Putin

[husaberg]

That’s widely reported so could be good.

I see reports that the Russian Minister of Defence has not been seen in public for a bit. It’s believed he has had a heart attack. Understandable if true.

He might have also been killed via a heart attack.
Russia likes to poison.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poison...polonium%2D210.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergei_Skripal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poison...Alexei_Navalny
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Yushchenko

Maybe Putin had done the same with all his generals, as Stalin did pre-war. ie anyone that was a potential threat like an officer in the army was generally killed. Or removed and replaced by a sycophant party member.

From what I understand that's one of the reasons why Russia lost so many battles at first. As Stalin had purged his army.
I remember reading something about the Poles actually beating them and the Germans had to bail them out and the same was supposed to with have happened with Norway.

TBH I thought that a lot of the pro-ukraine reporting about the battles was just Ukrainian propaganda at first but it seems that Russia's military strength has been overestimated for a long long time.
Imagine if Trump had have sold the Ukrainians the weapons in the first place when they wanted them instead of trying to blackmail them.

The only real issue is that Russia has a lot of former members of the Russian army to draw on.

[Pursang]

The only real issue is that Russia has a lot of former members of the Russian army to draw on.

I doubt that too many veterans of the Chechen or Afghanistan "military excercises" will be too 'gung ho' about getting involved in this one.

Chechnya: up to 40,000 Russian Millitary Dead.
Afghanistan: around 15,000 Russian Millitary Dead. (Of course that took 10 years, not 1 Month!)

Not that the poor bastards have much of a choice, if called up! (I guess they have the option to run over their generals with tanks, if they have any left).
(Tanks or Generals?) Some suggest that the Ukrainian army (including farmers) now have more tanks than the Russians started the invasion with)

Cheers, Daryl

[pritch]

The BBC are reporting that a seventh Russian General has been killed. This is the second Lieutenant General, the highest rank. Russia is saving a lot on pensions it won’t have to pay out.

It’s thought that poor morale among the Russian troops means that the generals need to be near the action. Also the Ukrainians are targeting them. Russian communications are very basic and the Ukrainians are monitoring Russian radio and mobile phone communications.

[onearmedbandit]

Sergei reappeared (albeit briefly) a couple days ago so no he hasn't been knocked off. Yet.

[husaberg]

The BBC are reporting that a seventh Russian General has been killed. This is the second Lieutenant General, the highest rank. Russia is saving a lot on pensions it wonÂ’t have to payout.

ItÂ’s thought that poor morale among the Russian troops means that the generals need to be near the action. Also, the Ukrainians are targeting them. Russian communications are very basic and the Ukrainians are monitoring Russian radio and mobile phone communications.

There is something in the Atlantic that says they had to revert to mobile phones as their new encrypted system relied on 3g towers that the Russians targeted to destroy when they invaded whoops....
There was also something about how they have changed the contracts of the army so they are no longer conscripts but are now volunteers.
plus in another report that the Russian national guard has members protesting and refusing to go into Ukraine as they are only required to serve on Russian soil.
Like i said, I thought, Russia would have got their together by now and they still have overwhelming odds of people and machinery and weapons.
But even if they do, as the USSR learned in Afghanistan, the USA learned in Vietnam and the ww2 Germans and Italians learned in Albania.
You can't win what will become a guerilla war with an army that goes home at night and blends into the civilian population and has the support of the civilian population unless you have the willingness to slaughter the whole civilian population.
But I fear that's exactly what Putin is willing to do, drive out or kill any resistance as he has no regard for human life.

Sergei reappeared (albeit briefly) a couple days ago so no he hasn't been knocked off. Yet.

from what i have seen reported it was a clip of a few seconds of footage of a zoom/teams call.
i am not saying they did, but pretty sure that might be pretty easy to fudge if needed.
it was weird that they did, in such a way.

[pzkpfw]

Sorry for the dailyfail link: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...erivcable.html

Russian tank regiment commander killed himself ‘after finding out 90% of tanks held in reserve were unusable because parts had been stolen’, claims Ukrainian intelligence

I remember in the cold war days, reading of the vast ranks of tanks the soviets had waiting ready for mobilisation.

Turns out, most of them would have been missing parts - either to keep other tanks running, or for sale on the black market.

