Russia-Ukraine War (continuing)

Realistically, Ukraine still needs US weapons , wether it patriot missiles particularly the pac3 , or atacms

yes the Europeans are buying them from the US for Ukraine, but theyre in short supply , and there is no real alternative..

They sure do need them, but likely won't be getting them other than the 35 Germany so magnificently manage to round up, but it might be the last they get unless they can barter anti drone tech for PAC-3s from Arab states. That is unlikely to really be viable as Ukraine needs them itself to defend against Shaheds and I doubt has that many to spare.

The exchange rate on a cost basis would likely be thousands to one, given a PAC-3 is $3.7m and the MSE variant is $7m.

Ukraine has been nearly begging the US to issue a PAC-3 licence to them or somewhere in Europe, but they have refused, despite the dire shortages and slow manufacture rate.

I withdraw that statement. Jacob Jeremiah Sullivan. Rather strange name choices for a large Irish Catholic family, though.

It would appear I mislabelled the one person in Biden's cabinet who wasn't.

As President-elect Joe Biden announced his picks for the Cabinet, the joke went around on Jewish Twitter that the West Wing would have a minyan.

Indeed, at least 10 prominent Jews have been nominated to key positions. There’s Ronald Klain (chief of staff); Anthony Blinken (Secretary of State); Janet Yellen (Treasury); Merrick Garland (Attorney General); Alejandro Mayorkas (Homeland Security);and Avril Haines (Director of National Intelligence). One level down are Wendy Sherman (deputy Secretary of State); Eric Lander (science and technology adviser); Ann Neuberger (deputy National Security Adviser); and David Cohen (deputy CIA director).

Plus there’s Doug Emhoff, the Jewish husband of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.

The appointments of Tony Blinken as secretary of state and Jake Sullivan as national security advisor drew broad praise from Jewish leaders and Mideast experts

I think I picked up the impression on a Ukrainian site that was expressing considerable anger and hatred towards Sullivan as they believed he was restraining Biden's impulses to be more helpful.

Critics point out that it was Sullivan who once delayed the delivery of weapons to Kyiv and encouraged the White House to limit the use of long-range weapons.

“He’s the quartermaster of the war—and everything else.”

https://ukrainetoday.org/the-pentagon-explained-why-they-do-not-give-ukraine-thaad-to-protect-against-the-russian-federation/

This one was a doozy. Oct 2024 the US says Ukraine doesn't rate THAAD and few weeks later the Orcs fire the first Oreshnik ballistic missile at Ukraine in November - exactly the type of weapon THAAD is designed to counter. Israel of course gets THAAD so that it can more comfortable attack Iran to keep Netannasty in power.

Ukraine are playing this very cleverly.

Russia advances with huge losses and worn out troops.

Ukraine counter attacks, mops up, advances, stabilises.

Russia advances with huge losses.....

Yes, I think that sort of thing (scaling up production of European alternatives to replace, even developing them where they are not available) is better option ultimately, even if the cost stings a lot vs buying from the US and its quite hard for countries to coordinate on it. Bullet just has to be bitten and sooner the better.

Even paying the US for specific high tech weapons like patriot interceptors seems a risk to me. Delivery is likely to be subject to whims of Trump and this coterie around him, their chaotic foreign policy and whatever new wars they decide to wage next.

These wars could provide an excellent excuse for Trump and the pro Russian appointees around him to say, oh sorry - we just cannot deliver right now. Call us next year perhaps?

I am sure the US military (and Israel) are now top priority for delivering these missiles and other kinds of air defence, gulf states/Saudi third. Maybe Asian US "allies" come after that, then Europeans who have bought these for themselves a distant fifth, then bringing up rear any missiles bought for Ukraine.

So ,the French have said that Ukraine will receive 8 new samp-t ng systems, ahead of both france and italy .. that's as well as the 3 (?) systems currently in ukraine ,

I think the Germans are currently building production for patriot pac 2 missiles ,i assume its not know which variant of pac 2 ,but i assume they'll be trying to optimise the interceptors , to take down ballistic missiles ( as the israelis did to their patriots ,to gem-T )

So mbma Germany are planning on being back in production of the rocket motors for pac 2 ,by end of 2026 ,

Oh, and remember those cards that Zelenskyy didn't have?

Well guess which geriatric, genocidal Middle Eastern leader's asking Ukraine for help now ...

https://bsky.app/profile/specialkhersoncat.bsky.social/post/3mh2cpe6z4c2y

Russian missiles and solid rocket fuel detonating in occupied Dovzhansk, Luhansk region.

Supplies go BOOM!

Ukrainian forces conducted a series of strikes on russian military-related infrastructure overnight on March 14, targeting energy and logistics facilities used to support Moscow's war effort. According to Ukrainian officials, the operation focused on reducing the military-economic capacity of the russian federation by hitting key industrial and transport assets inside russian territory.

One of the primary targets was the Afipsky oil refinery, located in the settlement of Afipsky in russia's Krasnodar region. Ukrainian sources report that the facility was successfully struck, resulting in a fire on the refinery's territory. The plant is considered an important component of russia's fuel supply chain.

Read more: ​Ukrainian FP-2 Drones Destroy russian S-300V Launcher, Tor Air Defense System and Fuel Train in Night Strikes (Video)

The Afipsky refinery processes around 6.25 million tons of crude oil annually, accounting for roughly 2.1% of russia's total refining capacity.

Chipping away at the Orc economy, one cracking tower at a time.

Not explicitly stated in that blog post, but what a contrast between those Middle Eastern countries asking Ukraine for help and getting the response "we'll be on the next flight" versus Ukraine asking for help in '22, '23, '24 ... only to be told by everyone, including the Europeans , "yeah ... listen ... maybe ... I dunno ... we'll get back to you on that ... "

Also how much hate for Zelenskyy does Trump carry around with him all the time? To literally take Putin's side when Putin is helping Iran destroy US assets in the ME and Zelenskyy is defending them (coz suddenly expensive US tech isn't up to the job) ?

These names are also found among Catholics over there, and increasingly in Ireland too e.g. Caleb. 

In fairness the Burke family is largely responsible for this