Bradleys shouldn't be the tip of the spear
Ukraine War thread.
-
-
QuoteMuch has been said regarding the Russian defense network, and when you check them then there is no doubt that Russians have put a vast amount of effort to create them. At this point I can wholeheartedly recommend the maps which @bradyafr has created to document them. But what… pic.twitter.com/bYxrTZ5tXL
— (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) September 3, 2023But what many forget is that those are purely tactical elements which - detached from a overarching strategy - offer little.
The Ukrainian counteroffensive has been going on for almost 3 months and over this period of time the Ukrainian onslaught has created some gaping wounds in the Russian defense network. It started Velyka Novosilka which was culminating in the devastating Russian defeat and costly withdrawal in Urozhaine.
Far more dangerous, however, for the Russian war effort are the Ukrainian operations south of Orikhiv. Russians have specifically fortified this area. Especially, Robotyne was vital for the Russian defense sector. It also explains also why Russians continue to counter attack this area, knowing their weakness in the hinterlands.
But this is not even the worst for the Russians. Far worse is that this whole battle has evolved in an open tug-of-war. Both sides know more less the strengths and weaknesses of each other. The open terrain makes sneak attacks and counterattacks virtually impossible. This is only emphasized by the usage of drones. Some might argue that this point might be favorable for Russians but even that Russians squandered long ago.
The biggest thinking error many, especially Russians, are making is to make this about trench networks. The trenches are delaying the advance, there is no doubt about that. But the most crucial aspect of this battle is logistics, as always. And here Russians made absolutely decisive mistakes, by not targeting Ukrainians logistic lines in the same way than the other way around. Ukrainians masterfully and since day one of this operation targeted all the logistics hubs and HQs from Melitopol to Tokmak.
It is also those Russian logistics lines which get increasingly compromised. I have added Screenshot 1 where some of the Russian trenchlines are marked, including the far more vital and primary logistic lines. Most of them are in range of Ukrainian tubed artillery.
Another aspect which Russians have not employed as much as Ukrainians is the usage of drones. The occasional lancet strike is published, of course, but the drone warfare is a matter of quantities. The Ukrainian FPV strikes are far more numerous. To put that into perspective: Magyar birds alone have destroyed Russian equipment worth a billion USD (!), while using drones which do not exceed in price of 10,000 USD, and most of them being even below 1,000 USD. The flow of new drones is not only exceeding, but also being supported by a vast Ukrainian drone industry, which comes up with more intriguing and even cost-effective drones. This comes parallel with the long-range drones which increasingly strike vital Russian bases far away from Ukraine.
The bulk of the drones at the front have a range of 5km and when you overlay this (Screenshot 2) on the Ukrainian advance then you see that in this orange area that life for a Russian soldier is short. This is also the area where increasingly the Russian elite force such as the 76th Guards Air Assault Division are getting hammered and softened up, while the heavy Ukrainian brigade still wait for the big push.
All and all Russians have completely lost the initiative and only hope that Ukrainians stop their assault. The frantic call of Pro-Russian minions such as Hungary's Orban are a very good sign how much in distress Russia has come. They desperately need and hope that the Ukrainian attack stops, and if they don't then we are not far away from a complete Russian collapse along the southern front. This collapse is only determined by how and when the Russian logistics will not be able to repel Ukrainian attacks in an organized fashion, and that point is nothing what you can see on maps where trenchlines are marked. It is determined by logistic lines and their hubs as well as the attrition rate. When this tipping point is reached, then collapse of Russian army in Zaporizhzhia is complete.
The dire situation for Russians will move then from critical to hopeless when Ukrainians break through the lines and storm to the Azov Sea. In the early stages of this open war, Russians focused on securing the Azov coast in order to protect their bases in Crimea. With the Ukrainian arsenal such as HIMARS, Stormshadows/Scalp-EG and likely soon TAURUS, as well, Ukrainian control of whole Zaporizhzhia will make the Russian occupation in Crimea untenable. It will be similar to Germany 1944 where a fight might still continue another year (which it did), but it wouldn't change the outcome. The liberation of Zaporizhzhia by Ukrainians forces equals Russia's strategic defeat. Both sides know that.
