Posted on 02/24/2024 5:59:01 AM PST by SpeedyInTexas
Never underestimate ego, and the Russian mir echo chamber.
To an outsider looking in like myself, the odds of a “successful “ attack on a NATO country seems absurd.
The limited success at enormous losses for Russia against a much lesser opponent, at least on paper, would make anyone but Russia see that any attack on NATO would be even more disastrous. But we are talking Putin here so I won’t discount the possibility.
For myself, the solution is quite clear for the west. Flood Ukraine with air defense so that the main advantage russia has in using glide bombs and missiles and drones is reduced to near zero.
What is happening in the back rooms of nations capitols is unknown to me, but there appears to be increased rhetoric coming out showing that many are beginning to understand that Russian goals are not limited to Ukraine.
It doesn’t matter how stupid many may think that further escalation and expanding the scope of this war would be for Russia, it only matters what Putin desires and believes he can achieve.
A live chat in atp geopolitics with Broe, laid it out very well IMO.
Putin is a man who had nearly everything, wealth, power…., but what he didn’t behave was the respect through fear former Soviet leaders possessed
This and his twisted take on history made all of this inevitable
The administration of the Slavyansk-on-Kuban districts reports that a destillation tower of the oil refinery was struck.
Locals also claim that the Kushchyovskaya airfield was struck but there is no confirmation, yet.
https://twitter.com/Tendar/status/1784108576098632138
Shot down:
6/9 Kh-101/555
8/9 Kh-59/69
0/2 S-300
1/2 Iskander-K
0/4 Kinzhal Kh-47M2
6/8 Kalibr
https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1784132843410473346
The routes of Russian missiles last night. Almost all rockets moved through the Kyiv region.
https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1784137727098683498
“Some thoughts about the supplemental bill. This is good news, but it will primarily help Ukraine defend in 2024 and into 2025. Russia will still likely make further gains this year, and it doesn’t fix all of Ukraine’s issues. It should be seen as one part of a long-term strategy.
Ukraine has had three main problems since Russia seized the initiative in October: ammunition, manpower, and fortifications. Ukraine is making progress building fortifications and multiple defensive lines, but defenses on many of the key parts of the front are still underdeveloped, contributing to Russian advances. 2/
The bill and first PDA aid package announced this week will provide a quick boost to Ukraine’s defenses. But it is important to keep in mind that the limitations aren’t just appropriated funds but also production capacity and size of stockpiles. Greater artillery ammunition deliveries will help reduce Russia’s 5-6:1 artillery advantage, but it will not give Ukraine parity. 3/
The PDA package will also provide other critical ammunition like anti-tank mines and Javelin/TOW ATGMs. Recent Russian advances have demonstrated that increased numbers of FPVs cannot replace artillery, mines, and ATGMs. Russia’s assault on Vuhledar in 2023 and Ukraine’s offensive last summer demonstrated how effective mines can be for defending forces. 4/
Further deliveries of armored vehicles will also be important. Many Ukrainian brigades don’t have sufficient armored vehicles, and combat losses often aren’t replaced. This leads to higher casualties. Bradleys are very popular, armored humvees will help, and further M113 would be very useful for CASEVAC. 5/
Air defense is another critical Ukrainian need. Russia has resumed its missile campaign against Ukrainian energy infrastructure and UMPK glide bombs, which played a key role in Russia’s seizure of Avdiivka, are a serious problem. More recently, Russian Su-25 attack aircraft have been operating closer to the front than normal, which indicates a lack of SHORAD and MANPADS. 6/
The USAI package announced today includes Patriot and NASAMS missiles and the PDA included Stinger MANPADS and RIM-7/AIM-9M missiles reportedly for FrankeSAM systems. Stingers could help push Su-25 further from the front line, and Patriots are critical both for defending cities and infrastructure from Russian ballistic missiles and also to counter Russian Su-34 bombers that drop UMPK glide bombs. 7/
The question is whether production of these missiles is sufficient to meet Ukraine’s continued air defense needs over time, especially with increased Russian production of Shahed UAS and missiles. F-16 fighters and their airbases will be another priority target for Russian missiles that will require air defense coverage. It also depends how successful the various FrankenSAM programs prove to be. 8/
