The grey area may end up being true how dialed in on the trenches they were. And stupid Russians for bunching up like that

JFABNRGR said:

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in support of my earlier post. First vid is effectiveness of orcs on the ground assaulting (note this was without drone drops).

https://www.reddit.com/r/UkraineWarVideoReport/comments/1cthh6k/russians_attempt_to_assault_a_ukrainian_position/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

This is what happens when you take over an entrenched position and your mortars are all pre-dialed in and or it was pre-rigged with heavy explosives. Again orc adherence to consolation of troops is bewildering.

https://www.reddit.com/r/UkraineWarVideoReport/comments/1ctgbm8/russians_temporarily_entered_ukrainian_positions/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

On another likely sad note the 78 year old Vietnam Vet UV (whom I think was Activity) has not been heard from in over a month. Given his sole mission doing LRRPs, any news may be a long time coming. In any case Godspeed warrior.

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Being that it's been five almost six weeks since Ukraine Volunteer checked in he's either seriously wounded, dead or captured(dead). I'd think he's too old for that long of a LRRP. Until Valhalla!

What is interesting is Germany created Blitzkrieg to solve the military problem of trench warfare with combined arms warfare. However, the Russians are too inept so they resort to WWI tactics.

More imagery of damage from the recent ATACMS strike on a key Russian airbase.

BELBEK

"State Department Clears Emergency Sale of HIMARS Launchers to Ukraine"

(Source: ExecutiveGov, 13 May 2024) [Excerpts]

The State Department has approved the immediate sale of high mobility artillery rocket systems and logistics and program support worth $30 million to the government of Ukraine. The foreign military sale agreement, funded by the German government on behalf of Ukraine, waived the congressional review requirements under the Arms Export Control Act to deliver three HIMARS rocket launchers from the U.S. Army inventory to Ukraine, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Friday. . . .

Ukraine will not require the deployment of U.S. government or contractor representatives upon implementation of the FMS transaction.

How many such systems have been lost so far? One or two or more?

Agthatbuilds said:

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How many such systems have been lost so far? One or two or more?

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Quite a bit more, the other day they lost 2 alone.

I know the Russians are tactically bad. However, I would like to know the level of Ukraine's tactical acumen from the perspective of large and small units. For example, a platoon of tanks in the defense will:

- Find covered and concealed positions if available. The US Army will dig big fighting positions to put the tanks in if it is appropriate.
- Alternate firing positions are established in case the tanks have to fire into a different direction.
- The engagement area will be established and defined.
- The tanks will be spread out and the fire patterns are established for efficiency and prevent double tapping.
- Target Reference Points (TRP) and ranges will be established to facilitate firing plans.
- The SITREP to the platoon can be 2 T-72s at TRP1, 2000 meters. The description is fast and precise.
- Dead spaces, obstacles, and enemy avenue of approaches will be identified.
- Priority targets will be established.

Tanker123 said:

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I know the Russians are tactically bad. However, I would like to know the level of Ukraine's tactical acumen from the perspective of large and small units.

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Not all that great. They're often described as disorganized, and they have trouble scaling up.

Ukraine has limited numbers of tanks and they removed them from the front lines since 5 of the 31 M1s got knocked out in a few days. The drone threat is too great to lose something as valuable as a tank

Waffledynamics said:

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Tanker123 said:

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I know the Russians are tactically bad. However, I would like to know the level of Ukraine's tactical acumen from the perspective of large and small units.

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Not all that great. They're often described as disorganized, and they have trouble scaling up.

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Thanks. I was hoping that they would be tactically adroit at this point in the war.

Tanker123 said:

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Teslag said:

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Bakhmut was a city of 70,000. Kharkiv has 1.5 million. I don't think even Russia can level that type of city with artillery. Not mention that amount of civilian displacement. You do something like that it will be an untenable situation during an occupation.

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Concur. I read the size of the city is over 100 square miles. The Germans had around 1 million soldiers at Stalingrad and still could not completely surround it. Another lesson learned from that battle is the Germans bombed the hell out of that city, but it created structures that became good fighting positions for the Russians. Who is ordering the attack on Kharkiv, the generals or Putin?

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In the video posted yesterday it stated that Russia had committed ~32,000 troops. Even with excellent equipment and tactics, of which the Russians have neither, that is insufficient to seize even a fraction of Kharkiv. Nevertheless, 32,000 is enough to make normal life unlivable for the residents for an extended period of time while both sides bleed a lot.

An envelopment from two directions that isolated Kharkiv and cut the lines of supply would be more serious but this is mostly a single axis on a relatively broad front.

If the Russians are encountering Ukrainian fortifications at ~12 miles from the outskirts of the city, they will need lots of 50 caliber length guns or rockets to range the majority of the city. The problem with employing an artillery siege against Kharkiv is that no battery can remain in a firing position for even an hour after the first round is fired without being destroyed.

Russia knows it can't seize Kharkiv so it seems that they are merely trying to bleed Ukraine and weary them to the point of getting a negotiation for terms to cede land in exchange for a ceasefire. Russia is confident that they can bleed for longer than Ukraine can bleed. Putin may be correct, unless the west give Ukraine the right type and quantity of weapons to make Russia bleed a lot faster.

Our decision to give Ukraine longer range weapons with the authority to strike targets inside Russia may be an attempt to do just that type of bleeding.

India has carried on with their long-held policy of strategic independence. They will always do what they believe is best for India. They view China as their primary threat and are not going to kneecap their economy to stick it to Russia.

