But Vladimir Solovyov can’t contain his anger:
"What is happening?!… If we can’t cope with drones, how are we going to cope with F-16s?!"
https://twitter.com/francis_scarr/status/1696791286433427934
Previous day’s thread: https://freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/4178534/posts
Calling someone a RuZZian on FR is considered an insult.
Calling someone a Comrade on FR is considered an insult.
Summarizing this war:
A tragedy for Ukraine.
A disaster for RuZZia.
A strategic win for the USA. The biggest winner of the war.
“More than three decades after Reagan left office, most Republicans still believe that America is a force for good.”
Can anyone think of a single NATO member that has not invaded Russia?
Prigozhin is NOT dead!!!!
see upcoming report
Section 1 of 7 - Ukraine: Military Situation Update - Aug 29, 2023.
••Denotes Transcribed Dialogue. Extras are just that - from other sites, or my comments marked (Edit: .... ) or { } or [ ].
==
Section 2B: Extra:
——> Ukraine Using Land Attack Variant Of Neptune Anti-Ship Missile <——
The modified Neptune anti-ship missiles give Ukraine its longest-range and hardest-hitting locally made weapon, which has big implications.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/ukraine-now-using-land-attack-neptune-anti-ship-missile-variant
==
Section 2C: Extra:
——> Ukrainian MiG-29 Blasts Russian Drone In New Cockpit Video <——
The rare video shows the pilot’s view out of the cockpit as they shoot down a Russian drone, purportedly an Orlan type.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/ukrainian-mig-29-blasts-russian-drone-in-new-cockpit-video
[ New Record! Ukrainians Destroy Dozens of Strategic Aircraft Overnight ]
==
Section 3A:
Day 552: Aug 29
Today, there is a lot of news.
Several hours ago, Ukrainians conducted one of the biggest strikes on strategic bases deep inside the Russian Federation, and judging by the reports, it has already become the most successful Ukrainian strike.
The first target of the strike became the base of the Russian 334th regiment, which is near the main airfield in the Pskov region, 700 km from Ukraine.
In total, Ukrainians conducted 3 waves of attacks.
The first wave consisted of only 2 drones, which the Russian air defense shot down near the airfield.
Ukrainians understood that the chosen trajectory was perfect, as the drones successfully crossed 700 km without being detected, so Ukrainians immediately launched the second wave.
The second wave consisted of at least 10 drones.
Local residents reported that the drones were flying in one line, with equal distance between each other.
Locals also reported hearing several explosions far from the base, which indicates that the Russian air defense managed to intercept several drones, but it was not enough, and the drones finally reached the airfield.
Geolocated footage shows how Russians are resorting to machine guns in their last attempt to protect the airfield, but it did not help much.
As a result, there was a huge explosion, and the fire broke out on the territory of the airfield.
Russian sources reported that 2 strategic air-lifters IL-76 were damaged, and the main fuel depot was destroyed.
Some Ukrainian sources reported that the explosion was actually from an ammunition depot, the fire was from the fuel depot, and that more aircraft were damaged.
Russian analysts started blaming the people who filmed the air defense work and posted footage of how close the drones got.
They also asked people not to post the footage from the second wave, especially the areas that Ukrainians successfully hit, but it was already too late.
Ukrainian forces launched the third wave of drones and adjusted the trajectory to hit new areas.
Soon, explosions were heard and recorded on the base, and Russian sources reported that 2 more strategic air-lifters IL-76 were destroyed.
The locals reported that there were at least 10 more explosions on the territory of the airfield, which means that the level of destruction and losses are likely much higher.
When the third wave ended, Russians started to panic and introduced Edelweiss Plan in the whole region.
Russian forces surrounded the airfield, restricting access even nearby, while others started organizing an urgent evacuation of those strategic air-lifters IL-76 that were left.
By the way, IL-76 played a key role in slowing down the Ukrainian counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region last year.
