Russia Ukraine Update Thread - part 2

a reply to: Grimpachi


Latvia is gonna save the russian currency!

a reply to: PatriotGames4u

They are hiding the fact the company is owned by Gazprom.

a reply to: Grimpachi

It does violate the embargo Latvia placed on Russian oil / gas imports. The claim that it does not violate anything is coming from Russia so of course it will be repeated by a company owned by Gazprom.

a reply to: Xcathdra


I know, the whole idea that this is even considered newworthy by russian propagandists is hilarious.

a reply to: Xcathdra


For anyone that might be interested, this isn't one of his normal episodes.

This one is almost exclusively video footage shot by russians in Marioupol for russian teevee propaganda, nothing gory but shows what some of the small scale battles there look like.

a reply to: Grimpachi

I don't think this means what you think it does. Have a problem reading English? This is a company whos co-owner is Gazprom. What they are saying is they have stored a sufficient amount of gas in the Incukalns gas storage facility to continue to provide services to their customers. In other words, they won't be affected by the sanctions and believe they can remain unaffected. (I'm going to say unlikely since the baltic states have decided to cut off Russian gas) However, they are working rapidly to set up liquified natural gas facilities and according to them have enough gas in storage until the facilities are completed. So guess who the US will be selling LNG since they can increase their capacity the easiest namely exon and Conoco Phillips.

Also want to know if this is true if so it's a major loss to the black sea fleet. And you have to start wondering if the Russian navy is sabotaging their ships??

a reply to: dragonridr

Yup a Russian landing craft (The Orsk) was sunk in the port in question. The sinking came a couple of days after RT did a special on the Russian ship being in a captured port (and by special I mean they were bragging).

The landing ship was 1 of 4 assigned to the Black Sea fleet and 3 of the ships were not being used due to maintenance issues. The 1 working ship is the one that was sunk. Japan reported several days ago that they tracked a small fleet, including 4 more landing ships, from their east coast base on the pacific.

The thought is they are going to the Black Sea. The only problem with that is Turkey is blocking any Russian military vessels from entering the Black Sea whose bases are not located there (per the Montreux convention).

Satellite Images Confirm Russian Navy Landing Ship Was Sunk at Berdyansk

Video footage of the burning ship, taken soon after the attack, shows that two Ropucha-class landing ships were also damaged. They had been berthed alongside and in front of the Alligator-class amphibious ship. They sailed away fighting their own blazes as the fire on the Alligator raged.

Japan says it spotted Russian amphibious ships heading toward Europe

Japan said on Thursday it spotted four Russian amphibious ships in waters close to its shores on Wednesday.

The Japanese military said the four ships sailed in the Tsuruga Strait that separates Japan's Honshu island and Hokkaido island, an unusual move for Russia, Reuters reported.

The ships are able to hold military equipment, including tanks, and hundreds of troops.

Japan's defense ministry released pictures of the ships that appeared to have military trucks on at least one of them, according to Reuters.

When a defense ministry spokesperson was asked if the equipment could be going to Ukraine, he said "it is possible."

Also - unrelated to the ship sinking.

a reply to: dragonridr


That certainly looks like a naval fighting ship larger than an American destroyer is under water.

a reply to: Xcathdra


This one doesn't look like a landing ship to me, but I'm not an expert on anything naval related.



ETA - your source clearly shows this was the previously known Alligator class landing craft that was destroyed.

a reply to: dragonridr

I think you have something stuck up your but.

I understood perfectly well what it means and previously when I posted about gas being turned off I stated they had enough gas in storage to last them through another winter.

You might want to get down off that high horse.

originally posted by: Grimpachi
a reply to: dragonridr
I think you have something stuck up your but

You might want to get down off that high horse.

And you might want to stop spreading russian propaganda on the subject.

From ISW and they tagged it unverified:

The Ukrainian General Staff reported on April 3 that Russian soldiers are resisting and in some cases refusing orders to enter or re-enter the war effort.

The General Staff asserted that the two battalion tactical groups (BTGs) that moved from South Ossetia toward Donbas less than a week ago refused to fight and that plans to move them back to South Ossetia are in train.