AtticusMatlock said:

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India has carried on with their long-held policy of strategic independence. They will always do what they believe is best for India. They view China as their primary threat and are not going to kneecap their economy to stick it to Russia.

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Israel has done the same. And based on the US and other friendly western countries postering and BS the last couple of months, I don't blame them.

They do what is best for Israel, because they never know when Israel is the only one they can count on.

AtticusMatlock said:

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India has carried on with their long-held policy of strategic independence. They will always do what they believe is best for India. They view China as their primary threat and are not going to kneecap their economy to stick it to Russia.

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And I think the US should do what is best for the US, which means not rewarding countries that join BRICs trying to undermine the dollar based economy. If they view China as their primary threat, why join with them and Russia against the US economically? They have important economic ties with us too and we should remind them to consider those when making their foreign policy decisions.

The war has not gone well for the Russians and many generals have been sacked. Putin has to be frustrated; thus, I will assume that he is calling some of the shots in the war. He won't want to hear the excuses for poor performances which there are many. He will order objectives to be achieved and let the generals figure out how to accomplish them. Therefore, I expect to see irrationality in some of the decision making. Hitler's orders hampered the German military in WWII in some of the campaigns.

You have some wrong assumptions about BRICs and the Indian foreign policy is more complicated than that, but that's not for this thread.

AtticusMatlock said:

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You have some wrong assumptions about BRICs and the Indian foreign policy is more complicated than that, but that's not for this thread.

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To be fair, BRICs was formed to trade around sanctions. Which is pretty relevant considering that's mostly benefited Russia.

AgLA06 said:

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AtticusMatlock said:

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You have some wrong assumptions about BRICs and the Indian foreign policy is more complicated than that, but that's not for this thread.

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To be fair, BRICs was formed to trade around sanctions. Which is pretty relevant considering that's mostly benefited Russia.

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He is wrong about BRICS, but right that it is off topic to this thread. BRICS was formed to push back against western and European economic power. But we can talk about it elsewhere.

Geolocated footage indicates that Russian forces restarted offensive operations in Northwestern Luhansk Oblast, and advanced by ~4.1km, outflanking Berestove.
If they choose to exploit this advance, then expect Berestove to fall quite quickly as I believe the defences of the… pic.twitter.com/PmFm6EyPbt

— AMK Mapping 🇺🇦🇳🇿 (@AMK_Mapping_) May 16, 2024

Pushing in odd places along a very long front.

As you say, the Russians will probably not be able to bypass Lyptsi. But their control of the area in question would be problematic - it is high ground. pic.twitter.com/u1GdprrgxL

— Pax Lusitanica (@PaxLusitanica) May 16, 2024

A couple flankers and a mig31 hit on the ground in crimea.

Putin and his orcs may have pushed "All In" on this Kharkiv offensive. Then again, it may be a HUGE feint but I do not think so

2 MiG-31's, one Su-27, a MiG-29, a fuel farm, and some other stuff including S-300/400's based on previous pictures

On @Maxar imagery, two MiG-31s and one Su-27 have been completely destroyed, and a MiG-29 damaged, at the Russian Air Force's Belbek Airbase in occupied Crimea. A fuel storage near the main airbase runway was also destroyed, and debris continued to burn in the aftermath. https://t.co/ZWflMYUFVw pic.twitter.com/80N56MRP2h

— Christiaan Triebert (@trbrtc) May 16, 2024

The lack of composites in the MiG-31's makes them pretty easy to identify even after burning

MaroonStain said:

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Putin and his orcs may have pushed "All In" on this Kharkiv offensive. Then again, it may be a HUGE feint but I do not think so

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Concur, I am with you. The Russians have invested and expended much energy and resources to this attack. Therefore, I believe they will follow through and try to attack Kharkiv. And should this be the case, I expect massive Russian casualties.

💥 Russia: Massive attack on the port of Novorossiysk by Ukrainian drones from both sea and air. What remained of the Russian Black Sea fleet was largely stashed away in this port.
The eyewitness yells "They blew up the port!" pic.twitter.com/aHKB5ApXiF

— Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) May 17, 2024

💥 Russia: Reports of 26 explosions already at the port of Novorossiysk as Ukrainian air & naval drones continue the massive attack right now. Currently 4:47am. pic.twitter.com/pf3YTqozct

— Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) May 17, 2024

🔥 Russia: Fuel depot on fire after Ukrainian drone strikes at the railroad hub at the port of Novorossiysk from earlier in the night. pic.twitter.com/hGsRkS9Qfh

— Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) May 17, 2024

BREAKING:

Ukrainian drone swarm strike hits the Tuapse Oil Refinery in southern Russia, setting it on fire.

It has capacity of 240,000 barrels/day, or about about 3.5% of Russia total refining capacity pic.twitter.com/PSqr1lwDmq

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) May 17, 2024

One of the turtle tanks taken out:

Javelins and FPV drones leave no chances for the occupiers. 
Even the "turtle tank" can't resist such a fiery combo.

📹: 93rd Mechanized Brigade pic.twitter.com/dm1FAKmpu8

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) May 16, 2024

Look at that beautiful open terrain. The more the terrain is open, the greater the range of the weapons.

Making clear the cause, and operational goal of the northern front;

🇺🇦🇷🇺 “Russia currently has no plans to capture Kharkov.

Russia is forced to create a sanitary zone in a situation with shelling of residential areas of Belgorod”

— the Russian president emphasized pic.twitter.com/xtm0Z7o3Wc

— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) May 17, 2024

He also questioned whether, in any future negotiations, the Kiev regime will be considered legitimate now with Zelensky extending his time 'in office' past his term and no elections etc.