Ukraine 3

[Maj. Bill Martin]

At U.S. Base in Germany, Ukraine’s Military Conducts War Games

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/02/world/europe/ukraine-us-wargames-germany.html

The Ukrainians have a more professional officer and NCO corps than does Russia, which is a huge advantage in any kind of mobile warfare.

[sneakypete]

The Ukrainians have a more professional officer and NCO corps than does Russia, which is a huge advantage in any kind of mobile warfare.

@Maj. Bill Martin

The Soviet Union has ALWAYS had horrible officer and NCO  corps because they were always selected by their "political purity",not their tactical knowledge and ability.

Yes,on rare occasions,they have sometimes gotten lucky and found a blend of the two in the same officer,but it is rare. Their typical tactic is to use green troops to lead the combat assualts,with a NKVD "following force" going in right behind them and executing anyone that tries to retreat or even take cover.

"Political purity" in the USSR is EVERYTHING. Tactical ability isn't even considered.

[Kamaji]

Russia 'sends WOMEN prisoners to Ukraine war zone for first time as Putin looks to make up for heavy losses'

By WILL STEWART FOR MAILONLINE
14 March 2023

Russia is believed to be sending women prisoners to the Ukraine war zone for the first time in a bid to make up for the heavy losses of Russian troops on the front lines. Due to 'heavy losses' in the war, Vladimir Putin has sought 'alternative sources of replenishment of manpower,' the Ukrainian armed forces general staff said. 'Last week there was a movement towards the Donetsk region of a train with reserved seats for transporting prisoners. One of the carriages [was for] convicted women,' the Ukrainian armed forces said.

Earlier there was credible information that Russia had moved women convicts to Kuschevka in Krasnodar region, close to the war zone. Here some female prisoners – released under a special scheme linked to the war effort – were put to work as farm laborers in field as well as 'greenhouses and cowsheds,' possibly deployed in supplying the military. 

*  *  *

Source:  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/galleries/article-11857645/Putin-reportedly-sends-female-inmates-war-zone-amid-heavy-losses.html

[Kamaji]

The heart-stopping moment a Ukrainian suicide drone hunts down a Russian tank

By Snejana Farberov
March 13, 2023

Dramatic new video set to the tune featured in “Pulp Fiction” shows the moment a Kyiv kamikaze-style drone stalks a Russian tank as it struggles in vain to outrun the unmanned aircraft.

Aerial footage shot from the suicide drone’s point-of-view, and released by Ukraine’s Security Service, shows the armed aircraft zeroing in on a Russian tank, identified as T-80BV, racing along a desolate road in the Kharkiv region.

The remotely operated drone pivots in the air and begins pursuing its target in the recording set to the jaunty tune of Dick Dale and The Del Tones’ 1963 hit “Misirlou,” made popular by Quentin Tarantino’s cult classic “Pulp Fiction.”

As the chase heats up, the drone descends to an altitude of just a few dozen feet above the ground, flying almost directly above the fleeing tank.

*  *  *

Source:  https://nypost.com/2023/03/13/moment-ukrainian-suicide-drone-hunts-down-russian-tank/

[Maj. Bill Martin]

@Maj. Bill Martin

The Soviet Union has ALWAYS had horrible officer and NCO  corps because they were always selected by their "political purity",not their tactical knowledge and ability.

Yes,on rare occasions,they have sometimes gotten lucky and found a blend of the two in the same officer,but it is rare. Their typical tactic is to use green troops to lead the combat assualts,with a NKVD "following force" going in right behind them and executing anyone that tries to retreat or even take cover.

"Political purity" in the USSR is EVERYTHING. Tactical ability isn't even considered.

Yeah, they're pretty terrible.  They don't really even have a professional NCO corps at all.  It took a lot of crappy officers losing some horrendous battles in WW2 before they found some of the few that were both dedicated commies and capable.

I think I may have posted something awhile back from LG Hertling about the remarkable transformation the Ukrainian Army made post-2014, including finally establishing formal NCO training and building some professionalism.  We were training Ukrainian officers and NCO's in Ukraine, in Europe, and even in the U.S. between than fighting and the Russian invasion.  And it apparently "took", which is how they've managed to hold on for this long against a much larger country.

Here's the article.  Long, but good stuff.

https://www.thebulwark.com/i-commanded-u-s-army-europe-heres-what-i-saw-in-the-russian-and-ukrainian-armies/

[Timber Rattler]

Russian jets force down U.S. drone over Black Sea, Pentagon says

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/03/14/russia-forces-down-us-reaper-drone-black-sea/

Russian fighter jets intercepted and forced down an American surveillance drone over the Black Sea on Tuesday, U.S. military officials said, with one of the warplanes colliding with the unmanned aircraft’s propeller after both jets dumped fuel on it.

