Russia and Ukraine

[Deesse23]

I saw an interview on German TV as a part of an interview that was itself a part of a series of programs on the period in the mid 80’s I was talking about and I found her incredibly good looking for her age (almost as if she had managed to physically remain in the 90’s even if not in the 80’s). Another such great musical personality (who isn’t that good looking) is Udo Lindenberg who still “rocks like the 80’s” like French Rock Singer Johny Hallyday who died in 2017.

She is vegan. It may have something to do with her looking quite well for her age.
Lindenberg: She had an affair with him back then.

[Deesse23]

2. That just means she's my age.

I feel women of my age are too old for me.  

.....Back to invasions and people trying desperately to defend the indefensible.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

There are rumours afoot (no real reporting) that Russia may soon deploy the T-14 Armata ‘super tank’. I’m not an armaments expert, but this doesn’t strike me as a major concern, because:

-The abysmal performance of Russian armour thus far in the war is as much a failure of logistics and tactics as it is the equipment. A new tank isn’t going to solve that.

-Ukrainians have shown themselves to be very, very good at locating and killing Russian tanks.

-While the actual number of T-14 available isn’t known with any certainty, Russia claims they’ll be able to deploy about 40 of them next year. This number doesn’t strike me as a game changer.

Boru

[Deesse23]

The T14 has a unique/new feature: The crew compartment in the chassis is completely separated from the turret (previous russian tanks already had autoloaders, making a loader unnecessary and enbling them to build tanks with fairly small turrets/shilouette)

It is expected that in case of a penetration of the turret, the crew will survive now. Survivability of the crew may be better, survivability of the system, probably not. Combined with already low morale, a crew returing telling how their tank got blown up....dunno if that helps. Otoh, the tank may be able to be repaired (as long as engine is still functional).
In any case, this tank will be available only in small numbers, and any (mission) kill will count even more.

I dont see how this tank will change the situation fundamentally on the ukrainian battelfield. It may however provide interesting data for design of future systems (completly remotely operated turrets), looking at statistical data.

[Leonardo17]

The issue with the Armata Tank could be like the issue with Su-57 fighter jets. Although both weapon systems are highly advanced, the Russians don’t have western parts to produce them. They are currently scavenging their civil aircrafts to use their components in old types Sukoi fighters. Also the number of Armata Tanks wasn’t very high (just like Su-57’s) even before the war. I think these were designed for export to countries like India or Pakistan.

+ Just by looking at the physique of the new chief of their army I could tell you that (combined with everything else we are hearing) they wouldn’t be able to do much even if you gave them raptors (By this this I mean huge logistical problems, poor morale of troops who don’t want to fight this war, huge amounts of military equipment that is left to the Ukrainians to take, outdated food ratios, soldiers without training, without boots, without clothes and of course, unspoken but [I believe] highly oresent inner opposition to Putin’s Regime.

I read about Aleixei Navalny this morning.

Here are some of his most recent tweets:

“It's been weeks since the whole colony switched to winter clothes, and my evil prison guards are brazenly not giving me my winter boots,”

“My exercise yard is an ice-covered concrete well smaller than my cell. See if you can walk in it in fall boots. But you have to walk. It's the only 1.5 hours of fresh air you can get,”

Anna Venduta (a Supporter of Navalny) Says:

“The prison administration is torturing and killing Alexei Navalny on the orders of Kremlin,”
“They kill him slowly, making his life less and less bearable. His client-attorney privilege is waived, he’s in solitary confinement forever now, he’s deprived of family visits and now they are trying to freeze him to death.”

This is an IK-6 type of Soviet Era Gulag-like facility in which “They are crushing the prisoner as an individual and calling it the betterment of a person. That is the main aim,”

And in his final tweet Navalny is Saying:

“If you’re alive and well and out there, you’re doing fine,” he wrote the final message of his thread about the lack of proper footwear. “Finish your pumpkin latte and go do something to bring Russia closer to freedom.”

