The Russian-Ukrainian War Thread

Feanor

Super Moderator
Staff member
Other interesting bits.

Russian depth-charge MLRS destroyed. It's been a while since we've seen these systems, but there were more than a couple put togther.


Ukrainian forces have received unknown quantities of the new Tempest SAM, that uses Hellfire LongBow missiles. If the pattern holds, Ukraine will receive a homeopathic quantity of these systems as "aid" but really to test them in real battlefield conditions, with no large scale follow-up deliveries.


Japan has handed over a batch of Toyota HMVs to Ukraine. Iirc these vehicles were also previously seen in Russian service, potentially sourced through civilian markets or second hand somehow.


A Ukrainian BMP-1TS with dreadlock armor. This is a clear sign that neither side has a better solution at this time, and both are defaulting to this. We've seen this kind of convergent evolution in drone warfare previously.


A good look at Ukraine's 96th SAM Bde using NASAMS.


Ukraine's 28th National Guard Rgt on the streets of Pripyat'.


Ukraine's 50th Arty Bde with a new variant of the Bogdana howitzer on a Tatra truck chassis and Ukraine's 147th Arty Bde with Caesar howitzers.


Ukraine's 59th UAV Bde with a Bulava loitering munition, a Lancet analogue at least externally.


A sighting of a rare Ukrainian F-16BM.


An ex-Afghan Mi-17V5 in Ukrainian service.


Allegedly an ex-Azeri MiG-29 in Ukrainian colors. Rumors continue to circulate that some are being handed over.


A Ukrainian Mirage fighter with MICA AAMs. I think it's our first sighting of the missiles, though delivery was confirmed some time ago.


For a while Ukraine's Baba Yaga drones were without a relevant Russian parallel, but apparently the new Mangas drone is designed to fill that role. They seem to be from the same team responsible for the Courier UGV, and are already on the front lines. In the third link you can see the composite drones Russian forces have been using in place of a heavier drone like the Baba Yaga or the new Mangas.


Russia continues the use of Shaheds for minelaying.


More and more Molniya drones with Starlink terminals are showing up.


Russian sources claim the Duke Vandal drone has been upgrade to a range of 50-60kms. A reminder this drone is wire-guided.


A Russian Courier UGV creating an improvised crossing.


Russian T-72B3M with dreadlock armor from the 116th Special Purpose National Guard Bde.


Another look at the new LPD-2000 anti-drone turret in Russian service. It uses a combination of EO, radar, and laser rangefinding.


We've seen some of the strangest adaptation in this war, but I think this has them all beat. Here's Starlink on a horse. Russian military. I have no idea what the purpose is. It's not like you can control a horse via starlink. And it looks like it's set up for use, not just transport. And it's not just one...


General Sukhrab Akhmedov, known for failed attacks on Ugledar and later Pokrovsk has been removed from command. He has for quite time held the reputation of one of Russia's worst generals in this war. It's not clear what will happen with him, this isn't the first time he was removed from command.


Russia is continuing expansion of drone infrastructure at Donetsk airport.


Damage to Ukraine's power grid has forced Ukraine to switch to using older diesel locomotives as the track lines are no longer electrified.


Ukraine has begun deploying portable generators in Kiev and Dnepropetrovsk due to longer power outages.


Ruins of Ugledar, winter '25-'26. Presumably the cleand up the roads.


Russian BARS-Crimea unit doing securiy checks on a road near Simferopol'. I think this is a training exercise.

 

rsemmes

Active Member
You mentioned the Monokhrom (another one I didn't know) and now...

"Additionally, the Sukhoi company has established its own production line for control and guidance systems to reduce dependency on external component suppliers. This level of innovation and self-sufficiency is setting new benchmarks in the defense industry."
To be honest, it sounds like selling a product, but yes, wars are great for development.
 

rsemmes

Active Member
Sure, Russia has very little capacity to build aircrafts. The destroyed bombers are irreplaceable.

