Putin, arse, elbow

A 63 year old (retired in 2012) russian pilot was recently shot down and killed in Ukraine, not only are they bringing obsolete equipment in, but using 63 year old fighter pilots seems desperate.
How the hell was he still current?
 
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I have known a load of too-old pilots. The common factor is that they all think they're brilliant and immortal.
Sounds like this Russian guy was a toѕѕer too.
Our upper limit for commercial pilots is 65 now. Fine as long as you keep passing your medical.
RAF - dunno.
 
Russia isn't able to produce high quality electronics. China is on the way to being able to supply them but they're years off yet. The main Russian tank plants are already shut down due to lack of supplies.

Theres a line of thinking that says that Russia has already burnt through so many tanks and that their reserve is so badly maintained (one estimate is only 10% of reserve tanks are fit for use) that they're starting to bring forward T64s, which are way out of date.

Attrition is a war that Russia can lose. Even if the war ended today it'll be a long time before Russia recovers to pre war levels.
In the last war the Russians lost 25 million dead and still ended up a superpower ruling half of Europe.
 
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In the last war the Russians lost 25 million dead and still ended up a superpower ruling half of Europe.
But they aren't at war, it's a special military operation. Which is why their professional soldiers are able to refuse to be deployed to Ukraine.

Killing 10% of your population in an offensive war is a hard sell.
 
In the last war the Russians lost 25 million dead and still ended up a superpower ruling half of Europe.
Seems any country with a load of nukes is a superpower.
What else has he got: Fossil Fuels & minerals, mostly. NOT a big GDP.

If the west etc reduces FF consumption, then Russia and China will get along just fine. They could easily reduce green house gas production, it'd be simple; eliminate the USA.


Edit;: Just looked at the grain producing areas in Ukraine - pretty good alignment with the areas Putin is going for.
He can blockade Odessa without bothering to seize it, as a penalty for western sanctions. Most of Ukraine's grain went to Bangladesh, Indonesia, Egypt, India, only 10% to Europe.

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I saw some reports on foreign News reporting on interviews with the people remaining in front line areas. Many were too disturbed to answer, many expected the Russians to take over and then life would be better. Quite a lot -maybe half -have left already, of course.

This article has a few interesting facets on that: https://jordanrussiacenter.org/news/do-people-in-donbas-want-to-be-liberated-by-russia/
 
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Dare say some people in certain areas said similar when the Germans invaded Russia in theb2nd world war

Better off under Nazi rule etc etc

Mind you that was some choice

Adolph Hitler

Or

Joe Stalin
 
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Reports suggest ??? That Putin has a nine month window to achieve his objectives and negotiate ???

This time frame of 8 to 9 months
Coincides with all the western weapons systems supplied to the Ukraine coming on stream due to troops having to be trained in there use

Plus the mobilisation of Ukranian reserves ( training etc )

There after the Ukranian army will be able to launch a major offensive
 
At least if someone really wins, the bombing stops - a hope anyway.

9 months? I expect Putin will have blasted the place to hell before that. And there's a good chance he'll have squashed Ukraine's best troops, down in the south east "salient".
I remember the statement that all the heavy M777 guns from the US would only he enough for one and a half battalions. Germany's contribution was tanks with no ammunition?
Zelensky said yesterday I think, that his troops were outnumbered and facing insane amounts of firepower.
 
At least if someone really wins, the bombing stops - a hope anyway.

9 months? I expect Putin will have blasted the place to hell before that. And there's a good chance he'll have squashed Ukraine's best troops, down in the south east "salient".
I remember the statement that all the heavy M777 guns from the US would only he enough for one and a half battalions. Germany's contribution was tanks with no ammunition?
Zelensky said yesterday I think, that his troops were outnumbered and facing insane amounts of firepower.
I saw a report of 90 M777s, an artillery battalion is between 6 and 18 guns. With 155 it is typically 6 per battalion I believe.
 
The T64 doesn't have a stabilized gun or modern optics. It also has much weaker armour so it's less survivable. But I was thinking of the T62, which despite being only 2 out is a very different beast. The T64 is definitely already in use.
There has been numerous updates. It seems it used composite armour from day 1

The Ukraine tank seems to be based on it as well. One of the main differences with Russian tanks is autoloaders and a crew of 3. The autoloader might explain the explosions .

They could have loads of them. For those that have experienced stored Russian stuff the usual comment is covered in bear fat and stuck in a salt mine. ;) I've only experianced small stuff but the fat is interesting stuff.
 
At least if someone really wins, the bombing stops - a hope anyway.