Theft and corruption at all levels, so not only are the Russian troops often of low morale and badly led, and their logistics screwed (by themselves sometimes, the troops waiting before the invasion were apparently selling their own fuel), but their equipment has been knobbled.

[Pursang]

I thought, Russia would have got their together by now and they still have overwhelming odds of people and machinery and weapons.

I read an unconfirmed report that the Russian army is trying to commission military equipment that had been stockpiled over the borders in Russia and Belarus.

At one site it was stated that only one, of the 10 tanks there, was in operating condition. The other 9 had been 'stripped' of parts.

Most had no engines!! These are highly prized because the same engines are used in Russian made tractors.
That explains why Ukrainian farmers are so keen on dragging them home.

Only 60% of the precision guided missiles actually work!

I bet (hope/pray) it is the same with the Nukes. When the USSR fell, I remember seeing a News film of people stripping the copper wire and fittings out of ICBM launch and control bunkers. Those things also take a lot of expensive maintenance (like Tanks) Who got all the money allocated for that?
Who is going to tell Putin that pushing the Red Button will undoubtedly backfire in more ways than one?

And this: On the gate of the Russian embassy in Norway!


Cheers, Daryl.

[husaberg]

Sorry for the dailyfail link: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...erivcable.html



I remember in the cold war days, reading of the vast ranks of tanks the soviets had waiting ready for mobilisation.

Turns out, most of them would have been missing parts - either to keep other tanks running, or for sale on the black market.

Theft and corruption at all levels, so not only are the Russian troops often of low morale and badly led, and their logistics screwed (by themselves sometimes, the troops waiting before the invasion were apparently selling their own fuel), but their equipment has been knobbled.

I have previouly read in a lot of those soviet era parades of immense military strength, the same vehicles were known to be doing endless laps. Same is North Korea and China still do now.
they have also been known to really overhype their aircraft agility performance. a lot are huge flying tanks, fast yes, but speed is not good when the enemy can target you from a greater distance.
They have also been known to shoot down their own aircraft a the targeting radar they use to coordinate attacks which is a good 25 -30years behind the US still doesn't always recognize its own aircraft.

[Pursang]

Russia's (only) Aircraft Carrier - Admiral Kusnetsov



Why have we Not heard of it's part in the Invasion & war?

This is a pretty good example of the state of Putin's military.

1: It is only 2 times as long as the 'Scheherazade' (Shhh! Putin's yacht).

2: Was taken out of service in 2017 for refurbishment. Still way OoS!

3: 2018 the floating dry-dock sank and a 70tonne crane fell on the 'Admiral' and there was a fire onboard.

4: In March 2021 Yevgeny Zudin, general director of Shipyard No. 10 in Polyarny, was arrested under suspicion of the theft of forty-five million rubles (approximately $600,000 USD) that had been allocated to the repair of the Russian Navy’s Northern Fleet warship.
https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/03/...er-sail-again/

5: 2022 Putin attempt's to take Ukranian Ports of Mariupol and Odessa, boat not ready! Probably just as well, Ukranian's would sink it!

Cheers, Daryl.

[husaberg]

Russia's (only) Aircraft Carrier - Admiral Kusnetsov



Why have we Not heard of it's part in the Invasion & war?

This is a pretty good example of the state of Putin's military.

1: It is only 2 times as long as the 'Scheherazade' (Shhh! Putin's yacht).

2: Was taken out of service in 2017 for refurbishment. Still way OoS!

3: 2018 the floating dry-dock sank and a 70tonne crane fell on the 'Admiral' and there was a fire onboard.

4: In March 2021 Yevgeny Zudin, general director of Shipyard No. 10 in Polyarny, was arrested under suspicion of the theft of forty-five million rubles (approximately $600,000 USD) that had been allocated to the repair of the Russian Navy’s Northern Fleet warship.
https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/03/...er-sail-again/

5: 2022 Putin attempt's to take Ukranian Ports of Mariupol and Odessa, boat not ready! Probably just as well, Ukranian's would sink it!

Cheers, Daryl.

i thought it broke down on it;s last operation and had to be towed a few times and they started to use it as a floating Baracks?
from memory, she never sails anywhere without a Tug.
Even when it goes, old smoky is not very stealthy as it normally has a trail of black smoke even bigger than a coal-fired ww1 era liner.
deploying an aircraft carrier to the Ukraine might be a bit of a misstep as Ukraine has anti-ship cruise missiles with a 300 km range
i don't know what other aircraft launch anti-ship missiles they have but i am pretty sure they could take out a Russian carrier given enough of a reason as they are fighting for their lives and will take greater risks then the Russians will.

