Is Ukraine about to have a war?
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Do keep up at the back.
They have already been working towards disconnecting Kalingrad's grid from the Baltic states, and the Baltic states from Russia's grid.
https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-englis...says-president
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe...ad-2022-06-22/
In fact it is Russia that is likely more nervous about any grids getting disconnected as Russia has cancelled the pending isolation test for Kalingrad. It is Kalingrad that could end up islanded for a very extended period.
https://www.reuters.com/business/ene...st-2022-06-23/
For any EU-bashers around here, please note that the ability for the Baltic states to do this disconnection from the Russian grid is an EU-funded project, just like there are many other EU funded projects that have had dual use intent. The gas lines are also flowing backwards etc, road and rail links and airport expansions that quietly got built are in good use, etc. The 2025 availability date for the Baltic disconnect would appear to have been accelerated, just as the Ukraine & Moldova disconnect from Russia also got accelerated - as did their connection to the EU grid.
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/pres...tement_22_1789
By the way, Lithuania is only intending to prevent transport of stuff between Russia and Kaliningrad that is subject to EU embargos. Not other stuff.
They have already been working towards disconnecting Kalingrad's grid from the Baltic states, and the Baltic states from Russia's grid.
https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-englis...says-president
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe...ad-2022-06-22/
In fact it is Russia that is likely more nervous about any grids getting disconnected as Russia has cancelled the pending isolation test for Kalingrad. It is Kalingrad that could end up islanded for a very extended period.
https://www.reuters.com/business/ene...st-2022-06-23/
For any EU-bashers around here, please note that the ability for the Baltic states to do this disconnection from the Russian grid is an EU-funded project, just like there are many other EU funded projects that have had dual use intent. The gas lines are also flowing backwards etc, road and rail links and airport expansions that quietly got built are in good use, etc. The 2025 availability date for the Baltic disconnect would appear to have been accelerated, just as the Ukraine & Moldova disconnect from Russia also got accelerated - as did their connection to the EU grid.
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/pres...tement_22_1789
By the way, Lithuania is only intending to prevent transport of stuff between Russia and Kaliningrad that is subject to EU embargos. Not other stuff.
I'd noted the Russian reaction was for retaliation via 'tbd administrative measures'. Perhaps they are finding that more troublesome than they anticipated.
My point still stands, it seems iffy to sign a free transit agreement with Russia and then later claim that more recent EU rules nullify that.
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Latest heavyweight replacement for Ukraine commanding general.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...s-Ukraine.html
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...s-Ukraine.html
"Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the independence of the Baltic states, Kaliningrad Oblast has been separated from the rest of Russia by other countries instead of by other former Soviet republics. Neighboring nations imposed strict border controls when they joined the European Union. All military and civilian land links between the region and the rest of Russia have to pass through members of NATO and the EU. Russian proposals for visa-free travel between the EU and Kaliningrad have so far been rejected by the EU. Travel arrangements, based on the Facilitated Transit Document (FTD) and Facilitated Rail Transit Document (FRTD)[41][42] have been made.[41][42] "
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaliningrad_Oblast
41 = https://web.archive.org/web/20091101...ingrad-region/ (note you can go the text of one of the documents itself if you follow the footnotes)
42 = https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ...08:0008:EN:PDF (not found)
Looking at 41 the explanation seems fair enough to me. If I read correctly, it is only Russian "persons" that get facilitated travel for transit purposes. Goods, no, and never appear to have done. So Lithuania would appear to be entirely acting within the norms in applying sanctions which have been agreed at EU level, but which are being discharged at a national level, to the corresponding prohibited goods that are seeking to transit Lithuanian territory.
CNN are reporting that US is going to buy NASAMS for ukraine
News: The US plans to announce as soon as this week that it has a purchased a NASAMS—an advanced surface-to-air missile defense system— for Ukraine, a source familiar with the announcement tells CNN
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Aviation content... I know, don't get used to it 
What are the holes in top top of his lid for? Weight reduction?
What are the holes in top top of his lid for? Weight reduction?
