What's going on in Ukraine?

[Uncle fester]

Amazing how brazen they are with it. And also that they are willing to risk a priceless spy ship doing it.

[Happyhooker]

It’s hard to appreciate how much the Finns hate Russia

tangential, but this story has always made me laugh

https://allthatsinteresting.com/aimo-koivunen

[fishfoodie]

It’s hard to appreciate how much the Finns hate Russia

tangential, but this story has always made me laugh

https://allthatsinteresting.com/aimo-koivunen

No exactly humorous; but the stories of the Finns posing the frozen corpses of Orcs in the forests so that the fresh advancing Orcs would get to see what was waiting for them was proper Psy-ops, long before anyone thought of it as a thing !

[Uncle fester]

Finns are stone cold fückers.
A girl I knew was a granddaughter of one of Mannerheim's senior officers and some of the stories she used to tell were mind boggling.

He's one of the most remarkable persons of the 20th century. Up there with Mandela for me.

[Guy Smiley]

Russia-linked cable-cutting tanker seized by Finland ‘was loaded with spying equipment’

Eagle S, the Russia-linked tanker suspected of damaging an underwater electricity cable on Christmas Day, was kitted out with special transmitting and receiving devices that were used to monitor naval activity, according to a source with direct involvement in the ship, which has since been detained by Finnish police.

RUSSIA-LINKED dark fleet* tanker Eagle S (IMO: 9329760), seized by Finland on December 25 for damaging an undersea cable, had transmitting and receiving devices installed that effectively allowed it to become a “spy ship” for Russia, Lloyd’s List has learnt.

The hi-tech equipment on board was abnormal for a merchant ship and consumed more power from the ship’s generator, leading to repeated blackouts, a source familiar with the vessel who provided commercial maritime services to it as recently as seven months ago.

As well as Eagle S, another related tanker from the same ownership cluster, UK-sanctioned Swiftsea Rider (IMO: 9318539), also had similar equipment installed, Lloyd’s List was told.

Cook Islands-flagged Eagle S and Honduras-flagged Swiftsea Rider are two of 26 elderly Russia-linked tankers with opaque ownership structures connected to three related shipmanagers, including two sanctioned by the UK government 12 months ago for “propping up Putin’s war machine”.

The sanctions-circumventing tankers were bought between 2022 and 2023 and placed under bareboat charter arrangements with Eiger Shipping, the shipping arm of Russia oil trader Litasco.

Eagle S was boarded by Finnish forces investigating sabotage of the Estlink 2 undersea cable that disrupted the supply of electricity to Estonia from Finland.

The tanker slowed and dragged its anchor around the cable around midday, December 25, Finland’s police said. Another three cables were also damaged.


https://www.lloydslist.com/LL1151955/Ru ... -equipment

The Eagle S is registered in the Cook Islands. They are administered by New Zealand but, true to form our government claims it's not our responsibility.

[Hellraiser]

[Hellraiser]

Given how obscure this place is I'll not even bother to do the song and dance of obfuscation I did on PR. The Russian agent, codename Cobalt, in the Irish Senate is Gerard Craughwell.

[Uncle fester]

This Cobalt guy. Shame we never found out who it was. What's he supposed to have done?

[tabascoboy]

Dmitry Peskov has stated that there are currently no conditions for ending Putin's war against Ukraine or any of its phases, and that Putin has no plans for any meetings today, December 30.

For context, this comment is linked to claims made by prominent Ukrainian journalist Dmytro Gordon. Over the past few months, Gordon has been spreading "insider information," asserting that the active phase of the war would end by the year's end—naturally drawing considerable attention to himself. As recently as December 29, he doubled down on his prediction, promising a significant meeting on December 30 that would bring an end to the war. His statements seem to have caused such a stir that even Peskov felt the need to address them.

Speculation of this type also fuelled by reports that an Il-96 aircraft of the special flight detachment "Russia" spent two days in the United States, which may indicate a visit by high-ranking Russian officials.

The plane visited Washington and New York and returned to Russia today. There was no official comment from Moscow or Washington on the visit.

[Uncle fester]

They've also formally rejected Trump's proposal.