9 months? I expect Putin will have blasted the place to hell before that. And there's a good chance he'll have squashed Ukraine's best troops, down in the south east "salient".
I remember the statement that all the heavy M777 guns from the US would only he enough for one and a half battalions. Germany's contribution was tanks with no ammunition?
Zelensky said yesterday I think, that his troops were outnumbered and facing insane amounts of firepower.

They were always out numbered
Nothing new there

Germany’s contribution ?

No surprise there tbh
;)
 
At least if someone really wins, the bombing stops - a hope anyway.

9 months? I expect Putin will have blasted the place to hell before that. And there's a good chance he'll have squashed Ukraine's best troops, down in the south east "salient".
I remember the statement that all the heavy M777 guns from the US would only he enough for one and a half battalions. Germany's contribution was tanks with no ammunition?
Zelensky said yesterday I think, that his troops were outnumbered and facing insane amounts of firepower.
The UK Strategic Studies commented that neither side has air superiority, Each side has to some extent at their end of the Ukraine. Russian planes are being used, usually on the cheap, dropping bombs. According to the UK anyway. That figures. Bit like the aircraft carrier that was sunk at Falklands. Why use expensive when old and cheap will do - when you can.

M777's. I'd much prefer to see them being used. Something coming in was hit. The German kit - comment - people being trained to use it and I assume service it. I had the impression that it can be used against aircraft. Something I intended to look into - what it can do.

It's pretty obvious from your video link if it's accurate that Russia ideally needs to straighten up it's lines in places. All those bends mean more troops and kit.. Same for Ukraine really. There was news of Russia moving a lot of heavier stuff in weeks ago. The link - broken units shown who suddenly move and are obviously effective. Doing that quickly fits in with a Pentagon run down on how they have reorganised. Other sources say they have cut down on ranks as well. Maybe not such a good idea.

Zelenskyy has a job to do. No details from me as people would take it the wrong way. He is seen as doing it extremely well. As when he was getting elected.

He mentioned 1,000's of tanks etc destroyed. Pass really but Russia has near 10,000 T-72 and similar numbers of armed fighting vehicles. One minute UK reckons Russia has lost 15,000 troops, few days later NATO 40,000. Ukraine say 30,000. How many Ukraine have lost and had to replace etc - pass.

I still see much of the whole thing in terms of end results as a pass even that it's going to go on for a long time.

Reports. C4 mentioned a town that had been more or less fully controlled by Russia now was - little difference really. I should have noted the name. AlJ mentioned 3 places taken this week. No names given.

Ukraine tanks - Russia seems to like these and the missile be can used in other ways

They have strike drones, Israel and their own also kamikaze. No Ukraine losses???

Interesting article on artillery.
M777 sent following comments from a Ukraine unit using a mobile unit. They could fire 5 shots and then needed to move or else. I also wonder how many shots it could carry. The tow vehicles sent with the M777 may be interesting.
 
There has been numerous updates. It seems it used composite armour from day 1

The Ukraine tank seems to be based on it as well. One of the main differences with Russian tanks is autoloaders and a crew of 3. The autoloader might explain the explosions .

They could have loads of them. For those that have experienced stored Russian stuff the usual comment is covered in bear fat and stuck in a salt mine. ;) I've only experianced small stuff but the fat is interesting stuff.
All of the T64 derived tanks (T72,T80 and the T14 to a degree) use autoloaders. It's the 34/55/62 types that had bio-robot loaders. Which is one of the (many) issues with the T62, they need 33% more crew than the T64 derivatives.

All Russian tanks keep their amunition more readily available than Western designs. That makes it easier to set if you compromise the crew compartment.

As to the 10,000 T72s, most of the reserve isnt usable, otherwise there's no way Russia would be deploying T62 museum pieces.
 
The UK Strategic Studies commented that neither side has air superiority, Each side has to some extent at their end of the Ukraine. Russian planes are being used, usually on the cheap, dropping bombs. According to the UK anyway. That figures. Bit like the aircraft carrier that was sunk at Falklands. Why use expensive when old and cheap will do - when you can.
There was no aircraft carrier sunk at the Falklands. You're probably thinking of Arctic Conveyor which was a cargo ship that has a load of Chinooks packed up on it for shipping from the UK. The issues with their detonators was a major factor in us winning the war, but the Argentine airforce was very good at getting bombs on target.

But you are accidentally close on the dumb bomb Vs guided missile. Argentina was dependent on France for its guided missiles and had a limited supply. Russia has formed through the majority of their available guided missiles and is now limited to what they can manufacture despite embargoes on some of the components
 
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