[Pursang]

i thought it broke down on it;s last operation and had to be towed a few times and they started to use it as a floating Baracks?
from memory, she never sails anywhere without a Tug.
Even when it goes, old smoky is not very stealthy as it normally has a trail of black smoke even bigger than a coal-fired ww1 era liner.
deploying an aircraft carrier to the Ukraine might be a bit of a misstep as Ukraine has anti-ship cruise missiles with a 300 km range
i don't know what other aircraft launch anti-ship missiles they have but i am pretty sure they could take out a Russian carrier given enough of a reason as they are fighting for their lives and will take greater risks then the Russians will.

All pretty much true! Last real use was in Syria, for aircraft sorties. Taken out of use because the aircraft landing catch cable system was miss-behaving. Lost a plane or two off the end.

Ran on heavy fuel oil and very smokey if the oil is not preheated sufficiently. I think conversion to Diesel was on the refurb. agenda.
Electrics, electronics and warfare systems are also USSR era and were supposed to be updated.

It's primary role was for support and protection of missile launching submarines, so probably unnecessary.
Most of the cruise missile launches on Ukraine seem to have been from fast moving surface ships, out in the Black Sea.

Main point, however, this is the Flagship of the Russian Navy and it is not fit for service basically due to neglectful incompetence and corruption.
Like the tanks and just about everything else.

Hard to imagine that the CIA, US Military Intelligence (oxym!) and the entire Military/Industrial Complex were not truly aware of the state of things!
I guess, by keeping quiet, Putin wasn't aware either.

Cheers, Daryl.

[pzkpfw]

Let alone how useless it is, it is unlikely to be able to enter the Black Sea. (Currently it's way over in Murmansk.)

The treaties giving Turkey control of the passages through their land don't allow Aircraft Carriers to transit. Apparently one reason the thing is (or was?) called an Aircraft Cruiser by the Russians.

But right now, I think I've read any military vessel will have issues going through (even if it has to be towed by tugs ...), by Turkish decision on the war starting.

[Pursang]

Biden - "For God's sake, this man cannot remain in power,"

"This is how a weak and sick person behaves - psychiatrists will be able to explain his behaviour better," Vyacheslav Volodin, chairman of the Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, said on Saturday. "American citizens should be ashamed of their president."

Yeah Righto!

Actually a very clear and precise signal on many levels.

To Putin: You will not come out of this well.

To Ukraine: USA will support Ukraine to finish this business.

To Poland and NATO: You would be wise to support us in this.

To Dissident parties in Russia: USA will look kindly on successful 'regime changers'.

To American voters: I'm not just an old politician, I'm your 'Leader of the Free world'.

To Everyone: I'm sick of this Bull Shit.

[Pursang]

Putin's addition of a lot more these Pricks will mean retaking Donbas might a bit tougher for the Ukrainians.


After all they were there, running things back in 2014.

High stakes for Putin too, they like to be paid in 'real dollars' so that means an absolute shit load of rubles.

Interestingly, naming the group Wagner is a tribute to Adolf Hitler's favorite composer.

The Wagner Group also includes a contingent known as Rusich, or Task Force Rusich, described as a “sabotage and assault reconnaissance group”.
The Rusich logo features a Kolovrat, a Slavic Swastika (source Wikipedia)


How good they as warriors are is not well reported. They are old ex soldiers 35 -55 (Average age 40) mostly Russian. Most of their deployments have been in Syria and parts of Africa. They are not afraid to play dirty and have been accused of war crimes many times.
Being a 'so called' private force has previously allowed Putin a degree of 'plausible deniability' for their use and actions. NOT this time!
How well they will be equipped and supported remains to be seen. If no better than the regular Russian army, expect a similar outcome.

[pritch]

The Wagner Group might be a worry, but Putin put his paratroopers into the assault on Kiev with the result that he now has far fewer paratroopers.

It seems Putin may have believed his own proaganda, that the Ukranians would welcome their Russian liberators with open arms. There are reports that several of his advisors and their deputies are under house arrest and his Minister of Defence had a heart attack.

If Nato can keep supplying Ukraine with enough arms, and can hang together, life is going to get tough for Putin.