Milites (201).
I would’ve thought that once the drugs had worn off, and a few days passed that the terrorists would’ve been so strung out, that they would’ve sung like canaries without the need for heavy coercing.

Posted by: Republicofscotland | Apr 8 2024 17:29 utc | 204

anonposter | Apr 8 2024 17:20 utc | 202
That is true on the overall Western ISR capacity. But Russia catches up alone and with the help of China very fast on that field.
But claiming that USA has a stealth superiority is silly. Maybe 30 years ago and not even then, but today – certainly not.
Why would American pilot make plane stealthy and some other peer pilot not? They didn’t teach or tell him/her to push that shields-up orange button?

Posted by: whirlX | Apr 8 2024 17:35 utc | 206

Posted by: whirlX | Apr 8 2024 17:25 utc | 203
Thanks for the info about the OS, I’ve just had a look at their website, hmmm, there is a lot of word salad.
As for this:

I remember that there was some scandal on upgrading and some serious money stolen there at F-35 upgrading.

That is (not) a surprise.

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Apr 8 2024 17:57 utc | 208

War is peace

Olaf Scholz is trying to convince Europeans that Ukraine is still capable of winning: The war in Ukraine will end the moment Putin decides to withdraw his troops. However, he will only make this decision if he understands that he cannot win a war on the battlefield, that he cannot dictate the rules of an unjust world, and that time is not in his favor. Therefore, support for Ukraine is the key to restoring peace in Europe.
https://twitter.com/mazzenilsson/status/1777365350079676832

The long war… requires manufacturing capability … which requires energy.
These European elite – so far from reality, divorced from it.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Apr 8 2024 18:15 utc | 210

Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Apr 8 2024 17:57 utc | 208
If one chooses external company that won the contract via nepotistic connections, to develop crucial elements of your national defense, it can only end in a disaster, corruption and incompetence.
You probably have more reliable software in your car.

Posted by: whirlX | Apr 8 2024 18:17 utc | 212

See my comments on the dangers of equating poor employment with poor performance, take any weapon system and ask it to do something it wasn’t designed to do, it will usually struggle or fail completely.

Posted by: Milites | Apr 8 2024 17:15 utc | 199
Apologies if I’ve missed the point here, are you blaming the workmen or the tools?
If the West has given (loaned/sold on hire purchase) sophisticated weaponry to Ukraine without full training for the end user then that seems wastefully careless, to say the least.
Or did the West get suckered by its own arrogance and hubris? Did it have an asphalt road surfacing crew knock at its door and offer to tarmac the driveway at a cheap price? Whereupon the West said “Yeah sure, here’s the keycode to my Bugatti Veyron, you can use that to roll the driveway surface smooth.”?

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Apr 8 2024 18:28 utc | 214

If plan B is to fuck the Russians up as much as possible then the weapons just need to be good enough.

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Apr 8 2024 18:32 utc | 216

Now that everyone knows who Ruslan Pukhov is, I ask everyone once again to read his article on the lessons of the two years of the SMO:
From “Special” to “Military” (Russia in Global Affairs, Ruslan N. Pukhov, April 1, 2024; published in Russian on February 23, 2024)

Posted by: S | Apr 8 2024 18:52 utc | 218

@S 218
Lovely CV, but not super impressed with the analysis. Cites Western and Ukrainian sources for the only numbers mentioned, and shows a typically western minded faith in technology as the way out.
He identifies the intractable positional nature of the war, which is crucial and true, but also firmly established. The key dynamic, that Kiev’s sponsors are uninterested in their actual fate, while committed to the conflict for reasons of their own conviction that they must “maintain credibility vs China”, is glossed over. It is mentioned that Kiev is desperate to escalate, to stimulate flow of weapons and money, but Kiev’s ability to sustain a conflict featuring tit-for-tat deep strikes is not developed.

Posted by: pxx | Apr 8 2024 19:32 utc | 220

sean the leprechaun | Apr 8 2024 16:09 utc | 190
“the above may be fake reports, you know propaganda and all.”
I would say it’s made up. The western articles say that it was reported by TASS. TASS has nothing about it Nothing on the city, nor the quoted “radiation source”. Of course none of them actually link a source for it either.
https://tass.com/search?searchStr=Khabarovsk&sort=date
https://tass.com/search?searchStr=radiation%20source&sort=date

Posted by: Rhymerez | Apr 8 2024 19:38 utc | 222

Posted by: S | Apr 8 2024 19:37 utc | 221
-Russia invaded Ukraine.
-This is a war, with special rules due to special objectives, like most wars.
-Putin was never “tricked” by the Minsks.
-Putin was never actually going to trade Crimea or the Donbass back to Ukraine for any treaty.
-Most Ukrainians are not Nazis.
-Attacks on border areas like Bolgorod and Donetsk are not terrorism.
-The retreat from Kiev was not a “gesture of goodwill”, it was the result of a failed gambit.
-Moscow was never “bombed daily” by Ukrainian drones.
-Prighozin did nor shoot down multiple Russian aircraft on his little stunt.
-Putin killed Prigozhin.
-Russia is not killing 1000 Ukrainian soldiers a day.
-RuMoD have reported far more m777s destroyed than deployed.
-NATO makes and fields impressive weaponry, that is not to be discounted or ridiculed.
These are all truths, and I wish Moscow would tell the truth bluntly, however, I am an intelligent and discerning individual, who understands the complexities of geopolitics and the necessities of violence. The masses do not, so they require propaganda. It is a sad state of affairs, but a reality. If Russia stated the truth bluntly, it would fall.

