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

Speaking of which, the former Russian commander of all their ground forces, and current head of tank production, dies in the hospital at age 69. Putin was supposed to inspect the tank production plant two days ago, but suddenly cancelled. Maslov cause of death was not announced.

https://www.firstpost.com/explainer...-to-die-suddenly-whats-going-on-11895411.html

Maslov is dead? Oooooohhhh.

Yeah, this one the circumstances really are suspicious. I mean, all these guys are old, so a 69 year old dying in a system with pretty crap health care isn't a huge shock.

But he was expected to host Putin, Putin doesn't show up, and then Maslov dies and no cause of death is given?

All these deaths may be making me paranoid, but I would not at all be shocked that Putin's circle thought Maslov was planning something for Putin's visit and decided to make sure Maslov wasn't around after.

I mean, at what point are the oligarchs and high level officials who are dying like flies start real actions to eliminate the problem? We may already be there.

Another mysterious fire in Russia.

https://twitter.com/alexandruc4/status/1608508428267167744?s=46&t=w4GMBd_llwwCXy7jHrp0Sg

Ukrainian military leader thinks Russia has about 500 missiles left.

https://odessa-journal.com/roman-sv...-able-to-produce-one-volley-for-three-months/

Not sure if this is Ukraine or something else.




Video at the link.

https://t.me/anna_news/44690

More Russians appear to be trying to escape Crimea.

https://twitter.com/Tendar/status/1608719857788530694?s=20&t=0mSK6YcAFaFM0ZmBtSRa5A

And ANOTHER Russian big wig shuffles off this mortal coil... this time the former head of their space program. This one had been accused of corruption, of stealing $57 million. So that's people in charge of their major shipyards, their major tank production plant, a former head of their space program, and a sausage manufacturer - wonder if he had government contracts for food for the troops. All in a week.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...es-Fourth-official-days-die-mysteriously.html

German Twitter thread showing Ukrainian forces using a 12-year-old (and widely considered "obsolete") German system to take out an Iranian supplied Russian drone.

https://twitter.com/gepardtatze/status/1608908583047147520?s=20

The video's of the weapon display system, so really only of interest to those who care about nitty-gritty kind of stuff. From the audio, you can hear two short bursts of automatic weapons fire. After the first burst, you hear some excitement in the voices, followed by a lot of excitement after the second one. They manage to get the drone with just two bursts. Makes you wonder about the economics of this war. Each drone is cheaper than the weapon system the Ukrainians are using to take out the drones but even if the weapon system is firing a thousand rounds of ammo on each burst, it still costs almost nothing to take out a drone...

While the Gepard was retired 12 years ago it was developed in the 60s and first fielded in the 70s.

And yeah; drones and this war are really calling into question the viability of missile based AA systems. The US is currently testing some laser based systems but I wouldn’t be surprised if near term we saw some more mobile and resilient land based CIWS systems like we had in Iraq and Afghanistan being developed (basically they were just a regular Phalanx put on a flat bed parked on base).

And it only carries around 1200 rounds of 35mm, split between the two guns.

Here we go:

Directed Energy Maneuver Short Range Air Defense (DE M-SHORAD)

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/army-stryker-laser-weapons-system-shorad/

And unfortunately the Swiss are refusing to sell Ukraine more ammo for it OR allow other countries to re-export theirs to Ukraine.

While it’s never a bad time to ask the Swiss, “What’s in your vaults?” when it comes to things like Nazi gold and stolen art, I think it’s probably a really good time to ask them again.

One entry in the ill-fated DIVADS project of the late 70s/early 8os, the M246, used twin 35mm Oerlikons (unlike the more well-known M247 version that used 40mm Bofors) but that's the only US use of the round that I know of. If we had ever adopted something that fired it we'd have US-made inventory to send them.

Ukraine's internet army of 'fellas' buy sea drone to hunt Russian ships - and name it after celebrity raccoon

A documentary about resistance fighters in Russia is coming out soon.

https://twitter.com/jake_hanrahan/status/1609341021342818304?s=46&t=MWrRCTZWJs4WthKixCi5TA

HIMARS strikes a Russian military barracks to ring in the New Year, right when the Russians soldiers were celebrating in Makiivka, Donetsk province in occupied Ukraine. The building was reduced to rubble. Russians admit to 63 KIA.

The soldiers had gathered together to listen to a televised speech by Putin when the rockets struck, destroying the building.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europ...tting-military-quarters-officials-2023-01-01/

Russia tried to hold LNG over Europe and that has completely fallen to pieces.

Currently record breaking heatwave all through Europe, anywhere from +10 to +20 C.

General Winter has turned on Putin.

My buddy’s (Ukrainian model) GF came up to Warsaw to ring in the NY with him at the hospital.



I told him he was one lucky bastard and should enjoy it while he can. He’s obviously been skipping the gym. Worst shape I have ever seen him in. Sad how some people just let themselves go. She’s probably gonna dump him soon.

She looks a little like Lucille Ball in that picture.

Russian NYE program where they brag about taking over Europe.

https://twitter.com/juliadavisnews/status/1609719192596381696?s=46&t=8nNKZn4nEPlqqF4iqOAViA

Christ, that program looks like it was made almost 50 years ago.

He'll be fine as long as he doesn't miss Leg Day.
Lucky bastard!

Russia sends hypersonic missiles on frigate sailing to Atlantic and Indian Oceans

Putin has reportedly ordered a 36-hour ceasefire in honor of Orthodox Christmas.

Ukraine is ignoring the cease fire, as they rightly see it as a chance for Russia to reorg and rearm. They aren't going to give them that time.

And Russia continued to shell their civilian population during western Christmas.

The US is sending Bradley IFVs, the French are sending the first western tanks, the AMX-10 RC.

Neither in high numbers yet, probably going in for training purposes for larger lend-lease volumes later. It's reporting that 50 Bradleys are being sent at this time, and while an IFV it's TOW missile system means it's more than capable of taking out Russian armor. It was actually the leading AFV killer of Iraqi armor in the first Gulf War.

Poland is considering to deliver Leopard 2 to Ukraine.

I believe it’s going to happen.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-al...oops-an-edge-11672958229?mod=world_lead_story

#Poland #Ukraine

https://twitter.com/tendar/status/1611472238779432961


Finland has just communicated that if other countries give up their tanks - Finland will follow suit and donate leopards 2 to Ukraine.

#Ukraine #UkraineWillWin #UkrainianArmy #UkraineWarNews #RussiaIsCollapsing #RussiaIsLosing #RussianArmy #finlande #Finland

https://twitter.com/intermarium24/status/1611476866627694593

So the under current I am picking up on but no official word either on or off the record is saying is that Poland and Finland are taking a (IMO justified) leap of faith that while the US might be reticent to either directly give Ukraine Abrams or officially agree to replace Allied stocks with Abrams (as that could be escalation) they feel confident that if they give away their Gen2 MBTs we’ll backfill them.

And on the off chance we don’t that Ukraine is inflicting enough damage now and will likely to increase this with better kit that the Russian Armed Forces will be more degraded by these transfers than they are.

Lastly, of NATO and soon to be NATO nations Finland has the longest land border with Russia. Poland has the second longest (Belarus at this point is a puppet state in terms of launching invasions). The fact they are so gung-ho should tell us something.

Talk about total lack of awareness.


https://twitter.com/igorsushko/status/1611451741094174720

Serbia is now talking about sending military forces to Kosovo.
https://twitter.com/Faytuks/status/1611865955507789824?s=20

They're supposed to get permission from the NATO forces in the area, but I bet even if permission is denied, they still do it.