Russian Invasion of Ukraine 2022

[Bacle]

They won't publicly announce the pullout till they are already out..don't give the Russians a chance to take a offensive.

Yup, whether they are planning a withdrawal or counter-attack on one or both flanks and when, it's in their interest to not reveal that until the other side finds out on their own.

From what I've seen they've fallen back across the Bakmut river and blown the bridge, so the Ukrainians have a better defensive position on that front at least, and might be able to shift forces to the flanks. to keep the road open or retake ground, or at minimum allow a more clean withdrawal if forced. River crossings have not been kinda to Russia in this war.

Also, consider that if they pull out from Bakmut, that put's two more major cities, with much larger pop's than Bakmut had to start, in light arty range, and two more that will have to be rebuilt because Russia will level cities in order to 'take' them.

That means even if The Ukrainians hold there before being able to retake the Donbass, after Crimea, that is two more major cities Ukraine will probably have to rebuild a significant percentage of and evacuate civies/support personnel from. Also, lot's more roads in and out of those towns to defend.

Finally, any troops Russia isn't sending to Bakmut can go elsewhere, and Crimea, not the Donbass, is the decisive terrain.

 

[Zachowon]

Yup, whether they are planning a withdrawal or counter-attack on one or both flanks and when, it's in their interest to not reveal that until the other side finds out on their own.

OPSEC. OPSEC. The biggest thing Ukraine has learned

From what I've seen they've fallen back across the Bakmut river and blown the bridge, so the Ukrainians have a better defensive position on that front at least, and might be able to shift forces to the flanks. to keep the road open or retake ground, or at minimum allow a more clean withdrawal if forced. River crossings have not been kinda to Russia in this war.

Also, consider that if they pull out from Bakmut, that put's two more major cities, with much larger pop's than Bakmut had to start, in light arty range, and two more that will have to be rebuilt because Russia will level cities in order to 'take' them.

That means even if The Ukrainians hold there before being able to retake the Donbass, after Crimea, that is two more major cities Ukraine will probably have to rebuild a significant percentage of and evacuate civies/support personnel from. Also, lot's more roads in and out of those towns to defend.

Finally, any troops Russia isn't sending to Bakmut can go elsewhere, and Crimea, not the Donbass, is the decisive terrain.

Eh, those two major cities have had damn near a whole year to prepare for this. They were probably prepared for the forces to get there or have been as of recently should they pull out.
We will have no info till we get confirmation from Ukraine they are out of Bakhmut

 

[Bacle]

 

[Tiamat]

Ukraine war: Russian reservists fighting with shovels - UK defence ministry

Troops could be engaging in hand-to-hand combat in Ukraine, Britain's defence ministry says.

www.bbc.com

It's odd reading this as I in fact have an exact reproduction of one of these shovels made by Cold Steel. Then again it's an American reproduction, not Russian made. Guess that's why I don't feel invincible when holding it...

 

[lloyd007]

If UA Reporter is accurate, Vuhledar is probably the biggest tank battle since 73 Easting all the way back during Desert Storm.

 

[Husky_Khan]

Estimations on monthly artillery use by Ukraine and Russia. Over a hundred thousand shells used by Ukraine monthly and an estaimted four times that amount by Russia. Also requests by Ukraine that the European Union supply Ukraine with a quarter million shells monthly.



Related, the European Union is formulating a seven year plan to increase the manufacture of military munitions both to supply Ukraine and fulfill the requirements of EU member states. Twenty five EU countries (plus Norway) are apparently planning on participating in the proposed policy.

UK will miss out on EU’s ‘massive’ increase in arms spending for Ukraine

Only EU and Norwegian firms will be able to take advantage of joint procurement agreement, says leaked paper

www.theguardian.com

Twenty One Leopard 2 tanks to arrive in Ukraine by the end of March.



Swedish RBS-70 AIr Defense System Reportedly Sighted in Ukraine.



Plenty of unconfirmed rumors that Ukrainian Aircraft are already utilizing JDAM-ER Aerial Bombs.



Ukrainian Pilots in the United States for assessments on Ukrainian piloting capabilities.