Posted by: UWDude | Apr 8 2024 19:52 utc | 224

@225
The neocon fringe that runs the USA is an existential threat to humanity, Russia is one stop…

Posted by: paddy | Apr 8 2024 20:32 utc | 226

@224
“Impressive weaponry” that is easily defeated, unreliable, needs armies of contractor technicians and is not in production…. makes good profits and misses most requirements
No credibility with you

Posted by: paddy | Apr 8 2024 20:41 utc | 228

Posted by: anonposter | Apr 8 2024 17:20 utc | 202
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Apr 8 2024 18:28 utc | 214
A twofer, because you both highlight a similar point, but from different perspectives. Small arms and mortars are ‘tools’ that are very similar, both sides are using half-century+ old systems after all, the difference is in largely in the integration of those weapon systems, or the instructions (doctrine) that the ‘workmen; are using. This difference in approach dates back decades, driven itself by the different experiences and solutions the WW2 combatants had, which in itself is a socio-economic issue and a fascinating topic, all it it’s own right.
In the SMO, Russian troops have the required artillery superiority to allow doctrine to be largely followed, the Ukrainians only have part of their adopted doctrinal requirements, meaning their platform’s form rarely matches its function. This intrinsic problem was then exacerbated by the number of disparate platforms provided and, in some cases, the platform itself. Giving Ukrainian gunners a howitzer gun with a design requirement to be ultra-light, for air mobility, and then expecting it to match rates of fire and durability of an 2A65 M-staB (had to look that one up) is not a sensible move. The very fact the M777’s have caused the Russians so many problems, witness their destruction often being a celebrated official event, is testament to their individual superiority as a gun system, it does not mean though that they are as effective in their designed role, so comparison with similar Russian platforms is an apples to oranges affair. You can argue doctrinal superiority, but unfair individual comparisons are just ego boosting affairs.
If it’s any consolation to those posters with obviously bruised egos, the West fell into this trap but reversed the equation, equating better individual platforms and their tactical doctrine as a sign of Russian operational inferiority. This attitude was being addressed in the latter stages of the Cold-War, but the reliance on German accounts of the Eastern Front still held too many in their pernicious grasp. Ironically, it was the Post-War Germans who opined dismissively that the US had technology, not tactics, given the latter’s tactics were largely derived from adopting those of the the former.
Posted by: UWDude | Apr 8 2024 19:23 utc | 219
Agree completely that the outlook looks bleak but, as I’m a pessimistic optimist, I still hope for a political ‘miracle of the Delaware’.
Posted by: S | Apr 8 2024 19:37 utc | 221
Burn the heretic, he challenges the ‘narrative’ of total Russian superiority in every aspect of human endeavour!

Posted by: Milites | Apr 8 2024 20:54 utc | 230

Posted by: Milites | Apr 8 2024 20:54 utc | 230
Thanks for that detailed response; if I may pose a supplementary question: who is adapting their doctrine the quicker?
Russia with its (perhaps over-) reliance on a rigorous, scientific, logical approach to military doctrine development, with plenty of real-time data to feed into the equations and find out if the output falls within the parameters of their expectations.
Or the West, who seem to be taking the approach that unlimited currency emission can negate any shortcomings in military doctrine, regardless of the wider side-effects of such currency emission?

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Apr 8 2024 21:25 utc | 232

The generic West: “We’ve printed more currency! Yay, we can buy millions of shells to send to Ukraine!”
Shell manufacturer: “I haven’t received a penny extra.”
Inquiring Mind: “Who benefited from all the currency printing?”
Pleb looking at grocery bill: “Not me”.