Manpower has become the most pressing issue though, which was exacerbated by reduced deliveries of ammunition and equipment over the winter. Ukraine’s summer offensive primarily culminated when it ran out of infantry, and Ukraine has struggled to replace combat losses since then. 9/
This means that Ukrainian brigades are understrength, and Ukraine lacks sufficient reserves to respond to Russian advances, so units are pulled from one part of the front to attempt to stop advances elsewhere. Ukrainian infantry need to be rotated more often or there will be a growing risk of exhaustion. 10/
Ukraine has passed a new mobilization bill that provides incentives for volunteers and increases the pool of men available to be drafted. Hopefully, this will improve the manpower situation, but it will take time to mobilize and train soldiers/units. 11/
More concerning is that the manpower issue has been known for some time, but has not been fixed. The longer it takes to improve the manpower situation, the less likely it becomes that Ukraine can conduct a offensive in 2025. The new NATO-trained/equipped brigades last summer did not have enough time to train together, and Russian defenses will still be strong. New soldiers/units need to be mobilized to replace current losses and trained for 2025. 12/
At the same time, one of the most important factors in the war last year was that Russia was able to significantly improve its manpower situation, recruiting more than 300,000 volunteers. 13/
It isn’t just involuntary mobilized soldiers and prisoners, they are mostly getting volunteers who are willing to go into costly assaults. The quality, of course, varies, but the quantitative advantage is a serious problem. 14/
Without this manpower advantage, Russia’s artillery and airpower advantage would not be sufficient for Russia to make gains on the battlefield. The relative manpower situation is likely the most important factor that will determine the war’s trajectory, particularly if Russia can sustain recruiting 20-30k a month. 15/
The immediate problem is that Russia continues to advance on the battlefield, and has reached important locations while Ukraine faced ammunition shortages. Russia is bringing up reserves to Chasiv Yar, and will likely soon begin an assault on the city. 16/
Russian forces are also expanding their foothold in Ocheretyne, which threatens Ukrainian positions nearby, and they have advanced into Krasnohrivka and have made recent gains on the Marinka-Novomykhailivka front. 16/
Even with increased ammunition deliveries/expenditure, Ukraine might not be able to hold Chasiv Yar and other of these towns/cities, and Russia faces more favorable terrain once they get past Chasiv Yar, which could lead to an increase in the rate of advance. If Chasiv Yar falls, it will also put Ukrainian positions south of the city at risk. This is true for further Russian advances elsewhere. The delays in aid/mobilization have been costly. 18/
If Ukraine can stabilize the front and fix the manpower situation in 2024 when Russia has a number of advantages, 2025 could be more favorable because Western production capacity will increase and Russian equipment losses could become a greater issue. If the manpower situation does not improve, then the second half of 2024 will likely be more difficult for Ukraine than the first half. 19/
This bill will be vital, but it needs to be part of a broader long-term strategy for Ukraine. Western countries need to consider how to help Ukraine compensate for Russia’s current advantages, including increased deliveries of long-range missiles. 20/”
https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1783972910333407356
10 more ‘fragments’ falling...
“27 April, Slavyansk-na-Kubani, Russia - local oil refinery halts operations due to UAV attack. Russian sources mention at least 10 unidentified UAVs slamming into the facility. Most likely serious damage.”
https://twitter.com/wartranslated/status/1784128771420782632
Ban ALL trade with China. Apple included. They need to eat the fruit of their activities in the east.
“After talks with Xi Jinping, Blinken commented on China’s support for the Russian Federation.
“If Beijing does not take measures to solve this problem, Washington will.””
https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1783873765295759736
Ban ALL trade with China. Apple included.
—
Samsung chips will halt, no more Android phones. No more pharmaceuticals, etc.