These strategic air-lifters are designed to deliver heavy machinery, so Russians used them to deliver tanks and armored fighting vehicles non-stop, which allowed them to save the situation around Svatove and Kreminna.
So, the destruction of these aircraft will not allow Russians to repeat the same in the future.
Simultaneously, Ukrainians struck another base in the Pskov region.
This time, the target became the base of the 104th airborne regiment, which was one of the main forces during the first stage of the invasion.
After the Ukrainians were done with the Pskov region, Ukrainians also launched an attack on the Bryansk region.
Russian sources reported that Ukrainians launched two drones and that these drones were successfully intercepted.
Unfortunately for Russians, it was once again the first wave of attacks.
Later, local residents filmed how several drones exploded somewhere in the vicinity of the oil depot Druzhba.
Judging by the available at the moment footage, there were at least two successful hits.
But this was not the end. The fourth target of the Ukrainian strike became Russian military objects in the Tula region.
Russian sources once again reported that there were 2 drones that the air defense successfully shot down, while the locals published footage of the explosions somewhere outside the town, where Russian military bases are located.
By the way, a similar attack was conducted during the day in Crimea.
Ukrainians also launched 2 drones in the direction of Cape Tarkhnkut, the drones were shot down, but during the second attack, Ukrainians hit a Russian military object.
This is the same area where, several days ago, Ukrainians destroyed a Russian air defense system, so it is quite possible that today’s explosion is from a new air defense system that substituted the destroyed one.
However, it is also possible that the target of the strike became the base itself.
The only difference with this strike is that it’s being speculated that in the second wave of attack, Ukrainians used a Neptune missile instead of assault drones.
Overall, Ukrainians conducted a large-scale strike on the Russian bases from Pskov to Crimea and were successful in every single case.
This is the result of weeks of trial launches for creating a precise map of the Russian air defense systems and identifying targets that can be destroyed with high certainty.
==
[ Prigozhin is NOT dead!!!! ]
General SVR Section 6A, August 30:
A man resembling Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the director of the Federal Bailiff Service, Chief Bailiff of the Russian Federation Dmitry Aristov. The meeting took place in a calm atmosphere.
The President’s doppelgänger knows perfectly well that in the forthcoming wave of mobilization the “debtors” must play almost a decisive role, and it is they who will be the first to be drafted.
Putin has long agreed on all plans for the next stage of mobilization, and he was one of the authors of this idea of calling debtors to war.
And we are talking not only about men, out of the total number of women falling under the new wave, 15%, and if in the first wave it was decided to abandon such plans, now they are more resolute about this.
Dmitry Aristov did an excellent job providing a “resource base” for the second wave of mobilization and was awarded an audience with the “President”.
Yesterday morning, Russian President Vladimir Putin complained of feeling unwell and doctors were urgently called to him. After the examination and the medication he took, he felt a little better, but in the first half of the day he refused to participate in a closed meeting and did not accept reports.
Late in the evening, the President was informed about the “special operation” to bury “Prigozhin” and Prigozhin’s deputy in the PMC Vagner Chekalov.
The President was informed that everything went according to the secret plan approved in the morning and there were no problems with its implementation.
Putin asked about the details and was pleased with what he heard.
Immediately after the report, the President ordered to contact the “deceased” via video link, which was done within 15 minutes.
——> Prigozhin, alive and well, while in one overseas country, had a twenty-minute conversation with Putin, in which they once again and finally discussed the conditions for the redistribution of property and spheres of influence, as well as the transfer of cases for all types of activities of PMC Wagner and structures of Yevgeny Prigozhin. <——
The President and former head of Wagner PMC confirmed their earlier commitments.
Judging by the warm end of the conversation, both were satisfied with the ending of the common story.
We will publish more information about the terms of the deal between Putin and Prigozhin soon in our channel.
==
[ The Kaboom Night for Russia | The Biggest Ukrainian Drone Attack ]
Denys says Section 5A:
Robotnye direction:
UA forces continues to advance. Surovikin line partially penetrated in two areas as or 08/29. Everything is going according to the Plan - V. Putin.