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Apr 8 2024 22:01 utc | 234

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Apr 8 2024 21:25 utc | 232
Russia has the advantage, their Cold-War doctrine was gradually adapted to the realities of the pre-Putin- pre-SMO era, meaning a tank regiment shaking out into a two up, formation, where each battalion comprised of 31 tanks and 12 IFV’s was long gone. Instead they took the precursor to that phase, the Advance Guard, comprising the lead regiment’s lead battalion (assuming a divisional operation) and formalised its ad-hoc structure (previously dependent on the mission requirements) into the BTG (Battalion tactical group). The building block was the Tank, not Motorised regiment, as this would then accommodate the shortage of infantry the Russians had, and also be better at its designated role of providing massive fire support for militia units.
The BTG, like the Advance Guard, had a battalion of artillery, company of AD, company of AT and platoon of engineer assets and was perfect for the role intended. It could break down into the typical Advance Guard tri-posture of lead platoon CRP (Combat Recce Platoon) lead company FSE (Forward Security Element) and remainder of battalion AG (Advance Guard) or work with other BTG’s, but it had lost its regimental and divisional structure and concomitant combat power. Worse, the weakness of having a small infantry element was brutally exposed whenever ambushed by Ukrainian infantry. One of the first things the Russians did, pre-mobilisation, was prepare to scrap the BTG concept, resurrect the divisional/regimental structures, still in the Command’s DNA, whilst still keeping the BTG structure as these parents lead battalion.
The Ukrainians have struggled from the get go, and have been forced by losses to largely adopt the Russian small footprint model, and adapt last years Western training that focused on company and battalion operations. Both sides have now had to adopt to the SMO’s unique environment, though Russia’s numbers advantage still allows her to sometimes risk larger formation attacks. As for other units, Russia again has an advantage because fighting an operationally low tempo conflict largely cancels out disadvantages that could be exploited if other strategies were considered, whereas the Ukrainians are forced to adapt their hybrid doctrine to the Russian approach.
If I was to fully cover this topic it would be a 4,000 word essay, which I as hell am not writing, and I doubt many would read, given some posters regularly complain at anything over two brief paragraphs! If you do have any specific questions, then fire away. It is a topic that is vital to understand one of the shaping forces of the events that have and will unfold.

Posted by: Milites | Apr 8 2024 22:17 utc | 236

Better weaponry does not win wars.
Posted by: whirlX | Apr 8 2024 14:51 utc | 178

Reminds me of this story: Superiority by Arthur C. Clarke, text at https://metallicman.com/laoban4site/superiority-by-arthur-c-clarke-full-text/
(Hat tip to Babel-17, rereading Zelazny goes down well.)

Posted by: pessoa | Apr 8 2024 22:38 utc | 238

Ukronazi front line soldiers abusing one of their own mentally unfit to serve, yet gang pressed into service anyway. Note the US gear he’s wearing.
https://twitter.com/Terrence_STR/status/1777348766779293714
These are some truly awful people.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Apr 8 2024 23:43 utc | 240

Milites | Apr 8 2024 22:17 utc | 236
Nerdy, but nicely put.
Concerning the Kiev, the discussion unfolds, that was a plain stupid implementation of a forward ad-hoc choice or an Advanced Guard posture than.
So a mass tank assault is also a possibility, as per objective. That depends on a proper preparation, discovery of the strongpoints, EW, drones and anti-drones, MLRS, ‘softplow’ the mine fields, de-mining tanks in front and a second line with 4 MBT per Terminator followed by many mechanized units with strong aircover from Ka-52 and SU-25. That is how it should be, right?
So, a one pony show is a OK, for now, but is not to be seen again if Russian offensive intensifies.
Also, if there is a military target or a fixed point that has to be taken fast, as it was seen around Avdeyevka, a full 2 battalion tactical groups can surely get it, as drones will surely take some out, but not all, and if 2/3 survive is enough balance for a task. Nobody talks blitzkrieg style, but a bigger frontal in-line assault. What we saw on a war-porn, is not so well prepared, let alone EW-ed, but I believe that a real, bigger scale successful assaults are delivered to a viewer somewhat later. I think, but I am not sure, a doubling BTG as a forward operating scalable units, to us it seems big, but it is not, really.
As for NATO, to learn this via Ukrainians, as painful as it is, it also might be a disinfo, as the tank, his majesty in the battle field, has always been a DNA of the Russian combined ground assault, especially when Soviets had amassed huge tank and troops numbers, ready to swarm over, to where the Red Army has not been before.
Admiringly, Soviets were in a much better strategic position then Russia is at now. That is a basic core doctrine, to overwhelm fast, and not to creep on the enemy.
And it is all about the distance. Then one really awes on, how to project power over the vastness of Russia, let alone Ukraine – and nothing enables it like a tank. And tanks don’t substitute infantry, as more tanks occupy more logistics thus more people. I think pre-SMO tactical reshuffle was a way out of trying to cooperate with NATO, Open Skies, airshows etc. instead to obfuscate it after the first No.
Back to the DNA.
You do remember Mannerheim and Hitler talking about Russians, where Hitler somberly admits that he didn’t know about 35.000 tanks .. he will never commit…blah, blah?

Posted by: whirlX | Apr 9 2024 0:05 utc | 242

pessoa | Apr 8 2024 22:38 utc | 238
Yup. Defeated by the inferior science of our enemies.
A good Clark’s Cold War anti-armament statement. NATO could learn, true.

