Just been reading about Ukranian production of 152mm shells restarting, which is good news. The wewstern 155mm weapons are coming with shells supplied, but the soviet 152mm weapons they have a lot of, have no ready supply of ammunition.
The wewstern 155mm weapons are coming with shells supplied, but the soviet 152mm weapons they have a lot of, have no ready supply of ammunition.
Easy to whizz 1.5mm off the radius on a big lathe I suspect.
I'd maybe take out the shell and propellant first 🙂
The wewstern 155mm weapons are coming with shells supplied, but the soviet 152mm weapons they have a lot of, have no ready supply of ammunition.
I gather Russia has been supplying a fair bit to Ukraine.
Indeed!! Although many of the ones seen online, you wouldn't want to put in a weapon you were anywhere near!!!
The talking heads and Kremlin propagandists are finally realising, on national TV that they are complicit in war crimes and are going to be tried at the Hague. Good.
https://twitter.com/Tendar/status/1597468838333149187?s=20&t=E97DND8anSGpjZSajQneoQ
I didn't take it like they were scared though - it was more confrontational, calling out others that are concerned about being tried for war crimes and that Russia should just, as she said, 'turn the world to ashes'.
There were saying those in high places were scared of the Hague and yes, berating them for it. But did also acknowledge I think that they, the 'presenters' were complicit. It was Solovyov (the muppet dressed like a Bond villain) who made the comment about turning the world to ashes. He always does that, on nearly every clip I've seen him in, ever since the start of the war. All he needs is a cat on his lap for the complete pound shop Blofeld effect.
tthew
Full MemberEasy to whizz 1.5mm off the radius on a big lathe I suspect.
Just get the dremel out. Or fit a -3mm spacer.
It was Solovyov (the muppet dressed like a Bond villain) who made the comment about turning the world to ashes.
Ahh okay, I just read the subtitles (in the office with the sound down) – my mistake.
It was Solovyov (the muppet dressed like a Bond villain) who made the comment about turning the world to ashes. He always does that, on nearly every clip I’ve seen him in, ever since the start of the war.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Streicher
' It’s costing an utter fortune, for what benefit?' Because it doesn't benefit most of us to have an aggressive fascist country next to Europe.
I was in the supermarket today, and there were a couple of kids in front of me. They used Ukraininan passports as i.d. to but beer, and it occured to me that they aren't refugees, but they're here, Norway, getting trained to go back and fight. Very, very sobering, and I have a kid in army training now. I bought their beer for them.
Because it doesn’t benefit most of us to have an aggressive fascist country next to Europe.
Russia straddles Europe and Asia. The border is the Ural mountains and the Ural river.
Moscow is in Europe.
Some frontline photos from Reuters https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/pictures-inside-battle-ukraine-2022-02-28/ (the date in the link seems at odds with the content)
Ignore the tech and they could be be taken during the last century, terrible
Really good report on the the earlier stages of the war from RUSI, February to July 2022. It's a long read but has lots of interesting facts e.g. the assault on Kiev being stopped mainly by massed artillery rather than anti tank missiles, the very low lifetime of drones in combat and the amount of preparation that Ukraine had made since 2014.
It also points out that whilst Russia's capabilities were overestimated before February, we shouldn't write them off - they have adapted and given the right leadership can be effective. Hopefully, Putin will continue to meddle and set unrealistic objectives so that won't come to pass.
Ignore the tech and they could be be taken during the last century, terrible
I know the World Cup is here to distract the plebs but reporting has gone very quiet recently
Are both sides preparing for a winter offensive?
More likely just consolidating and trying to ensure they survive the winter.
From that Telegraph report posted above (interesting read, thanks, and echoed by a report over on CNN I read earlier. Grim stuff.)
Left is WW1, right is Ukraine. Human kind is a bit messed up isn't it?