==
Denys says Section 5B:
According to statistics and despite the many images, the UA has only lost 5 Leopard 2 tanks with 20 damaged since the Offensive began. Over 70 remain just fine, with more on the way.
==
Denys says Section 5C:
Kherson direction:
Dachi village is liberated.
==
Pilot blog Section 6A:
The Ukrainian army has broken through the fortifications of the “Surovikin Line” in the Zaporizhzhia direction and is approaching the village of Verbove.
“Dragon’s teeth” held back Ukrainian soldiers for only about a day - military analyst Bild Röpke
I know that Bild isn’t really trustworthy, but facts are facts.
The main problem for Ukrainian army was not the defence line itself but mines in the fields in front of the line
https://t.me/pilotblog/6444?single
https://t.me/pilotblog/6445?single
==
Kremlin snuffbox Section 7A:
Vladimir Putin was invited to the funeral of Yevgeny Prigozhin, but the president refused to attend.
This information was given to us by two sources in the Kremlin. “There was an invitation, Vladimir Vladimirovich referred to being busy,” one of them said.
According to another, “it would be strange if the president was at the funeral of Prigozhin, among various bandits and other dubious personalities.”
Wagner PMCs are reluctant to comment on this topic and seem to be offended by Putin for the fact that their leader was not given any honors by the state after his death.
“Yevgeny Viktorovich was supposed to be buried for his exploits by the whole country, to show the funeral on TV. He is a Hero of Russia! , - one of the prominent commanders of the “musicians” told us.
Another is also indignant at the fact that in Russia “they say goodbye to real heroes so shamefully.” “I had to put on a good face in a bad game, to say that Yevgeny Viktorovich’s relatives wanted to say goodbye to him in a narrow circle. But many of us wanted Yevgeny Viktorovich to say goodbye with dignity, loudly, brightly, as he deserved. It’s a pity that he even after they decided to take revenge on death, small creatures,” said the Wagnerian.
==
Kremlin snuffbox Section 7B:
Shoigu disappeared in the morning, Gerasimov was summoned to the Kremlin
Night shelling of a number of regions of the Russian Federation has become the most massive, since the start of the special operation.
The enemy used dozens of drones and caused serious damage not only in Pskov, but also in Tula, the Oryol and Bryansk regions.
Alas, this is not the whole list of affected objects.
In the morning no one could find Sergei Shoigu.
Even on the personal instructions of the President, the minister could not be contacted for a long time.
Later, he appeared in Tula at a defense enterprise.
At the same time, Gerasimov, the Head of the General Staff, was urgently summoned to the Kremlin. Even though they didn’t call him the first time.
Sources say that on Wednesday morning there was a real collapse in the Ministry of Defense, because a number of governors called the minister with dissatisfaction, but no one could get in touch.
Andrei Yarin, who is close to Kiriyenko, was sent to calm the nervous representatives of the regions.
While the military is counting the losses, the governors rightly ask the question: how did it happen that Ukrainian drones fly hundreds of kilometers and hit military targets.
Where is air defense in general?
It should be said right away that the version that drones were launched on Pskov from the territory of Estonia is not confirmed.
No one in their right mind would risk the threat of a NATO war with Russia to destroy transport aircraft.
But an important point: as we have long warned, Ukrainian troops are transferring hostilities to the territory of Russia.
And here it is important which of the governors will be able to protect, if not the entire region, then at least key cities. Sobyanin, as we see, was able to agree.
That’s why he doesn’t fly to Moscow yet.
But it is quite clear that in order to protect the capital, air defense and electronic warfare divisions had to be removed from somewhere. The result is natural - blows were immediately dealt there.
The generals even openly say that the problem is the size of Russia. [ A problem easily rectified. ]
Ukraine, albeit not completely, but strongly covered, and the Russian Federation is too big a country.
Enemies will always be able to strike at military targets.
Alas. And this poses a threat not only to the military.
