Ukraine 2

[Hoodat]

In the last 24 hrs:

200 KIA
3  Fixed wing aircraft
18 Tanks
12 UAV
35 APC/Vehicles
3  Artillery systems
2  MLRS
1  Cruise missile
1  Boat

[Kamaji]

Has Ukraine blasted ANOTHER Russian warship? MP says frigate is 'in trouble' in the Black Sea and suggests it has been hit with a missile

By CHRIS PLEASANCE  and WILL STEWART FOR MAILONLINE
6 May 2022

Ukraine may have shot another Russian warship overnight with an MP saying one of Putin's state-of-the-art frigates is 'in trouble' in the Black Sea.

Oleksiy Goncharenko, head of the council of Odesa which houses Ukraine's largest naval base, identified the vessel on his Telegram channel this morning as the Admiral Makarov - a $500million frigate that was only commissioned five years ago.

He said the vessel ran into difficulties overnight, before reposting a report from a local news outlet suggesting it had been shot with a Ukrainian missile near Snake Island - whose defenders memorably told another warship to 'go f*** yourself'.

*  *  *

Source:  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10789563/Ukraine-war-Russian-battleship-hit-Black-Sea.html

[Hoodat]

What a coincidence.  This was posted just 7 hrs ago:


The Russian Frigate ‘Admiral Makarov’ Might Be The Juiciest Target In The Black Sea

David Axe, Forbes Staff - 7h ago

After the dramatic sinking of the missile-cruiser Moskva by a Ukrainian missile battery on April 14, the Russian Black Sea Fleet is down to just three major surface combatants. The best and most important of them might be the new missile-frigate Admiral Makarov.



And that makes the 409-foot Admiral Makarov perhaps the most valuable target for Ukrainian missile crews and drone operators. We don’t know exactly how of its best Neptune anti-ship missiles the Ukrainian navy has left or whether Kyiv’s TB-2 drones are hunting for the Russian frigate or her Black Sea sisters.

In any event, it’s apparent Russian fleet commanders appreciate the danger. There’s evidence Admiral Makarov’s skipper has been taking pains to keep her away from the Ukrainian coast.

Distance could help to protect Admiral Makarov. But that same distance precludes the frigate from actually doing her job, protecting the Black Sea Fleet’s other vessels from air- and missile-attack.

Commissioned in 2017, Admiral Makarov is the third, last and most modern vessel in her class. All three of the Admiral Grigorovich-class frigates belong to the Black Sea Fleet.  .  .

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/the-russian-frigate-e2-80-98admiral-makarov-e2-80-99-might-be-the-juiciest-target-in-the-black-sea/ar-AAWYA1z

[mystery-ak]

Ukrainian fighters in Azovstal steel plant refuse to surrender, will 'stand till the end': commander

Ukrainian fighters defending the Azovstal steel plant, devastated Mariupol’s last Ukrainian holdout, plan to "stand till the end" as Russian fighters continue their second day of a ground assault on the plant.

The wife of Azov Regiment commander Denys Prokopenko said the fighters "won’t surrender. They only hope for a miracle."

She said she spoke to her husband on the phone Thursday, and he said he would love her forever. "I am going mad from this," she said. "It seemed like words of goodbye."

For more on this story: https://www.foxnews.com/world/ukrainian-fighters-in-azovstal-steel-plant-refuse-to-surrender-will-stand-till-the-end-commanders-wife

Posted by Brie Stimson

[mystery-ak]

Germany to send self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine

 Germany plans to send seven self-propelled howitzers in the coming weeks that can hit targets 25 miles away to Ukraine after it reversed a policy against supplying heavy artillery in battle, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said Friday, according to report.

Germans will be training a group of Ukrainian soldiers, who have experience with Soviet-made howitzers, starting next week in Germany, Reuters reported.

The Netherlands also plans to send five howitzers.
Posted by Brie Stimson

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/DefenceU/status/1522502745323933696

[Kamaji]

[sneakypete]

@Hoodat

That's a photo from WW-1 or WW-2. Notice all the soldiers who are carrying rifles are carrying bolt-action rifles,and that some of the soldiers in this assault don't even have rifles. Soviet doctrine was to save money by sending in some soldiers on assaults who were unarmed,and let them take the arms and ammo from other soldiers who were killed in the assault.

