Russia Ukraine Update Thread - part 3

originally posted by: Oldcarpy2
a reply to: Dalamax

en.m.wikipedia.org...

I believe Russia used these type of weapons in Cechnya.

They have smaller rocket launchers deployed.

I'm no expert but I think that the ones used in Afghanistan by the US hd to be delivered by Hercules so delivery of these by dropping them from slow moving vulnerable aircraft could be problematic.

They’ve been used in the Ukraine conflict, surely there is a deployment method that doesn’t involve hercs (love those workhorses)

It would definitely force a reevaluation of using trenches and tanks.

a reply to: Oldcarpy2

i live about a mile from the outer ranges of Eglin AFB where they tested the MOAB.
i remember the day they tested it. the whole house shook our dogs started barking and howling, cat hid and wouldn't come out for about 15 mins.

reports say that the blast could be heard and felt up to about fifty miles away.

a reply to: Dalamax

surely there is a deployment method that doesn’t involve hercs (love those workhorses)

the moab is over 30 long, weighs 21,715 lbs, of that 18,739 lbs is explosives.
it's gonna take a work horse to tote one.

Look at Soledar right before Bahkmut fell.



It’s a salt mine extending down at a depth of 288 metres (945 ft)

The scale of the mines is vast, with 125 mi (201 km) of tunnels[2] at a depth of 288 m (945 ft),[3] and many of the chambers are 30 m (98 ft) in height.[4]

The largest resembles a hangar of about 100 m (330 ft) length and 40 m (130 ft) width and height, and has accommodated soccer matches and the inflation of a hot air balloon.[5]

There are accommodation areas in the chambers and even a church.[6]

The temperature underground is constant at 14–15 °C, with 14.93 PSI air pressure and 60% humidity regardless of the time of the year,[7][8] giving rise to claims of healing properties for lung conditions.[9]

A particle physics detector, the Artyomovsk Scintillation Detector [ru], is located in the mine.

During the Battle of Soledar, on 10 January 2023, pro-Russian outlets, including Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, claimed the mines were largely occupied by Russian and Wagner Forces, although these reports were not independently verified.[11] After the claimed Russian capture of the whole city, Denis Pushilin, head of the Russian occupation administration of Donetsk Oblast, said during a visit to Soledar in late January 2023 that the salt mines remained damaged and difficult to descend into.[12]

en.wikipedia.org...

In some instances, you want to capture/secure underground labyrinths intact as much as possible. Instead of dropping a deep underground busting FOAB. Regardless being used as a vast underground storage/bunker by the adversary etc.

5 September Update

Russian forces recently advanced near Chasiv Yar, southeast of Kupyansk, and in the Kherson direction and Ukrainian forces recently regained positions north of Kharkiv City.

More at URL above.

Cheers

a reply to: BernnieJGato

Wow.

Only 15 minutes?

6 September Update

Russian forces recently regained lost positions in Kursk Oblast amid continued fighting throughout the Ukrainian salient on September 6.

Ukrainian forces recently regained lost positions near Pokrovsk, and Russian forces recently advanced near Toretsk.

More at URL above.

Cheers

originally posted by: F2d5thCavv2
6 September Update

"Russian forces recently regained lost positions in Kursk Oblast amid continued fighting throughout the Ukrainian salient on September 6.

Ukrainian forces recently regained lost positions near Pokrovsk, and Russian forces recently advanced near Toretsk."

Yes, after a month or so, Russia has finally moved enough troops into the Kursk area to start pushing Ukraine back.
At the same time, Russia's progress toward Pokrovsk has not only stalled, but it looks like Ukraine pushed Russia back a little. I think Russia has reached Ukraine's prepared defense lines in some areas.