Posted by: whirlX | Apr 9 2024 0:12 utc | 244

ar is not politics by other means; War and Politics are Economics by other means.
What has just happened during the last 2 years is a tectonic power shift.
The economy of Russia grew by 2.6 % in 2023 and is heading towards 5% in in 2024. The USA grew by 2.1% in 2023 and the EU by less than 1 %.
China and India at 4.9 and 6.5 %
These are World Bank numbers. Russia is already after 2 years of this conflict the 4th largest economy by PPP – its leaped over Germany.
The expected grow rates up to 2030 reveal disturbing numbers for the EU. Powerful projected growth numbers are expected from China, India, Indonesia, Turkey and the Euro-Asia.
By 2030 Indonesia is expected to be the 4th largest economy, Russia 5th and Germany 9th, France 11th
The center of power is shifting away from the west. The war in the Ukraine did not create this shift. The war was an attempt by the West to reverse it. The failure of the war to dismember or immiserate Russia means that the trend now is accelerating.
Hyper-financialization is a method the USA has used to control assets, commodities and industry around the world. This is late stage capitalism – but that’s another story.
Suffice to say, China has not permitted itself to become integrated into this system. India too has pursued a mixed by largely independent policy. But it is the BRICS, BeltnRoad and SCO initiatives that are the real threat to the US hyper-financialized model.
Getting control of Russia’s vast land mass of resources was the key to check China’s plan.
The real disaster of Ukraine is Russia’s economic resilience to divert eastwards, survive, thrive and provide China the cheap energy, cheap commodities it needs to out compete all comers. As a direct result of this war, the construction of vast pipelines, railroads, transportation hubs between Russia and China are proceeding at pace. The Euro-asian region is set to boom.
China has unlimited access to the one thing it lacks at a cheaper price than anyone else in the world. This is game, set and match. 500 years of western hegemony is over.
Talk about the Manchurian candidate a statue of Biden needs to be erected in the center of Moscow and Beijing.
As for the Ukraine War – at some point there will be a settlement under Russian terms. The longer it takes to reach that settlement the worse for Europe. The flood of Ukraine migrants will continue, the need to send money, donate more hardware and weapons will continue to bleed the EU.
As for the USA, it has already lost interest. The USA is in a state of shock looking for a scape goat. It’s stunned trying to comprehend what’s just happened and how an empire slipped out if it’s grasp.

Posted by: Nema Nischta | Apr 9 2024 0:38 utc | 246

“In one way, the first Cold War was a freezing out of the Naughty Country who wouldn’t join the western capitalist system, just like NK is. Present day sanctions are the hybrid war Putin talks about. Even beyond any ceasfire, sanctions will remain, not as an SMO punishment but as an isolating mechanism.”
Posted by: Jake Blanchard | Apr 8 2024 4:29 utc | 123
You have it backwards, Jake: the West is ‘isolating themselves” not ‘isolating Russia”: the sanctions cannot isolate Russia which simply sells its commodities and wares to the East and the West loses a major supplier.
Posted by: canuck | Apr 8 2024 11:45 utc | 164
—
That is a daft criticusm of only a part of what I wrote, You misread both me and the situation, or are just shitposting out of boredom.
I obviously meant the WEST’S INTENTION is to isolate Russia. Innumerable statements by innumerable western leaders have specifically said this and it is crystal clear to a 2 year old that sanctions are a tool for isolation of a specific country from the big pond to both hurt it and also to boost the others’ trade profits. The US has tried to sabotage resources and products BOTH TO AND FROM RUSSIA, and block its global monetary flows in both directions. That is isolationism.
I have no idea how you can say that is not “trying to isolate”. And well, DUH, of course Russia pivots to increase trade with the East to counteract western isolationism.
Whereas THE RESULT (undesired and unexpected) is that the west has isolated itself from Russia’s resource bounties … and stupidly pissed off China, driven Russia closer to Asia, and forewarned China about getting similar treatment.
Sometimes, Canuck, I think you disagree and post just to see your name in lights.

Posted by: Jake Blanchard | Apr 9 2024 0:45 utc | 248

Alex Mercouris on THE DURAN mentioned Western media reports where UKR had openly admitted (failed) commando raids against Zaporozhie power plant in the past. I must have missed those reports.
May be someone can suggest links.
Via open search it makes little sense to look for this kind of reporting nowadays.
See Mercouris beginning with the topic around 20:00
https://theduran.com/rus-furious-ukr-attacks-zaporozhie-npp-kiev-military-crisis-begs-patriots-macron-plans-troops-ukr/

Posted by: AG | Apr 9 2024 1:32 utc | 250

You do know that most people in the west believe all this – and it is not going to ever stop.
Ray McGovern
@raymcgovern
FALSE FLAG ALERT: strategic Ukrainian city, Chasiv Yar, in Donetsk is about to fall to Russians. How so? GAS ATTACKS “almost daily”, according to Ukrainian troops, reports the pitiable Guardian. Recall: “gas atks” have sordid history of use as false flag.
https://twitter.com/raymcgovern/status/1777037858085187608
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/06/russia-accused-of-using-chemical-gas-attacks-against-ukrainian-soldiers
You cannot fight this propaganda stream – it is too powerful and secure. The only thing that can stop is military action that defeats the US and Nato, oecd control system.
Nothing short of a massive revolution, and piles of dead bodies in the west will ever solve this problem/s imo. I wish it wasn’t so but surely it’s obvious by now to the majority who read/comment here and elsewhere?