If the Germans happened to shoot and kill an unarmed soldier instead of one carrying arms,that was good too,because it left an experienced soldier still armed and still on the assault.

The unarmed soldiers were replacements for those who were previously wounded or killed in action.

[240B]

@Hoodat
That's a photo from WW-1 or WW-2. Notice all the soldiers are carrying bolt-action rifles.

No matter which year it is, this is still Russia after all.
So ... I wouldn't be surprised to see men on horseback with sabers.

[Hoodat]

Warship Moskva was Blind to Ukrainian Missile Attack, Analysis Shows

Sam LaGrone   •   May 5, 2022 6:19 PM   •   Updated: May 5, 2022 10:10 PM

The crew of RTS Moskva (121) was blind to and not ready for the Ukrainian missile attack that sank Russia’s Black Sea flagship, according to a new analysis of the April 13 strike reviewed by USNI News.

The review of images following the strike of the two Neptune anti-ship missiles from open-source naval analyst and retired Navy Capt. Chris Carlson told USNI News that the guided-missile cruiser did not have its radars activated and could not see the threat from the two weapons.

In the photo of Moskva after the strike, the radars “are in their normal stowed position,” Carlson told USNI News on Monday.

“If you look at the pictures of Moskva, when she’s just dancing around going from place to place, or she’s anchored as a showboat, those directors are all facing aft every time,” he said.  .  .


Analysis from Chris Carlson shows how the radars on the ship were in their stowed position in photos following the missile strike. Images used with permission

.  .  .  In particular, the radar system that would have directed Moskva’s OSA-M surface to air missiles to counter the Ukrainian missiles appears to not have been active with its emitters stowed, based on the photograph.

“If you’re not running it, your point defense [surface to air missiles] are not going to be playing,” Carlson said.

In addition, on Moskva, “you’ve got old stuff, which means it’s temperamental. It’s hard to maintain, and at-sea maintenance has not been a Russian strength.”  .   .

https://news.usni.org/2022/05/05/warship-moskva-was-blind-to-ukrainian-missile-attack-analysis-shows

[Elderberry]

‘I Simply Refuse’: Wiretaps Catch Putin’s Troops Breaking Own Tanks in Sabotage Scheme

https://www.thedailybeast.com/intercepted-calls-catch-russian-troops-sabotaging-vladimir-putins-war-plans-by-breaking-tanks?ref=scroll

Russian troops have begun sharing tips with one another on how to deliberately damage Russian tanks and disobey orders, according to Ukrainian intelligence.

Russian fighters have been sharing tips with one another about how to deliberately damage their own equipment and hamper Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war plans in Ukraine, according to recordings of alleged Russian troops’ phone calls that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) intercepted.

In one regiment, one Russian soldier allegedly said they’ve been pouring sand into the tanks’ fuel systems to clog them up.

“I don't follow stupid orders, I simply refuse,” one fighter can be heard telling a comrade. “The motherf*cker sent me to tanks, motherf*cking piece of shit. I f*cked it up and that's it.”

More at link.

[Kamaji]

Pro-Kremlin separatists put up Russian road signs in Mariupol

By Snejana Farberov
May 6, 2022

Pro-Moscow separatists were pictured this week taking down Ukrainian and English road signs outside the besieged city of Mariupol — and replacing them with Russian ones.

The Ministry of Transport of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) — a Russia-backed breakaway state in eastern Ukraine — said in a statement Thursday that it has been changing signage in “liberated cities” in the contested region, where some of the fiercest fighting is taking place.

The agency released photos of workers in orange vests taking down and carrying away a sign in Ukrainian and English that used to greet motorists entering the now-leveled city of Mariupol.

A photo that was shared separately on DNR’s Telegram channel showed a work crew installing a new road sign, with the name Mariupol written only in Russian.

“It used to be Маріуполь [Ukrainian spelling] – now it’s Мариуполь [Russian spelling],” a caption read.

