"The 1980's are calling to ask for their foreign policy back."

Ancalagon · Sep 7, 2022

Muscovites getting pressed hard in Kharkiv:

https://twitter.com/osinttechnical/status/1567543637742870530?s=46&t=BxYCSPB_lZMHcZEqeNYJlQ

Btw, take turns running out of the tree line to squeeze off a magazine into the smoke is NOT the doctrine of any decently trained infantry unit.

That is some 3rd World Spray and Pray BS. These troops suck.

Tuckerfan · Sep 7, 2022

Ancalagon · Sep 7, 2022

Damn raccoons got into the largest electrical substation in Belgorod Russia. Made big ‘splody then all go dark.

https://twitter.com/osinttechnical/status/1567653254627991553?s=46&t=L1rqKrKCt9SwOTWvi0W2Sg

Ancalagon · Sep 7, 2022

Ancalagon said: ↑

Some Orcs tried to cross a bridge in Kherson:

https://twitter.com/waragainstputin/status/1567580264016285698?s=46&t=BxYCSPB_lZMHcZEqeNYJlQ
Click to expand...

Longer video of same incident. Turned out they were trying to use a pontoon bridge as the regular one was out. More blood and screaming in this one in case that bothers you.

https://twitter.com/osinttechnical/status/1567620576931450880?s=46&t=L1rqKrKCt9SwOTWvi0W2Sg

Tuckerfan · Sep 8, 2022

Putin's support in Russia seems to be crumbling.

‘We have already lost’: far-right Russian bloggers slam Kremlin over army response

“The war in Ukraine will continue until the complete defeat of Russia,” Igor Girkin, a far-right nationalist, grumbled in a video address to his 430,000 followers on Telegram on Monday. “We have already lost, the rest is just a matter of time.”

Girkin, a former Russian intelligence colonel who became a commander of the pro-Russian separatist forces in 2014, is arguably the most prominent voice within an increasingly loud and angry group of ultra-nationalist and pro-war bloggers who have taken to berating the Kremlin for its failure to achieve its tactical objectives as the fighting in Ukraine has entered its seventh month.

After Ukraine’s latest counter-offensive in the south and the north-east of the country, these bloggers – who have so far been granted a public platform denied to many – have intensified their criticism of the Kremlin, slamming the army’s inadequate performance in the war and urging Vladimir Putin to declare a full-scale mobilisation.

“They are certainly getting angrier, and with good and obvious reason, especially as the gap between the official line and the reality on the ground widens,” said Mark Galeotti, an expert in Russian security affairs.

On Wednesday, Ukraine launched a surprise counterattack near the country’s second biggest city of Kharkiv, encircling Balakliya, a strategically important town of 27,000 people, and recapturing several smaller settlements.

The military bloggers, who are often former veterans with contacts on the frontlines, also provide a rare insight into Russia’s real performance on the ground. “Some are very dubious sources but there are also those – like Girkin – who know what they’re talking about and clearly are in touch with people at the front or who otherwise are in the know,” said Galeotti.

The Russian government has not published its own losses since 25 March, when it gave a total of 1,351 killed and 3,825 wounded. Western intelligence believes as many as 80,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded since the start of the war.

Instead, since the onset of the war, the Russian defence ministry has repeatedly issued improbable statements about its successes on the battlefield, boasting of having destroyed more than 40 western-made Himars rocket launchers and claiming to have decimated the Ukrainian air force.

State television, the most popular source of information in Russia, similarly continues to paint a rosy picture of Russian successes in Ukraine. In a combative speech on Wednesday, Putin reiterated that Russia had “lost nothing” in a war he said was going according to plan.

However, that optimism was not shared by others as Ukraine encircled Balakliya on Wednesday, pulling off what has already been labelled as one of the war’s most impressive strategic moves and hailed as “good news” by Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, on Wednesday night.

“It must be stated that in Balakliya, the armed forces of Ukraine have completely outplayed our command,” Starshe Eddy, a popular pro-war Russian blogger, wrote on his Telegram channel.

Starshe Eddy’s audience on Telegram, like those of other war bloggers, has ballooned since the start of the invasion, from about 28,000 in January to 500,000, according to Tgstat, an analytics service for Telegram channels.

Pointing to Russia’s non-reaction to the Ukrainian offensive, Aleksandr Kots, a pro-Kremlin war journalist, accused the authorities on Wednesday of hiding “bad news” about the situation on the ground. “We need to start doing something about the system where our leadership doesn’t like to talk about bad news, and their subordinates don’t want to upset their bosses”, he said.

Ukraine’s latest offensive has also led to renewed calls from the far-right nationalist for a general mobilisation, a move Putin has so far opted against despite growing signs the Russian army is facing an acute lack of new soldiers.

“Mobilisation is, let’s put it bluntly, our only chance to avoid a crushing defeat,” wrote Andrei Morozov, another popular blogger.

