Is Ukraine about to have a war?
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 29,881
Received 1,321 Likes
on
598 Posts
U.K, US and Romania planning exercises in Moldovia with their forces, it makes a whole heap of sense.
https://kyivindependent.com/moldovan...es-with-us-uk/
..
https://kyivindependent.com/moldovan...es-with-us-uk/
..
Last edited by NutLoose; 28th Mar 2023 at 01:40.
The following users liked this post:
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Only occasionally above FL50
Age: 71
Posts: 194
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes
on
3 Posts
You would expect armour to be a bit more substantial lol.
https://twitter.com/Maks_NAFO_FELLA/...C2-bGI98MtAAAA
https://twitter.com/Maks_NAFO_FELLA/...C2-bGI98MtAAAA
The following 2 users liked this post by Andrewgr2:
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Belarusian propagandist boasts on state TV that Belarus is now a nuclear state and threatens to annihilate Poland and Lithuania.
The following users liked this post:
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 29,881
Received 1,321 Likes
on
598 Posts
Looks like the Kerch rail bridge is still not sorted.
https://twitter.com/Tendar/status/1639601407597633536
https://twitter.com/Tendar/status/1639601407597633536
Ukrainians training on Challenger 2 in the UK.
At 8:30 there is a short interview with a Ukrainian, who featured in a clip a while back, where he was hit in the head by a ricochet off his tanks commander's turret MG.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9-E...istryofDefence
At 8:30 there is a short interview with a Ukrainian, who featured in a clip a while back, where he was hit in the head by a ricochet off his tanks commander's turret MG.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9-E...istryofDefence
The following users liked this post:
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 29,881
Received 1,321 Likes
on
598 Posts
Agreed excellent presentation, God speed to them, I hope the tanks live up to their expectations and they all return home victorious.
Well, the Russkis will go all out to try and nail one for a propaganda victory, irrespective of the cost to them ( or their troops, anyway ). As far as that goes, have there been any confirmed reports of any Himars units being hit ? After initial Russian claims that they had destroyed them all, everything went quiet.
Has there been any indication that the C2's we are supplying will be Theatre Entry Standard (TES)? Those in the Ukraine video above do not have this.
C2 (TES): https://www.armyrecognition.com/unit..._tank_mbt.html
C2 (TES): https://www.armyrecognition.com/unit..._tank_mbt.html
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 29,881
Received 1,321 Likes
on
598 Posts
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 29,881
Received 1,321 Likes
on
598 Posts
This brought tears to my eyes.... 
That is one of the most poignant and saddest things I have seen through out this whole damned war. I even think the Russian was moved too and hence why it was posted... Tragic, just so bloody tragic.
That is one of the most poignant and saddest things I have seen through out this whole damned war. I even think the Russian was moved too and hence why it was posted... Tragic, just so bloody tragic.
At the turn of the year US Gov said none had been destroyed & there has been no evidence to support any losses that I've seen (excluding the Ruski pics of a burned out FMTV, suggesting it was HIMARS)
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 29,881
Received 1,321 Likes
on
598 Posts
Moscow claims Ukraine has GLSDB
A report in a German magazine that Russia claims to have shot down a GLSDB - no further details. This is very vague and also seems to contradict the timings that I think I remember : May/June is what I believe I recall. If it were true, it would be very good to prepare for the next offensive, but I would expect a first use to be a large number of launches to take maximum advantage of unpreparedness.
https://www.focus.de/politik/ausland..._57275780.html
EDIT: Le Figaro has posted similar news but with more detail: in their report the Russians claim to have shot down 18 Himars rockets and one GLSDB. This claim to have hit so many seems suspect, particularly as the Himars are known to be difficult to hit.
https://www.lefigaro.fr/internationa...tales-20230328
https://www.focus.de/politik/ausland..._57275780.html
EDIT: Le Figaro has posted similar news but with more detail: in their report the Russians claim to have shot down 18 Himars rockets and one GLSDB. This claim to have hit so many seems suspect, particularly as the Himars are known to be difficult to hit.
https://www.lefigaro.fr/internationa...tales-20230328
Last edited by Tartiflette Fan; 28th Mar 2023 at 15:18.
From the New York Times today:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/28/w...nt-grossi.html
KYIV, Ukraine — By the time Russian soldiers threw a potato sack over his head and forced him to record a false video statement about conditions at Europe’s largest nuclear facility, Ihor Murashov had already witnessed enough chaos at the plant to be deeply worried.
Mr. Murashov, the former director general of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, did not know how much more stress the workers there could endure as they raced from one crisis to another to avert a nuclear catastrophe.