[tabascoboy]

Well f--k me gently with a chainsaw

[Uncle fester]

Russia-linked cable-cutting tanker seized by Finland ‘was loaded with spying equipment’

Eagle S, the Russia-linked tanker suspected of damaging an underwater electricity cable on Christmas Day, was kitted out with special transmitting and receiving devices that were used to monitor naval activity, according to a source with direct involvement in the ship, which has since been detained by Finnish police.

RUSSIA-LINKED dark fleet* tanker Eagle S (IMO: 9329760), seized by Finland on December 25 for damaging an undersea cable, had transmitting and receiving devices installed that effectively allowed it to become a “spy ship” for Russia, Lloyd’s List has learnt.

The hi-tech equipment on board was abnormal for a merchant ship and consumed more power from the ship’s generator, leading to repeated blackouts, a source familiar with the vessel who provided commercial maritime services to it as recently as seven months ago.

As well as Eagle S, another related tanker from the same ownership cluster, UK-sanctioned Swiftsea Rider (IMO: 9318539), also had similar equipment installed, Lloyd’s List was told.

Cook Islands-flagged Eagle S and Honduras-flagged Swiftsea Rider are two of 26 elderly Russia-linked tankers with opaque ownership structures connected to three related shipmanagers, including two sanctioned by the UK government 12 months ago for “propping up Putin’s war machine”.

The sanctions-circumventing tankers were bought between 2022 and 2023 and placed under bareboat charter arrangements with Eiger Shipping, the shipping arm of Russia oil trader Litasco.

Eagle S was boarded by Finnish forces investigating sabotage of the Estlink 2 undersea cable that disrupted the supply of electricity to Estonia from Finland.

The tanker slowed and dragged its anchor around the cable around midday, December 25, Finland’s police said. Another three cables were also damaged.


https://www.lloydslist.com/LL1151955/Ru ... -equipment

The Eagle S is registered in the Cook Islands. They are administered by New Zealand but, true to form our government claims it's not our responsibility.

100km drag mark from their anchor.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/ ... dApp_Other

[tabascoboy]

=============================================================================================================================

Russia Planned Attacks on Japan and South Korea, FT Reveals Targets.

Journalists have published information obtained from 29 classified Russian military files. These documents, dated 2013-2014, reveal Russia's plans for strikes on military and civilian infrastructure in Japan and South Korea in the event of war.

The report states that Russia identified 160 potential targets in both countries, including 82 military sites, with the rest being civilian infrastructure. According to the secret data, Moscow's plans included attacks on key infrastructure in Japan and South Korea.

It is noted that despite the age of the documents, the disclosed information remains relevant due to its connection to Russia's current strategies.

https://www.ft.com/content/d345a6e7-2d7 ... d571ba75eb

[Uncle fester]

They can barely manage conflict with a country bordering them so how on earth are they going to execute a war against Japan? Or South Korea?

[Sandstorm]

They can barely manage conflict with a country bordering them so how on earth are they going to execute a war against Japan? Or South Korea?

Couple of nukes....?

[fishfoodie]

They can barely manage conflict with a country bordering them so how on earth are they going to execute a war against Japan? Or South Korea?

See, there you go applying logic to their situation, & assuming that they're doing the same thing !

The Nazis couldn't believe that Stalin just kept on throwing millions more poorly trained, ill equipped troops in front of them, but he did, & from a Russian perspective it worked. Putin believes that any opponent will give up before the Russians will stop turning up to the draft, & who's to say he's wrong, with the Orange Traitor back in the White House ?

[tabascoboy]

Russia so keen to enact a little revenge after their failure to swing the elections they don't care about their allies and puppets

Gas, heating, and hot water supplies in Transnistria have been cut off due to the halt of Russian gas deliveries, reports Tiraspoltransgaz-Pridnestrovie. Moldova’s government also announced that by January 2025, most of its electricity will come from Romania, with the rest from local renewable and thermal power sources.

[Flockwitt]

So Biden is getting a $5.9 billion package over the line before he departs. Currently it doesn't look like Trump's going to walk in and simply shut up shop so hopefully this sticks. Vance's latest comments are more about reducing outflow of stuff in line with what existing production can manage rather than cutting military equipment aid altogether so we'll just have to wait and see where it goes.

[tabascoboy]

A new threat looms: Russians predict the imminent deployment of "hundreds of thousands" of fiber-optic-controlled drones by the AFU—drones that are impervious to electronic warfare. This claim is allegedly supported by reports of large-scale component purchases from China.