Posted by: Lavrov’s Dog | Apr 9 2024 1:56 utc | 252

Three Nato armies destroyed, a huge number of east European soviet and Nato weapons destroyed, exceptionally low civilian casualties, attrition ratio exceptionally favorable to Russia…
US pulled out, EU elite panicking. The effete rainbow flag wavers cant even manufacture artillery shells…
And doomers again swamping these threads…
Shortly after the start of the SMO, it became a criminal offence in Ukraine to criticize western military equipment. Could that be because the shit doesn’t stand up to battlefield conditions? That’s what the Ukrainians with experience on both say about the western equipment.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Apr 9 2024 2:07 utc | 254

Posted by: Republicofscotland | Apr 8 2024 17:08 utc | 198
Any evidence or suspicion of torture renders any confession meaningless, or more accurately, plays into the hands of those whose interests are best served refuting the claims.
Posted by: Milites | Apr 8 2024 17:19 utc | 201
I can see many fruitful benefits to Dick Cheney, Rumsfeldt, and GW Bush and another few dozen others in his administration and in the US military who should be put through many months of “enhanced interrogation techniques / aka Torture” knowing ahead of time whatever they end up saying could not be used in any court of Law.
A few years caged in Gitmo would equally be desirable.
Just knowing they have been put through such regimes would be satisfaction enough for me, and I suspect millions possibly Billions of other Souls dead and alive.

Posted by: Lavrov’s Dog | Apr 9 2024 2:33 utc | 256

ZH has a posting up with the title
Ukraine May Have To Compromise With Russia, NATO Chief Admits
the quote

The greatest lie of all is the one about Russia having its sights on European countries to invade and conquer which is something that Stoltenberg constantly says but not one EU leader believes which is evident in their irresponsible depletion of their own missiles.
Macron also plays a key role in the manufacture of these untruths with his recent success in convincing journalists to write up the “we could send French troops into Ukraine” when, in fact, he packed that statement with so many caveats that he really didn’t say it at all. What is clear is that there is a state of panic now which is palpable from the West in general and that Macron, as well as NATO leaders, are having informal talks – or at least are having talks about possible talks – with Russia over some sort of what the Americans like to call an “off ramp” for Ukraine and the West. You could call it a “white flag” which has probably left you humming the song.

Posted by: psychohistorian | Apr 9 2024 2:54 utc | 258

@ Nema Nischta | Apr 9 2024 0:38 utc | 246
Very plausible, and nicely put.

Posted by: Don Firineach | Apr 9 2024 3:15 utc | 260

Nema Nischta | Apr 9 2024 0:38 utc | 246
Economics by other means… A good term and a good way to look at this massive shift. Meshes well with Dalio’s Economics of empire.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Apr 9 2024 3:58 utc | 262

WTF did Putin et al think they were doing?
Posted by: Lavrov’s Dog | Apr 9 2024 3:35 utc | 261
—-
I’m a little more charitable to intelligent people (ie Putin) making what often seems to be, ***IN RETROSPECT BY OTHERS***, simplistic errors of judgement. Let me explain:
As children, we tend to trust all others — ie, adults.
As we grow up, we tend to trust friends, family and “experts”. One tends to operate on “I’ll trust people till they prove untrustworthy”.
But after a few disappointments, breaches of trust, one becomes more skeptical. After many many such episodes, the habitual cynic might develop the rationale of — “Don’t trust anyone UNTIL AFTER they have PROVEN their trustworthiness. This is a kind of mafia/yakusa/KGB guideline.
But I think that, due to his (initial and abiding) faith in international law and fair play among nations, since the end of the Cold War, Putin’s better nature caused him to trust UNTIL mistrust was developed … which is obviously now his political conviction against the West in general and the US most specifically.
Throughout the Oliva Stone documentary he makes this plain. He talks of US Presidents as if they were trustworthy. Now, either they WERE, but the deep state was overruling them — or else they WEREN’T, and they were two-faced lying. Funnily, he is still respectful of all world leaders. And I think he still likes to trust people UNTIL they prove untrustworthy. This explains many of his calls since becoming President. He’s a braver man than me!

Posted by: Jake Blanchard | Apr 9 2024 4:55 utc | 264

Who says NATO can´t change it´s rules in ways to accept UKR?
We have seen the West change rules and betray principles all the time – they might even take those 300 bn from RU away. Not now but in 2 or 3 years. Even though its harmful to them and is against the law.
There are no rules or laws any more. Look Israel and the ICJ.
So even if by today´s standard UKR couldn´t be accepted. Who guarantees it will stay that way. Hungary? Slovakia? Very funny. Together they´re still half the population of Poland. Insignificant.

