Incredible accuracy
Yeah, that wasn't hit and hope. That was guided munitions. Major step up and potential game changer.
In ww3 I recall average combat lifespan for a tank was measured in minutes nevermind hours. This was based on full on NATO v Russia conflict.
We can see here why - if using guided munitions tanks are little more than coffins. BUT, where is the Russian equivalent? Why haven't they wiped out Ukrainian tanks, positions much more quickly.
Rescued cat from the multi story building at the vets. :)
My guess on why Russia hasn't had the same impact is to do with their lack of preparation with drones and too much over reliance on hardware. Turkey had been helping Ukraine with drone warfare with lessons learned from the Turkey/Russia proxy war between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
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I'd rest a lot easier in my tank if I was a NATO tank commander given how this war is panning out for Russia.
The law of diminishing returns - the fewer you have the fewer you can lose.....
Is starlink and drones making tanks obsolete, or at least secondary to conquering territory.
Funnily enough, the Simpsons used the term years ago. Of course, it was laughable then.
The Americans have a system called "Copperhead", where a fin-stabilised projectile is fired from the standard gun tube of a towed or self-propelled artillery piece, and receives terminal guidance from someone lasing the target - in this case probably the same drone that's taking the video. Without such a system, indirect-fire artillery has to get lucky to kill or disable a tank.
However, this is also possibly clever editing or very accurate old-fashioned fire control by the drone operator. Note the number of shell holes that don't have wrecked tanks to match. Then again, those could have been be caused by earlier, unguided artillery "stonks". There is so much that these videos leave out, it's impossible to draw firm conclusions. We can't even be sure about what damage was done - that's why airstrikes have a BDA ("Battle Damage Assessment") element that overflies the target after the main strike and takes pictures or video. In the video we see the explosion on or right next to the tank, but we don't see what shape the tank is in afterwards, as the view is still obscured by smoke and dust.
So it seems. Thanks were the game changer in WW1 (trenches became far less effective) and were hugely influential in WW2. Drones seem the new game changer, relatively cheap and can take out tanks with great accuracy*
* I don't think the off the shelf/store bought drones can take out tanks, but you might want to close your sunroof.
BUT, where is the Russian equivalent? Why haven't they wiped out Ukrainian tanks, positions much more quickly.
Maybe they have. Their media and troops are far more curated and restricted so we see much less of such things. Or the Ukrainians are playing clever and not committing thier armour to be taken out, but concentrating on hitting Russian armour with drones, artillery, anti tank infantry and keeping their armour in reserve. Which would make a lot of sense. The Russians outnumber and outgun them(and in many cases with Russian equipement the Russians have the later kit), but if you use the land, the much higher morale and better training of your troops and constantly moving defence and offence you'd massively reduce that Russian advantage, while keeping your heavy iron in reserve.
I suspect this conflict will rewrite the books as far as tactics go in ways Afghanistan, Syria etc won't have. Those wars were mostly against local non official military resistance, insurgents/freedom fighters depending on one's position, where the attacking military forces were sure of things like air superiority and better weapons. Even then such resistance was very effective. Ukraine is a war between modern military forces. Russia was expected to get air superiority nailed down and still haven't, even though the Ukrainians have far fewer aircraft and less advanced aircraft with it.
Bit weird they are looking to pick a fight with the Israelis, especially if your planning on De Nazifying the world.
Russia was banking on being able to knock out Ukrainian communications with cold war era jamming, but Starlink scuppered that. Drones can fly too low and too slow to be detected by the cold war era jets, so air superiority can't be maintained.
We are watching the evolution of warfare into the digital era.
I'd say it's more likely to be the second scenario. If the Russians were inflicting serious losses on Ukrainian armour it's hard to imagine them not crowing about it - even in a "Special Operation" scenario.
It's also possible that the Russian equivalent is:
Just a normal day in Russian politics!
Amazingly enough. You made a point that no one else stated. There wasn't a poster who said this was Russian reserved behavior. But by pointing out its not, you made it an apology for the behavior. Sure it's been done before...
Which begs the question what was your point...
The lack of ability to get air superiority, never mind supremacy, is the real clue Russia is punching well below expectation. Ukraine never had (hopefully that's improving) NATO level air defence systems, but were still able to stop Russia flying at will. Very, very strange and unexpected. You'd imagine Ukraine are getting better and better equipment from NATO due to, despite the odds, lasting this long.
Looks like the Ivans are doubling down on the Jewish Nazi angle. It's like the Russians are using Parody as a strategy.
Ah yes, pick a nonsensical fight with a country famed for it's defensive artillery. What could go wrong? Not like they'd be considering shipping some of their stuff to Ukraine, would they?
Straight up hope they bungle that surgery. 9
So, brave, bear wrestling Vlad is going for scheduled surgery days before his big parade charade.
Is he afraid someone might do a "Lee Harvey" ???
I can imagine an armed FSB officer standing alongside the surgeon saying something like, 'I hope ye both survive this surgery'.
Let's hope it's nothing trivial.
Don't think Russia want to pick that fight.
As an aside, didn't realise Oliver Stone's son works for Russia Today. Explains the absolute codswollap coming out of Oliver's mouth.
Nope, plus there are quite a lot of Jews in Russia too. Seems a really strange play.
By all accounts Patrushev is a raving nukeloon.
If this conflict takes on an anti-Semitic character (and it well could despite the Kremlin's horsesh*t about Nazism), Israel will have no hesitation at deploying underhanded tactics they are experts at. As you noted, Russia (and Ukraine) has a large Jewish minority
I think we can clearly state that the fires on multiple sites inside Russian territory is clearly sabotage.
Who started the fire last night in Moscow for instance, no way this wasn't intentional
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/05/03/fire-hits-russian-publisher-embroiled-in-ukraine-textbook-controversy-a77563
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