Current Affairs Ukraine

[ramacca]

I think it'll be a long hard winter on the way sadly. Call me cynical,but the line the western media were pushing that Russia were shelling their own troops in there was an embarrassment.

In fact the Ukrainians have admitted they are shelling the nuclear plant. Why would the Russians bomb their own troops protecting the plant. Illogical propaganda bull. This admittance could have something to do with the IAEA visit.

Life on the front line of Russia’s new nuclear brinkmanship

"Yevtushenko confirmed that rockets are launched at Nikopol from three locations: the territory of the power plant, as well as the nearby villages of Kamyanka and Vodyane.

The international community has condemned the use of the plant as a shield for shelling, to which no return fire can be given.

This is not to say that there aren’t any shells traveling in the opposite direction".

 

[ramacca]

The Ukrainians built their own fortified 'Maginot Line' for miles and miles in the Donbass.

https://twitter.com/johnsweeneyroar/status/1561739006546612224
(5) John Sweeney on Twitter: "War Diary Day 180 Trench system, Bakhmut Guest star @brokenpixelua https://t.co/Gqhs6hBFpl" / Twitter

The Ukrainian army are just sitting ducks for the artillery of the Donbass militias and the Russians. Static fortifications, no matter how well they are built, are no match against constant bombardment. That is why the Donbass militias and the Russians have taken village after village, town after town and city after city in the south and East. Zelensky should attempt a negotiated settlement while there is still a semblance of a functioning Ukraine.

 

[PhilM]

 

[Yarrgh]

German measures with regards to ensure gas supplies have been very effective. Let's hope we all get through winter without too much suffering.

Long term though, like most countries, we will need to move away from gas and coal. This is the unwanted kick we needed.

 

[AndyC]

Reports of a counter offensive by Ukrainian forces to retake Kershon has begun and having some initial success in breaking through the Russian lines forcing the invaders to pull back.

 

[Martin Alvito]

I profoundly disagree with those sorts of things (removals); they are the same shabby nationalist gestures that have caused so much of this misery.

I feel much the same way about the Confederate memorials over here. Taking them down isn't the answer. Leaving them up, and discussing the stain, is a much better solution. It doesn't result in the same immediate feeling of power for those whose families were victimized, which is why it doesn't happen, but doing things that way is far more likely to lead to the results we want in the long-term.

 

[tsubaki]

The Ukrainians built their own fortified 'Maginot Line' for miles and miles in the Donbass.


(5) John Sweeney on Twitter: "War Diary Day 180 Trench system, Bakhmut Guest star @brokenpixelua https://t.co/Gqhs6hBFpl" / Twitter

The Ukrainian army are just sitting ducks for the artillery of the Donbass militias and the Russians. Static fortifications, no matter how well they are built, are no match against constant bombardment. That is why the Donbass militias and the Russians have taken village after village, town after town and city after city in the south and East. Zelensky should attempt a negotiated settlement while there is still a semblance of a functioning Ukraine.

er - they are very effective against constant bombardment, its being outflanked by mobile forces that they are no match against

 

[stipe]

Watching some videos, people die like flies there, on both sides

Not to mention its incredibly flat terrain in the south, zero cover, tanks and APCs getting easily exposed by drones and targeted by artillery. While in the east (Donbas) its gruesome trench warfare

 

[Mutzo Nutzo]

Watching some videos, people die like flies there, on both sides

Not to mention its incredibly flat terrain in the south, zero cover, tanks and APCs getting easily exposed by drones and targeted by artillery. While in the east (Donbas) its gruesome trench warfare

This is where mobility comes into play - pin the enemy with arty, whilst out-flanking and encircling enemy concentrations with armour. The US army are masters at this type of warfare and will have trained the Ukes well for this very thing.

There are reports (confirmed by pro Russian sources) that there have been a number of break-throughs and the ukes have established a bridgehead across the Inulets river.

 

[stipe]

This is where mobility comes into play - pin the enemy with arty, whilst out-flanking and encircling enemy concentrations with armour. The US army are masters at this type of warfare and will have trained the Ukes well for this very thing.

There are reports (confirmed by pro Russian sources) that there have been a number of break-throughs and the ukes have established a bridgehead across the Inulets river.

Well thats classic Blitzkrieg you talking, or in proper German term a "Bewegungskrieg" (Maneuver Warfare), basis of all German/Prussian strategy since 18th century.