==
Kremlin snuffbox Section 7C:
As a result of an enemy attack on the airfield in Pskov, seven Il-76 aircraft were lost
Such data were reported to us by three sources in the Ministry of Defense.
According to them, four planes burned down completely.
Three more are unlikely to recover. Two more planes are damaged, but not so badly, they need to be repaired.
Answering the question why the airfield in Pskov was not protected by air defense (the facility, among other things, is located near the borders with NATO countries - Latvia and Estonia), one of our sources said briefly: “We are sorting it out.”
Another argues that the problem is lack of discipline.
“The airfield in Pskov was protected by a pair of air defense systems, which is not enough. Also, the crews were drunk that day, celebrating someone’s birthday,” he said.
Note that other sources have not yet confirmed the drunkenness of the air defense fighters, but we will check this version.
https://t.me/kremlin_secrets/2735
Kremlin snuffbox Section 7D:
As a result of an enemy attack on Pskov, six aircraft were lost, there are dead
According to our sources in the General Staff and the Aerospace Forces, as a result of the drone attack on the Pskov were completely disabled (“virtually destroyed,” according to one of the interlocutors) airfield, four Il-76 military transport aircraft.
Two are seriously damaged and most likely cannot be repaired, that is, a total of six aircraft are lost. Two more aircraft were damaged “not too critically”.
11 people were killed, mostly airfield employees and military personnel. 17 people were injured.
Three Tu-22M3 bombers at the Soltsy airfield in the Novgorod region Unfortunately, in Pskov, the situation was repeated, which recently led to the loss of.
“No one thought that enemy drones would fly here, so there was almost no air defense at the airfield. And you can’t really shoot down such drones from automatic weapons, especially since there were definitely 15-20 of them.
“We will draw conclusions, look for air defense for Pskov,” a representative of the Aerospace Forces told us.
To be honest, we don’t know how many more planes and people Russia has to lose to prevent such situations from happening again.
And we don’t understand why the military and the authorities didn’t draw conclusions from our previous publications, where we warned about such threats.
https://t.me/kremlin_secrets/2733
But Vladimir Solovyov can’t contain his anger:
"What is happening?!… If we can’t cope with drones, how are we going to cope with F-16s?!"
https://twitter.com/francis_scarr/status/1696791286433427934
All cruise missiles (28/28) and 15/16 Shahed drones were shot down, the Ukrainian Air Force reports.
https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1696773702426218836
28 for 28 cruise missiles.
One of the cruise missiles was shot down over the black sea.
https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1696786916560052358
I wonder where the second Patriot battery is located.
https://twitter.com/ChuckPfarrer/status/1696609344899486178
My guess is these Aim-9s will be employed by NASAMs or perhaps held for F-16s.
On F-16s, the Aim-9 seeker head is slaved to the radar for off-boresite launches.
I believe that integrating off-boresite capability on Mig-29 fighters is too difficult.
https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1696782804841808310
The video at the link above clearly shows an Il-76 on fire.
The T-tail of the aircraft and the engines on the right wing are visible.
The fire engulfs the right wing of the aircraft.
My guess is the drone impacted the left wing of the aircraft which caused fuel to spill. The explosion of the drone ignited the spilled fuel.
ISW, 29 Aug:
“A Russian milblogger suggested that Russian forces are continuing to commit a significant number of reserves, Airborne (VDV) elements, and TOS-1 thermobaric artillery systems to the area – likely indicating that Russian forces are worried about the vulnerability of their positions in Robotyne.
Another Russian milblogger claimed that Russian forces intend to deplete Ukrainian offensive potential by fixing Ukrainian forces in engagements in the settlement of Robotyne.”
How to recognize Russian operatives on FR, and their running dog lackeys...
ISW, 29 Aug:
“The Ukrainian Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) reported that the Kremlin is currently focused on promoting five main information operations against Ukraine, all of which ISW has observed. The GUR reported on August 29 that the Russian Presidential Administration held a meeting on August 25 to approve the specific narratives that Russian media should promote in the information space.