On certain fronts, including Pokrovsk, Ukrainian forces are reportedly already using these drones extensively. According to the blogger, their use has led to substantial losses in equipment. The post is lengthy but provides some great context.

[Flockwitt]

There are more than a few signs that something is rotten in the state of Ukraine. This is a rather telling article from Forbes regards desertion in new formed units which is bad news unfortunately.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2 ... ront-line/

This leads back to that issue mentioned about the lack of proper reinforcement and rotation of the 72nd Mechanised Brigade in Vulhedar.

[laurent]

Mirage deliveries to start this month :

https://www.avionslegendaires.net/2025/ ... n-ukraine/

sorry it's in French. the Mirage may already have arrived but used only for training.

expect a video soon enough.
The AASM (hammer bomb system) is now also available on Su25 (it was available for Su 27 and Mig29 already)
https://www.opex360.com/2025/01/02/kiev ... la-france/

the AASM is a guidance gliding + rocket booster kit for classic bomb

[Niegs]

For something lighthearted... cat takes out drone.

https://bsky.app/profile/archer83able.b ... u247kx7k2g

[Hellraiser]

Bratislav Živković, the leader of the Serb ultra-nationalist Chetniks who've been fighting as mercenaries against Ukraine since 2014, has been killed in Kursk.

[tabascoboy]

Interesting article about the Finnish Navy ( which of course the Russians would boast they could destroy in a few minutes...



Full thread in easy to read format with images: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1875 ... =topunroll

[Hellraiser]

Estimated production of Ukrainian 2S22 Bogdan artillery systems from Belgian OSINT researcher Jeff, who analyzed news reports about them. Based on them, Jeff suggests that 152 self-propelled howitzers of this type may have been produced so far, at least 12 of which were lost in combat, which was confirmed visually. Thus, there may be about 140 Bogdans in service now (although it should be noted that production is unlikely to have increased in such spurts, so the actual number may be higher). Jeff also established that "Bogdans are in service with at least 13 Ukrainian brigades - the 16th, 26th, 32nd, 44th, 45th, 47th, 48th, 49th artillery, 100th mechanized, 1st Troops brigade, 57th motorized infantry, 10th mountain assault, as well as the National Police Brigade "Lyut".

@yigal_levin

[fishfoodie]

There's going to be an incredible amount of re-distribution of Military budgets over the next decade or so while Countries try to absorb the lessons from this War.

In some ways the focus on Artillery, is WW I like, but now you have drones, displacing fixed wing aircraft & bombers.

The MBT might not be dead, but for damn sure a lot of designs are going to have to be updated to counter the Anti-Tank missiles available now.

Some things like Helicopters seem to be just about obsolete against all but the least well equipped enemy.

Of course the main lesson probably ought to be that the properly trained, equipped & motivated infantry man is difference between the posers & the efficient !

[Hellraiser]

There's going to be an incredible amount of re-distribution of Military budgets over the next decade or so while Countries try to absorb the lessons from this War.

In some ways the focus on Artillery, is WW I like, but now you have drones, displacing fixed wing aircraft & bombers.

The MBT might not be dead, but for damn sure a lot of designs are going to have to be updated to counter the Anti-Tank missiles available now.

Some things like Helicopters seem to be just about obsolete against all but the least well equipped enemy.

Of course the main lesson probably ought to be that the properly trained, equipped & motivated infantry man is difference between the posers & the efficient !

It's not that drones are displacing fixed wing aircraft, it's that the later basically can't are severely limited in function in an AD saturated environment. Most of the significant Ukrainian airstrikes of the war have occurred after several weeks of degrading Russian AD in target areas., and the Russians launch missiles and FABs from as far outside the range of Ukrainian AD as possible.

The use of bomber and suicide drones is primarily a response to artillery shortages.

The Chieftain has addressed the helicopter issue a month or two back:

[tabascoboy]

[Flockwitt]

Another good drop from hromadske which shows the war from both a personal and activity/equipment perspective.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsaMS9vr1GE

Google translate of the comments does mean a lack of proper understanding of the Ukrainian euphimisms unfortunately for those of us without the background.

