What's going on in Ukraine?

[Hellraiser]

Germany is preparing to give Ukraine the largest military aid package worth about 2.7 billion euros - Der Spiegel

It will include:

20 Marder infantry fighting vehicles,
30 Leopard 1 tanks,
18 wheeled howitzers,
4 IRIS-T-SLM air defense systems, 12 IRIS-T-SLS launchers, hundreds of guided missiles for this system,
200 reconnaissance drones,
100 protected combat vehicles and over 100 logistics support vehicles.

According to the publication, the new aid package should be officially announced on Sunday.

[tabascoboy]

Rumours abound

For almost 29 years, he has ruled Belarus with an iron fist.

But now Aleksandr Lukashenko seems rather to be suffering from an iron deficiency, if the rumors that abound on the internet are to be believed.

Indeed, the Belarusian leader is described as distracted and unsteady to the bone, during his traditional visit to Moscow for the annual victory parade on 9 May.

It was to be even more sensational when the keen hockey player and former cross-country runner apparently needed to be driven by car, barely 300 meters down the street.

And when the 68-year-old canceled a formal breakfast with the Russian president and his closest allies, it really set the rumor mill on fire.

https://www.archynewsy.com/aleksandr-lu ... is-raging/

[Hellraiser]

Switzerland has given the go-ahead for arms supplies to Ukraine, - EuroNews.

The two chambers of the Swiss parliament, the National Council and the City Council, voted in favor of an amendment to the War Materials Act. This will allow in the future to transfer military equipment to Ukraine.

[geordie_6]

Germany is preparing to give Ukraine the largest military aid package worth about 2.7 billion euros - Der Spiegel

It will include:

20 Marder infantry fighting vehicles,
30 Leopard 1 tanks,
18 wheeled howitzers,
4 IRIS-T-SLM air defense systems, 12 IRIS-T-SLS launchers, hundreds of guided missiles for this system,
200 reconnaissance drones,
100 protected combat vehicles and over 100 logistics support vehicles.

According to the publication, the new aid package should be officially announced on Sunday.

Other sources reporting that it will also include some additional Gepards, 15 I believe.

[Hellraiser]

Germany is preparing to give Ukraine the largest military aid package worth about 2.7 billion euros - Der Spiegel

It will include:

20 Marder infantry fighting vehicles,
30 Leopard 1 tanks,
18 wheeled howitzers,
4 IRIS-T-SLM air defense systems, 12 IRIS-T-SLS launchers, hundreds of guided missiles for this system,
200 reconnaissance drones,
100 protected combat vehicles and over 100 logistics support vehicles.

According to the publication, the new aid package should be officially announced on Sunday.

Other sources reporting that it will also include some additional Gepards, 15 I believe.

If that's true that means the Qataris have sold the 15 they bought for the World Cup back to Germany.

[geordie_6]

Other sources reporting that it will also include some additional Gepards, 15 I believe.

If that's true that means the Qataris have sold the 15 they bought for the World Cup back to Germany.

I know that there was talk of them buying the Gepards back for Ukraine earlier this year, so it would make sense.

[yermum]

Storm shadow has put the wind up Russian AA

Lots of blue on blue today

[tabascoboy]

And an SU-34 too ( and rumours about a lost Su-25 also )

[yermum]

[fishfoodie]

Maintaining military aircraft isn't easy, & it isn't cheap. In an institutionally corrupt kleptocracy I'm sure highly skilled mechanics being paid a pittance are going prefer to moonlight for cash in hand, & then just sign off on the maintenance they were supposed to be doing.

I think this is why the the Orc Air Force hasn't played the role the West expected, apart from probably the CAS element.

[Blackmac]

Maintaining military aircraft isn't easy, & it isn't cheap. In an institutionally corrupt kleptocracy I'm sure highly skilled mechanics being paid a pittance are going prefer to moonlight for cash in hand, & then just sign off on the maintenance they were supposed to be doing.

I think this is why the the Orc Air Force hasn't played the role the West expected, apart from probably the CAS element.

Military fast jets are actually incredibly fragile and the servicing has to be very stringent. The weekly servicing, even for planes I used to work on, like Phantoms and Tornados, was exhaustive and hugely expensive, and they were considered quite robust aircraft.

[petej]

Maintaining military aircraft isn't easy, & it isn't cheap. In an institutionally corrupt kleptocracy I'm sure highly skilled mechanics being paid a pittance are going prefer to moonlight for cash in hand, & then just sign off on the maintenance they were supposed to be doing.