- And this is the type of detention Britney Grinner is going to be sent in (for having a small amount of cannabis in her possession).

+ I have had my natural gas cut once during the winter months of the years. I remember purchasing several heating devices to remain warm during these few days. An I even heated water on an electrical heard in order to be able to take a shower. I even slept in the woods at -20 degree C once. All I can say is that it is difficult for adults and probably next to unbearable for children.

The best dictionary term I can find to describe this is ὕβρις (húbris) (Gr.). And the Merriam-Webster definition of this term is

“A dangerous character flaw capable of provoking the wrath of the gods. In classical Greek tragedy, hubris was often a fatal shortcoming that brought about the fall of the tragic hero. Typically, overconfidence led the hero to attempt to overstep the boundaries of human limitations and assume a godlike status, and the gods inevitably humbled the offender with a sharp reminder of their mortality.”

[The Architect Of Fate]

There are rumours afoot (no real reporting) that Russia may soon deploy the T-14 Armata ‘super tank’. I’m not an armaments expert, but this doesn’t strike me as a major concern, because:

-The abysmal performance of Russian armour thus far in the war is as much a failure of logistics and tactics as it is the equipment. A new tank isn’t going to solve that.

-Ukrainians have shown themselves to be very, very good at locating and killing Russian tanks.

-While the actual number of T-14 available isn’t known with any certainty, Russia claims they’ll be able to deploy about 40 of them next year. This number doesn’t strike me as a game changer.

Boru

T14 suffers from the issue of there not being enough of them to make a difference and the fact Russia doesn't have the resources to build more or replace their losses. I think MR Putin should focus on feeding his troops and getting them some better guns than trying to use "wonder weapons" to win.

[Pat Mustard]

There are rumours afoot (no real reporting) that Russia may soon deploy the T-14 Armata ‘super tank’. I’m not an armaments expert, but this doesn’t strike me as a major concern, because:

-The abysmal performance of Russian armour thus far in the war is as much a failure of logistics and tactics as it is the equipment. A new tank isn’t going to solve that.

-Ukrainians have shown themselves to be very, very good at locating and killing Russian tanks.

-While the actual number of T-14 available isn’t known with any certainty, Russia claims they’ll be able to deploy about 40 of them next year. This number doesn’t strike me as a game changer.

Boru

The other issue which would render the Armata not strategically significant; it's vapourware.

[The Architect Of Fate]

I'll take the AbramsX or the KF51 Panther any day.

[Thumpalumpacus]

My young metalhead self had such a mean crush on Nena.

You know that she didnt shave her armpits!?
Oh and her grandchildren are 10y old now.

Not worried about pit-hair, and my son's old enough to have kids too, so no angst here.

[Thumpalumpacus]

There are rumours afoot (no real reporting) that Russia may soon deploy the T-14 Armata ‘super tank’. I’m not an armaments expert, but this doesn’t strike me as a major concern, because:

-The abysmal performance of Russian armour thus far in the war is as much a failure of logistics and tactics as it is the equipment. A new tank isn’t going to solve that.

-Ukrainians have shown themselves to be very, very good at locating and killing Russian tanks.

-While the actual number of T-14 available isn’t known with any certainty, Russia claims they’ll be able to deploy about 40 of them next year. This number doesn’t strike me as a game changer.

Boru

40 by next year is very optimistic. My understanding is that they've only built about 25 or so preproduction models, and expect to start receiving the first batch of 100 production models by the end of this year. It will take a while to work out the bugs, especially on the unmanned turret -- and that turret still suffers the flaw of having the ammunition for the autoloader under the turret bustle, meaning the moonshots we've seen will likely still occur.

And that's not addressing your good point that without good doctrine and tactics, even the best kit will struggle in combat.

And on top of all that, the sanctions have reduced the production of their main factory, Uralvagonzavod, has struggled under the Western sanctions and production has essentially halted, rendering the factory to essentially repairing battle-damaged units.

So I won't be holding my breath for this to make any difference.