So I'm wondering if it was part of Ukraine's plan to divert some Russian forces to Kursk from Ukraine, is it finally successful after a month? It didn't seem so for the first 2 or 3 weeks but that's because Russia was kind of slow abut moving forces to Kursk. I think there is more to Ukraine's plan than that though. Officially it's supposed to create a "buffer zone", but there's also the "bargaining chip" aspect (which might come in handy, especially if Trump gets elected), and the possibility of a "destabilizing effect", which at least made Putin look weak for not protecting Russia's borders, even if he stays in power.

a reply to: Imhere

Its why you collapse the entrances and seal the air holes.

7 September Update

Russian forces recently regained territory and Ukrainian forces recently advanced in Kursk Oblast amid continued Ukrainian offensive operations in the area on September 7.

Russian forces recently advanced near Kupyansk, Pokrovsk, and Donetsk City and in the Dnipro River Delta.

More at URL above.

Cheers

a reply to: Arbitrageur
Kursk is a non issue. They will flank it in a pincer maneuver and just deal with those elements at a time of their choosing as an anti-terror operation regardless of what is still there when Ukraine finally has permission to initiate a realistic peace.

In any case, it appears Poland is now training a Brigade of Ukrainian refugees to go in and storm Russian positions and prop up the lack of manpower of the Ukraine armed forces. Although this is likely only partially true, as there is already a tri-national Brigade made of Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine armed forces. I believe as already is the case, this new brigade will also encompass active duty and retired NATO advisors and instructors operating as foreign legion volunteers and PMC's .

History Legends goes into where they are being trained and which countries have already and continued to train Ukrainians abroad. Lets hope the F-16 training will be more advanced, it is not exactly turning the tide of war, and we still do not know officially officially how or who was responsible for the F-16 loss and its pilot. This guy speaks probably in the most realistically understandable way of explaining and analyzing the situation there interspersed with a bit of humor.

a reply to: worldstarcountry

Kursk is a huge embarrassment for Putin and may well destabilize his grip on power, which I think was the aim.

He's being openly criticized which is quite something.

Yes, these are facts.

originally posted by: Oldcarpy2
a reply to: worldstarcountry

Kursk is a huge embarrassment for Putin and may well destabilize his grip on power, which I think was the aim.

He's being openly criticized which is quite something.

The situation in the east/Donbass etc became more dire since the Kursk incursion for Zelensky.

Also considering we’ve seen bbc and CNN and many other sources pushing articles about the collapse in the east/Russian advancements since the Kursk incursion etc as well.

If it halted the RF advancements from the get go, without the frontlines collapsing in key strategic areas in the east etc as the result, then maybe the general consensus would be different.

The only thing Kursk accomplished is to win some desperate “PR points” and have some people focus on “Putin embarrassment” while observing the daily collapse in the east since.

a reply to: Imhere

Yes, that's the Kremlin line that you are pushing, but the Putin embarrassment and now open criticism is something you can't handwave away.

Well, you can keep trying, but:

www.msn.com...

originally posted by: Oldcarpy2
a reply to: Imhere

Yes, that's the Kremlin line that you are pushing, but the Putin embarrassment and now open criticism is something you can't handwave away.

Well, you can keep trying, but:

www.msn.com...

Kremlin line pushing? It’s from BBC and CNN sources etc.
Also we all see the eastern RF advancements on the map(s) since Kursk.

As I stated, some are more focused on desperate “Putin embarrassment” PR points, than the actual situation with having the ongoing eastern frontline collapse’s as the result.

To each their own.

a reply to: Imhere

Yes, I am focussing on the growing and open criticism of Putin, which I think was the point of the Kursk incursion.

I realize that the Kremlin line wants to handwave this away.

I am talking about that, not military gains/ losses.

originally posted by: Oldcarpy2
a reply to: Imhere

Yes, I am focussing on the growing and open criticism of Putin, which I think was the point of the Kursk incursion.

I realize that the Kremlin line wants to handwave this away.

I am talking about that, not military gains/ losses.

The trade off failed obviously.

Desperate “PR points” vs military gains/loses.

Again, to each their own.