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RE: Russia and Ukraine
February 11, 2024 at 9:44 am
Also, about those tank numbers:
Quote:After losing hundreds of tanks trying and failing to capture Kyiv in early 2022, and struggling to expand production of new tanks that summer, the Russian army in mid-2022 reached deep into its stocks of old Cold War tanks—and started pulling out working vehicles.
T-62s that the Soviet Union built in the 1960s and upgraded in the 1980s. First-generation T-72s and T-80s from the 1970s. And a year later, as tank write-offs approached 2,000—two-thirds of Russia’s pre-war force—even T-55s from the late 1950s.
Friends of Ukraine scoffed. But Russia’s own fellow travelers defended the practice of towing a 65-year-old T-55 from some vehicle park, replacing the 41-ton tank’s seals, re-tuning its 580-horsepower diesel engine and hauling it by train to the Ukraine front.
After all, Russian regiments and brigades wouldn’t dare assign a T-55 with its thin steel armor to a direct assault on Ukrainian positions. No, the Russians would use the T-55s and hundreds of other restored obsolete tanks as crude howitzers: position them under cover many miles from the front, angle their guns high in the air and fire at the Ukrainians without risking direct return fire.
That was then. Today, as Russia’s wider war on Ukraine grinds into its third year—and Russian tank losses exceed 2,600, according to Oryx—regiments routinely are rolling their four-person T-55s and T-62s and three-person, first-generation T-72s and T-80s into direct fights with Ukrainian brigades.
[...]
Some of these tanks have received emergency upgrades: new radios, modern-ish optics, fresh layers of reactive armor. Many of the tanks have no upgrades, however. They are as obsolete today as they were 40 years ago.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/20...5cc8b33a04
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RE: Russia and Ukraine
February 14, 2024 at 10:02 am
Quote:The Russian large landing ship Tsezar Kunikov was destroyed near Alupka, off the coast of Crimea. The ship was attacked by the Magura V5 strike naval drones, according to the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine.
The successful mission was carried out by the special forces of Group 13 of the Ministry of Defense's Intelligence on the night of February 14 in coordination with all components of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/video-of...99009.html
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RE: Russia and Ukraine
February 14, 2024 at 11:30 am
(February 14, 2024 at 10:02 am)Thumpalumpacus Wrote: Quote:The Russian large landing ship Tsezar Kunikov was destroyed near Alupka, off the coast of Crimea. The ship was attacked by the Magura V5 strike naval drones, according to the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine.
The successful mission was carried out by the special forces of Group 13 of the Ministry of Defense's Intelligence on the night of February 14 in coordination with all components of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/video-of...99009.html
According to other reportage, ‘The Kremlin declined to comment on the attack.’
Their silence speaks volumes.
Boru
‘I can’t be having with this.’ - Esmeralda Weatherwax
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RE: Russia and Ukraine
February 14, 2024 at 11:53 am
(This post was last modified: February 14, 2024 at 11:57 am by The Grand Nudger.)
They've lost the army they came with. They've lost their entire pre war active tank core. They've lost many times more than their pre-war active ifv core. Their black sea fleet and it's port infrastructure is being systematically dismantled by a country with no navy. The crazy part, though, is that they believe that they are winning - or are about to.
They must have one hell of an ask in mind for americas first dictator.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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RE: Russia and Ukraine
February 14, 2024 at 12:02 pm
(February 14, 2024 at 11:30 am)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote: According to other reportage, ‘The Kremlin declined to comment on the attack.’
Their silence speaks volumes.
Boru
The video in the article I linked says it all. 
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RE: Russia and Ukraine
February 14, 2024 at 3:44 pm
(February 14, 2024 at 11:53 am)The Grand Nudger Wrote: They've lost the army they came with. They've lost their entire pre war active tank core. They've lost many times more than their pre-war active ifv core. Their black sea fleet and it's port infrastructure is being systematically dismantled by a country with no navy. The crazy part, though, is that they believe that they are winning - or are about to.
They must have one hell of an ask in mind for americas first dictator.
The only thing I can see the Russians have going for them is an apparently bottomless willingness to spend human lives in service of a madman.
What a fucking waste.
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RE: Russia and Ukraine
February 14, 2024 at 5:18 pm
That's the thing that strikes me. When the numbers get this large, think of all the individuals that could have otherwise advanced russia's national interests (or just bred the next mobik waves). I can't personally fathom why anyone would dash these babes heads against rocks outside of some novel calculus where putin (or the putin admin-or my hypothetical oligarchy) can't distinguish between the end of the world and the end of their own private and non-transferrable power.
I recognize that this is the only metric of authority that crooks act on - but at the same time I can't wrap my head around being such a pure thug that the power and authority of the system I exploit -for- thuggery is a non entity in my calculations. In my head, I always prefer to maintain the force multiplier.
The idea that all they would need to win is a disinterested usa is absurd, to me. You clearly need more than that. Thus, if you've pinned all of your expectations on just that, you lose. There must be some bigger ask, like overt or effective assistance, in the minds of putin strategists.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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RE: Russia and Ukraine
February 14, 2024 at 5:21 pm
(This post was last modified: February 14, 2024 at 5:21 pm by Thumpalumpacus.)
(February 14, 2024 at 3:44 pm)Jackalope Wrote: (February 14, 2024 at 11:53 am)The Grand Nudger Wrote: They've lost the army they came with. They've lost their entire pre war active tank core. They've lost many times more than their pre-war active ifv core. Their black sea fleet and it's port infrastructure is being systematically dismantled by a country with no navy. The crazy part, though, is that they believe that they are winning - or are about to.
They must have one hell of an ask in mind for americas first dictator.
The only thing I can see the Russians have going for them is an apparently bottomless willingness to spend human lives in service of a madman.
What a fucking waste.
War casualties started protests which brought down the USSR. Mothers started protesting (albeit a small protest) in Moscow two weeks ago.
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RE: Russia and Ukraine
February 14, 2024 at 5:27 pm
(This post was last modified: February 14, 2024 at 5:28 pm by The Grand Nudger.)
Well before just a few weeks ago. Moscow responded by focusing their contract efforts on the hinterlands. A smaller number of moms for a larger number of mobiks. It presents(presented) an open question. Why should dagestanis die to protect the purchasing power of a St. Pete Suburbanite? Is there some other aim? What is that aim?
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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RE: Russia and Ukraine
February 14, 2024 at 6:43 pm
(February 14, 2024 at 5:27 pm)The Grand Nudger Wrote: Well before just a few weeks ago. Moscow responded by focusing their contract efforts on the hinterlands. A smaller number of moms for a larger number of mobiks. It presents(presented) an open question. Why should dagestanis die to protect the purchasing power of a St. Pete Suburbanite? Is there some other aim? What is that aim?
Russia's fighting Ukraine. Putin's fighting the clock.
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