.

The drone attack via trucks that delivered the drones took out 20% of the bomber fleet.

Each destroyed bomber is good news for Europe.

I think its a pretty new tactic to hire private trucks to deliver woord and have the drones hidden under the canvas, let the trucks drive far into the enemy terretory and then strike. Was a master act
Then, the VC, transporting rockets through the jungle, was the greatest military genius; like every terrorist group carrying out or planning an attack against an airbase/base/airport with one-shot mortars.

Actually no, it only shows a lack of means (Oreshnik) to launch a more powerful attack. Military improvisation (like cop-cages) are an ancient tradition; a necessity, not a show of mastery.
 

vikingatespam

Well-Known Member
So, I don't answer questions (What % is “virtually none”? Is for a friend) but, I answer “lacking in clarity, context and content”, whataboutisms and propaganda; sorry, Russian propaganda.
Why dont we start with one the last ones I asked, in post 13473:

start quote--
stop trying to be coy, and just come out and say it. The entire context of your original statement is designed to imply UKR is fighting against its own will, pushed along by shadowy conspiracies.

If you feel differently, here is your chance to state for the record, clearly:

Do you, rsemmes, believe that UKR is fighting RU of its own accord, and is not being forced to do so by western powers ?

[ ] YES
[ ] NO
end quote---

Would you be so kind to answer ?

As an anecdote or reference, Czechoslovakia 1938 is Poland taking Teschen in 1938 and how respectful we, western democracies, are of International Law.
You see Czechoslovakia but not Teschen?
That has entirely no relevance to the point at hand - that UKR disarming according to RU demands is simply a replay of Czech.1938 in that Germany, after using political means to disarm Czech., the rolled over the rump state soon thereafter. "International law" is not part of that thread.
 
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vikingatespam

Well-Known Member
Do you have a source for the million soldiers fallen number? I'm assuming fallen means KIA.
Let us all recall that "casualties" is KIA + WIA + missing. Total casualties is likely in the 1.25M range. According to QJM methodology, for 20th century conflicts, for every 1 KIA there are ~4 WIA. Of the WIA, about 25% are mustered out of the military due to permanent wounds.

RU having total permanent losses of ~500,000 is entirely prossible.

We shall all have to wait for the dust to settle to see who is correct.
 

vikingatespam

Well-Known Member
Time will tell. Im all for Russia collapsing and support that we as Europeans continue that path.
Be careful what you wish for. An actual "collapse" of the RU state could end up in a civil war with 2 nuclear armed powers. The economic ramifications alone would hit the entire globe, and the refugee situation would be a disaster.
 

vikingatespam

Well-Known Member
It's a very believable figure. 4 per month is 48 planes per year. They're putting out ~12-18 Su-34s, ~12-18 Su-35S, some quantity of Su-30SM2, some quantity of Su-57, and some quantity of Yak-130. Pre-war Russia had years where they put out much more than that. And no, the 4 per month figure does not include helos. Russian helicopter production in some years was over 300 units, and is certainly much higher then 4 per month when combined with jets. Aircraft production is the one area where Russian output outpaces losses confidently.
A quick and dirty AI search said 24 combat plane deliveries in 2024, which is roughly in line with other estimates I have read, although does not constitute a detailed examination into the question.
 

Feanor

Super Moderator
Staff member
A quick and dirty AI search said 24 combat plane deliveries in 2024, which is roughly in line with other estimates I have read, although does not constitute a detailed examination into the question.
I don't think this is correct. I think we're looking at 14+ of Su-34 and Su-35 each. Assuming some quantity of Su-30SM, Su-35S, and Su-57, they should be well above 24. In fact 24 jets delivered would be a very low number. Typically Russia can pump out 30+ jets at KnAAPO and IAPO each, and 12+ at NAPO. Peak years have seen Russian combat jet deliveries close to 100 aircraft. 48 is well below peak, and would make sense given financial constraints, priorities, and technical difficulties due to sanctions.

