Apt for this thread
The Russian army do not use RPG-7, it has long been replaced by a number of more powerful variants like the RPG-29, which while not as potent as something like a Kornet ATGM, is still powerful in its own right.
As for the RPG-7's "legendary" status, its more that its just cheap and widely available, particularly for insurgencies and terrorist groups. The Ak-47 of explosive weapons. Its reputation is little to do with it packing any kind of punch.
Javelin use in Ukraine seems to have sharply dropped, very little footage of their use as of late. Not clear if thats just less videos of events, less opportunity to use them, or low stocks.
I think the tank was sent in as drones had assessed the position and the area around it had nothing capable off stoppage tank. Why waste soldiers lives. That is why the tank was moving fast. Probably has backup a km back.
How would drones have spotted any portable anti-tank weapons that may be lying in trenches or other positions? You are vastly overestimating what drone operators would pick up on in a reasonable amount of time. Also a lone tank is a prime target for artillery strikes too - no matter what way you cut it its a huge risk putting a tank out on its own like that. There is a reason its not considered doctrine anywhere to do that kind of thing.
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VPNs are probably new inventions to poor russian bots, they haven't realised many ordinary internet user use them as another layer of security in the west
Something you wanted to add?
The Russian ATGM are a two man operation,wire guided and require specialist operators. They are not deployed at squad level.
The UA got 5k+ Javelins but they also got 100k LAWS. If that was a UA position they would probably have a couple LAWS in the trenches.
The UA T72/T90 tanks are upgraded compared to the Russian tanks. You would need the more modern RPG missiles to stop them. The RPG is very effective......against stationary targets but will only hit 50% of slow moving targets it would be pretty useless against that fast moving targets.
Most of the legendary status of the RPG is made up of it ability to hit stationary targets or its ability to bring down hovering helicopters.
Basically the average Russian squad have f@@kall to stop a tank.
Its like they live in a dystopian world where their military, navy and allies have an invisible shield around them protecting them from retaliation.
"We send our navy to their borders" - but ignoring that if their navy stood out of line, every boat \ ship would be sunk in short time, an every soul on board would perish.
"We get north korea to hit them in a heartbeat" - but ignoring that NK would then within about a couple of hours, be transformed into a glassy radioactive wasteland, basically devoid of human life.
"We should strike London or Berlin" - Refer to NKs outcome for same above.
In their minds do they seriously think western countries would just be afraid and in awe when they saw their russian adversaries approaching and would sit idly by as russia does what it likes without fear of retaliation ?
The sight of that white haired old man in a suit gesticulating in front of the camera as he delivers such ludicrous nonsense is quite sad viewing in a way.
Do the Geneva Conventions apply to everyone or just Russia?
That C-17 was probably delivering aid to Turkey.
When you say "...being trained in ceratin skills..." ?
What makes you think Russia will be picking up the tab for Ukrainian reconstruction?
Thanks. I now have an image of Russian soldiers looting shops for gas tanks, party balloons and disposable cameras.
If they had actually gained more than they lost, then they would not be waiting on a mere company of Leopard 2s as prerequisite for their big spring/summer offensive. That they made a net gain on tanks is pure 'copium'
Apparently the Ukrainians did this first sometime last year, with the balloons triggering RU air defense near Rostov. Now the Russians are copying in an attempt to expose air defence positions
A clever idea though. If they could launch hundreds of balloons over Ukraine it would use up a huge amount of Ukrainian resources shooting them down.
Again, russians can't come up with their own original idea
Balloons again...
UKRAINE HAS SAID its aerial defence units had detected half a dozen balloons, apparently launched by Russia, over the capital Kyiv and shot most of them down. Kyiv authorities said the balloons could carry reconnaissance equipment and were launched to “detect and exhaust our air defence forces.”
https://www.thejournal.ie/kyiv-russian-balloons-zelenskyy-troops-bakhmut-5996711-Feb2023/
Very good. You didn't, by any chance, visit the Kings Highway in Jordan? The trucks are cabless, due to the heat. Just a front windscreen, a steering wheel and seat. The noise the wheels make on the melting road is incredible!
