Ukraine

[Ex Machina]

The UKR's appeared to have used Soviet Tu 141 UAV's, interesting for two reasons, ancient Soviet tech still works and they were not western weapons. The Russian called this an act of terror as you would expect, but apart from trying to send a message that Russia is vulnerable I cant see any strategic goal. The Russians responded with a strike on 17 strategic targets damaged

it will make the general population sit up and notice . They are being told most days on TV about the energy infrastructure attacks in UKR . they will be shitting themselves about things kicking off in their own back yard now .

and don’t you think they showed a great deal of restraint targeting airbases ? there are more symbolic targets nearby they could’ve hit .

 

[enigmatically2]

Motorbike misses the fact (as it appears does much of the RU military command) that strategic considerations include destroying the enemy's forces and supplies bit by bit. If a few planes were destroyed or damaged, all to the good.

More strategic than Russia targeting civilians, schools and hospitals

 

[LeoV]

Only one Rus source about what drone used, and that source ran with lies before.

But Tu-141 are 1970s technology. If Russian radar and air defenses could not defeat a Tu-141 that flew hundreds of miles from hitting its main airbase for its strategic bombers in a war setting, that doesn't bode well for its ability to stop anything.

 

[LeoV]

Food rationing cards being printed in Tula, Russia. According to local newspaper.
Eat your oil and inhale your gas...

 

[LeoV]

One reason AA did not shoot down the drones;
Well, the answer is simple. As it had red stars on its wings - RU air defense was not able to shoot at it. Or they'd face criminal prosecution for disrespect of victorious red army symbols. And charges for negligence are just nothing in comparison. They opted for the lesser evil!

 

[Kiwing]

I am pleased the Russian military is getting a taste of their own medicine.

 

[Go Left]

Lol, you're a bunch of funny guys! Suggest you read War by Carl von Clausewitz, then you will get an overview of the Ruskies tactics. The confidence you have in the EU and NATO is remarkable, but i just dont see any appetite or ability to grind out a full scale land war.

The comments here reveal supreme confidence in high tech to win this and assume a low casualty rate as per the recent expeditionary wars against poorly equipped tribals but if they deploy in Ukraine there will be blood and lots of it. Europe does not want WW3.

I dont have any dog in this fight so dont bother attacking me personally with troll and stupid etc, who wins is of no consequence, my thoughts are with the people who are getting slaughtered in the pointless delay getting to an armistice.

When you type faster, your syntax starts giving your RU troll status away. You need better training and more time to have Svetlana in editorial proofread your stuff.

 

[Go Left]

Sluggo is sounding desperate today. I think he has realized where this is going, and what it means to his sailing career. Russians, particularly those who support the war, won't be welcome anywhere except maybe Vietnam, Cuba and South Africa soon.

Only tolerated in Cuba at best, although tourist money is appreciated from anyone. The Cubans clearly remember the "Special Period" when Russia abandoned them as a client state.

 

[Stingray~]

I am pleased the Russian military is getting a taste of their own medicine.

Here's hoping these really were strikes by UKR. It would be a very significant change, hitting RU's launch sites. A strategy that me and some others have argued for, for forever.

 

[Kiwing]

A drone flying 1,000 kms (from Ukraine to the targets) carrying decent payload suggests a pretty able drone?

 

[motorbike]

How far down the rabbit hole have the internet couch warriors gone?

From 1945 to 2022 the idea that US backed forces would launch missiles at a nuclear base deep inside Russia would simply be madness. Now its OK?

 

[Stingray~]

Now its OK?

Now it's necessary.

 

[enigmatically2]

For once motorbike has a minor point in that the Tu bombers hit are nuclear capable. RU doctrine does consider that a conventional attack on its nuclear forces invites nuclear response.

However, that was primarily about deterring another major power from attempting a surprise attack to disarm Russia. Whereas in this case RU initiated the war and UKr are not a major power, or WMD armed.
And RU knows what would happen if they did

 

[Stingray~]

RU is now acknowledging they were strikes from UKR.

The decision to do this points to there being a strong possibility of many more hits into RU to come.

 

[enigmatically2]

US stepping up production

Army plans ‘dramatic’ ammo production boost as Ukraine drains stocks

But its plan for a ramp up in production hinges on Congress.

www.defensenews.com

Will not be enough to sustain the rate of fire up to now, but will be closer than Russia's, and Russia doesn't have as many tanks and aircraft to hit now

 

[Rain Man]

For once motorbike has a minor point in that the Tu bombers hit are nuclear capable. RU doctrine does consider that a conventional attack on its nuclear forces invites nuclear response.

However, that was primarily about deterring another major power from attempting a surprise attack to disarm Russia. Whereas in this case RU initiated the war and UKr are not a major power, or WMD armed.
And RU knows what would happen if they did

This explains why the US chose now to announce that their HIMARS can't fire ATACMS. What this says is that any attack deep into Russia is originating with Ukrainian-supplied weaponry, not US-supplied. So, while moronbike is hand-wringing about "US-backed forces", the situation is not as simple as that.

 

[Sailbydate]

Live: Wave of Russian missiles strike Ukraine, Kremlin says Ukrainian drones hit air bases

Air alerts blared across Ukraine and officials urged civilians to take shelter from a wave of deadly Russian missile strikes that caused major power outages. The strikes followed what the Kremlin said…

www.france24.com

 

[phill_nz]

The UKR's appeared to have used Soviet Tu 141 UAV's, interesting for two reasons, ancient Soviet tech still works and they were not western weapons. The Russian called this an act of terror as you would expect, but apart from trying to send a message that Russia is vulnerable I cant see any strategic goal. The Russians responded with a strike on 17 strategic targets that were badly damaged

actually .. it's a brilliantly thought out and executed escalation tactic of hitting deep into russia without escalating much

by using your bog average soviet era crud and attacking deep into russia with it .. it opens the door once the russians have swallowed that little pea sized dick to expanding their capabilities and stretching their throat with an array of much larger western sized dicks .. also without having to escalate much

 

[motorbike]

Now it's necessary.

Respect, the ultimate hawks always destroy the village to save it.

 

[P Flados]

The deep strike was more symbolic that a real threat. The Ukrainians converted old Soviet surveillance drones into an attack role with a small warhead. Beyond the warhead, the biggest changes had to be related to targeting capabilities. I saw a tweet indicating that at least one of the strikes included some element of manual control for final approach by Spec Ops personnel that were nearby.

This capability is not going to allow wide spread meaningful attacks. I doubt that they have a lot of the old systems to start with. And look at the "not great" results. The targeting got them close enough to damage some planes, but the planes were not entirely destroyed. Now that the Russians know what to watch for, intercepting these systems becomes more likely for future attempts.

Again, very symbolic, but probably not a "super tool" that will change the game.