I think this is why the the Orc Air Force hasn't played the role the West expected, apart from probably the CAS element.

Military fast jets are actually incredibly fragile and the servicing has to be very stringent. The weekly servicing, even for planes I used to work on, like Phantoms and Tornados, was exhaustive and hugely expensive, and they were considered quite robust aircraft.

Yep. The tornado engine has a lot more parts than the typhoon and I think the super hornet is slower and has less range than the tomcat but is an easier plane to maintain. The Russians also push their engines far harder and nearer the limit so the component service life is shorter.

[fishfoodie]

Maintaining military aircraft isn't easy, & it isn't cheap. In an institutionally corrupt kleptocracy I'm sure highly skilled mechanics being paid a pittance are going prefer to moonlight for cash in hand, & then just sign off on the maintenance they were supposed to be doing.

I think this is why the the Orc Air Force hasn't played the role the West expected, apart from probably the CAS element.

Military fast jets are actually incredibly fragile and the servicing has to be very stringent. The weekly servicing, even for planes I used to work on, like Phantoms and Tornados, was exhaustive and hugely expensive, and they were considered quite robust aircraft.

Yep. The tornado engine has a lot more parts than the typhoon and I think the super hornet is slower and has less range than the tomcat but is an easier plane to maintain. The Russians also push their engines far harder and nearer the limit so the component service life is shorter.

and the service tempo is based on flight hours, so if you're losing aircraft, forcing the remaining ones to do more sorties, you get stuck in a vicious cycle.

I don't think the Chinese can do much to help them either, because from what I've seen, the Chinese are completely dependent on the Orcs for their engines. The foreign currency was too valuable to sell the technology to the Chinese, & have them start to produce their own engines & sell to the other overseas customers.

[Hellraiser]

Maintaining military aircraft isn't easy, & it isn't cheap. In an institutionally corrupt kleptocracy I'm sure highly skilled mechanics being paid a pittance are going prefer to moonlight for cash in hand, & then just sign off on the maintenance they were supposed to be doing.

I think this is why the the Orc Air Force hasn't played the role the West expected, apart from probably the CAS element.

A hell of a lot of Russian aircraft are also running hundreds, if not thousand of hours, beyond their engine lifespans.

[tabascoboy]

Well today's air losses might hurt a bit more than just a loss of the aircraft and pilots

[tabascoboy]

Is the flurry of air losses a result of UA's recent acquisition of Storm Shadow and the fear of what they can do? Combined with the use of those decoys maybe there is a hint of panic stations...especially factoring in the anticipation of the UA counter-offensive adding to the general jitteriness. Hoping this is all a good sign of how psyops can work a big advantage

[Hellraiser]

[Hellraiser]

[Flockwitt]

Is the flurry of air losses a result of UA's recent acquisition of Storm Shadow and the fear of what they can do? Combined with the use of those decoys maybe there is a hint of panic stations...especially factoring in the anticipation of the UA counter-offensive adding to the general jitteriness. Hoping this is all a good sign of how psyops can work a big advantage

There's a lot for Ukraine to be optimistic about with the general state of Russian morale.

The Ukrainians are probably doing the right thing delaying the offensive till they are as ready as they can be, the clock is working for them in this regard.

[Hellraiser]

[tabascoboy]

Get video unavailable for that...

[tabascoboy]

[TB63]

[tabascoboy]

RU MoD confirming loss of senior officers in the strike on Klishcheevka

[tabascoboy]

So, now 5 days in Belarus with no public appearance of Lukashenko with today being "Flag Day" an event he does not ever miss. He looked in poor shape in Moscow during his Victory Day visit.

Tactical missile systems and MLRS have taken up “combat duty” on the western border of Belarus, the official TV channel of the Belarusian Ministry of Defense “VoenTV” reported today.

The RU Air Force Airplane, which had previously accompanied Putin to the Kazakhstan, flew to Minsk.

Looks like security is being beefed up, most likely just as a precaution in case Lukashenko takes a turn from the worse and try and prevent any possibility of political instability or even insurrection. Russia would certainly want to ensure another puppet takes over either temporarily or permanently and no doubt still have some hopes of "persuading" Belarus to open a new front to their south.

The opposition in exile of course is monitoring the situation with extra interest

[Hellraiser]

[Hellraiser]

[tabascoboy]

[Hellraiser]

[Gumboot]

Wagner chief offered to give Russian troop locations to Ukraine, leak says

In late January, with his mercenary forces dying by the thousands in a fight for the ruined city of Bakhmut, Wagner Group owner Yevgeniy Prigozhin made Ukraine an extraordinary offer.