The Russian narratives include:
-claims that Ukraine is conducting mass mobilization regardless of age, gender, or health;
-claims that Ukraine’s Western partners are disappointed in Ukraine‘s prospects for victory;
-claims that the Ukrainian counteroffensive is failing;
-claims that the Ukrainian government is completely corrupt and is not fighting corruption and;
-claims that Russian authorities provide good living standards and conditions in occupied Ukraine.”
Military Seizes Power In Mineral-Rich Gabon
30 Aug, 2023 (https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Military-Seizes-Power-In-Mineral-Rich-Gabon.html )
“Elections in Gabon have ended in a coup, with the country’s military leaders seizing power following an announcement that President Ali Bongo–a member of a family that has controlled the Central African nation for over 50 years–had won a third term in office.
As of Wednesday morning, all state institutions had been dissolved, with General Brice Oligui Nguema appearing to have been installed as the leader of the junta.
The coup in Gabon follows a coup in Niger in July...
...Gabon is an oil-producing country and OPEC’s smallest member, with around 200,000 bpd of output, though its oil industry has been in a state of decline since 2014...
...Gabon is already rich in other minerals, including Manganese. Gabon is home to the world’s second-largest deposit of Manganese and is its third-largest producer. The country is also home to gold and iron deposits.”
Explosions in Bryansk, russia 💥👀
🔥🔥right now being attacked ; Bryansk in russia , Feodosia and Alushta in occupied Crimea
Crimea 💥💥💥💥💥
Russian Chipmaker Baikal Goes Bankrupt, Assets Valued at Only $5 Million
Looks like the Russian Central Bank is getting a little breather today, from having to constantly prop up the ruble - but they have let it drift a little lower, down over 2% in the last week, now hovering around 96 to the dollar.
The next big juice drone target?
lta-Sanomat:
Russia has moved its bomber fleet to the Olenya base on the Kola Peninsula to keep them safe from Ukrainian drones. Aircraft make long bombing flights from the borders of Finland to Ukraine.
Olenya, which is located only 150 kilometers from Finland, has become one of the main bases of Russia.
Satellite images show a large number of Tu-95 and Tu-160 aircraft, which are considered the backbone of Russia’s strategic forces.
Justin Bronk, a researcher at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in the UK, stressed that “since Russian tactical fighters cannot operate over Ukraine due to air defenses, strategic long-range bombers are the only effective way for Russia to launch continuous missile strikes deep into Ukraine.”
“They are as important as Iskander-M ballistic missiles, MiG-31K aircraft that launch aeroballistic missiles (Kinzhal) and Navy ships that fire Kalibr missiles,” Justin Bronk explained
This YouTube video (The Military Show, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0vY7GdaJKA) cites a Norwegian OSINT analyst, who observed that Russian tank losses have shifted from mostly new tanks at the start of the war (about 3/4 post Soviet) to mostly older tanks (about 3/4 Soviet era) in June of this year.
They estimated that about 60% of total tank stocks were already expended,and a lot of T-55s are coming out now.
Aug 31, 2023
Update on the conflict in Ukraine for August 31, 2023:
- The Western media is trying to spin Ukrainian gains within the security or “gray zone” ahead of Russia’s first of several defense lines as a “turning point” in the offensive;
- Ukraine’s offensive potential has been exhausted with the West struggling to find arms and ammunition to replace Ukrainian losses;
- The West is even struggling to pull together large numbers of antiquated and inappropriate equipment like the post-WW2 Leopard 1 tank;
- Meanwhile Ukraine continues conducting drone strikes in Russia, achieving questionable PR value and little else;
- A recent Ukrainian drone strike on an airport hosting Il-76 strategic airlift aircraft damaged 2. To put that in context, Russia operates over 100 of these aircraft and has production capacity to build up to 12 annually;
- Ukraine’s sponsors are unable to sustain the conflict “for as long as it takes,” and only for as long as they have arms and ammunition to supply Ukraine in sufficient quantities;