Hi folks.
I'm back, after my absence. What did I miss? I was in the "land of the free" doing in one week, what would take two months to do here in the Wesht!
Just noticed this big chap doing a 180, with transponder first off, then back on again, out over the sea. An airdrop over the water off the coast, maybe?
It's pretty quiet, but I've obviously heard about the relocation of air assets to the borders. In the States, the argument against sending jets is pretty strong, recommending an effective air-defence system instead. I would tend to agree. There is a lot, and I do mean a lot, of work involved in keeping combat aircraft flying, never mind the training involved. ( any Irish Aer Corps pilot will tell you this even with our humble PC'9s). An air-defence system across the country would be far, far more cost-effective and more damaging to the Russians.
Most Americans I spoke to :
1. Don't know where Ukraine is, on a map.
2. Expect Poland to be dragged into the fight. ( I fact, they're already in the fight). I'm certain Poland expects this too. Something about unfinished business...
3. Believe the US should be doing a lot more to help the Ukraine.
4. Think Europe is a Country.
5. Belive that there are many Ukranian personell being trained, on the QT, with certain skills, at bases in the US. I find this difficult to believe.
Anyway. Hope you're all well. Any regulars still here?
Here's that wandering C-17...
I'm starting to see why Ukraine don't want to let Bakhmut go. Apart from Russia suffering massive losses including the entire mobilised prisoner brigades, it is stopping Russia getting a major PR boost to "celebrate" the anniversary. It's also damaging the image and power of Wagner.
The final reason is every bomb dropped on Bakhmut is one less bomb dropped on the next cities that would be attacked if it fell. They're also getting ample time to strengthen the next defensive lines and I'd imagine Russian artillery is taking more losses then usual as they're forced to attack from similar areas much longer then usual.
I'd love to see the city hold out long enough for the Ukrainian counter offensive to get underway. Russia will start using more helis and jets closer to the frontlines when the weather improves so hopefully their losses see another big uptick then. The last time we seen a lot of losses here was during the battle for Kherson.
Equally it could be the case that these things happen more often than we thought. And we're only being exposed to it now as a result of the relatively new mass drone footage from this war.
Of course, it could well be the case that it did not start out alone but got seperated in battle? These things happen too.
And talk of Russia's relatively large population becomes irrelevant in the face of those kinds of losses. People talk about Russian disregard for life in their military doctrine, but that remains mostly on the part commanders. The actual soldiers and their families aren't going to be that gung ho about getting slaughtered if they can help it, and it's telling that Wagner have apparently favoured the use of prisoners for this human wave offensive - fewer will miss that type of man. That becomes more and more of a problem as the prisoners diminish and Russian command is forced to pull more and more from the regular population for its zombie horde. And even the furthest flung villages will at some point notice that few, if any, of their sons are coming back. This is where 140 million really starts to look like a much smaller number.
You're right, a tax they'd have to agreed with if they wanted to trade (after a forced exclusion of 10:years minimum perhaps?)
The time span intended to be long enough to hold their military behind that of the West, and short enough to provide timely revenue to Ukraine.
But that would be on top of transferring all frozen accounts to Ukraine.
Germany needed the courage and didn't have to ask permission of anyone. It wasn't until the UK offered the 12 challengers and then the US the 30 Abrams that things started moving. And you can stop being so condescending.
Perhaps you haven’t noticed that Russia is still in Ukraine. If Ukraine wasn’t having difficulty, they would have kicked the Russians, who have plenty enough issues of their own, back across the border.