2 Ukrainian pilots are in U.S. to determine fighter jet skills

Yet the U.S. still does not plan to send F-16s to Ukraine, for now.

www.politico.com

US Military is also reportedly exploring possibilities of jury rigging a solution to allow Ukrainian jets mount and utilize AIM-120 air to air missiles.

U.S. military eyes mounting Western air-to-air missiles on Ukrainian MiGs

The effort, if successful, could be part of a solution to Kyiv’s need for additional firepower and air defenses.

www.politico.com

And finally... a Ukrainian FPV Racing Drone Converted into a Loitering Munition Apparently Flying Into the Commanders Hatch of a Russian T-80 Tank. At the very end you can just about see the Tank Commanders head just inside the hatch. Ouch.

 

[Batrix2070]

If UA Reporter is accurate, Vuhledar is probably the biggest tank battle since 73 Easting all the way back during Desert Storm.

This is not true, in fact, it is a coloring of statements made by one of the Ukrainian tank commanders who prepared fire ambushes. There was the destruction of 130 "armored" vehicles, that is, both tanks and infantry fighting vehicles and everything else with armor. And this for a month and a half and in just one day about 50 vehicles were destroyed, half of which were tanks.

The biggest armored battle since Desert Storm has already occurred, it was battles such as Ivankiv, Chernichov, Berlinov, the forcing of the Seversky Dnieper, the Kharkov operation. In those places there were more tanks and everything else, and there were more destroyed vehicles on both sides.

This is just a media crib, the only thing that is important about this battle is that after the Ukrainians smashed two contract Russian divisions, that is, units composed of professionals. (Although, incidentally, the Marines involved in the operation were sailors pulled from ships.)

 

[Tyzuris]

This is not true, in fact, it is a coloring of statements made by one of the Ukrainian tank commanders who prepared fire ambushes. There was the destruction of 130 "armored" vehicles, that is, both tanks and infantry fighting vehicles and everything else with armor. And this for a month and a half and in just one day about 50 vehicles were destroyed, half of which were tanks.

Yeah. As Finnish retired Major-General Pekka Toveri who did a career as armoured warfare and intel officer said, those losses for Russians basically losing an entire armoured brigade its armour component. Just to try to take a small-ass town with less than 100000 inhabitants, Russians basically depleted an entire armoured brigade of its armour for no gain at all.

Putin is doing good work in demilitarizing Russian Ground Forces with his Ukraine obsession (rather than just cut his losses and retreat) one tank and one artillery piece at a time to times where the previous might of all Russian Ground Forces units being tank equipped mechanized units with a ton of artillery will be a long-gone memory. Of course I suspect the moment Ukrainians take back every inch of their land, it's the time when Kreml launches into a full-on-palace-coup and the ilk of Putin, Lavrov, Shoigu, Geramisov, Medvevev get to take a course in window hopping that seems to be the fad in Russia now. And that's why Putin will gladly pay a million Russian young man's life to extend the old pathetic one he has left and provide as many days as he can with delaying his loss. Like the coward bunkerwanker rat he is.

 

[Tiamat]

 

[Bacle]

Another wave of vengance strikes by Russia just occured, looks like mostly launches from the Black Sea and coming in over Moldova.

 

[Bacle]

So this is shaping up to be Russia's biggest misisle barrage of the war, and it's been going on for over 5 hours now, repeated waves and Shahed's as far in as Lviv, looks like launches out of Belarus as well.

 

[Husky_Khan]

Institute of War reports that Wagner PMC, who are the predominant offensive forces in the Bakhmut area, are taking a tactical pause partly due to Prigozhin's allegations that he is not receiving sufficient support from the Russian Ministry of Defense.



Norway Donates two Complete NASAMS Air Defense Systems to Ukraine.



20 or 30 Italian made M109L Self Propelled Guns with FH70 155mm Howitzers were Delivered to Ukraine but Undisclosed Publicly as is the case of most Italian military aid.



Pakistani 122mm Artillery Ammunition Shows up in Ukrainian Service.



Russian TOS-1A Thermobaric MLRS Struck by a Ukrainian FPV Drone/Loitering Munition. Sadly no Boom was filmed after impact.