I would imagine Ukraine will attempt to continue to degrade Russian supply lines to make life in those trenches ever more miserable through the Winter but I would be surprised if they didn't seek to take more military advantage during the Winter. I think Russian forces in the South West (the ones who evacuated Kherson) are in a precarious position.
Maps and updates here... https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/ukraine-conflict-updates
The Russians need to capture Bakhmut because it's a sizeable town and they are short of anything to show their advance, having retreated from pretty much everywhere else
It also puts a couple of other towns within artillery range. It's all for the home crowd rather than making military sense
The talking heads and Kremlin propagandists are finally realising, on national TV that they are complicit in war crimes and are going to be tried at the Hague. Good.
I wouldn't think we'll ever see that happening.
I agree it's unlikely, but not impossible. I live in hope.
The Russians need to capture Bakhmut because it’s a sizeable town
It's also protecting two of Ukraine's major command and control hubs in Kramatorsk and Slovyansk, if Russia can push through Bakhmut and take those they can justifiably claim to hold all of Donetsk oblast, which with be a huge boost for Russia domestic support for the war. Hence why Russia, and the Wagner group in particular, are throwing so many unfortunate young men at it.
That's a huge 'If' of course, the Ukrainians are fully aware of this plan and have used the time the gallant defense of Bakhmut has bought to greatly reinforce both Kramatorsk and Slovyansk.
This is also pinning a huge number of Russia troops in place, which opens the possibility of a fresh Ukrainian offensive elsewhere, Ukraine has received large amounts of winter gear from the likes of Canada and Finland and there are strong indicators that the moment the group freezes hard enough to allow mass vehicle movement that we will see.... something.
Hence why Russia, and the Wagner group in particular, are throwing so many unfortunate young men at it.
"Over the top" so to speak.
Didn't work for Britain in WW1, and unlikely to work for Russia today.
Yup, there's a huge defenders' advantage at play, hence why, even though Ukrainian casualties are terrible the Russian ones are likely to be far, far worse, especially as anecdotal evidence seems to suggest that many of these attacks are being lead by Wagner's new penal units, who are being used as little more than cannon fodder.
Even if that's just hearsay or propaganda the Bakhmut meat grinder is still likely to go down as one of the grimmest battlefields of the 21st century.
Ukrainian casualties in the defence of Bakhmut are huge too, it's an apocalyptic meat grinder. At least they have internal supply lines, well prepared defensive positions, decent food, clothing, medical care, leadership and the opportunity to rotate out of the front line for a rest occasionally. They are also crystal clear about what they are fighting for. None of these factors seem to apply to the RF. It's going to be a tough winter for all the combatants, but worse for the Russians I think.
Edit: Was typing as @hatter posted, hence making some of the same points.
So far 300,000 mobilised troops have bought them nothing. Thousands of high quality troops have been relocated from Kherson to the Bakmut area and have gained them a negligible advance so far. As long as the west holds firm in its support, this is only going one way. In the long run Russia will benefit from losing.
The Beeb reporting that Russia is using X-55 nuclear missiles in Ukraine but with this warheads removed.
Allegedly to deplete Ukrainian air defences and to cause kinetic damage on impact.
They really are pushed for munitions.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-63826082
Yea, not buying the moral argument for helping out. The UK financial sector has been helping out Russian gangsta's for years.
Also, if you think there's a cost of living crisis now, wait until Zelensky throws a tantrum and NATO pump the country full of tanks and aircraft - that's what it'll take to push the Russians out.
The guardian on the rolling coverage seemed to suggest that the Russians are withdrawing from parts of Zaporizhzhia and southern Kherson. Is this just positive spin, or is another withdrawal?
Well Mike Martin is tweeting again. No smoke without fire and all that.
https://twitter.com/ThreshedThought/status/1598417002707550209
Telegraph saying the same thing too. Russians have apparently pulled out of Oleshky across the river from Kherson. Perhaps they know that the rest of Kherson is toast. Whilst they can still supply the region, it isn’t much easier that supplying the right bank. And their soldiers are crap. Could be preparing to fall back into n their new defensive positions protecting Crimea..
