EXDAC

If you'd like a comprehensive, but perhaps less sensational, assessment of the conflict I'd suggest a regular visit to https://www.understandingwar.org/

NutLoose

Call me old fashioned, but if Ukraine drops the bridge, Russia will need to resort to ferries…… which they are sinking to protect the ermmm bridge, does anyone else see the flaw in this cunning plan?

Personally I would like to see them hit the suspension sections, drop those in the navigable channels will reduce the ability to steal Ukrainian grain and close off entry to the Sea of Azov to the Russians.

fdr

The Ukrainians would suggest that they sink the Russian naval ships of the Black Sea fleet there instead, would be ecologically more sound. They are dolphin safe. As to placing booms between the sunken wrecks, that is what the Ukrainians are trying to assist with, they want to make booms go off at the bridge already, and have been quite successful at messing with Vlads folly with their booms to date. The use of russian naval vessels instead of ferries resolves Nutties Kerch Paradox.

For hitting the main span of the bridge, still seems to be a good target to hit the arches at partial height to allow gravity to give an assist. The span is a dead load onto the arch, unpinning any end of the arch will give a pleasing effect.

The concentration of fuel and munitions due to the disruption of the rail network and the meagre road logistics that exist seem to beckon the application of some 5th column DJI drones with cigarettes attached.

rattman

Seems dumb to sink ferries. Wouldn't they tow out some of the captured ukrianian ships like Ukraina (slava class) plus think they captured at least one Krivak class as well

Beamr

The war is slowly but surely creeping on the average Ivan

ORAC

A drone hit a building under construction in central Moscow early on Wednesday, the city’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, has said, in what AFP reported was the sixth straight night of aerial attacks on Russia’s capital region.

The Russian military downed two more drones over the western part of the Moscow region, the mayor said on his Telegram channel.

A loud explosion was heard in the capital’s central district on Wednesday morning, a short while after flights were suspended at the city’s airports, Russia’s RIA news agency reported. The central district is 5km from the Kremlin……

The Russian defence ministry said that, in addition to the Moscow city attack, two drones were “destroyed by air defence systems” in Moscow’s Mozhaisk and Khimki districts.

DogTailRed2

I'm curious how effective the Harrier would have been to Ukraine if it was still in service. It has the ability to be dispersed into forest areas which is exactly the type of battle being fought.
Obviously would need some upgrades :-)

Easy Street

If by "upgrades :-)" you mean 'stealth body kit and a 100% effective countermeasures system' then it could be quite effective. In the absence of such fictional things it would be useless in the air defence environment which prevails over the front lines. With GBAD forcing aircraft to stay ultra-low and Russian fighters lobbing very long ranged AAM with impunity from deep in the rear (protected from Ukrainian fighters by S-400) against any who try it, there are some very difficult questions being posed for western air forces. I suspect the arrival of F-16s will bring these questions further into the open when their utility is exposed as being defensive in nature.

ORAC

That would depend on how much MSAM Russia has left.

Ukraine has been conducting a ruthless campaign to identify and kill MSAM bith with HARM, Storm Shadow, HIMARS etc. Pretty much the first stage of any allied air campaign.

Once MSAM is suppressed, and FJs have efficient EW/ECM they just have to have the PGM to stand-off/above MANPAD.

On that basis the Harrier wouldn’t be of great use, but F-16 with Rampage, JASSM/JASSM-ER etc would be very effective.

ORAC

​​​​​​​MASSIVE EXPLOSIONS IN 🇷🇺-OCCUPIED CRIMEA

⚡️⚡️⚡️ It is reported that the 🇷🇺 radar stations in the Crimean Tarkhankut have been hit.

At least 7 explosions were heard.

rattman

claims they targeted the progress ASM batteries. Its an ASM that capable of deploying a 350 kiloton nuclear warhead

edit

Some are saying its bastion based on the oniks, others are saying its progress battery

petit plateau

Not necessarily all to be agreed with, but useful to read anyway

https://www.kasparov.com/a-history-o...ugust-13-2023/

[email protected]

Pages of anti-Biden rhetoric with no balance.

fdr

Would be interesting to have some MANPADS supplementing the sterling service of the DJI's around the approaches of the Russian airforce operating in the rear areas. Early AM drones overhead Moscow and Leningrad would share some cheer around the home front, the boys in the trenches shouldn't be the only ones having their beauty sleep disrupted. The Russian population are paying for the show, should have stage front seating.

The more disruptive the attacks at the rear are, particularly with short range drones, the greater the disruption to the psyche of the natives, and lord knows, they are starting at a low base already.

GeeRam

Not so sure about that. I don't think Ukraine have anything to big enough to drop these bridge spans, even if you could get +/- 1m accuracy to hit these bearing supports at one end.
Gonna need large air drop LGB munitions or a proper sapper dems team to drop these buggers.

Beamr

A fertilizer ship from port of Azov hit on a critical moment would do.

Beamr

Russian S400 in Crimea goes off rather phenomenally. Ironically hit by a UAV/missiles.

ORAC

Captured Russian mobik…..

56 years old, looks 90. Has survived 2 bouts of tuberculosis, had a heart attack in 2020, has 4 kids at home - oldest 17 - and was still conscripted and sent to the front.

Show how desperate Russia is…

ORAC

Reference the lack of Ukrainian fixed wing CAS….

Ukrainian Su-25 attack aircraft engage Russian positions with unguided missiles at Robotyne area, Zaporizhzhia Region.

Davef68

You just need to look at the efforts the US had to undergo to damage the Thanh Hóa Bridge in Vietnam, and even in GW1 with air supremacy and then-modern PGMs, the Allied forces found destroying bridges wasn't easy

https://www.airandspaceforces.com/article/1293bridge/