The General Staff claimed that about 25 soldiers of the Russian 31st Separate Airborne Brigade refused orders to re-enter combat citing excessive losses.

a reply to: PatriotGames4u

What started out as 12 conscripts (now more than a 1000) they are suing the Russian government because they refused to deploy and Russia "fired" them. The soldiers, and their lawyer, pointed out how Russian law works with the conscripts. Apparently in order to legally give them orders to enter Ukraine Russia must declare war. A "special operation" apparently does not meet the legal standards. The original 12 refused orders, stating that under Russian law the orders to deploy were illegal.

The fact refusals are coming from non conscript units tells me Putin is in trouble. Also apparently the Prime Minister (1 step below Putin - Mikhail Mishustin) has disappeared.

a reply to: Xcathdra


Agreed.

I don't want to read anything into these stories just yet because russia can be a brutal place and putin is a powerful madman, but I think the increasing frequency of these reports is worth noting.

a reply to: Xcathdra

I expect that Russia's propaganda machine is preparing an extension war of liberation narrative, so Putin can "legally" employ conscripts in Ukraine. Putin will probably give a speech that encompasses removing the courts and legislature from Russia's constitutional system.

Putin's most difficult pending task is a selective crackdown on corruption to ensure his regime's survival/improve Russian military performance in Ukraine. The crackdown also provides cover for the further removal of political opposition.

a reply to: xpert11


"removal of political opposition"


AKA - Killing Potential Assassins.

originally posted by: PatriotGames4u
a reply to: xpert11


"removal of political opposition"


AKA - Killing Potential Assassins.

Time will tell if Putin implements a Stalinist style purge or a more selective approach to tyranny at home. A purge would remove Russia's ability to conduct the war in Ukraine. Moreover, the wholesale death or imprisonment of military commanders and industrialists would cripple Russia and leave Siberia vulnerable to the potential of Chinese invasion.

a reply to: xpert11


I don't think it's anywhere near that level yet and personally doubt it ever will be, I think the military turns on putin before that happens, and we don't appear to be anywhere near that yet either.

I do think this 'process' has started though, we just don't have any way of knowing how far the madman will push things.

* - In the Sumy region, control over state border has been fully restored by Ukraine

* - Heavy shelling in Kharkiv since early morning

* - Satellite imagery from Bucha, Ukraine, from 31 March: a mass grave on the grounds of the city's main church. Also and image from 10 March, which also shows evidence of a mass grave

* - Russian troops shelled Novovorontsovka and Maryanske overnight

* - Russian army shelled Mykolaiv with missiles with cluster ammunition

* - Ukrainian military unblocked the city of Konotop

* - Russian troops shelled Zelenodolsk community with incendiary ammunition

* - French president urges new sanctions in response to Bucha incidents in Ukraine

As a reminder -

Just so people know and understand. Information from war zones can become confusing as there will no doubt be info released from the players (on both sides) involved that might not necessarily be true.

As such take everything as a possibility and NOT as absolute truth.

The very first casualty in a war is the truth and all warfare is based on deception

Flightradar24

* - TRA5M - Boeing 737-8K2 / Netherlands (over France) - squawking 7700 (emergency)
* - TUAF271 - Lockheed C-130E Hercules / Turkish air force - Over Northeast Romania en-route to Ukraine
* - DUKE49 - Sikorsky UH-60M Blackhawk / US Army - Southeast Poland near Ukraine border
* - JAKE31 - Boeing RC-135U Combat Sen / USAF - Doing circles over the Baltic Sea next to Kaliningrad
* - RBP01 - Boeing RC-135U Combat Sen (drone) / private owner - Black sea off coast of Romania
* - YANK01 - Beech RC-12X Guardrail / US Army - patrolling Lithuania
* - T02 - Pilatus PC-12 NG / Finnish air force - Over central Finland near Kuopio
* - T13 - Pilatus PC-12 NG / Finnish air force - Near Haapajarvi
* - P106 - Pilatus PC-12 NG / Finnish air force - Northern Finland near Ranua
* - ON - Sikorsky UH-60M Blackhawk / US Army - Over west Poland near Leszno
* - 0URA31 - Embraer EMB-145H AEW&C / Greek air force - Over the Ionian sea



Updated Control Map

East Ukraine


Northeast Ukraine


Southern Ukraine