Posted by: AG | Apr 9 2024 5:51 utc | 266

📋🇷🇺🇺🇦⚔️ Two Majors #Report #Summary for the Morning of 9 April 2024; pub. 06:51📍
⚡️ The RFAF used Geran UAVs and missile weapons against enemy targets at night, while the enemy notes the launch of drones at intervals, which may indicate a change in tactics of their use. Probably for the opening of air defence positional areas. Explosions were heard in #Poltava, #Kamenskoye, #Dnepropetrovsk region, the city of #Stryi, #Lvov region, #Odessa, #Khmelnitsky regions. In the afternoon, Iskander missiles hit the assembly shop of Ukrainian UAVs in #Zaporozhye. Frequent strikes by FABs with the UMPC continued in the #Kharkov and #Sumy regions.
🔹In the #Kherson direction, the governor of the region yesterday published a video from the exercises of the RFAF on the guidance of pontoon crossings. Three civilians were wounded from AFU fire on #Alyoshki and #Kakhovka. There are battles in #Krynki, many enemy drones are causing damage to our armoured vehicles, which continue to be sent to solve problems closer to the banks of the #Dnieper.
🔹On the #Zaporozhye front, the enemy is aiming drones at the power units of the ZNPP in #Energodar. The attacks were repelled, one of the UAVs fell on the roof of the 6th power unit. The management of the plant emphasises that no NPP in the world was designed to contain the fire effects of army weapons. Heavy fighting continues in #Rabotino and northwest of #Verbovoye.
🔹In the #SouthDonetsk (#Ugledar) direction, our troops are pushing the enemy in #Novomikhaylovka, on the outskirts of #Krasnogorovka, RFAF units are trying to restore the initiative.
🔹West of #Avdeyevka, on the broad front, the RFAF have the initiative in local battles. The combat areas are still the same: #Berdychi, #Semyonovka, #Umanskoye, #Pervomayskoye. AFU UAVs, namely FPV drones, cause serious damage to the RFAF in armoured vehicles. Our troops are constantly looking for means of protection against enemy drones, but the issue has not been resolved on a systematic basis.
🔹#ChasovYar continues to be the centre of attention. In heavy fighting on the outskirts of the town, the RFAF gained a foothold, repelled counterattacks by the enemy, who was transferring reinforcements. Around the town FAB with UMPC, MLRS, TOS are working. They report on the AFU withdrawal from #Bogdanovka and the serious difficulty of enemy logistics at #Kleshcheyevka.
🔹South of #Kremennaya, at #Belogorovka, there were reports of battles for heights (the dump of a chalk quarry), our troops managed to occupy some strong points.
🔹Towards #Terny, despite the severity of the fighting and the loss of armoured vehicles, the RFAF are fighting local battles without significant breakthroughs into the enemy’s defence.
💥In the #Belgorod region, enemy drones continue to destroy civilian vehicles. In the Valuysky urban district, an FPV drone attacked a milk truck moving along the road. An aircraft-type UAV was shot down over the region at night. A similar drone was suppressed by electronic warfare in the #Voronezh region. There were reports of the shelling of #Tyotkino in the #Kursk region. In the #DPR, two civilians in #Yasinovataya and #Gorlovka were wounded by Nazi fire.
🎬 CHASING A FOX ON THE BATTLE FIELD In the vastness of the #Zaporozhye region – returning from a daytime aerial reconnaissance, at the last percent of charge, the operator noticed a fox and could not take his eyes off it, chasing it across the field on a quadcopter. The love for animals cannot be taken away from a Russian person even in war.

https://t.me/two_majors/21982

Posted by: Down South | Apr 9 2024 6:34 utc | 268

The negativity of the mobilization case is so enormous that office propagandists are trying to extinguish it.
Here is one example of their publication.
Let’s easily destroy their messages.
1. They whitewash prosecutors, deputies, etc. They should fight first. They actually rule the people, and they must really experience the war, go through the “front line”. Otherwise, they will steal even more and will not value anything.
2. Office’s thesis is that you need to fight for your home, since deputies and prosecutors will be the first to leave with the money, and you, a “common Ukrainian,” have nowhere to go. It is nonsense. People always lose here. Firstly, why fight for such an elite. Secondly, after the war, such an elite, when they gain more power, will take your houses from you for loans, and your children will be considered serfs.
We understand that the Office’s task is to pump up mobilization at any cost and throw manpower into meat grinders at the front, since this prolongs Zelensky and his entourage’s time at the “feeding trough.”
Everyone in the OP understands that it will no longer be possible to win, which means the task is to have time to “earn” more. The war will write everything off.

https://t.me/legitimniy/17629

Posted by: Down South | Apr 9 2024 6:39 utc | 270

🪖 Battle for the Chasov Yar fortress.
Bogdanovka is ours! The village was liberated by soldiers of the 200th brigade. Units of the Russian Armed Forces are actively strengthening their positions in this area. Now it is possible to attack Chasov Yar from three directions.
The battle for the strategic fortress of Chasov Yar continues. Kyiv will hold the city until the last. Another blow to the image of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will further reduce the possibility of receiving funding from the West. We need victories, but we don’t have them.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Alexander Syrsky, is going all-in and is going to transfer the 3rd assault brigade, created on the basis of Azov*, to Chasov Yar. The task is to hold the city at any cost.
And how can one not draw analogies with Bakhmut and Avdeevokya, where the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine set similar tasks. The characters are the same: Syrsky is at the head, the Azovites* are the elite of the Ukrainian army in defense. Those same exemplary fighters who were the first to run, without looking back, from Avdeevka first, leaving their wounded brothers and sisters along the way. However, it is a mistake to think that this result came easily. The capture of Avdeevka was not an easy walk at all. This is the hard work of our soldiers, aviation, and artillery.
The situation in Chasov Yar for the Ukrainian Armed Forces is even worse than when defending previously surrendered cities. Reserves are at zero, desertion is growing, that’s why they throw “Azov” into battle*. Ammunition is a problem, they only work for defense. There is no air defense coverage, giving our aerospace forces plenty of room for maneuver.
The fall of Chasov Yar will open the way to Kramatorsk and Slavyansk. This is a strategically important direction. Our guys have a lot of hard work ahead of them. Work, brothers!