*  *  *

Source:  https://nypost.com/2022/05/06/pro-kremlin-separatists-erect-russian-road-signs-in-mariupol/

[Elderberry]

Russia-Ukraine war: What would a victory look like now to Putin?

https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2022/5/6/russia-ukraine-war-what-would-a-victory-look-like-now-to-putin

Having failed to take over Ukraine, what are President Putin’s military prospects now? Three defence experts weigh in.

Russia’s Victory Day parade is an annual extravagance in Red Square. Falling on May 9, it commemorates the Nazi surrender of World War II with a lavish spectacle meant to project might. Formations, tanks and sophisticated hardware go on display to remind the world of Russia’s lasting power. Celebrating what is known locally as the “Great Patriotic War” is used to stir nationalism and pay homage to the 24 million lives lost to fend off Hitler.

Rehearsals on the streets in front of the Kremlin in recent days hint at the spectacle next week. Show stoppers include an intercontinental ballistic missile and 11,000 marching forces. Fighter jets will fly above in a Z formation, the symbol of the invasion of Ukraine.

The Kremlin does not have much to celebrate, however. President Vladimir Putin has failed at his aim to take over Ukraine, a country he wrongly assumed would be a walkover. Tactical mistakes led to catastrophic Russian losses that the United Kingdom estimates at 15,000 over just two months.

----

Al Jazeera sought answers from three defence experts who focus on the Russian military and security.

‘Putin’s proven himself quite capable of twisting truths’

–Margarita Konaev, research fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology

Konaev expects that to save face, Putin will try to distract from the reality of the war and double down on the narrative that has worked thus far: a call to nationalism and the argument that this is a war forced on the Russians by NATO expansion and that Ukraine is not a real country. “He will insist that the US and NATO are willing to risk continued violence and economic downturn around the world just to humiliate Russia and limit its power in the international order,” she says.

“Since it is May 9, they will evoke the Great Patriotic War and portray this moment as another when the Russian people must be steadfast and heroic while under attack,” she says. “Putin’s proven himself quite capable of twisting truths and reorganising the narrative in a way that might seem logically unsound but resonates nonetheless. It’s not his first rodeo or Russia’s with propaganda.”

-----

‘A long way from winning militarily’

-Tracey German, professor of conflict and security at King’s College, London

German noted that there is a big difference between a military and a political victory. One can win on the battlefields but not politically. “And they’re a long way from winning militarily.”

For that reason, she believes, the Russians have made great fanfare domestically about “liberating” Mariupol, the strategic port that has been levelled by the worst carnage of the war. Putin’s rationale for invading was to free Ukrainians from a “genocidal” government and restore them to Mother Russia. For sure, controlling this strategic port would curtail Ukraine’s industrial and agricultural exports, and help Russia create a land bridge between the separatist regions and Crimea. It also scores a propaganda win. Another pretext for the war was to “de-Nazify” Ukraine, and the city’s defence has included the members of the far-right Azov battalion.

-----

A war of attrition that will last ‘as long as Putin is in place’

-Mathieu Boulege, senior research fellow at the Chatham House think tank in London

Boulege believes that, after initially receiving poor intelligence, Putin is finally cognisant that his forces are overstretched. He now knows that all in all, there is only so much his military can achieve. But he cannot be seen to be looking desperate.

“Putin will not admit defeat. The Kremlin will not compromise,” Boulege says. “Right before May 9 there will be a big moment for Putin to say, mission accomplished, this is my version of history. This is my legacy. It needs to be presented as a mission accomplished. Forget about taking over Kyiv. We’ve flattened Mariupol, we’ve liberated more parts of Donbas. Maybe they will announce a republic in Kherson [a city in the south that has been under Russian occupation since March].”

More at link.

[Kamaji]

https://twitter.com/sentdefender/status/1522509777053618176

[Smokin Joe]

The only real difference between the Nazi's and the Soviets were the uniforms.

The prime reason Germany invaded Russia because NO dictator wants competition,and Nazi Germany thought they could do it and win. And,in truth,they came close.

Patton wanted to just go ahead and fight the Soviets while we were already over there. He saw them for what they were--just a different flavor of totalitarian.

[sneakypete]

https://twitter.com/sentdefender/status/1522509777053618176

@Kamaji

BTW,does anyone know if ANY of this is actually being reported as news by the Russian News Services inside Russia?