Aviation content... I know, don't get used to it
What are the holes in top top of his lid for? Weight reduction?
https://twitter.com/u_me_reality/sta...31821551665152
What are the holes in top top of his lid for? Weight reduction?
https://twitter.com/u_me_reality/sta...31821551665152
As I recall, they are vents to counter the tendency for the lid to be removed by the airflow during high-speed ejection. Mind you, it is several decades since I did the course!
Mog
here you go, they claim it prevents the pilot from breaking his/hers neck in case of supersonic exit.
https://www.reddit.com/r/hoggit/comm...eb2x&context=3
https://www.reddit.com/r/hoggit/comm...eb2x&context=3
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Thanks, that makes sense.
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Possibly the new hit on Snake Island, the one the Russians ermmm intercepted.
The really worrying thing is that this whole sentiment seems not just to be a feat of Putin himself but it seems to be a rather widespread sentiment. I.e. even in case Putin's term should come to an end sooner or later the question remains: How much room will a successor have to deviate from this established party line?
Latest heavyweight replacement for Ukraine commanding general.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...s-Ukraine.html
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...s-Ukraine.html
When they said Huffin 'n Puffin was scraping the barrel, they didn't mention that the barrel was dressed in camouflage
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Forget about the detailed content of all this crap. It's all the same song. The real message behind this is disillusion, desperation and deeply hurt pride by the disastrous performance of the 'special operation' compared to what they assumed to be their military capability. They cope with it by throwing ever bigger threats.
The really worrying thing is that this whole sentiment seems not just to be a feat of Putin himself but it seems to be a rather widespread sentiment. I.e. even in case Putin's term should come to an end sooner or later the question remains: How much room will a successor have to deviate from this established party line?
The really worrying thing is that this whole sentiment seems not just to be a feat of Putin himself but it seems to be a rather widespread sentiment. I.e. even in case Putin's term should come to an end sooner or later the question remains: How much room will a successor have to deviate from this established party line?
One thing stood out to me that stuck in my mind was in one of the films on line, it was showing the masses of protesters getting arrested in Russia while protesting against the war.
A commentator rightly noted that they were all young, and that no matter how much Putin tries to reshape Russia into his Utopia, those young Russians fighting against the war are the future of the Country and will determine its path, Putin and his cronies are the past.
Russia's current attack tempo may be unsustainable for much longer.... This would be a target worthy of some ISR and a bit of "track repair work"
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Nato to significantly increase the QRF, That's a heck of a ramping up, I wonder how many will be based in Eastern Europe. So Much for Putins plans, he has done more to bolster and bring together Nato than nearly any other time in its history.
BBC
BBC
The announcement of Nato's plans to increase the number of its forces "at high readiness" represents a massive boost for its quick reaction force - from 40,000 to over 300,000 troops.
It's also a clear sign of the insecure times the defence alliance faces following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Jens Stoltenberg, Nato's Secretary General, has promised this week’s meeting will be transformative, including the biggest overhaul of collective deterrence and defence since the Cold War.
Nato members located closest to Russia, especially the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, but also Poland and recent Nato applicants Finland and Sweden, feel particularly exposed.
They’re expecting a dramatic upgrade in Nato's eastern defences, which would include fellow members such as the UK, US and France pledging warplanes and ships to be at the ready.
It's also a clear sign of the insecure times the defence alliance faces following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Jens Stoltenberg, Nato's Secretary General, has promised this week’s meeting will be transformative, including the biggest overhaul of collective deterrence and defence since the Cold War.
Nato members located closest to Russia, especially the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, but also Poland and recent Nato applicants Finland and Sweden, feel particularly exposed.
They’re expecting a dramatic upgrade in Nato's eastern defences, which would include fellow members such as the UK, US and France pledging warplanes and ships to be at the ready.
Would you call that a mobilization?
It's one thing to make a force offering or a force proposal, it is quite another (and more expensive) to actually mobilize those personnel.
Let's give this the 48 hour 'breathing space' and see what this turns out to be.
It's one thing to make a force offering or a force proposal, it is quite another (and more expensive) to actually mobilize those personnel.
Let's give this the 48 hour 'breathing space' and see what this turns out to be.
Hopefully satellites will monitor the boxcars until close enough for Bayraktars to trigger secondaries, preferably over a bridge.