Is Ukraine about to have a war?
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Ukraine already producing parts for western equipment and ammo
Fairly sure it was indeed a Senator. For clarity, and in the interests of honesty, my job was mostly going to parties, and there was never any danger involved at all, it was all pretty civilised, cultural exchange, etc.
The true hero is the R Sigs Sgt driving the Opel, to whom I will forever be indebted, as he agreed to covertly extract my wife-to-be as a favour. I'm also indebted to those that fiddled her passage to Berlin, all very unorthodox and done without the knowledge of anyone senior at the time (it did come out later back in the UK when we married, though) .
The true hero is the R Sigs Sgt driving the Opel, to whom I will forever be indebted, as he agreed to covertly extract my wife-to-be as a favour. I'm also indebted to those that fiddled her passage to Berlin, all very unorthodox and done without the knowledge of anyone senior at the time (it did come out later back in the UK when we married, though) .
I've seen cold war spy films with a lot lesser plot.
End of thread drift on my side.
Agrajag
Fairly sure it was indeed a Senator. For clarity, and in the interests of honesty, my job was mostly going to parties, and there was never any danger involved at all, it was all pretty civilised, cultural exchange, etc.
Unfortunately not, i had one friend who was badly beaten up and the Americans lost an officer who was shot and bled to death.
Fairly sure it was indeed a Senator. For clarity, and in the interests of honesty, my job was mostly going to parties, and there was never any danger involved at all, it was all pretty civilised, cultural exchange, etc.
Unfortunately not, i had one friend who was badly beaten up and the Americans lost an officer who was shot and bled to death.
Very sorry indeed to hear that. In the short time I was there the worst that happened was a car getting tail gated by an over-enthusiastic Stasi narc. There were clearly serious risks involved, I had absolutely no doubt that my wife-to-be would have suffered dreadfully had our makeshift and wholly unofficial plan failed. If anything, the East Germans were far more ruthless than the Soviets, in my very limited experience. The Soviets seemed to be playing the game as well as the Brits, but the East Germans were very much a law unto themselves.
Major Nicholson got shot. The French lost a driver as well. There were many staged "traffic accidents" intended to block tours.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_D._Nicholson
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_D._Nicholson
..
Posted by Winemaker
Or the President's initiative - "United24" - https://u24.gov.ua/
Seems to work a treat. Select your currency and preferred purpose.
LFH
Posted by Winemaker
Or the President's initiative - "United24" - https://u24.gov.ua/
Seems to work a treat. Select your currency and preferred purpose.
LFH
Major Nicholson got shot. The French lost a driver as well. There were many staged "traffic accidents" intended to block tours.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_D._Nicholson
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_D._Nicholson
There were signifiant differences between the Brits and the Americans. For whatever reason the Brits always seemed to get away with more, and the parties were very real. Some of the parties were little more than attempts to obtain intelligence, but a lot were far more social, and formed part of a sort of cultural programme. I always felt that the Soviet contingent, at least some of them, genuinely believed that there was a benefit in encouraging us to see their culture and ideology. Romantic liaisons between the various groups (especially the French) were fairly commonplace, even if severely frowned upon.
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The Four-Power Berlin Air Safety Centre came under my orbit. A very interesting Staff Visit ensued. The comparison between the RAF OC’s limo and the rusting, devoid of hubcaps, Russian OC’s told volumes. Although the social events were very impressive, with rotating hosts. I believe the French were regular winners by popular acclaim.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Air_Safety_Center
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Air_Safety_Center
Back in the usual program the air raid sirens in Engels airbase are sounding. Another Ukrainian drone attack?
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Good BDR thread on the Engels attack with high definition photos. Obviously clear skies…
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Is there an outbreak of stupidity in Russia that all of the classical great Russians would be rolling over in their grave over? Seems that the breakdown of the education system since the fall of the USSR in the Rodina has consequences...
Wounded Ukrainian pilot
https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/...44279414165505
https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/...44279414165505
Under the current regime, Russia has no interest in negotiation to actually cease their war of aggression, it continues to concentrate on saving the face of Vlad, and his sidekicks Piggie'zin and Benny'dict Kadyrov make a simple apology improbable. Zed, the leader of Ukraine would get impeached if he lets Vlad have an R&R to continue Vlads attempt at extermination of Ukraine at a later date. If Russia isn't given an adequate hint to amend their plans to return to civilisation, "Goose" & co will eventually get to spend a fair amount of time on the margins of this show.