For now, the Kremlin seems to be willing to accept the criticism coming its way from the band of pro-war bloggers. Girkin has repeatedly called for the firing of the defence minister and close Putin ally, Sergei Shoigu, urging in one post for the minister to be executed by a firing squad.

The Kremlin’s tolerance of the bloggers’ comments is remarkable, experts say, given the newly introduced laws under which criticism of the war can be punished with up to 15 years in jail.

Pavel Luzhin, an independent Russian military expert, believes the bloggers are left “untouched” because they provide an outlet for a section of the Russian population to vent their anger about the failures in Ukraine. “The Kremlin is too scared to simply ignore the nationalist section of the population,” Luzhin said, adding that some of the bloggers were probably operating with the tacit approval of the security services.

Galeotti similarly said “many” of the bloggers were “connected to or protected by figures within the military or security agencies”.

For now, Girkin and other military bloggers are likely to keep up their daily criticism as Putin’s bloody military offensive has stalled in Ukraine. “Don’t EXPECT ANY BIG WINS in the next 2–3 months,” he wrote in a post this week. “If our Kremlin elders do not change their tactics, we will be seeing catastrophic defeats by then.”

Girkin declined to comment for this article, saying he considered the western media “his enemy”.
Click to expand...

Demiurge · Sep 9, 2022

Ukraine offensive reaches the Oskil river, threatens to encircle Russian division in Izyum, southeast of Kharkiv.

Tuckerfan · Sep 9, 2022

Stand by to receive our transmission. Mr. Sulu, lock phasers on target, and await my command. Here it comes. Now, Mr. Spock.

The US to supply Ukraine with its most accurate artillery shell Excalibur

U.S. officials have sent Ukraine their most accurate artillery shell, the GPS-guided Excalibur, according to a budget document that acknowledges for the first time that the Pentagon has been supplying Ukrainian forces with the shell, according to a Bloomberg report published Thursday. No comments have been made about the Excalibur despite reports that planning was underway to provide it to Ukraine.

$92 million in congressionally approved supplemental funds
According to a budget document revealed last month, the Defense Department will spend $92 million in congressionally approved supplemental funds "for procurement of replacement M982 Excalibur munitions transferred to Ukraine in support of the international effort to counter Russian aggression."

According to BAE systems, the key feature of the weapon is "that regardless of the distance from the gun and the target, the round has the same accuracy, with 'Circular Error Probability' less than 10 meters."

"The round's rear end is equipped with a base bleed aggregate and rotating stabilization wings, and the front end has four canards. Wings and canards give the round aircraft-like maneuverability."

"From a modern L52 caliber gun system Excalibur has a range of approximately 50km. The Lethal mechanism consists of a unitary warhead, and the system can be programmed for an air burst, point, and delay (penetration) detonation."

"Once Excalibur has been given its start position (i.e., coordinates) and the target position, it is fired just like a normal shell. The glide flight to the target starts after reaching the apogee. The shell is corrected in flight towards the pre-programmed trajectory by the 'Global Positioning System' - and Inertial' Navigation System' - supported navigation and guidance system as long as it has the kinetic energy to fly."

Doubling the program's budget
Mark Cancian, a defense analyst with the Center for Strategic and International Studies who's monitoring Ukraine-related spending, told Bloomberg that "the $92 million addition to Excalibur more than doubles the program's budget, adding about 900 projectiles in fiscal 2022."

"This also confirms what had long been suspected, that the United States is providing this advanced weapon to Ukraine," he added.

Based on the weapon's capabilities, it is estimated that it has probably been used thus far sparingly to surgically destroy Russian command posts and command-and-control centers.

The U.S. Army states that it provides" improved fire support to the maneuver force commander, increases lethality and reduces collateral damage. The target, platform location, and GPS-specific data are entered into the projectile's mission computer through an Enhanced Portable Inductive Artillery Fuze Setter. The Excalibur projectile uses a jam-resistant internal GPS receiver to update the inertial navigation system, providing precision in-flight guidance and dramatically improving accuracy to less than two meters miss distance regardless of range."

The new budget also reveals the U.S. will be providing Ukraine with conventional 155mm artillery rounds, MK-19 grenade launchers, "precision sniper rifles" and "spotting scopes" Javelin anti-armor and Stinger anti-air missiles, the HIMARS mobile rocket system and its Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System, or GMLRS, missiles and "replacement battery coolant units" for Stingers.
Click to expand...

Ancalagon · Sep 9, 2022

OMG, this is great. Russian T-72 has decided it has better places to be…

https://twitter.com/calibreobscura/status/1568282616373059586?s=46&t=BEYCfjDDiGmVb4ukdRCgig

matthunter · Sep 9, 2022

Ancalagon said: ↑

OMG, this is great. Russian T-72 has decided it has better places to be…

https://twitter.com/calibreobscura/status/1568282616373059586?s=46&t=BEYCfjDDiGmVb4ukdRCgig
Click to expand...