[Hellraiser]

Lynx KF41 – Rheinmetall delivers first infantry fighting vehicle to Ukraine

Waldemar Geiger

January 7, 2025
Lynx KF41 infantry fighting vehicle during firing tests.Screenshot: Rheinmetall

The Düsseldorf-based arms company Rheinmetall is currently delivering the first Lynx infantry fighting vehicle to the Ukrainian armed forces. The vehicle will first undergo field tests before series delivery can begin. A Rheinmetall spokesperson confirmed this upon request. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung was the first to report on the matter.

In June, Rheinmetall and Ukraine signed a memorandum of understanding to expand their strategic cooperation during the "Ukraine Recovery Conference" in Berlin. "With this agreement, we are reaffirming our intention to continue working together in the coming years and creating an appropriate framework," Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall AG, was quoted as saying in a company press release sent on June 12, 2024. "Specifically, we are already in talks to establish a joint venture to produce artillery ammunition in Ukraine. In addition, we want to hand over the first Lynx infantry fighting vehicles to the country this year and start producing these systems in Ukraine in the near future," said Papperger.

Rheinmetall first presented the Lynx KF41 to the public in June 2018 at the Eurosatory in Paris. To date, only Hungary has decided to purchase infantry fighting vehicles of this type for its own armed forces. In September 2020, the Hungarian Ministry of Defense commissioned Rheinmetall to supply Lynx infantry fighting vehicles and related services worth over two billion euros.

The Lynx infantry fighting vehicle is equipped with a manned "Lance 2.0" turret armed with a MK 30-2/ABM 30 mm cannon. The infantry fighting vehicle can also be equipped with an integrated launcher for Spike LR2 anti-tank guided missile systems.

With its large interior volume, the Lynx offers space for three crew members and an infantry group with a dismounted strength of up to nine soldiers. The external dimensions of the vehicle are also impressive, according to a publication by the Hungarian Armed Forces, with a height of 3.73 m, a length of 8.49 m and a width of 3.8 m.

The 45-ton armored personnel carrier is powered by a 1,463 hp 12-cylinder Liebherr D9612 diesel engine.

[Guy Smiley]

The 45-ton armored personnel carrier is powered by a 1,463 hp 12-cylinder Liebherr D9612 diesel engine.

Holy flapjacks, Batman... the trucks we run at work (underground mining) are rated at around 700hp and loaded they're about 100 tonne. They are a beast of a thing, I can't imagine what half the weight with twice the power equates to in an armoured vehicle, they'd be almost unstoppable. The fuel use must be astronomical, we run practically non stop and use anywhere up to 600l per shift.

[PornDog]

How ‘Dutch Disease’ is Destroying Russia
The war in Ukraine is having a devastating impact on Russia's economy. But Russia's economy also already has some fundamental underlying weaknesses. In this video we discuss the phenomenon of Dutch Disease, and why it will be so hard for Vladimir Putin to come back from it.

[tabascoboy]

So much for the promise of "sorting it out on the first day"

[Hellraiser]

Much like "Kyiv in 3 days".

[MSG#]

The fat bastard is much more interested in invading Greenland "to protect the good old USA" from Russia than in actually fighting a current war that Putin has started and is actually killing hundreds of thousands of people.

It would be funny if it wasn't so disheartening and fvcking annoying. The cvnt.

[Hellraiser]

The first batch of the newest German Lynx IFVs in the amount of 10 units was delivered to Ukraine, as reported by the Twitter of the German Aid to Ukraine project. These vehicles were transferred for testing, probably in combat conditions, which will allow us to evaluate their effectiveness in real scenarios. In case of successful testing, it is planned to launch serial production of Lynx in Ukraine.

It is noteworthy that Rheinmetall did not finance this delivery. According to German Aid to Ukraine, the initiative belongs to either the German or Ukrainian government. Earlier, Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger stated that Ukraine needs thousands of such vehicles in the future, but the final number of IFVs to be financed has not yet been determined.

@yigal_levin

[Hellraiser]

Sweden has signed a deal with KNDS Deutschland for the purchase of 44 Leopard 2A8s and the upgrading of 66 Strv 122s.

https://breakingdefense.com/2025/01/swe ... -to-cv90s/

[fishfoodie]

With the state VW is in at the mo, they should probably just license some tech & start churning out tanks from one of their plants for a year or two ?