This is why the influx of resources and ammunition for Ukrainian forces must be sustained and increased. The fight will go on for some time but in end Russia will lose this battle. Even when supplies are delayed there is no way that Russia can turn the tide, but any delay in supplies could result in an unnecessary and prolonged war. It is time that some Western leaders, especially in Germany, stop sitting on their hands and turn on the factories. The earlier it is done, the earlier we can end this miserable war.
-
The Ukraine Air War Moves to Russia - Drone attacks, F-16s & Changing tacticsSponsored by Ground News: Compare news coverage, spot media bias, avoid algorithms. Try Ground News today and get 30% off your subscription by going to https...www.youtube.com -
Bradleys shouldn't be the tip of the spear
They were in the Battle of 73 Easting.
-
Display More
The true impact of a year of war on Russia's economy | DW Business Special
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QU0resswOds
3:00: Sonnenfeld says that the World Bank and others get their information from Russian state owned Rosstat. One little problem is that Rosstat has had a change of leadership 3 times. Why? Sonnenfeld says it’s because Putin is looking for lackeys who will state the invented data he wants stated.
3:30: As a member of the IMF and the World Bank, Russia is required to submit data to the IMF and World Bank. “They are not submitting.” By the second quarter of 2022, Russia stopped submitting the data. They have no idea what Russia's imports and exports are or foreign direct investment anymore.
4:00: Putin wakes up in the morning and decides what the GDP should be.
5:40: Every key industrial sector is down. The auto industry is down 99%.
10:45: Ruble is not being traded. You cannot know the value of something you cannot buy. We are going off the value Russia tells us it is. Try to buy a ruble, you can't unless you go to Russia.
19:20: Because we've fixed the price of oil, it actually costs Russia more money to pump it out of the ground than they are selling to China and India for. We wish Russia would sell more oil because they are selling it at a loss.
20:30: Russia’s economy is smaller than that of Chile.
23:20: Putin can’t sell natural gas to India and China because they cannot liquify it in bulk and they don’t have the pipelines he would need to send it in vapor form. It would take 6 years to build those pipelines.
25:25: The mayor of Moscow, until he was silenced, admitted in April 2022 that hundreds of thousands of idled workers “were in the streets with nothing to do.”
25:50: 3 million highly sophisticated workers have fled Russia.But Russia went on the gold standard, and Russia an China are going to end the Dollar.
-
This is incredible, and a real game changer - now and in the future. Cardboard drones that are undetectable and can be produced by the tens of thousands.
-
They were in the Battle of 73 Easting.
pretty cool
The Battle of 73 Easting: The Last Great Tank Battle Of The 20th CenturyIn 1991 the Gulf War set the stage for a large-scale tank battle that pit the US' M1A1 Abrams main battle tank (MBT) and supporting vehicles against awww.warhistoryonline.comThe 2nd ACR’s powerful M1A1 Abrams were following close behind their Bradleys, which were equipped with thermal imaging sights to help cut through the low-visibility desert.
On the morning of the 26th of February, the 2nd ACR was instructed to now head east instead of northeast. Poor weather had limited aerial reconnaissance, and a sandstorm during the day ensured the enemy positions were not known.
As he pulled up onto a deceptive ridge in the desert, McMaster realized he had come across an entire division of dug-in Iraqi tanks. The commander of the vehicles had set up a good defensive position, with his tanks waiting for US forces to crest the ridge, at which point their exposed upper armor would make them easy pickings.
This idea was great on paper, but without any reconnaissance parties, the Iraqis were quite literally caught with their pants down. Falling back to his training, McMaster opened fire, instantly destroying an enemy tank. His tank’s second shot destroyed a second tank.
Within seconds, McMaster had destroyed two enemy tanks and was now joined by the other eight M1A1 Abrams in Eagle Troop. Together, they fired on the enemy with fury.
The Bradleys attacked the Iraqi tanks with their TOW missiles and scattered their troops with mortar and machine gun fire.