Man, the Russian version of the Lower Decks opening credits is shite.

Ancalagon · Sep 9, 2022

It’ll buff out…

https://twitter.com/osinttechnical/status/1568312857757978624?s=46&t=N598DkxFN7NZDwHe3je46A

Ancalagon · Sep 9, 2022

So Kharkiv counteroffensive is turning into an Izyum encirclement.

Reports are that there is only one supply line into Izyum and it is within MLRS range.

There are videos of Ukrainian armor taking out RU artillery. Also of captured AA assets. This points to a collapsing RU line.

Reports that an RU Lt Gen has been captured. Highest ranking officer captured since WWII.

Ukrainian MOD is reporting issues with handling the number of EPWs.

It will be interesting to see what is actually happening and if it can be sustained. Unconfirmed reports are that Ukraine’s push has been smart, utilizing combined arms in a way neither side has shown yet this war and hasn’t gotten ahead of its supply lines. *knocks on wood*

Ancalagon · Sep 9, 2022

https://twitter.com/lvivjournal/status/1567974442856513536?s=46&t=_fMjqO7Tl5lQLsrFtT267A

Demiurge · Sep 9, 2022

Leaked Russian finance ministry data shows payments to families of dead Russian soldiers. As of 8/28 that would make for 48,000+ KIA. Whoa.

Ancalagon · Sep 9, 2022

Damn!

Demiurge · Sep 9, 2022

Seven lawmakers in St Petersburg made an official request of the Duma to charge Putin with treason over the Ukraine debacle.

They have all received invitations to visit the local police station.

https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-putin-treason-lawmakers/32025878.html

Tuckerfan · Sep 10, 2022

The Russians are pulling out of a city where they had a large arsenal staged.

https://twitter.com/christogrozev/status/1567589088022110219?s=46&t=hb4CP6z-c9thSgE1RYie2g

Demiurge · Sep 10, 2022

It's being reported they've now fled Izyum too, the larger city to the south on the Oskil river. While they've avoided encirclement, that means they've given up that area entirely, about 3000 sq KM have been liberated. Definitely a huge win for Ukraine,and some say it may be the turning point in the war.

https://twitter.com/yarotrof/status/1568528536486412288

Ancalagon · Sep 10, 2022

matthunter · Sep 10, 2022

And the average Ruskie soldier still believes Putin's lies about Ukrainians being fascists.

Pray for some fucking brains instead, and hope they make you smart enough to keep them inside your skull.

shootER · Sep 10, 2022

From March.

Tuckerfan · Sep 11, 2022

matthunter · Sep 11, 2022

Someone's pinching the Trek idea of rebuilding better after a major conflict:

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/09/11/ukraine-russia-sustainability-00054910

Ukraine will need a major rebuild after Russia is kicked out - many are now planning a way of doing so that will increase sustainability and reliance on green energy/materials.

Ancalagon · Sep 11, 2022

Zelensky spitting fire tonight:

Ancalagon · Sep 11, 2022

Ancalagon said: ↑

Zelensky spitting fire tonight:

View attachment 57640
Click to expand...

Oh. Just FYI in Russian (and I assume Ukrainian) Light (Svet) is synonymous with Electricity.

We also have this in English/American for instance Seattle City Light is our city’s electricity provider, not just handing out light bulbs.

shootER · Sep 11, 2022

“What really surprises us,” Lieutenant General Yevhen Moisiuk, the deputy commander in chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, told me in Kyiv yesterday morning, “is that the Russian troops are not fighting back.”

matthunter · Sep 11, 2022

Does that mean Svetlana is basically a female electricity based supe?

I mean I knew a Svetlana in my 20s who gave me a jolt in my pants (and she was in her thirties with a hot 18 year old daughter so double whammy) but that's taking it a bit literally.

Tuckerfan · Sep 11, 2022

Kremlin officials reportedly calling for Putin to step down. https://www.rawstory.com/putin-revolt/

Tuckerfan · Sep 11, 2022

Chinese social media is reportedly laughing at Russian failures. https://twitter.com/Temebrarius/status/1568679341474861056?s=20&t=8ZoyNrKM_uakt4vtKZt31w

Dr. Krieg · Sep 11, 2022

I'm laughing at Russian failures, like this.
https://twitter.com/oryxspioenkop/status/1569088962077106178?t=s9K4FPIo89jOg18AZSajSQ&s=19

Ancalagon · Sep 11, 2022

NTC, along with JRTC, already the shittiest garrison experience out there is now throwing Ukraine style drones at the poor bastards doing rotations…

https://twitter.com/ntclead6/status/1569082824820408321?s=46&t=jz2ZL6Nk26tuJeZdbCKCEw

MILES = Grown Ass Men Laser Tag
11ACR = 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
1AD = 1st Armored Division

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