Problem is that they are fighting opponent who outnumber them in all important components of that strategy, air, armor and artillery, and not Iraqi who were surrendering en masse first chance they got. And of course a drones, they are absolute game changer, they make artillery so much deadlier and accurate.

When Germans were rolling up everyone at the start of WW2, they had advantage in all main three main components (air, armor and infantry), when Americans crushed poorly equipped Iraqi army, they again had massive quality advantage, Ukrainians on other hand are still grossly outnumbered in artillery, armor and air power.

 

[Hickson9]

Well thats classic Blitzkrieg you talking, or in proper German term a "Bewegungskrieg" (Maneuver Warfare), basis of all German/Prussian strategy since 18th century.

Problem is that they are fighting opponent who outnumber them in all important components of that strategy, air, armor and artillery, and not Iraqi who were surrendering en masse first chance they got. And of course a drones, they are absolute game changer, they make artillery so much deadlier and accurate.

When Germans were rolling up everyone at the start of WW2, they had advantage in all main three main components (air, armor and infantry), when Americans crushed poorly equipped Iraqi army, they again had massive quality advantage, Ukrainians on other hand are still grossly outnumbered in artillery, armor and air power.

The Germans had significantly fewer guns and tanks during the Battle of France.

 

[tsubaki]

The Germans had significantly fewer guns and tanks during the Battle of France.

they were qualitatively poorer tanks, too - though of course they had a far better radio net and Guderian, and the allies didn't

 

[tsubaki]

This is where mobility comes into play - pin the enemy with arty, whilst out-flanking and encircling enemy concentrations with armour. The US army are masters at this type of warfare and will have trained the Ukes well for this very thing.

There are reports (confirmed by pro Russian sources) that there have been a number of break-throughs and the ukes have established a bridgehead across the Inulets river.

Well thats classic Blitzkrieg you talking, or in proper German term a "Bewegungskrieg" (Maneuver Warfare), basis of all German/Prussian strategy since 18th century.

Problem is that they are fighting opponent who outnumber them in all important components of that strategy, air, armor and artillery, and not Iraqi who were surrendering en masse first chance they got. And of course a drones, they are absolute game changer, they make artillery so much deadlier and accurate.

When Germans were rolling up everyone at the start of WW2, they had advantage in all main three main components (air, armor and infantry), when Americans crushed poorly equipped Iraqi army, they again had massive quality advantage, Ukrainians on other hand are still grossly outnumbered in artillery, armor and air power.

The Soviets had a pivotal role in the development of that sort of thing too, the "deep battle" doctrines which - had Stalin not purged nearly all the minds who created it - would have pasted the 1941 edition of the German Army all over the shop. They eventually brought it and the surviving authors back in time for 1943 and we all know the rest.

In fact it is one of the supreme ironies of 20th century history that the Red Army in 1941 had the best tanks in the world (KV-1 and T-34), the best rocket artillery (the Katyusha), some of the best tube artillery / anti-tank guns, some of the best machine guns (DP and DShK), the best light bomber (Pe-2) and best ground attack (Il-2) aircraft, the best general (Zhukov) and many of the generals in the tier immediately below that (Konev, Vatutin, Antonov, Vasilevsky, Rokossovsky), millions of infantry and the largest armour and airborne forces. Their only weakness was the leader and the people he imposed to replace those he'd murdered.

 

[PhilM]

they were qualitatively poorer tanks, too - though of course they had a far better radio net and Guderian, and the allies didn't

It's a common myth that the entire Heer went into the Battle of France as an elite, well equipped and thoroughly motorised force. It was far from it.

That's not to say they didn't have some great equipment, but the majority of the Panzer divisions were equipped with MKI and MKII tanks - or tankettes*.

From recollection, I think it's <18% being the more powerful MKIVs, with their 7.5cm gun. The French Char DI and B35 were far better tanks and in number.

In terms of the Luftwaffe, they had fantastic fighters and ground attack aircraft, but their medium bombers were a serious concern highlighted by Milch himself.

*at best, a light tank with machine guns or light cannons.

 

[Yarrgh]

I wonder if the Ukrainian "counter-offensive" is to destroy the grid connection to Kherson once Zaporizhzhia is removed from the Ukrainian supply. That would goose Russia's ability to maintain control or at least suck resources to another aspect.