If nothing else, it'd be fun to watch the usual talking heads on Orcville losing their shit over the Reich re-arming, all because Vlad wanted to be an Emperor

[Hellraiser]

With the state VW is in at the mo, they should probably just license some tech & start churning out tanks from one of their plants for a year or two ?

If nothing else, it'd be fun to watch the usual talking head on Orcville losing their shit over the Reich re-arming, all because Vlad wanted to be an Emperor

Germany’s unwanted auto workers find home in defence ramp-up

UPDATED Dec 15, 2024, 04:29 PM
PUBLISHED Dec 13, 2024, 09:59 PM


German auto workers are finding a lifeline with defence contractors, who are ramping up hiring just as the faltering car industry cuts back on jobs.

Munich-based radar-maker Hensoldt is in talks to hire full teams from two auto-parts suppliers – in one case up to 100 people – to keep up with a surge in military orders, chief executive officer Oliver Dorre said. “The current struggle of the automotive industry is a pure chance for us,” Mr Dorre said on Dec 13 in an interview with Bloomberg Television.

The teams consist of software engineers and will add to Hensoldt’s ranks after the company hired around 1,000 employees in 2024, Mr Dorre said, declining to name the auto-parts suppliers. He sees Hensoldt’s headcount expanding by a similar number in 2025, and plans to be active with new partnerships and potential dealmaking.

Defence spending is on the rise across Europe, giving a boost to weapons-makers as wars in Ukraine and the Middle East drag on and the return of President-elect Donald Trump stokes calls for a stronger commitment to security. Trump has pressed European allies to shoulder more military spending, while political leaders are seeking to channel government funds to home-grown companies and jobs.

At the same time, Europe’s auto industry is grappling with stagnant demand for electric vehicles and increasing competition from China. Parts suppliers including Continental, Bosch and Schaeffler have cut jobs as the slump worsened.

The German auto industry is forecast to shed 12 per cent of its 770,000 jobs by 2030, according to consulting firm PwC, as digitalisation and automation make some current roles obsolete. Volkswagen is locked in tense talks with unions as the carmaker seeks to retrench.

Other defence contractors are also taking in workers. Rheinmetall, which makes tanks and ammunition, said in June that it plans to hire up to 100 workers from tyre manufacturer Continental. French train-car maker Alstom said in November that it was in talks to transfer an unwanted manufacturing site in Gorlitz, Germany, to Amsterdam-based arms company KNDS.

Mr Dorre sees a chance for German defence firms to drive innovation in key areas such as artificial intelligence and software development, after decades of military under-investment. He said that while Germany’s political environment remains rocky, rearmament over the next decade aligns with the political need to bolster the economy.

“The current discussion in the election campaign is a lot about re-strengthening Germany‘s economy, and I think here, the defence and security industry can play a major role,” he said.

Hensoldt, whose top shareholders include Italy’s Leonardo and the German government, can play a role in European defence-sector consolidation, Mr Dorre said, while cautioning that each deal needs to fulfil a specific objective rather than just adding scale.

“2025 will be a year of new partnerships for Hensoldt,” he said. “We are well prepared, if things would move, to act immediately, and even go for a bolder move, if that would be necessary.”

Hensoldt has ramped up production since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 as German military spending picked up. The company has raised its medium-term target to 10 per cent annual revenue growth and said it wants to more than double revenue to around €5 billion (S$7 billion) in 2030.

Mr Dorre, though, said politicians need to provide more clarity on spending plans for the longer term in order for contractors to make investments to expand capacity. In Germany, Hensoldt’s biggest market, the government’s decision on whether to set aside strict limits on debt will be key, he said.

“We need the planning security from politicians,” he said. “They have to walk the talk.” BLOOMBERG

[fishfoodie]

Unintended consequences eh ?

Like if the traitor; not at all influenced by some of Putin's lackeys decides to cut back on initiatives of Biden's like the massively increased production of artillery shells, or the ramping up of M1A1 refubs, & thus pisses off the working class voters in rust belt states, who for the first time in decades are seeing manufacturing industry re-opening, & hiring on new blood !

Wash, rinse & repeat for a dozen more Red States that have manufacturing industries that can start hiring if NATO members continue this re-arming/upgrading as they send weapons to Ukraine