I HAVE to believe it is being suppressed,or we would be hearing more about demonstrations and even riots in the streets of the big cities.

[Smokin Joe]

@Hoodat

That's a photo from WW-1 or WW-2. Notice all the soldiers who are carrying rifles are carrying bolt-action rifles,and that some of the soldiers in this assault don't even have rifles. Soviet doctrine was to save money by sending in some soldiers on assaults who were unarmed,and let them take the arms and ammo from other soldiers who were killed in the assault.

If the Germans happened to shoot and kill an unarmed soldier instead of one carrying arms,that was good too,because it left an experienced soldier still armed and still on the assault.

The unarmed soldiers were replacements for those who were previously wounded or killed in action.

It actually looks like a scene out of Enemy at the Gates. Those who are armed are carrying Mosin-Nagants.

[sneakypete]

It actually looks like a scene out of Enemy at the Gates. Those who are armed are carrying Mosin-Nagants.

 

@Smokin Joe

I know. I have a Mosin-Nagant carbine I brought back from VN. Serial #200.

IIRC,the M-N were the standard issue Soviet infantry rifle in both WW's.

BTW,is that a good movie? I don't think I ever watched it.

[Smokin Joe]

Warship Moskva was Blind to Ukrainian Missile Attack, Analysis Shows

Sam LaGrone   •   May 5, 2022 6:19 PM   •   Updated: May 5, 2022 10:10 PM

The crew of RTS Moskva (121) was blind to and not ready for the Ukrainian missile attack that sank Russia’s Black Sea flagship, according to a new analysis of the April 13 strike reviewed by USNI News.

The review of images following the strike of the two Neptune anti-ship missiles from open-source naval analyst and retired Navy Capt. Chris Carlson told USNI News that the guided-missile cruiser did not have its radars activated and could not see the threat from the two weapons.

In the photo of Moskva after the strike, the radars “are in their normal stowed position,” Carlson told USNI News on Monday.

“If you look at the pictures of Moskva, when she’s just dancing around going from place to place, or she’s anchored as a showboat, those directors are all facing aft every time,” he said.  .  .


Analysis from Chris Carlson shows how the radars on the ship were in their stowed position in photos following the missile strike. Images used with permission

.  .  .  In particular, the radar system that would have directed Moskva’s OSA-M surface to air missiles to counter the Ukrainian missiles appears to not have been active with its emitters stowed, based on the photograph.

“If you’re not running it, your point defense [surface to air missiles] are not going to be playing,” Carlson said.

In addition, on Moskva, “you’ve got old stuff, which means it’s temperamental. It’s hard to maintain, and at-sea maintenance has not been a Russian strength.”  .   .

https://news.usni.org/2022/05/05/warship-moskva-was-blind-to-ukrainian-missile-attack-analysis-shows

By the same token, if you are running it, you are advertising your position. Is there a naval equivalent of a HARM type missile like those used against SAM sites in Vietnam? If not, why not?

[Smokin Joe]

@Smokin Joe

I know. I have a Mosin-Nagant carbine I brought back from VN. Serial #200.

IIRC,the M-N were the standard issue Soviet infantry rifle in both WW's.

I have a 91-30 and a Finnish-made equivalent to the carbine dated in the late 30s. Solid rifles, and cheap when I bought them.

Enemy at the Gates: It's basically a sniper duel (Vasily Zaitsev) in the rubble of the Tractor Factory, but very watchable, and with enough background in it to give you a feel for what it was to be a Soviet grunt in that.

By contrast I was watching another movie last night (supposedly WWII) with plastic canteen caps, and all sorts of other temporal anomalies in their gear. You'd think Hollywierd would bother to do just a little research into kit of the era, but no. (There are enough militaria collectors out there that would love to be consultants on a movie and make sure they weren't using the wrong stuff). Hard to suspend disbelief and get into a show when they have the wrong stuff in their hands.

[sneakypete]

I have a 91-30 and a Finnish-made equivalent to the carbine dated in the late 30s. Solid rifles, and cheap when I bought them.

@Smokin Joe

The recoil of the 7.65 mm Soviet round in those things is monstrous with that stock design and the steel buttplate.