He watched as staff members were dragged off to a place they called “the pit” at a nearby police station, returning beaten and bruised — if they returned at all. He was there when advancing Russian soldiers opened fire at the facility in the first days of the war and he fretted as the they mined the surrounding grounds. He witnessed Russians use nuclear reactor rooms to hide military equipment, risking an accident.
Mr. Murashov, the former director general of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, did not know how much more stress the workers there could endure as they raced from one crisis to another to avert a nuclear catastrophe.
He watched as staff members were dragged off to a place they called “the pit” at a nearby police station, returning beaten and bruised — if they returned at all. He was there when advancing Russian soldiers opened fire at the facility in the first days of the war and he fretted as the they mined the surrounding grounds. He witnessed Russians use nuclear reactor rooms to hide military equipment, risking an accident.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 29,881
Received 1,321 Likes
on
598 Posts
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 29,881
Received 1,321 Likes
on
598 Posts
An interesting post from Dmitri about Opsec.
An interesting post by a Russian volunteer reveals how listen to radio/cellular comms. It alleges hear almost everything and can act on it very effectively:
Quote: "This post applies primarily to the mobilised and their relatives. There are people who will continue chatting regardless of anything, and there are also reasonable people, who simply have not encountered such things before and do not know how to behave. The post is for them.
The chatter in question falls into two categories: open radio and cellular. With radio communication, everything is simple. Everything that you say on the Baofeng radio, you can consider being known to the enemy. At the same time, do not flatter yourself, the jargon from thirty years ago is perfectly familiar to them and does not mislead them. Therefore, one should not be surprised if, after a phrase such as "In 10 small ones, expect a box of pencils" [pencils = privates/foot soldiers] or "Moles are working there" (a painful subject) [moles = sabotage groups/reconnaissance], there will be shelling. Moreover, in the second case, the moles can also beat you, and if you're lucky, then only with their legs. If you're going to speak openly, then at least assign your own names to objects and landmarks and change them regularly, at least once every two weeks. And do not talk openly about the arrival of superiors, supplies, or cooperating units.
Now about cellular communication. Unfortunately, it is also a valuable source of information for Ukrainian partners. And this applies primarily to the conversations of the military with members of their families. People, for some reason, think that if they don't talk to other military people, then no one is interested, but this is not so. It's just that partners usually publish the internal conversations between fighters, and not with families. Maybe they don't want to draw attention to it. But a lot is said when people are relaxed. For example: "Farewell, dear, stormtroopers have arrived, tomorrow at 6 am we will advance.” The enemy, knowing the approximate location of the phone is able to take measures to repel the attack. Reverse example: "Honey, we are being taken out to rest the day after tomorrow." For those who do not know yet, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have a strong habit of attacking before the shift change in order to either take advantage of the tired mood of those departing, or the ignorance of the situation by the new arrivals. Usually at the end of the night and in bad weather, if they have time to prepare and plan everything. And even seemingly neutral: "Sorry, dear, I'm very tired, I walked to the headquarters for twenty kilometers, and the road is broken" can lead to trouble. That will be enough to measure the distance on the map, ask the Americans for satellite images, which will show either equipment or its traces, then send local agents for additional reconnaissance, and you can expect HIMARS.
The examples are based on real events, by the way. The enemy also carefully collects any negative information regarding the supply, salaries and the implementation of social guarantees by our beloved Ministry of Defence. Lack and absence of something, delays in payments, outright cheating, red tape, etc. etc. Moreover, their informational operation centres are not pushing these issues yet, perhaps they are still collecting the primary array of information.
And finally, there is also a thorough collection of data not only of the military personnel but also of members of their families. Why is that, I don’t know for sure, but unlikely to congratulate them on birthdays. Perhaps, scammers will call later. Group phones are of particular interest in this regard. This is when a phone with a SIM card is bought alone for a company or department, and the fighters take turns calling home. So it’s also better not to talk too much, even on personal topics, although the desire to talk about this is natural and understandable." End of quote.
Quote: "This post applies primarily to the mobilised and their relatives. There are people who will continue chatting regardless of anything, and there are also reasonable people, who simply have not encountered such things before and do not know how to behave. The post is for them.
The chatter in question falls into two categories: open radio and cellular. With radio communication, everything is simple. Everything that you say on the Baofeng radio, you can consider being known to the enemy. At the same time, do not flatter yourself, the jargon from thirty years ago is perfectly familiar to them and does not mislead them. Therefore, one should not be surprised if, after a phrase such as "In 10 small ones, expect a box of pencils" [pencils = privates/foot soldiers] or "Moles are working there" (a painful subject) [moles = sabotage groups/reconnaissance], there will be shelling. Moreover, in the second case, the moles can also beat you, and if you're lucky, then only with their legs. If you're going to speak openly, then at least assign your own names to objects and landmarks and change them regularly, at least once every two weeks. And do not talk openly about the arrival of superiors, supplies, or cooperating units.