https://t.me/geromanat/24046

Posted by: Down South | Apr 9 2024 6:51 utc | 272

Posted by: Nema Nischta | Apr 9 2024 0:38 utc | 246
One of the best comments I have read here.
This is the situation, clearly and openly on the table.
And when the sane people in the west will start to see, that the main goal of the DS in US is to fully destroy Europe so that Russia, who will midterm, long term overtake it economically by its huge resources will just becone partner with ruined societies, will need decades to profit from them, will stand up against, then maybe maybe they will think about to become really sovereign.

Posted by: Aarsupilani | Apr 9 2024 7:02 utc | 274

Posted by: whirlX | Apr 8 2024 17:35 utc | 206
>Why would American pilot make plane stealthy and some other peer pilot not? They didn’t teach or tell him/her to push that shields-up orange button?
What I meant was there is no way the Ukrainians have time to get trained on F35 or F22. Given similar training and natural aptitude, Ukrainians or anyone else could be just as good as USA pilots.
Also, 100 or 1000 open action items means nothing. When I worked in the defense industry, every system had tons of open action items. Ditto for commercial systems. You think Ios and Android don’t have thousands of action items open? I’m typing on an Android system now. Every time I connect to wifi, system automatically downloads software updates with bug fixes. But system was working fine all along without the fixes, at least from what I noticed. Whether or not F35 and F22 work against Russia can only be tested in the field conditions, question cannot be answered based on open action items.
Also, stealth is not a shield. It’s a matter of aircraft shape and construction materials that results in low radar cross section. Combined with tons of decoys, stealth aircraft very difficult for enemy aircraft to spot, especially because Russians are behind in AESA radar in their aircraft.
Weak point of stealth is that stealth aircraft still give off audio and infrared signatures. So if you fill the air with cheap sensors, you can spot them. USA and China are both working on meshes to counter stealth. Stealth is also not stealthy from above, below and behind. Stealth is primarily the front direction, where the enemy aircraft would be. China is considering a nuclear powered (gor electrical power to run the radar) satellite radar transmitter for just this reason, to spot stealth aircraft from above, from which direction they are not stealthy.

Posted by: anonposter | Apr 9 2024 7:23 utc | 276

@Jan Sobieski 267
That´s pretty cool of you. Thank you very much!
With that the attempt to take it back by commandos is proven.
The next will be looking up again proof for why the RUs saw it necessary to take control of the power plant. And thus show that Budanov is the crazy guy not the RUs.
(or as Mercouris put it “threaten the West” with catastrophic events if they don´t support UKR, i.e. blackmail the West.)
Because that too wasn´t reported in the West naturally.
“b” had several posts on ZNPP.
(frankly I had thought that issue would have been settled by now. But apparently I was wrong.)
Even people like Dan Ellsberg (may his soul rest in peace) Jan 2023 complained about the RUs, calling their “tinkering” with ZNPP “irresponsible”.
Well, there you see how much the disinfomation has pierced the US left.

Posted by: AG | Apr 9 2024 8:00 utc | 278

Posted by: UWDude | Apr 9 2024 3:09 utc | 259
Not that I’m sure if this is relevant, but if I’m not mistaken Russia’s mission has been to defeat fascism and US/NATO-style aggression, not perpetuate more of the same.
And as has been demonstrated, Putin has been level-headed enough to separate wheat from chaff, and he and the Kremlin know very well that it’s the USA that calls the shots in Europe.
Does Russia practice ‘collective punishment’ as a policy like the USA and Israel do?

Posted by: joey_n | Apr 9 2024 8:17 utc | 280

Brian is on top. As always.
https://t.me/brianlovethailand/2814

Posted by: Виктор | Apr 9 2024 8:37 utc | 282

However, the right in Europe may well cause issues, as will the slowly graduating economic pain of increasingly expensive energy.
Posted by: UWDude | Apr 9 2024 8:30 utc | 281

seeing how the usa, according to pyatt, intend to “make sure its dead in the water” with regards to novateks lng2, im starting to believe that that is exactly what the usa wants.
sure, beating out the competition by simply bombing their infrastructure for energy is a good benefit (i am sure they will do another ns2 bombing at sakhalin etc at some point and blame it on 3 ukrainians on a yacht), but stirring up the eu seems to be the main goal.
drive them so far in dependancy of “our” us oil/gas/lng, or make them so starved for energy that they once again start a major war in europe.
the us has clean hands (heh), makes a profit, and the eu is the next proxy.