AAPL is moving out of China as fast as it can, opening assembly lines in Nam and India.
“the missile attack that happened overnight.”
Perhaps they were targeting the arriving American resupply, like Shoigu said they would.
Russia still had a refinery and an airfield struck hard in Krasnodar Krai last night. Some number of aircraft lost.
Perhaps, but they always claim they will destroy all the western weapons before they reach the front. But despite the fantastic claims of the Putin shills and MoD propaganda, their success in doing so has been very small.
I wouldn't be surprised if they just fired off a volley at random, just so they could claim domestically that they had destroyed Western weapons. Got to do something for morale, now that the troops know that superior Western weaponry will be killing them soon.
Kyiv Independent reports:
“Russia’s attack against Ukraine early on April 27 targeted gas infrastructure facilities of the Naftogaz Group, the company’s press release said.
Moscow’s troops launched yet another aerial attack on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure in the early hours of April 27, hitting energy facilities in Dnipropetrovsk, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Lviv oblasts...
...After Ukraine went through the winter with a relatively stable situation in the energy sector, Russia began attacking the country’s gas infrastructure with the arrival of the spring months.
Two of Naftogaz’s underground storage facilities were targeted on April 11. The company’s sites were also attacked during strikes on March 24 and 29.”
"the 1st Cavalry Division Headquarters is heading overseas to support the NATO mission, taking over for 3rd Infantry Division Headquarters as that force rotates out."
CELEBRATE. SING AND DANCE!!!
“We estimate that approximately 450,000 Russian military personnel have been killed or wounded, and tens of thousands more have already deserted since the start of the conflict. The number of personnel killed serving in Russian private military companies (PMCs) is not clear.
We also estimate that over 10,000 Russian armoured vehicles, including nearly 3,000 main battle tanks, 109 fixed wing aircraft, 136 helicopters, 346 unmanned aerial vehicles, 23 naval vessels of all classes, and over 1,500 artillery systems of all types have been destroyed, abandoned, or captured by Ukraine since the start of the conflict.”
https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/britain-estimates-450000-russian-troops-killed-or-wounded/
It’s a good start.
Kremlin snuff box, 04/27/24
https://t.me/s/kremlin_secrets
Tragedy in Crimea. Air defense systems were lost, 11 military personnel were killed
We found out from our sources in the General Staff and the Ministry of Defense what happened at night in Crimea at Cape Tarkhankut. There are too many rumors about this.
According to confirmed information , on Tarkhankut we lost 4 air defense installations - three S-300 and one S-400. 11 soldiers were killed and four were wounded.
Previously, they were attacked by ATACMS missiles.
“The guys were trying to shoot down the missiles that were flying right at them; the air defense was the target of the attack. Unfortunately, it was not possible to shoot it down,” said one of our interlocutors.
This blow became a reason for Sergei Aksenov to again ask Moscow to strengthen the air defense of Crimea. Sergei Valerievich has not yet received a response to this request.
Kremlin snuff box, 04/27/24
https://t.me/s/kremlin_secrets
Moscow will send 150 thousand tourists to North Korea this year
The authorities of the Russian Federation and the DPRK are establishing mutual cooperation. and equipment to the Northern Military District zone In addition to military-technical cooperation in terms of supplies of ammunition, missiles, we are talking about the exchange of human resources.
According to our information, the authorities have promised to send 150 thousand tourists from Russia to North Korea this year. Obviously, we are talking about state employees and children.
It is important to clarify here that 150 thousand is a very decent figure, given the scale of the DPRK. At the same time, it is not entirely clear who exactly will go to admire the statues of Kim Il Sung and the delights of life under communism.
In response, Kim Jong-un promised to provide at least 3,000 workers to Russia who will help implement infrastructure projects in the country.
"Be proud of your son. You have raised a worthy man & warrior. Congratulations."
I wonder if Muscovites will also receive chocolates.
https://twitter.com/tweetforAnna/status/1784297026974261723
I guess the bakeries could not keep up.
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