What's going on in Ukraine?

[Uncle fester]

The yanks better have some super dooper weapons in the shed that they didn't show Trump as China is unbeatable otherwise

That's not even remotely true.

China has the largest land based missile arsenal in the world. About the same number of planes as the yanks, slightly more tanks and an army that hasn't had to contend with culture wars. The idea they will be unbeatable in a land and air based war os not far fetched. Granted we don't know how they will perform but I suspect when they show there hand in some African spat it won't be pretty

Maybe they'll be awesome but they are completely untested.

[petej]

That's not even remotely true.

China has the largest land based missile arsenal in the world. About the same number of planes as the yanks, slightly more tanks and an army that hasn't had to contend with culture wars. The idea they will be unbeatable in a land and air based war os not far fetched. Granted we don't know how they will perform but I suspect when they show there hand in some African spat it won't be pretty

Maybe they'll be awesome but they are completely untested.

The same sort of thing stated about Russia for years. The size of the army, the number of tanks, more masculine culture etc..... The chinese won't be anywhere near as shite due to technology and manufacturing capability.

[Hellraiser]

The yanks better have some super dooper weapons in the shed that they didn't show Trump as China is unbeatable otherwise

That's not even remotely true.

China has the largest land based missile arsenal in the world. About the same number of planes as the yanks, slightly more tanks and an army that hasn't had to contend with culture wars. The idea they will be unbeatable in a land and air based war os not far fetched. Granted we don't know how they will perform but I suspect when they show there hand in some African spat it won't be pretty

It's exceptionally far-fetched and betrays very little knowledge of the Chinese military beyond headline figures.

[Blake]

Introducing the thriving metropolis of Vuhledar. Russia's armour losses trying to take this place must be 200+ by now, with killed and wounded well into the 1000s. Just open fields and a tiny destroyed town, all of which Russia has no fire control over, yet Russia just keeps pumping men and armour into the giant kill box.

I've seen some calculations that Russia's entire stock of T-80Us is exhausted. They're now repainting the rusting hulks of original non-upgraded T62s, putting few or no upgrades on them before sending them west to be destroyed. After the T62 stock is exhausted, onto the T55s I guess? Putin is completely insane, he will end Russia as a land based military if he keeps this up.

Here’s hoping Ukraine can fire up a number of steel mills after the war to melt all those fuckers down and turn them into a useful steel to rebuild their infrastructure or even export.

It would be poetic.

[Hellraiser]

Introducing the thriving metropolis of Vuhledar. Russia's armour losses trying to take this place must be 200+ by now, with killed and wounded well into the 1000s. Just open fields and a tiny destroyed town, all of which Russia has no fire control over, yet Russia just keeps pumping men and armour into the giant kill box.

I've seen some calculations that Russia's entire stock of T-80Us is exhausted. They're now repainting the rusting hulks of original non-upgraded T62s, putting few or no upgrades on them before sending them west to be destroyed. After the T62 stock is exhausted, onto the T55s I guess? Putin is completely insane, he will end Russia as a land based military if he keeps this up.

Of active service stock I'd well believe it, but the relatively small number of T-80s being fielded was something others noticed much earlier in the invasion. This is a good video on it.

[fishfoodie]

I ain't stupid. I read good. They are a huge threat with a budget to match.

They also have a military leadership that makes the Russians look like rank amateurs when it comes to graft, nepotism, & flat out theft.

[_Os_]

Of active service stock I'd well believe it, but the relatively small number of T-80s being fielded was something others noticed much earlier in the invasion. This is a good video on it.

There's some strange bits in that video, like when he questions the worth of reversing faster, something that's invaluable in combat. He kept saying the T80 is better then questioning why that mattered. Anyway, I just meant the T80Us not the other variants, T80Us are the ones that can be fielded most easily, and the ones the 4th Guards (an elite formation) were equipped with before the full scale invasion and then got smashed (I followed the 4th Guards closely in the early months, because they had unique camo and visible unit markings, what they originally went in with had been destroyed/captured by month 2 or 3).

I reckon this thread is correct, that Russia isn't deploying any new T80Us, because it has none left. Therefore it restores worse tanks.

[_Os_]

Yes, now all we need to do is get hold of the bastard



[/quote
That is because despite the warrants, the ICC has no powers to arrest suspects, and can only exercise jurisdiction within countries who are signed up to the agreement that set up the court.

Russia is not a signatory to that agreement - so it is unlikely either will be extradited.

I wonder what would happen if someone / a group stumped up a many million $$$s bounty? Would chancers have a go? Little Expendable Dirty Dozen operation?