Posted by: Justpassinby | Apr 9 2024 8:44 utc | 284

Posted by: Justpassinby | Apr 9 2024 8:44 utc | 284
Re the US trying to thwart Russia’s Arctic LNG-2, that made my blood boil. I hope at some point Putin makes it crystal fkn ckear to the US:
“If you touch our Arctic LNG-2, or in fact any of our other resource supply lines, either directly or indirectly, this time WE WILL NUKE YOU … no joking, no bullshit”.

Posted by: Jake Blanchard | Apr 9 2024 9:07 utc | 286

Posted by: Down South | Apr 9 2024 6:37 utc | 269
More like the Kremlin’s offensive timetable will factor in the Biden regime’s desire to be rid of Ukraine, pre-election, and blame the Republicans for the loss. If they lose the election that base is also covered, as a Trump must not get an early diplomatic victory, before Russia, Russia, Russia II is revved up.

Posted by: Milites | Apr 9 2024 9:20 utc | 288

I’m sorry what?!?
How exactly do all these Russian troops get to the Western side of Odessa?!?
If it’s so easy – why haven’t they done it already?!?
Posted by: Julian | Apr 9 2024 9:32 utc | 289
I think he is talking about the 1500 “Russian” troops in Transnistria, 102km from Odessa.
These troops are actually now almost all Transnistrians with Russian passports. (2/3rds of the 200,000 Transnistrians carry Russian passports).
Whether they could muster 10,000 soldiers, much less tens of thousands, is specious.
Transnistria still has a hammer and sickle on its flag.

Posted by: UWDude | Apr 9 2024 10:41 utc | 290

Easy way to get to Odessa is convince some disgruntled Ukrainian colonel with roots in south Ukraine to go rogue and declare himself and his brigade to be new rulers of People’s Republic of Odessa/Nikolaiv under Russian protection and with Russia paying Russian level salaries to all soldiers and officials in the new republic. Zelensky/Ermak have been purging the officer corps of potential rebels but a purged officer is still dangerous if the enlisted men and junior officers of his former brigade are disgusted at being used as cannon fodder, and many brigades are increasingly full of such disgusted soldiers.

Posted by: anonposter | Apr 9 2024 11:26 utc | 292

WhirlX:
Are you leaving that Odessa amphib invasion to the last minute? You promised me the city by “early spring” of this year.
Oh…maybe you can get the Ukrops to just abandon it. Like…we have seen how they hang onto even tiny villages and force the RFA to evict them. But…someone up above thinks Odessa will just be given away.
And again the “never looked at a map” crowd has no explanation how the RFA isn’t even interested in Kherson first! They probably don’t even know where it is.

Posted by: Anonymous | Apr 9 2024 11:44 utc | 294

USA stealth aircraft (piloted by USA pilots) would be deadly against Russian aircraft for the same reason: USA can “see” Russians much, much better than Russians could possibly see USA aircraft. However, USA isn’t sending its stealth aircraft to Ukraine, much less with USA pilots. It’s not even sending F16s, and it’s downright stingy on the other gear it sends. But it was never stingy with ISR data, perhaps because CIA can authorize data feeds whereas military has to authorize actual equipment deliveries.
Posted by: anonposter | Apr 8 2024 17:20 utc | 202
You haven’t been paying attention. The Russians position their aircraft behind the Russian SAMs not in front of them. An SU-35 shot down a Ukrainian flanker from a distance of over 200KM using an R-37 BVR missile. They also have the R-77 which has the same advertised range That’s the longest air to air kill in history.
Now look at the combat radius of US aircraft and the distance to NATO air bases. Do the math. Tankers are the USAF weak link. No one in the USA wants to see expensive stealth aircraft ditching in the Black Sea do they?

Posted by: HB_Norica | Apr 9 2024 12:33 utc | 296

In one way, the first Cold War was a freezing out of the Naughty Country who wouldn’t join the western capitalist system, just like NK is. Present day sanctions are the hybrid war Putin talks about. Even beyond any ceasfire, sanctions will remain, not as an SMO punishment but as an isolating mechanism.
Posted by: Jake Blanchard | Apr 8 2024 4:29 utc | 123
#########
This is quite amusing. Russia’s economy is booming relative to Europe right now. Unsurprisingly, the grand threat and strategy of the West’s sanctions have not only failed but have supercharged the opponent.
At this point, the sanctions remaining say more about the inability of the West to escalate kinetically and a lot of bureaucratic inertia.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Apr 9 2024 13:14 utc | 298

Posted by: Nema Nischta | Apr 9 2024 0:38 utc | 246

As for the USA, it has already lost interest. The USA is in a state of shock looking for a scape goat.

Posted by: rk | Apr 9 2024 7:33 utc | 277

That will never happen.

Like it didn’t happen in Afghanistan.

Posted by: Johan Kaspar | Apr 9 2024 13:39 utc | 300