Let us all recall that "casualties" is KIA + WIA + missing. Total casualties is likely in the 1.25M range. According to QJM methodology, for 20th century conflicts, for every 1 KIA there are ~4 WIA. Of the WIA, about 25% are mustered out of the military due to permanent wounds.

RU having total permanent losses of ~500,000 is entirely prossible.

We shall all have to wait for the dust to settle to see who is correct.
Fallen typically refers to someone killed in battle, not just casualty. If the claim was 1.2M Russian net casualties, I wouldn't call it wrong. It's certainly not a confirmed figure, but who knows if we will ever get one. It's well within the realm of possibility, and in my opinion not an unreasonable estimate.
 

rsemmes

Active Member
Why dont we start with one the last ones I asked, in post 13473:

start quote--
stop trying to be coy, and just come out and say it. The entire context of your original statement is designed to imply UKR is fighting against its own will, pushed along by shadowy conspiracies.

If you feel differently, here is your chance to state for the record, clearly:

Do you, rsemmes, believe that UKR is fighting RU of its own accord, and is not being forced to do so by western powers ?

[ ] YES
[ ] NO
end quote---

Would you be so kind to answer ?



That has entirely no relevance to the point at hand - that UKR disarming according to RU demands is simply a replay of Czech.1938 in that Germany, after using political means to disarm Czech., the rolled over the rump state soon thereafter. "International law" is not part of that thread.
Neither reality nor History are going to be moved by what you want (the number or Russian aircraft built every year), like (the number of Ukrainian casualties or the number of casualties) or believe. What anyone believes being the most irrelevant part of the whole lot.
“The entire context of your original statement is designed to imply UKR is fighting against its own will, pushed along by shadowy conspiracies.” May I remind you that English is not my first language? Thanks for the compliment, anyway, about my mastery of that language. On the other hand, like with “forced to”, you are just inventing it.
Would you be so kind as to show us who, besides you, posted “forced to”, when and where? That is not in any EU statement.
By Poland and Germany. You can use History to emphasize your point, but you cannot delete the rest of it; the parts that you don't like. Obviously, you can, but that will only add to the want-like-believe side of things; not everyone is going to be happy with that.

The only positive point that I see (hardly) in you post is that in Istanbul, in 2022,
https://static01.nyt.com/newsgraphics/documenttools/a456d6dd8e27e830/e279a252-full.pdf
Russia's position was 85.000, Ukraine's 250.000, but there was no peace agreement, so we don't know about any final number nor about what intervention by what guarantors.
The recent US plan mentioned 600.000, European counter-proposal 800.000.
https://www.reuters.com/business/fi...er-proposal-us-ukraine-peace-plan-2025-11-23/
After that counter-proposal, Ukraine is taking those 800.000. Again, we/western Europe want Ukraine “in the fight”, but it seems that we don't want a "rump" Ukraine.

Let's go for a different fantasy.
In ten years, Poland abandons the EU (I never imagined the UK doing that), Poland decides that it wants to be Great Again and invades Ukraine to recover Lwów. I don't know what leader is going to be in power in Poland in ten years, but I do trust that a British leader will invade foreign countries. Maybe that weak Ukraine is not such a bad idea considering the interests of every other country.
 
Be careful what you wish for. An actual "collapse" of the RU state could end up in a civil war with 2 nuclear armed powers. The economic ramifications alone would hit the entire globe, and the refugee situation would be a disaster.
Still better than what we have now. It would erase one of the most negative forces on the planet. Siberia can be settled by China, the russian rump state could be contained.

We need to act more bold. Imagine if our ancestors would have said: Ohhh to collapse the Ottoman Empire could have negative effects. In my opinion that dance around consequences is the main reason we are where we are now. We allow to let conflicts smolder for eternity.
 
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