these blokes:

 

 

[rgmwa]

44 minutes ago, Old Koreelah said:

Maybe not. It wouldn’t surprise me if lots of US citizens showed an interest in being paid to fondle guns. Hopefully these blokes:

 

 

I think he forgot his snorkel for the river crossing.

[willedoo]

Four days after Putin's invasion of Ukraine started he was stripped of his  honorary taekwondo black belt. Now, after almost twelve months of destruction, death and total disregard for any international laws, he is still the holder of France's Legion d'Honneur, the highest French order of merit. Apparently Macron is considering stripping Putin of the award. What a dick Macron is; there's nothing to consider. It should have been done long ago. Between Macron and Germany's Scholz, I sometimes wonder who's side they're on.

[willedoo]

While Komrade Musk is busy being a complete tool, Starlink's competition glides right in to the void.

 

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/federal-contracting/starlink-competitor-touts-pentagon-partnership-blasts-musk

 

 

[Jerry_Atrick]

Let's hope it is accurate. If anything, it is a lesson that key military infrastructure r functions, if being supplied and operated by private companies, should not be left to just one. 

[willedoo]

[willedoo]

I guess we'll see over the next month or so how the much talked about Russian offensive goes, and whether they make significant gains or underwhelm. They don't appear to have any notable force depth in any one area to make a big push to capture large swaths of territory. So far, it seems like daily smaller assaults on a long front with the main tactic being to throw more meat at the enemy. In some places the Russians are attacking on foot WW1 style with no supporting armour or artillery. Ukraine estimates Russia's daily KIA tally averaging around 800, a figure that the British ministry of defence believes accurate.

 

The Russians might believe they have the manpower to wear the Ukrainians down by attrition. One notable analyst was saying that the challenge in the coming weeks for the Ukrainians will be to absorb the Russian attacks and resist going on the offensive until enough gear and logistics is in place to do so. It was mentioned that it's easier to defend than it is to attack, and the Russians leave themselves vulnerable once they leave their trenches. The problem for Ukraine is to amass enough force to eventually break through the Russian fortified and multi-layered trench system.

[willedoo]

[willedoo]

Another interesting article by Major General (Ret.) Mick Ryan.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-14/year-russia-invaded-ukraine-putin-2023-offensives-needs-victory/101965116

[red750]

Putin 'pulls Russia's notorious Wagner Group troops' from Ukraine

 

Read Reuters report here (slideshow).

[red750]

Russia just suffered a crushing defeat and lost an entire elite brigade

 

View slideshow here.

[facthunter]

Putin brings in all the "heavies " then worries about them toppling him. Mercenaries only fight for Money and  power. Surprise surprise. What a strategist and what a grim dark place they dwell in..  Nev

[kgwilson]

5 hours ago, red750 said:

Russia just suffered a crushing defeat and lost an entire elite brigade

 

View slideshow here.

This was all recorded by Ukrainian drones last Saturday and published by several Telegram and Utube channels. See my post from last Sunday. Because of the footage and publicity they were not able to deny it. It will have been banned from publication in Russia though but now with news getting through from satellite internet access to tech savvy Ruskies there must be more and more doubt of the official line creeping in to Russian society. 

[willedoo]

I was reading that a lot of the armour the Russians lost in their failed assault on Vuhledar was due to the Ukrainians using remote anti armour mines fired from 155mm howitzers. The corridor had previously been cleared of mines before the attack.

[willedoo]

Poor old Comrade Musk is still copping flak. Now people are saying he's turned Starlink into Tsarlink.

[Jerry_Atrick]

7 hours ago, kgwilson said:

It will have been banned from publication in Russia t

Yes.. Penalties can be stiff for flouting the laws of propaganda: 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64647267

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64625127

 

7 hours ago, kgwilson said:

there must be more and more doubt of the official line creeping in to Russian society

Maybe not.. or maybe, people are too scared to admit it:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64543618

 

And, I can't find it now, but there was an article, I think on ABC's website, that had interviews with Russinas in a larger town/smaller city where everyone was behind Russia and it was unpatriotic to question the war, er, SMIO (I think  they mistake patriotism with nationalism).

[willedoo]

Another one out the window. The head of finance and acquisition of the Russian defence ministry's western military district has exited a multi story building in what authorities say was suicide. It comes only a couple of days after a police major general shot himself after being sacked by Putin.