Latvia recently passed measures that will allow them to transport vehicles seized due to drunk driving violations to Ukraine.

Ukraine war: Latvia sends cars seized from drunk drivers to help Kyiv

The confiscated vehicles are being delivered under a Latvian scheme to help the Ukrainian military.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Bacle]

Good, make the Russkie's realize we aren't afraid of them, if they want to try to pull shit.

 

[Husky_Khan]

The Mighty Duchy of Luxembourg has delivered fourteen armored ambulances to Ukraine.



Another first in the Special Military Operation. Ukrainian Drone Dropped munitions struck a TOR Air Defense Vehicle and an ISDM Zemledeliye remote mine laying vehicle, the first documented loss of this type of equipment.



Russian MTLB used as an Ammunition Carrier Brews Up Quite Nicely after a Grenade is Dropped upon it in the Donetsk Oblast.



British Made Stormer HVM Air Defense Vehicle Struck by a Russian Lancet Loitering Munition in the Donetsk Oblast as well.



Ukrainian Troops Training on Bradley IFV's somewhere in Eastern Europe.

 

[Bacle]

So Bakmut is about to get much more messy, I expect. Wager trying to storm tunnels like the storm fields sounds like a horror show for all involved.

 

[gral]

So Bakmut is about to get much more messy, I expect. Wager trying to storm tunnels like the storm fields sounds like a horror show for all involved.

Wagner is also deeply concerned that the Ukrainians will pull a Stalingrad on them and surround Bakhmut while they attempt to capture the city, is what I hear. Whether that'll happen is anyone's guess.

 

[Husky_Khan]

Ukrainian Crews Training on Leopard 2A4's in Spain.



Missile Attack Allegedly Occurred over the Russian City of Bryansk, Russian Air Defense Interception of the Attack Resulted in Fires in the City Below.



The MI-17V-5's originally slated for Afghanistan but sent to Ukraine by the United States are sporting new paintjobs finally.



Rest in Peace Alexander Artemyev, a 58 Year Old Veteran of the Afghanistan War. He was killed six months ago, back in September, during the Ukrainian Counteroffensives in Kherson. He was apparently one of the survivors of the 9th Company during the famous Battle for Hill 3234 which also had a movie made about it.



One of the Senior Officers Killed in an airstrike back in October Has Finally Been Disclosed. Though apparently it might've been a strike in Kharkiv since that's where the 1st Guards Tank Army was getting creamed at the time. Rest in Peace Colonel Gutarov Denis Vladimirovich, Head of Operators and Deputy Chief of Army Staff of the 4th Guards Tank Division. He apparently won a Hero of Russia Award.

 

[lloyd007]

According to the Ukrainians, yesterday was the bloodiest day of the war for the Russians.

Russia loses 1,090 soldiers in reported deadliest day of war

Rest in Peace Alexander Artemyev, a 58 Year Old Veteran of the Afghanistan War. He was killed six months ago, back in September, during the Ukrainian Counteroffensives in Kherson. He was apparently one of the survivors of the 9th Company during the famous Battle for Hill 3234 which also had a movie made about it.

That's somewhat incredible that a veteran of the Bear Trap is KIA in a war decades later. I do wonder if it says more about Artemyev or the state of the Russian military that he was.

 

[Husky_Khan]

Russian Commentators Stating that Russian Sappers and DeMining Equipment (like Mine Rollers) Aren't Doing a Good Job in Clearing Ukrainian Minefields, Leading to Considerable Losses of Vehicles to Said Mines.



Danish Ministry of Defense Disclosed Much of the Aid they Sent Ukraine Since the War Began of stuff that was and wasn't widely known. Apparently includes over four hundred Stinger missiles, with a lesser amount of launchers, eight thousand RPG-7 Launchers and tens of thousands of rockets for them.



Dutch to Provide the Mighty Ukrainian Navy two Alkmaar-class Minehunters.



Another Car Mysteriously Explodes in Russian Occupied Melitopol.



Some Russian Civilians Worried About Civil Defense Preparations... or Lack Thereof, in Case Ukraine Strikes Russian Territory.

 

[Bacle]

Well, this is a new twist.