The incident, occurring around 7 a.m. local time, prompted Air Force personnel remotely operating the MQ-9 Reaper to bring it down in international waters. U.S. officials characterized the encounter as being part of a “pattern of dangerous actions by Russian pilots” while interacting with American and allied aircraft in international airspace. The high-risk maneuvers, carried about by Russian Su-27s, were “reckless and environmentally unsound,” the officials said, warning that such provocations could lead to “miscalculation and unintended escalation” between the two powers.

The confrontation, believed to be the first direct U.S.-Russia clash in the year since the Ukraine war began, highlights the high-stake risks of the conflict. While arming Kyiv and providing its battlefield efforts with regular overhead intelligence, the United States and NATO say they have no direct involvement in what Moscow has characterized as a Western attempt to destroy Russia.

In addition to drone surveillance and satellites, NATO flies combat air patrols and early-warning radar planes just outside Ukrainian territory in NATO and international airspace. Russian war planes generally stay out of the air over Ukraine, but are regularly flying over the Black Sea, where U.S. officials say non-contact “interceptions” with Western aircraft are common.

[DB]

So they were dumping fuel on it, trying to destroy it in flight...

Gee, a little turbulence near one of those drones might just cause the loss of the Russian aircraft in the process...

[sneakypete]

The drones are controlled in "real time" by drone operators who can see and hear everything the drones see and hear.

What we should do is start loading some HE in the drones with remote detonation by the drone operators. Let them get close enough to strike a propeller again,and a drone operator gets to "shoot down" a MIG.

I am more than willing to trade a drone for a MIG and it's pilot or pilots any day of the week. Hell,I would even be happy  about it.

[Kamaji]

The drones are controlled in "real time" by drone operators who can see and hear everything the drones see and hear.

What we should do is start loading some HE in the drones with remote detonation by the drone operators. Let them get close enough to strike a propeller again,and a drone operator gets to "shoot down" a MIG.

I am more than willing to trade a drone for a MIG and it's pilot or pilots any day of the week. Hell,I would even be happy  about it.

[Hoodat]

https://twitter.com/Maks_NAFO_FELLA/status/1635712791326650368

[Hoodat]

Russia's terror war against Ukraine civilians continues.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3loWoE_-PZ4

[Kamaji]

Now the Orcs are attacking Poland.


Russian plot to sabotage Poland's train lines in bid to stop the country delivering arms to Ukraine is uncovered, with six 'foreign agents' arrested

*    'Foreigners from across our eastern border' were detained, Polish reports said

*    They are suspected of 'working on behalf of the Russian special services'

By Ed Wight In Poland For Mailonline
15 March 2023

A Russian plot to sabotage Poland's train lines in a bid to stop the country delivering arms to Ukraine has been uncovered, with six suspected foreign agents arrested.

According to news outlet RMF FM, the 'foreigners from across our eastern border' were detained by Poland's Internal Security Agency 'on suspicion of working on behalf of the Russian special services'.

The six agents - who are thought to be from Belarus - were seized after intelligence officers from Poland’s ABW found hidden cameras recording important railway routes for transferring weapons and ammo to Ukraine.

*  *  *

Source:  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11863857/Russian-plot-sabotage-Polands-train-lines-uncovered.html

[catfish1957]

Now the Orcs are attacking Poland.


Russian plot to sabotage Poland's train lines in bid to stop the country delivering arms to Ukraine is uncovered, with six 'foreign agents' arrested

*    'Foreigners from across our eastern border' were detained, Polish reports said

*    They are suspected of 'working on behalf of the Russian special services'

By Ed Wight In Poland For Mailonline
15 March 2023

A Russian plot to sabotage Poland's train lines in a bid to stop the country delivering arms to Ukraine has been uncovered, with six suspected foreign agents arrested.

According to news outlet RMF FM, the 'foreigners from across our eastern border' were detained by Poland's Internal Security Agency 'on suspicion of working on behalf of the Russian special services'.

The six agents - who are thought to be from Belarus - were seized after intelligence officers from Poland’s ABW found hidden cameras recording important railway routes for transferring weapons and ammo to Ukraine.

*  *  *

Source:  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11863857/Russian-plot-sabotage-Polands-train-lines-uncovered.html

Man do the rules change if Poland gets attacked.  Putin must be suicidal.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Man do the rules change if Poland gets attacked.  Putin must be suicidal.

That would be an extraordinarily stupid move on his part.

[mountaineer]

No doubt.

"One woman saw a drone from her balcony and shot it down with a jar of tomatoes."

https://twitter.com/ThePollLady/status/1636043115688759296

[sneakypete]

That would be an extraordinarily stupid move on his part.

@Maj. Bill Martin

No surprise he acts and thinks that way. After all,his whole life has been spent in a police state where whatever your superiors tell you is the absolute truth,and if you question it you  will be shot or sent to a labor camp for life.

[mountaineer]

Donbass Devushka
@PeImeniPusha
The United States opposes the ceasefire in Ukraine and rejects the proposals put forward by China to resolve the crisis. This was announced on Thursday at an online briefing by the coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council (NSC) of the White House, John Kirby.

