Interesting appearance on the drone if accurately reported.
Scale down from a cessna 152 and the soviet AD is once again fooled and explains how the strikes deep behind Russian lines are made, that thing has probably some payload as well.

A probably imported and certainly clumsily and unimaginatively placed Ukrainian drone showing no sign of forward movement when it "crashed" stinks to me of subterfuge. That drone most certainly did NOT fall where it is depicted.
I smell the stench of a Russian theatrical propaganda vranyo being developed to justify some future inhumane obscenity.

Can carry loitering munitions, the crash could well be correct if it impacted a tree then fell more or less vertical.

https://ukrjet.ua/eng#zlyva

Ukrainian built, I do like the control station as it keeps it simple, the HOTAS is the Thrustmaster Throttle and Stick combined into the station.

https://ukrjet.ua/eng#3

I do wonder if those two Mastiffs are not ones previously posted in better condition, the position of both vehicles and also the direction of the turret matches.


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....5953b1d1d.jpeg

Excellent Canadian film showing Ukrainians learning to use the Leo including the sim, I was surprised by the visible tattoos on the young Officer though, I must be getting old :) good to see it is no longer is a hindrance to getting on in the services.

CEO of Rhinemetall did an interview, while the various german speakers are having an argument over the translations he might have commented that skynex/skyranger has already been deloyed to ukraine

https://www.thepioneer.de/originals/...eg-und-frieden

interesting, anyone recognise the parts?


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It would be interesting to see how the rest of the world would react if this became a war between China and Russia. Would the free world act (or even care) about an incursion into another country if it was Vladivostok that China attacked, instead of Taiwan? From Chinese perspective, this might be their "get out of jail" plan, to take the energy and agricultural resources it needs from Russia without pissing off "the West"... If so, all they need to do for the time being is watch and wait while the Russians degrade their own defensive capabilities in Ukraine and destabilise their own internal federation. Maybe China could even lend them some encouragement, with a bit of token support.

I'm going with bogus as well on that one. the wing has "impact damage" yet is neatly folded over the rest of the "wreck" without a sign of the point of impact. It has certainly been staged. Now, could it have been an accident? Of course, but not as photographed, it has been moved to an eye pleasing manner by the natives. They have a habit of staging things, any group that are prepared to bomb their own apartment buildings in their capital city are about as trustworthy as, someone who puts polonium in tea or novichok in sugar bowls, or signs treaties that they then place in outhouses for personal hygiene use.

you may well be right NL. Interesting observation, the MRAP looks like it did its job in both cases, the occupants look like they were in a survivable space. Both vehicles have engine cowling open, looks like the engines took the brunt of the damage.

Polish re-armament continues apace. Puts the dithering over the 134 Centurian F2s to C3 and the Ajax debacle in perspective. Should also give Russia even more to worry about in the long term.

https://www.defensenews.com/global/e...iet-era-rides/

WARSAW, Poland — In a major push to modernize the Polish land forces’ tracked vehicle fleet, Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak today signed a deal with a consortium led by Huta Stalowa Wola, a subsidiary of Poland’s defense giant PGZ, to acquire some 1,400 Borsuk (Badger) infantry fighting vehicles.…

Błaszczak said the military will get the first four vehicles by the end of this year.

The Borsuk is fitted with a ZSSW-30 turret armed with a Mk44 Bushmaster II S 30 mm chain gun. The vehicle also carries a UKM-2000C 7.62 mm machine gun, among other weaponry, according to data from the Polish Ministry of National Defence…

On the battlefield, the new IFVs are expected to closely cooperate with the South Korean K2 Black Panther tanks Warsaw ordered for the nation’s armed forces last year. In total, the Polish Army is to receive… 1,000… of which 180 units will be produced by Hyundai Rotem in South Korea, and a further 820 tanks in the K2PL variant are to be jointly manufactured by the two countries’ defense industries.

The first batch of the ordered K2s was delivered to Poland in late 2022.

In addition to South Korean tanks, in the coming years, Poland also intends to base its modern tank fleet on U.S. M1A2 Abrams*. Huta Stalowa Wola will lead the industry efforts to develop a second IFV model, which will be heavier than the 28-ton Borsuk, that is specifically meant to cooperate with those tanks, according to Błaszczak.

(* 366 on order with delivery starting this year )

https://www.defensenews.com/land/202...nks-to-poland/

It's starting, trying to undermine Moldova

On the cards for a while already. Putin testing the waters. Western reaction? Let's wait and see, but my expectation is heads in the sand!

It seems to me that Moldova is in a similar position to what Ukraine was in a year ago.
The ball is in their court.

Is RasPutin crazy enough to start a second front? With what?

Just the usual diversionary tactic prior to kicking off their "big push" (small letters)

IG

Situation deteriorating at Bakhmut. On the other hand Russian front line reports are complaining about their level of losses and that Ukraine is pouring in fresh troops.


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....76c7599d0.jpeg

The armed forces of Transnistria have announced that, beginning on March 1st, they will be holding a 3-month military exercise that will include any military aged male who wishes to sign up; during the exercise volunteers will be taught how to conduct “peacekeeping operations.”

This announcement comes a day after the leader of Transnistria, Vadim Krasnoselsky stated that there is “no real danger” currently to the region but that the armed forces of Transnistria and the Russian Federation are always ready.…