Bloody hell!!!!! you cannot keep a HUMVEE down

Russia to double the production of Pantsir.

They never seem to learn about getting to close.

More on taking out the TV in Kharkiv, that's one accurate hit.

It wobbles a lot, doesn't it!

It does, probably absorbing the recoil.. and a handy place to slot your pushbike for a rapid withdrawl.

Rather cheeky....

Yes, a complete waste of ballistic gel. To really demonstrate what a .50 BMG round can do, a far more substantial target was needed. It's an anti-materiel round, not an anti-personnel round, except in specialist sniper rifles, which to be fair, was being used in the demonstration. When used for that purpose, it's mainly for range, which the video doesn't show.

That was what you were talking about, wasn't it?

I suspect luck rather than accuracy. In the same way that you can fire a shot at a barn door, then draw a bulls-eye around it after the fact. Anyone sensible would target the base of the tower, so I would think the tower unluckily got in the way of a missile headed somewhere else in the vicinity.

If the Russians can demonstrate doing it again (hitting a tower half-way up) to other communications towers without using at least a couple of dozen missiles per tower, I'll change my tune*.

*If someone local were illuminating the tower with a targetting laser, and the missile had the necessary equipment, then it's doable. I think that's unlikely to have been the case here.

Time to go `down-town Moscow`,Red Square should be big enough.....

Ukraine will get their aid from the US.

Mitch McConnell explaining why the US support for Ukraine took so long.

The part in the beginning that I find interesting… He thinks what swayed many politicians from being anti-Ukraine to pro Ukraine was Tucker Carlson. Tucker, with his huge audience and anti-Ukraine stance, had moved a lot of people including politicians against Ukraine, but then it was Tuckers interview of Putin that changed their mind.

I absolutely agree. Putin should never have given that interview. It was a disaster for him. He used outright lies of the history of Russia and Poland with Hitler in the Second World War to justify his position. He then played the victim card whilst seeming unconcerned about the swathes of destruction he’s causing.
People are not fools.

How ironic that Tucker, whilst trying to cosy up to Putin under the auspices of “journalism” actually did exactly that; informed the world of the murderous dictator he is.

Excellent.

https://x.com/rpsagainsttrump/status...-NZ5fB5v4R2Axg

My tuppence in this, after watching/seeing/reading this WAR from the start:

If it's true that Russia has claimed that last town. I believe it's another prime example of the 'Russian Grind'. Sacrifices of a lot? Sure! But they keep advancing.
I read a week ago, that some trouble in Africa is happening - and that Russia is sending troops and armour in. How can they possibly do this if they are in such a 'stressful supply state' in UKR?

The West cannot allow Putin to win, period!
Can the EU (without Trump), take Putin on?
UKR is short of men - worse, skilled men.

I keep thinking that the experts (Orac, comes to mind as he/she seems to have some current fingers in the intelligence pie), that I hope that the people 'up there', really know what they are doing - in relation to the 'press reported' delays in weapons and ammo from the US (and the EU), to UKR might be too late.
I keep going back though to my comment "The west cannot allow Putin to win". They can't surely?

I understand that China/India doesn't want a weak Russia and leave the EU and 5 eyes vs them.
In fact, I think that the 'West' doesn't want a weak Russia.

Either the 'West' bites (unfortunately, not a figurative of speech anymore), the bullet now, or the bullet becomes a lot bigger and more expensive in - what - 30yrs...?

Look at Nutloose's (Great poster and I and others thank him immensely for his work and effort in keeping us all up update as possible), first post 21st April 2023 in this second thread:
" Russia’s woes in building new tanks, repairing or even refurbishing......".
I watch as NL, many channels and see the drones/himars blowing up tanks etc left right and center.
But how many 'tanks etc' can or have been made since then?

Does Russia indeed have the means to keep producing shells, vehicles, missiles at a constant sustainable rate....?
Or: AFAIK, the economic sanctions will 'eventually' bring the Russian powers that are still allowing Putin to continue, realise that the Mother Land is now suffering...

Not trying to put 'too much' of a negative outlook for UKR. I still, at 62 (read a lot including war history - just got back from Hiroshima), am keep my thoughts on that the 'West' (With all its Space Cameras, 5 eyes, communication interception skills, latest top of the range weapon technology, banking sanctions etc), surely can't F&^K this one up!

As they say: Time will tell.

Precisely! That was exactly my sentiments, and what I was trying to concentrate on...

Not even close to Russian, she's from the US and I might add former military with 2 tours of Iraq behind her.
Goes by "Valkyrie Brynn" on youtube.

After over two years, I am convinced RU can continue the present burn rate for many years to come.

Depending who you want to believe arty shell production is between 2 and 5 million a year. Not running out any time soon. How many is the West manufacturing?

Loosing 1000 soldiers a day which is probably on the high side is not a problem, either. How many can Ukraine afford to loose?

RU economy has switched to a war economy without too many hiccups. For the average RU citizen life has not changed that much.

China and other countries provide plenty of dual use vehicles and technology.

Presently, Ukraine can only hope to extract a high price for every meter RU advances. Ukraine is not allowed to strike targets in RU with Western supplied weapons. How to effectively disrupt the Russian war effort without doing so? Ukraine is handicapped and disadvantaged at so many levels. The Europeans need to develop a longterm plan how to effectively help Ukraine for many more years. Take leadership and don't always wait for the US to lead.

Thank you for that, and my apologies for insulting the young lady by calling her Russian.

Simple, destroy their supply routes, drop every road and rail bridge including Kerch on the Russian Ukraine borders, and keep them down. destroy any fuel supplies. Without the means to transport in amunition, fuel, replacement troops and armour etc, the Russians will find themselves in even a worse position than the Ukrainians of late with the USA not sending supplies, and more like the German forces at Stalingrad, you can't fight a war without the tools to do it.

That new rail system they are building in the occupied territories, in a way it makes sense to allow them to build it, it is using up Russian manpower, equipment and resources, when it is near completion then drop the bridges and any key points, junctions, signal boxes etc along it, and keep at them. Deny their use of it.


..

Uk is apparently to provide Paveway 4 to Ukraine, I take it these are for the F16's or are any of the Ukrainian fighters compatible?

Surely you need to get close to use those, stand off they are not!

Two more Russian oil facilities are burning.