Now about cellular communication. Unfortunately, it is also a valuable source of information for Ukrainian partners. And this applies primarily to the conversations of the military with members of their families. People, for some reason, think that if they don't talk to other military people, then no one is interested, but this is not so. It's just that partners usually publish the internal conversations between fighters, and not with families. Maybe they don't want to draw attention to it. But a lot is said when people are relaxed. For example: "Farewell, dear, stormtroopers have arrived, tomorrow at 6 am we will advance.” The enemy, knowing the approximate location of the phone is able to take measures to repel the attack. Reverse example: "Honey, we are being taken out to rest the day after tomorrow." For those who do not know yet, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have a strong habit of attacking before the shift change in order to either take advantage of the tired mood of those departing, or the ignorance of the situation by the new arrivals. Usually at the end of the night and in bad weather, if they have time to prepare and plan everything. And even seemingly neutral: "Sorry, dear, I'm very tired, I walked to the headquarters for twenty kilometers, and the road is broken" can lead to trouble. That will be enough to measure the distance on the map, ask the Americans for satellite images, which will show either equipment or its traces, then send local agents for additional reconnaissance, and you can expect HIMARS.
The examples are based on real events, by the way. The enemy also carefully collects any negative information regarding the supply, salaries and the implementation of social guarantees by our beloved Ministry of Defence. Lack and absence of something, delays in payments, outright cheating, red tape, etc. etc. Moreover, their informational operation centres are not pushing these issues yet, perhaps they are still collecting the primary array of information.
And finally, there is also a thorough collection of data not only of the military personnel but also of members of their families. Why is that, I don’t know for sure, but unlikely to congratulate them on birthdays. Perhaps, scammers will call later. Group phones are of particular interest in this regard. This is when a phone with a SIM card is bought alone for a company or department, and the fighters take turns calling home. So it’s also better not to talk too much, even on personal topics, although the desire to talk about this is natural and understandable." End of quote.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
https://www.defensenews.com/digital-...ed-in-ukraine/
US Army eyes six-fold production boost of 155mm shells used in Ukraine
Huntsville, Ala. — The U.S. Army will boost production of 155mm artillery shellsmore than six-fold to 85,000 a month by fiscal 2028, according to Under Secretary Gabe Camarillo.
The goal is to replenish ammunition going to Ukraine in large numbers to aid its fight against the Russia and to ensure the service has the right levels in its own stockpiles, he said March 28…..
The Army makes artillery shells at Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Pennsylvania as well as General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems facility nearby in Wilkes Barre. It fills them at a government facility in Iowa.
The Army is under contract to build another facility with a company in Canada and is standing up yet another with GD-OTS in Garland, Texas, to make additional shell bodies. Iowa is expanding its capability, and there is some production expansion into Kansas, Bush noted.
“It’s not all in one place,” he said. “It’s literally building new factories and putting advanced machine tools in them. That’s really the only way to do it.”
The Army is investing $349 million to more than double the service’s monthly production of launchers to 41 a month and 330 missiles per month, Camarillo said. Production for Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System, or GMLRS, will increase from 566 rockets per month to over 1,100 by FY26.
US Army eyes six-fold production boost of 155mm shells used in Ukraine
Huntsville, Ala. — The U.S. Army will boost production of 155mm artillery shellsmore than six-fold to 85,000 a month by fiscal 2028, according to Under Secretary Gabe Camarillo.
The goal is to replenish ammunition going to Ukraine in large numbers to aid its fight against the Russia and to ensure the service has the right levels in its own stockpiles, he said March 28…..
The Army makes artillery shells at Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Pennsylvania as well as General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems facility nearby in Wilkes Barre. It fills them at a government facility in Iowa.
The Army is under contract to build another facility with a company in Canada and is standing up yet another with GD-OTS in Garland, Texas, to make additional shell bodies. Iowa is expanding its capability, and there is some production expansion into Kansas, Bush noted.
“It’s not all in one place,” he said. “It’s literally building new factories and putting advanced machine tools in them. That’s really the only way to do it.”
The Army is investing $349 million to more than double the service’s monthly production of launchers to 41 a month and 330 missiles per month, Camarillo said. Production for Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System, or GMLRS, will increase from 566 rockets per month to over 1,100 by FY26.
* I'm basing this on similar actions undertaken by helicopters and may therefore be wrong.