As McMaster’s tank headed towards the enemy the driver realized they had entered a minefield. Anti-personnel mines tickled the belly of the tank as it rolled forward, firing as it went.
The rapid advance of Eagle Troop stunned the Iraqi forces, who were quickly neutralized.
McMaster and his men reached the limit of their advance, but he was aware that the enemy may be about to mount a powerful counterattack with their remaining reserve forces.
Ignoring orders he pushed on, overwhelming the final Iraqi tanks until there was nothing left to shoot. A few small engagements occurred in the moments after the battle, but the work of the 2nd Squadron was done.
-
Bradleys shouldn't be the tip of the spear
The 2nd ACR’s powerful M1A1 Abrams were following close behind their Bradleys, which were equipped with thermal imaging sights to help cut through the low-visibility desert.
Change your mind?
-
Change your mind?
It depends on what is expected in the movement to contact. If you are more expecting infantry or going into a town the brads, ready to drop the dismounts leading is fine. If you are expecting heavier armor then the tanks should lead with the brads supporting.
-
Fuck this group in particular...
[Mature Content] From the CombatFootage community on Reddit: Russian CASEVAC group hit with cluster munitions, followed by an FPV kamikaze drone strikePosted by RetroProxyGroup - 2,905 votes and 353 commentswww.reddit.comFPV drone view
From the CombatFootage community on Reddit: Ukrainian kamikaze drone destroying russian infantry in Zaporozhye regionExplore this post and more from the CombatFootage communitywww.reddit.com -
Change your mind?
Doesn't say where they were when the fighting started. The fact they were using TOW's is a tell tho
-
PStyleOne1 on XUkrainians use artillery twice as much as the Russians in the south Commander Tarnavskyi reported that the Russians attacked Ukrainian positions 16 times in…twitter.comUkrainians use artillery twice as much as the Russians in the south
Commander Tarnavskyi reported that the Russians attacked Ukrainian positions 16 times in the past day in the Tauri direction and carried out 688 shellings, carried out 19 airstrikes.
Artillery units of the Defense Forces of the Tauri direction performed 1,328 fire missions during the day. Over the last day, the loss of the enemy amounted to 249 people.
20 units of enemy military equipment were destroyed. 2 enemy ammunition depots were also destroyed.
-
Russian expert says she has no pity for Ukrainianswww.youtube.com -
Quote?Armenia's dependence solely on Russia for security was a "strategic mistake," Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said.
"Armenia's security architecture was 99.999% connected with russia, including when it came to the purchase of weapons and ammunition. But today we see… pic.twitter.com/JrbfJ7EW1p
— FLASH (@Flash_news_ua) September 3, 2023 -
QuoteIn his early update, Russian miliblogger WarGonzo reports that the AFU is advancing in the gray zone east of Novoprokopivka towards Ocheretuvate.
In addition, the AFU is attacking near Dorozhnyanka. pic.twitter.com/wKdJCspUco
— NOELREPORTS \uD83C\uDDEA\uD83C\uDDFA \uD83C\uDDFA\uD83C\uDDE6 (@NOELreports) September 4, 2023QuoteSome perspective. Despite the much higher personnel casualties this year, it's been treeline to treeline, field by field, building by building fighting for a long while now. https://t.co/hoRGgyMnui
Ukraine Control Map (@UAControlMap) September 4, 2023QuoteOver the month of August, Ukraine has successfully reclaimed approximately 35 km² from Russian forces.Display More
This means that Russia currently occupies a total of 17.49% of Ukraine.
This first chart illustrates in which direction control has shifted each month of the war. pic.twitter.com/3TiexRFhy5
— War Mapper (@War_Mapper) September 3, 2023QuoteThe graph below visualises how these monthly changes add up.Display More
The grey bars represent the extent of Russian occupation both before the invasion, and today.
Before the invasion, Russia held roughly 7.04% of Ukraine. Presently, their control extends to 17.49%. pic.twitter.com/Qj4gVjJqqg
— War Mapper (@War_Mapper) September 3, 2023