Battle doesn’t care who is the good guy or who is the bad guy. An sufficiently resourced and sufficiently trained military does not send single tanks out on their own on missions. The smallest tactical detachment is the platoon: in Ukrainian terms, three tanks. Tanks are supposed to operate as combined arms units with infantry. They complement each other. That video could just have easily ended with an ATGM coming from the flank into the alone and unafraid Ukrainian tank, or a well placed RPG from the infantry being engaged. The Russians may not have NLAWs, but something has been knocking out hundred of Ukrainian tanks.
There are only two notable valid reasons for a single tank to be advancing to engage infantry. They are either lack of resources, or incompetence. The Ukrainians have not shown themselves to be particularly incompetent (and most of the incompetent Ukrainians have likely been killed by now anyway), that leaves resourcing.
Yes, but the big difference between the Russians and the US leaving Afghanistan was that the Russian's were kicked out by the Afghan's and told in no uncertain terms not to return, but when the Americans left, most of Afghanistan wanted to leave with them
I'm pretty sure that's the one I saw at Farnborough many years ago. Unfortunately one of the engines backfired loudly during the takeoff roll and the crew aborted. End of display. Pity.
Even more OT: having jumped into a number of (virtual) Russian jet aircraft for a peek in different flight sims, I much prefer the Russian greenish-blue panel colour to the diarrhoea brown of Boeing 747, 757, 767 and 777 cockpits.
OT, but back in the noughties we used to fly with Czech airlines a bit via Prague. On one of those trips I was trying to get something finished on the laptop when my wife came back from a walk and said there was a big plane out on the runway, I should come see it. This was before the days of A380 and assumed my wife was referring to a 747. So I went "Uhuh, that's nice" trying to keep my focus on the laptop. She said that even the ground crew had stopped to watch it and I should come see. Reluctantly I left my laptop and went to where I could see the runway. There, taxiing out was an An-225 or more correctly the An-225. I counted the engines on each wing just to make sure I wasn't mistaken and gave my wife a hug. Over the next 5 minutes it roared off down the runway. But the speed didn't match the sound, not for a long time. Gradually the wings lost their droopiness as its speed inexorably picked up. But still it was stuck the runway. Smaller and smaller it got until finally it lifted off, trailing a truly filthy black cloud behind it.
One of my top 3 warm fuzzy aviation moments. The others being an A10 flying low over the house in the 80s and a Spitfire flying in for the Gothenburg airshow in the 90s. Ah the sound of that Merlin.
They will be used in support of the defence of Ukraine against Putins illegal invasion. And they will play a very important role in that, for sure!! If you had any front line or indeed ANY war experience you would not need to be told this, but you don't, and so are continually spouting your very own brand of MudSpud anti-Ukraine waffle. Oh, don't worry yourself about such mundane details as servicing / repairing vehicles, the Ukrainian mechanics have more than proved themselves excellent at this. I'm full of admiration for them, how fast their workshops can return vehicles to service, any kind of vehicle, from Seat Ibiza's to Tanks. They are masters of innovation, but that's no surprise, from the people who built the biggest cargo plane in the world, the Antonov 225 Mriya. Yes the very one that Putin destroyed...but that's whet Russia does best, destroys. How many new vehicles could be bought for a paltry 100 million you ask... I've a better idea, get the cars for nothing, and spend the 100 million on munitions, how about that? And in the same vein, why does Putin not spend 100 Million on toilets for his Russian people? Oh, I forgot his soldiers arc stealing them and he is spending 100 Million on Ladas for the family's of the dead Russian soldiers. And the latest trend, Fur Coats for the widows, but it seems that the Ukrainian shop owner they were stolen from recognized them.... bad luck !!!
BTW, I'm still waiting for a reply to my comment about being sympathetic to Russian civilians when they are enduring the same horrors that Ukrainian civilians are suffering. So??? any comment?
Oh, no need to thank me MudSpud.....thank the Geneva Conventions on War, but I guess, being a Russian supporter, you like Putin, don't bother too much about the Conventions do you? Obviously not when your invasion of a sovereign independent state was illegal from day one.
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