Prigozhin said that if Ukraine’s commanders withdrew their soldiers from the area around Bakhmut, he would give Kyiv information on Russian troop positions, which Ukraine could use to attack them. Prigozhin conveyed the proposal to his contacts in Ukraine’s military intelligence directorate, with whom he has maintained secret communications during the course of the war, according to previously unreported U.S. intelligence documents leaked on the group-chat platform Discord.

Prigozhin has publicly feuded with Russian military commanders, who he furiously claims have failed to equip and resupply his forces, which have provided vital support to Moscow’s war effort. But he is also an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who might well regard Prigozhin’s offer to trade the lives of Wagner fighters for Russian soldiers as a treasonous betrayal.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national ... documents/

[dkm57]

Spending too much time pondering this this morning, the wonder is that with so many people who would benefit from this man's termination, how is he still alive. Why has this only been revealed publicly now when he's been playing games since at least January. He's a completely amoral piece of shit (if we didn't already know this). I can only think that he has now passed his use by date and everyone is waiting for someone else to do the job.

[tabascoboy]

Britain to send long-range attack drones to Ukraine
Reuters

LONDON, May 15 (Reuters) - Britain will send hundreds of new long-range attack drones with a range of over 200km to Ukraine, the government said on Monday after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived in the country for talks with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

"Today the Prime Minister will confirm the further UK provision of hundreds of air defence missiles and further unmanned aerial systems including hundreds of new long-range attack drones with a range of over 200km," the government said in a statement.

"These will all be delivered over the coming months as Ukraine prepares to intensify its resistance to the ongoing Russian invasion."

[Flockwitt]

Spending too much time pondering this this morning, the wonder is that with so many people who would benefit from this man's termination, how is he still alive. Why has this only been revealed publicly now when he's been playing games since at least January. He's a completely amoral piece of shit (if we didn't already know this). I can only think that he has now passed his use by date and everyone is waiting for someone else to do the job.

The man's got a sewer rat's instinct for survival, just where and how to lie and bluster, but with a conniving cunning that shouldn't be under estimated.

[tabascoboy]

[Hellraiser]

[tabascoboy]

Thread unroll:

Bakhmut update. Thread

1/ Based on testimonies from PoW's, it has been revealed that several Russian regiments, predominantly composed of mobilized troops, were hastily deployed from rear positions without training or preparation after Prigozhin's statement about Bakhmut.

2/ These regiments were swiftly relocated to the flanks of Bakhmut, where deployed companies and battalions suffered devastating losses. Within a short period of three to five days, the casualties exceeded 40%, primarily comprising soldiers killed in action.

3/ The enemy soldiers reported a complete absence of commanders at the frontline, along with a severe lack of communication and the absence of clear orders. They complained over the mistreatment from the Wagner forces - who treat them as the lowest caste

4/ It was also reported that Wagner forces have assumed control over some of the Ministry of Defense units in the Bakhmut area. Because of that, there is a mistrust between units, as soldiers are systematically assigned by Wagner to areas where their chances of survival are low.

5/ Multiple prisoners of war expressed skepticism regarding Wagner's claims of limited ammunition and equipment. They claim to have significantly fewer resources in terms of ammunition and equipment compared to the Wagner forces.

6/ This situation further worsened when the Russian Ministry of Defense started deploying units consisting of convicts, a practice that was previously exclusive to Wagner forces. These convicts, have limited military value and sustain high losses.

7/ In the city, Ukrainians continue to face a challenging situation, while situation on flanks continue to decline for russians. Their attempts to reinforce with low-quality units have resulted in heavy losses and a significant blow to russian troops morale.

[Hellraiser]

Another traitor was targeted in Luhansk. Igor Kornet, the Interior Minister of the "LNR" was seriously injured in an explosion in a barbershop.

[tabascoboy]

[Uncle fester]

Spending too much time pondering this this morning, the wonder is that with so many people who would benefit from this man's termination, how is he still alive. Why has this only been revealed publicly now when he's been playing games since at least January. He's a completely amoral piece of shit (if we didn't already know this). I can only think that he has now passed his use by date and everyone is waiting for someone else to do the job.

The man's got a sewer rat's instinct for survival, just where and how to lie and bluster, but with a conniving cunning that shouldn't be under estimated.

Fun and all that it is to mess with the Russians but Wagner have some serious baggage.
Ukraine would be as well off to stay well away from him.

[Hellraiser]