I am a bit puzzled by these recent drone attacks, considering that the Russkies aren't lying about what they found on site
The TU-141 has a cross section next to a F16 (well, not quite, but not that far out either, it is a big mot..., the Soviet missile that crashed to lake Inari in 1984 was much smaller yet lit the radar and the Finnish Air Force made to it)
the Soviet SAM crews trained against these slow, subsonic reconnaissance drones, so they should have no issues in detecting those with their old Soviet era kits
Engel 2 is supposed be one of the best defended AFB's in Russia
The thing flew 600km's across the most dense Russian troop formations.
How on earth did that happen? I've seen the phrase "What air defence doing?" to exhaustion but now I really am wondering that myself.
Furthermore, since the russkies did let that through their network, how on earth would they be able to do anything about the likes of F22/B2/F35 entering their territory in case of escalation by Vlad the Mad?
The TU-141 has a cross section next to a F16 (well, not quite, but not that far out either, it is a big mot..., the Soviet missile that crashed to lake Inari in 1984 was much smaller yet lit the radar and the Finnish Air Force made to it)
the Soviet SAM crews trained against these slow, subsonic reconnaissance drones, so they should have no issues in detecting those with their old Soviet era kits
Engel 2 is supposed be one of the best defended AFB's in Russia
The thing flew 600km's across the most dense Russian troop formations.
How on earth did that happen? I've seen the phrase "What air defence doing?" to exhaustion but now I really am wondering that myself.
Furthermore, since the russkies did let that through their network, how on earth would they be able to do anything about the likes of F22/B2/F35 entering their territory in case of escalation by Vlad the Mad?
Well D-ECJB made it all the way to Lenin's Tomb when things were hotter than they are today ...........................
I see your point but I reckon the situation in eastern Ukraine being a bit hotter today than the situation on the Finnish/Soviet border in 1987. I can't recall any cross border ammunition exchange back then.
I am a bit puzzled by these recent drone attacks, considering that the Russkies aren't lying about what they found on site
The TU-141 has a cross section next to a F16 (well, not quite, but not that far out either, it is a big mot..., the Soviet missile that crashed to lake Inari in 1984 was much smaller yet lit the radar and the Finnish Air Force made to it)
the Soviet SAM crews trained against these slow, subsonic reconnaissance drones, so they should have no issues in detecting those with their old Soviet era kits
Engel 2 is supposed be one of the best defended AFB's in Russia
The thing flew 600km's across the most dense Russian troop formations.
How on earth did that happen? I've seen the phrase "What air defence doing?" to exhaustion but now I really am wondering that myself.
Furthermore, since the russkies did let that through their network, how on earth would they be able to do anything about the likes of F22/B2/F35 entering their territory in case of escalation by Vlad the Mad?
The TU-141 has a cross section next to a F16 (well, not quite, but not that far out either, it is a big mot..., the Soviet missile that crashed to lake Inari in 1984 was much smaller yet lit the radar and the Finnish Air Force made to it)
the Soviet SAM crews trained against these slow, subsonic reconnaissance drones, so they should have no issues in detecting those with their old Soviet era kits
Engel 2 is supposed be one of the best defended AFB's in Russia
The thing flew 600km's across the most dense Russian troop formations.
How on earth did that happen? I've seen the phrase "What air defence doing?" to exhaustion but now I really am wondering that myself.
Furthermore, since the russkies did let that through their network, how on earth would they be able to do anything about the likes of F22/B2/F35 entering their territory in case of escalation by Vlad the Mad?
Mathias Rust was tracked successfully, Soviet AD assumed it was one of theirs for a time, apparently. The aircraft that intercepted him were never given orders to shoot him down, due, it seems, to some cock-ups within the Soviet command structure. Several officers were sacked or disciplined afterwards, according to the Wiki entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathias_Rust
I think there is probably a valid point regarding the command structure and competence of Russian forces in general, though. One stand out feature of this war has been poor decision making, coupled with poor intelligence, compounded by poor training and equipment. I can't help but wonder if Russia (and the former Soviet Union) has always had this issue. We saw signs of less than stellar performance and tactics by them in Afghanistan, and a few other skirmishes in recent years. They certainly play dirty by modern Western standards, but there often seems to be an absence of joined up tactical thinking by senior commanders.
I think there is probably a valid point regarding the command structure and competence of Russian forces in general, though. One stand out feature of this war has been poor decision making, coupled with poor intelligence, compounded by poor training and equipment. I can't help but wonder if Russia (and the former Soviet Union) has always had this issue. We saw signs of less than stellar performance and tactics by them in Afghanistan, and a few other skirmishes in recent years. They certainly play dirty by modern Western standards, but there often seems to be an absence of joined up tactical thinking by senior commanders.