"We would, of course, be concerned about any Chinese proposals that would be unilateral and reflect only the point of view of Russia," the White House spokesman said. "For example, you guys have seen the 12-point plan [previously unveiled by Beijing] with fanfare," Kirby continued. "It calls for a cease-fire." "And although it sounds reasonable enough, it sounds like a good idea, the ceasefire currently, in fact, ratifies Russia's conquests, it would actually recognize Russia's [territorial] acquisitions," the NSC official claimed.

"The cease-fire now, in our view, represents yet another violation of the UN Charter," Kirby said.
1:53 PM · Mar 16, 2023

[Kamaji]

Poland to transfer MiG jets to Ukraine, becoming first NATO member to supply warplanes

By Snejana Farberov   
March 16, 2023

Poland will hand over four MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine in the coming days, making the Eastern European country the first member of the NATO bloc to supply warplanes to Kyiv after months of pleading.

Polish President Andrzej Duda, one of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters, made the announcement Thursday.

“We can say confidently that we are sending MiGs to Ukraine,” Duda said at a press conference in Warsaw.

“We have a dozen or so MiGs that we got in the ’90s handed down from the German Democratic Republic [East Germany] and they are functional and play a part in the defense of our airspace.

“They are at the end of their operational life but are still functional.”

*  *  *

Source:  https://nypost.com/2023/03/16/poland-to-transfer-mig-29-fighter-jets-to-ukraine/

[Kamaji]

Poland to transfer MiG jets to Ukraine, becoming first NATO member to supply warplanes

By Snejana Farberov   
March 16, 2023

Poland will hand over four MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine in the coming days, making the Eastern European country the first member of the NATO bloc to supply warplanes to Kyiv after months of pleading.

Polish President Andrzej Duda, one of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters, made the announcement Thursday.

“We can say confidently that we are sending MiGs to Ukraine,” Duda said at a press conference in Warsaw.

“We have a dozen or so MiGs that we got in the ’90s handed down from the German Democratic Republic [East Germany] and they are functional and play a part in the defense of our airspace.

“They are at the end of their operational life but are still functional.”

*  *  *

Source:  https://nypost.com/2023/03/16/poland-to-transfer-mig-29-fighter-jets-to-ukraine/

Looks like Russia's interference in Poland didn't exactly get the desired result.

[Timber Rattler]

Donbass Devushka
@PeImeniPusha
The United States opposes the ceasefire in Ukraine and rejects the proposals put forward by China to resolve the crisis. This was announced on Thursday at an online briefing by the coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council (NSC) of the White House, John Kirby.

"We would, of course, be concerned about any Chinese proposals that would be unilateral and reflect only the point of view of Russia," the White House spokesman said. "For example, you guys have seen the 12-point plan [previously unveiled by Beijing] with fanfare," Kirby continued. "It calls for a cease-fire." "And although it sounds reasonable enough, it sounds like a good idea, the ceasefire currently, in fact, ratifies Russia's conquests, it would actually recognize Russia's [territorial] acquisitions," the NSC official claimed.

"The cease-fire now, in our view, represents yet another violation of the UN Charter," Kirby said.
1:53 PM · Mar 16, 2023

They need to get past Point 1 of the ChiCom proposal first before talking about any ceasefire---respecting national sovereignty, which Russia ain't.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Looks like Russia's interference in Poland didn't exactly get the desired result.

Not a lot of love in Poland for Russians.

[sneakypete]

Not a lot of love in Poland for Russians.

@Maj. Bill Martin

Yeah,that's ONE way of putting it.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

@Maj. Bill Martin

Yeah,that's ONE way of putting it.

I get that this is a divisive issue, and I get why.  I'm just worried that if we let Ukraine get swallowed, we may look back on this and realize that giving up on an ally who was actually willing to fight may have been a really big mistake.  We may find ourselves with a Europe that looks much different, and much worse.

[Smokin Joe]

I get that this is a divisive issue, and I get why.  I'm just worried that if we let Ukraine get swallowed, we may look back on this and realize that giving up on an ally who was actually willing to fight may have been a really big mistake.  We may find ourselves with a Europe that looks much different, and much worse.

Yep. Unfortunately, I believe most of that corruption is driven from this side of the pond, with Zelensky doing what he must to save his country from the Orcs.

[bilo]

Yep. Unfortunately, I believe most of that corruption is driven from this side of the pond, with Zelensky doing what he must to save his country from the Orcs.

I think it's possible that Ukraine has lost the opportunity to expel the Russian invaders because Biden and NATO were so slow in providing the offensive weaponry needed. I've seen regular updates on Russian casualties but Ukraine has been losing soldiers as well. April is supposed to be the month the big counteroffensive begins so we should find out in a month or two if Ukraine has enough left to push the Russians back.