It's a curiosity of course that the US would not be obligated to arrest Putin if he visited there as they aren't a signatory although it's a no-brainer that they would. Nonetheless you can bet that some alt-right groups would happily shelter him with a massive armoury in their hands...

If Putin had intentions to attend the next BRICS summit in August then he will have to risk arrest as it's in South Africa which is a signatory.

This has come up before, Sudan's Omar al-Bashir was wanted by the ICC and visited SA. It's likely the largest opposition party (the DA) will bring an urgent order to the North Gauteng High Court banning a wanted fugitive from leaving the country, this will be granted. But the SA government will then break the court order.

I remember saying at the time Omar al-Bashir should've been arrested if SA wanted to be part of the world, some on here got conned by ANC propaganda that SA should withdraw from the ICC, the claim being that it only targets Africans (when what actually happens is African states ask it for assistance). Anyway I expect more bullshit like that. The ANC may try to withdraw from the ICC before the visit.

The ANC has been trying to have its cake and eat it for years. SA is totally economically linked to Europe and the US, yet in its heart the ANC believes them to be enemies. Out of the BRICS, there's basically no economic links between SA and Brazil/Russia/India (they're all actually economic rivals to SA), but SA is somewhat linked to China (but less so than SA is to the West, and less than some other countries are to China like Australia). The ANC have totally underestimated how much effort is being put into Ukraine, and will risk severe consequences if that visit to SA goes ahead. Especially as Russian oligarchs are helping to fund the ANC, and it would be as simple as adding some names to already existing sanctions lists. The ANC used to be clever evil, now it's stupid evil.

[Hellraiser]

[geordie_6]

Introducing the thriving metropolis of Vuhledar. Russia's armour losses trying to take this place must be 200+ by now, with killed and wounded well into the 1000s. Just open fields and a tiny destroyed town, all of which Russia has no fire control over, yet Russia just keeps pumping men and armour into the giant kill box.

I've seen some calculations that Russia's entire stock of T-80Us is exhausted. They're now repainting the rusting hulks of original non-upgraded T62s, putting few or no upgrades on them before sending them west to be destroyed. After the T62 stock is exhausted, onto the T55s I guess? Putin is completely insane, he will end Russia as a land based military if he keeps this up.

We'll be seeing T-34s at this rate.

[tabascoboy]

Lunatic Russian propagandists talking about "reclaiming" Istanbul/ Constantinople now

[_Os_]

Here’s hoping Ukraine can fire up a number of steel mills after the war to melt all those fuckers down and turn them into a useful steel to rebuild their infrastructure or even export.

It would be poetic.

Given some thought to this chief.

I reckon use some of the hulks as a permanent display in Kyiv for propaganda/tourism reasons. All the other 1000s of hulks, get them encased in concrete along the border as fortifications, not much use against a well organised and equipped force, but makes the point there is a border and at least makes it a bit harder for Russia next time. They have a huge open border with Russia and are poorer than SA.

Bulgaria did this, made old tanks and hulks into fortifications pointing towards Turkey. Some extremely rare German WW2 tanks ended up in that role.

[_Os_]

There's some strange bits in that video, like when he questions the worth of reversing faster, something that's invaluable in combat.

This video just appeared of Ukrainians working Russian positions in the Bakhmut area, it shows the value of reversing in combat very well, it makes the vehicle much harder to hit.

[yermum]

I ain't stupid. I read good. They are a huge threat with a budget to match.

They also have a military leadership that makes the Russians look like rank amateurs when it comes to graft, nepotism, & flat out theft.

I'll give you that

http://www.chinaafricarealstory.com/201 ... s.html?m=1

And they are massive pussies with no institutional knowledge of combat.

[_Os_]

Introducing the thriving metropolis of Vuhledar. Russia's armour losses trying to take this place must be 200+ by now, with killed and wounded well into the 1000s. Just open fields and a tiny destroyed town, all of which Russia has no fire control over, yet Russia just keeps pumping men and armour into the giant kill box.

Another new video illustrates another point I was making. These are forward elements of the Russian Marines from the 155th Separate Marine Brigade assaulting Vuhledar. But Russia has no fire control over this area, so when they get into the town they end up camped in a stairwell as Ukrainian shells land directly on their heads. This assault was forced to withdraw.

[fishfoodie]

They also have a military leadership that makes the Russians look like rank amateurs when it comes to graft, nepotism, & flat out theft.

I'll give you that

http://www.chinaafricarealstory.com/201 ... s.html?m=1

And they are massive pussies with no institutional knowledge of combat.

Look over the last, what seven decades of the PLAs performance.

Suicide tactics in Korea, but human wave failed & ultimately ended up right where they started.