Is that them withdrawing on some fronts to shorter defensive lines?
finephilly
Free Member
Yea, not buying the moral argument for helping out. The UK financial sector has been helping out Russian gangsta’s for years.
Also, if you think there’s a cost of living crisis now, wait until Zelensky throws a tantrum and NATO pump the country full of tanks and aircraft – that’s what it’ll take to push the Russians out.
I think there is a moral argument, more so if you consider the UK complicit in helping the Russian elite but in addition it is in our own interests to aid Ukraine. If more of that was done back in 2014 I doubt we would be discussing a war in Ukraine right now.
The cost of living crisis is due to many things, none of which are remotely Ukraine's fault. Indeed we likely paid more out for unusable PPE from Tory "mates" than we have given in aid to Ukraine but that's not relevant to the help we should be giving Ukraine either.
As for singling out Zelensky as somehow being the protagonist and throwing a tantrum, you do mean Putin really don't you? Don't you?
There's a moral argument for sure. Lots of UK tory MP's with twitchy sphincters at the moment.
It would be a shame if they committed suicide.
Not withstanding the usual whataboutery and false equivalences, the moral argument for supporting Ukraine is pretty watertight IMHO, it's a rare example where the morally right thing to do is also good politics.
Mike Martin, whose analysis of the war has been pretty solid so far, has suggested that Tokmak is likely to be where it all kicks off again.
Looking at the map you can see his logic; the railway line that runs from Crimea, through Melitopol and then Eastwards to Russia takes a deviation Northwards to run straight through Tokmak, bringing much closer to the front lines. Based on that alone, Tokmak is the obvious easiest place to push towards if the Ukrainians are trying to get the railway within HIMARS range.
With the Kerch strait bridge still far from repaired this railway line is the key supply route for Crimea and the Russian forces in the Kherson oblast. If Russia wants to hold on down there through this winter they really want to keep it open.
However, the sheer obviousness of this and the fact that the Ukrainians have repeatedly proven the be highly adept at feints and other such misdirection means that any move on Tokmak could also be designed to draw troops away from a much bigger move elsewhere, just as they did in Kherson/Kharkiv in early Sept.
Apologies for the double-post but this just popped up in my feed and I feel it's worth posting, an hour long interview with a British volunteer in Ukraine's Foreign legion. First part of 2 apparently.
Ukraine war: Russia demands annexations recognised before talks
Meaning they have no interest in negotiation. Which I reckon probably suits Ukraine too.
Meaning they have no interest in negotiation. Which I reckon probably suits Ukraine too
Yep, it's nice to see that they something they can agree on!
Meaning they have no interest in negotiation.
I think their reasoning is that they can get the U.S. and E.U. to pressure Ukraine to make concessions. However, I think the Russian foreign ministry don't really understand the political situation in the West as well as they think they do. Diplomats and analysts who submitted reports that contradicted the official policy line were sidelined, so Putin has just been hearing what he wanted to hear - the West is weak and will capitulate in the face of aggressive Russian policy.
Diplomats and analysts who submitted reports that contradicted the official policy line were sidelined, so Putin has just been hearing what he wanted to hear – the West is weak and will capitulate in the face of aggressive Russian policy.
Yep, great at being a dictator but a really shitty poker player
Yea, not buying the moral argument for helping out
Considering we signed an agreement with them that in exchange for them giving up their nukes we'd act as backup for them in the event they had issues and blithely looked on while Russian troops ran amok in Crimea and Donbass I'd say we have rather an obligation to help now.
Considering we signed an agreement with them that in exchange for them giving up their nukes we’d act as backup for them in the event they had issues and blithely looked on while Russian troops ran amok in Crimea and Donbass I’d say we have rather an obligation to help now.
We had an obligation to help 8yrs ago but failed, and emboldened Russia, of course we should be helping now