[Smokin Joe]

@Smokin Joe

The recoil of the 7.65 mm Soviet round in those things is monstrous with that stock design and the steel buttplate.

Yes, and that's with the standard 147 grain ball round.
If someone sells you the yellow tip (187 grain aircraft machine gun round) it's even worse.

[sneakypete]

Yes, and that's with the standard 147 grain ball round.
If someone sells you the yellow tip (187 grain aircraft machine gun round) it's even worse.

@Smokin Joe

I have what is now a funny story to tell about my nagant. I had just came back from VN,and had a layover in DC before I could catch the next airplane home. So,being more than a little drunk,I decided to take a cab to downtown DC to look around.

So,there I am,as innocent of any wrong doing as a baby,standing on a corner in downtown DC in the early afternoon,holding the Soviet Rifle in one hand,and a 5th of Jim Beam in another. Not doing much of anything at all,just admiring all the traffic following rules,and looking at the round-eyed wimmins.

Soooo,up comes a DC cop and asks,"Can I see the rifle?",so I say "Sure!",and hand it to him and admire the way the first thing he did was pull the bolt back to see if it was loaded.

He asks me what I am doing,and I tell him the truth,"Admiring the orderly traffic and the women while waiting for my plane home."

He smiles,hands the rifle back to me,tells me,"Welcome Home!",and walks away.

It didn't even occur to me until I was home and sobered up the next day that I had probably been violating several DC laws,and that if I hadn't been in uniform I would have been in deep trouble.

Sure wouldn't want to see any returning soldier try that these days!

[Smokin Joe]

@Smokin Joe

I have what is now a funny story to tell about my nagant. I had just came back from VN,and had a layover in DC before I could catch the next airplane home. So,being more than a little drunk,I decided to take a cab to downtown DC to look around.

So,there I am,as innocent of any wrong doing as a baby,standing on a corner in downtown DC in the early afternoon,holding the Soviet Rifle in one hand,and a 5th of Jim Beam in another. Not doing much of anything at all,just admiring all the traffic following rules,and looking at the round-eyed wimmins.

Soooo,up comes a DC cop and asks,"Can I see the rifle?",so I say "Sure!",and hand it to him and admire the way the first thing he did was pull the bolt back to see if it was loaded.

He asks me what I am doing,and I tell him the truth,"Admiring the orderly traffic and the women while waiting for my plane home."

He smiles,hands the rifle back to me,tells me,"Welcome Home!",and walks away.

It didn't even occur to me until I was home and sobered up the next day that I had probably been violating several DC laws,and that if I hadn't been in uniform I would have been in deep trouble.

Sure wouldn't want to see any returning soldier try that these days!

Nowadays they'd have called out the SWAT Team...and 4 or 5 news channels...

It was a different era, not to mention even getting on the plane today with that rifle.
You probably had a pile of modern day TSA violations on your person, even without it.

(Neither I nor a friend who is a plankowner in the original Seal Team 6 have ever been able to figure out why/how a small pair of nail clippers can be used as a deadly weapon...)

[DCPatriot]

@Smokin Joe

I have what is now a funny story to tell about my nagant. I had just came back from VN,and had a layover in DC before I could catch the next airplane home. So,being more than a little drunk,I decided to take a cab to downtown DC to look around.

So,there I am,as innocent of any wrong doing as a baby,standing on a corner in downtown DC in the early afternoon,holding the Soviet Rifle in one hand,and a 5th of Jim Beam in another. Not doing much of anything at all,just admiring all the traffic following rules,and looking at the round-eyed wimmins.

Soooo,up comes a DC cop and asks,"Can I see the rifle?",so I say "Sure!",and hand it to him and admire the way the first thing he did was pull the bolt back to see if it was loaded.

He asks me what I am doing,and I tell him the truth,"Admiring the orderly traffic and the women while waiting for my plane home."

He smiles,hands the rifle back to me,tells me,"Welcome Home!",and walks away.

It didn't even occur to me until I was home and sobered up the next day that I had probably been violating several DC laws,and that if I hadn't been in uniform I would have been in deep trouble.

Sure wouldn't want to see any returning soldier try that these days!

Shite!  They kill children with BB guns!

But still... in downtown, D.C., @sneakypete ??