A few idiotic skirmishes against India; one of the poorest armed, worst organized, armies there is, & didn't exactly lay down a marker

Bummed by the battle hardened, but significantly smaller, Vietnamese

China is like North Korea; they have nukes, & their soldiers have lovely parades, but that's choreography, not warfare !

[Hellraiser]

[tabascoboy]

Putin's alleged visit to Crimea and Mariupol yesterday. Remember that this is a man who won't have anyone sitting within metres of him in his own office of state. If you see "Putin" in a close crowd of people, then it is certainly one of a many doubles employed ( according to Girkin/Strelkov, who has his own agenda of course).

[Hellraiser]

Theiner is live on the MriyaReport Twitter space at the moment.

[Hellraiser]

Italy is churning out an insane number of frigates and destroyers. A new naval procurement law has gone through that commits Italy to building a navy larger than Spain, UK, France, and Germany combined.

[Sandstorm]

Italy is churning out an insane number of frigates and destroyers. A new naval procurement law has gone through that commits Italy to building a navy larger than Spain, UK, France, and Germany combined.

Lotta boat people over there.

[Hellraiser]

https://www.rte.ie/news/2023/0319/13641 ... r-ukraine/

[Hellraiser]

[Sandstorm]

That bloke’s face is fatter and smoother than Putin. 100% imposter.

[Kiwias]

That bloke’s face is fatter and smoother than Putin. 100% imposter.

That was my wife and my first impression and we'll stick with it.

[Slick]

That bloke’s face is fatter and smoother than Putin. 100% imposter.

That was my wife and my first impression and we'll stick with it.

No way that is Putin. He can hardly move his face it's so plastic, not the right mannerisms

[Slick]

He is like Putins learning disability brother

Fliddymir?

[Sandstorm]

He is like Putins learning disability brother

Fliddymir?

[Niegs]

It's probably him, but this kind of situation, isn't it?

[tabascoboy]

Wagner up to their tricks? Wouldn't be great timing on their part!

BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) — Gunmen stormed a Chinese-operated gold mining site that had recently been launched in Central African Republic, killing nine Chinese nationals and wounding two others Sunday, authorities said.

However, the rebel coalition initially blamed by some for the attack put out a statement later in the day. Without providing evidence, it accused Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group of being behind the violence.

[Sandstorm]

Wagner mercenaries nicked my green bin last Thursday morning. I've messaged Interpol already.

[tabascoboy]

Wagner mercenaries nicked my green bin last Thursday morning. I've messaged Interpol already.

We can make them the go-to villains, Prigozhin does look like Dr Evil, after all

[Hellraiser]

[_Os_]

Always nice seeing the charlatan Dominic Cummings getting exposed. Cummings position was to bow to Russian threats, provide no/limited military aid to Ukraine, and get a bad peace deal on Russian terms asap. In other words embolden Russia and ensure future full scale Russian invasions of other European states.

I don't know why Cummings persists with this stuff. Being good at manipulating English voters by playing into their base fears =/= expert in international politics enough to point at actual experts and call them clowns.

Thread:

[Flockwitt]

Europe did in fact finalize their 155mm ammo deal on Monday. It's good in that key concerns have been addressed, this is new funding not using existing, 1 billion Euros for the short term plan of getting 1 million rounds within 2 years as fast as possible, and then another long term plan for on going supply for 7 years. Key is that member states are urged to send what they can now, and they'll use the money to in-fill. Ukraine should have the ammo they need for a spring/summer offensive.

https://us.yahoo.com/news/eu-nations-ru ... 59827.html

Also notable is the US is changing their Abrams supply - they'll send refurbished older units to get them hopefully by August, not taking new production which was a token gesture, years away.

[Hellraiser]

Eight Norwegian Leopard 2A4s have been delivered to Ukraine.

[tabascoboy]

[tabascoboy]

[Biffer]

They'll have cavalry officers and WW1 rifles as standard before too long.

[_Os_]

Are we actually going to see Donetsk "separatists" (really just Russia) fielding T55s, with guys riding them wearing WW2 helmets and armed with Mosin Nagants, like they're storming Berlin or something?

Battalions of T55s crewed by people with no clue what they're doing, would be totally normal for the Russian side in Ukraine. Totally in keeping with deploying a WW2 armoured train.

Newly formed Russian BTG sighted on the front line in eastern Ukraine:

I've been waiting since May, looks like Putin won't let me down.

Coming soon ... original non-upgraded T54/T55/T62/T64 vs Leopard 2/Challenger 2/Abrams M1A1.

Russia will be struggling to counter the Bradley if they keep going, and the US has 1000s of those ready to ship. I would rather be in a Bradley with modern optics and TOW anti-tank missiles on the turret, than in a non-upgraded T55. Any Cold War era junk that gets within 3km-4km of the Bradley is dead.