Posted on 02/13/2023 6:32:23 AM PST by SpeedyInTexas
“A fire broke out near the Scientific Research Institute in Moscow.
Seems to be a hot night in Russia.”
“Another angle of the raging fire in Moscow. “
https://twitter.com/Tendar/status/1625256088189734915
“U.S. tells Ukraine it won’t send long-range missiles because it has few to spare”
“’The Biden administration has given its Ukrainian counterparts another reason for not sending them much-wanted long-range missiles: The U.S. is concerned it wouldn’t have enough for itself.
In recent meetings at the Pentagon, U.S. officials told Kyiv’s representatives that it doesn’t have any Army Tactical Missile Systems to spare, according to four people with knowledge of the talks. Transferring ATACMS to the battlefield in eastern Europe would dwindle America’s stockpiles and harm the U.S. military’s readiness for a future fight, the people said.”
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/13/u-s-wont-send-long-range-missiles-ukraine-00082652
Alex Christoforou of The Duran: "Looking at the physical reality of the situation. There are no tanks, there are no fight jets and there is no ammo to give.
"Tanks and fight jets, if there are available to give, the time it would take to train (Ukraine soldiers) will take too long.
"It's not going to make a difference. Everyone knows it isn't going to make a difference. It's obvious.
"We've even had commanders in the Polish military, former ones, that have said it's over.
"Ukraine doesn't have the ability to launch an offensive."
Ramstein Conference tomorrow, 14 February - the Valentine’s Day massacre of Russia’s Imperial delusions
Free the Falcons!
Exclusive: Ex-Russian military bomber engineer seeks asylum at U.S. border, offers military secrets
The Ukrainians Are Converting Worthless Russian Tanks Into Priceless Engineering Vehicles
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2023/02/13/the-ukrainians-are-converting-worthless-russian-tanks-into-priceless-engineering-vehicles/
“A T-62-based recovery vehicle is far more valuable than a T-62 tank is. Especially to the Ukrainian army, which went into the current, wider war with far too few ARVs.
There’s evidence on social media of at least two captured T-62s undergoing conversion into ARVs at workshops in Ukraine. The process involves metalworkers lifting off the tank’s eight-ton turret and fitting, in its place, a heavy-duty winch.”
Reportedly, there is a fire sale on Russian defectors over the last year.
Working link:
Exclusive: Ex-Russian military bomber engineer seeks asylum at U.S. border, offers military secrets
https://www.wftv.com/news/national/exclusive-ex-russian/ZXX5H7UMJTHGMVYGZGCTDL33BQ/
Ex-Russian military bomber engineer seeks asylum at U.S. border, offers military secrets
Excerpts:
A Russian military bomber engineer drove up to the U.S. Southwest border in late December, asking for asylum and offering to reveal some of Russia’s most closely guarded military secrets, according to an unclassified Customs and Border Protection report obtained by Yahoo News.
The man and his family arrived in an armored SUV and asked to be admitted into the U.S. because he feared persecution for participating in anti-Putin protests in support of Alexei Navalny, an imprisoned Russian dissident. He then told CBP officials that he had information wanted by the U.S. government.
He said he was a civil engineer and that “his past employment had included working ... from 2018 to 2021 in the making of a particular type of military airplane at the Tupolev aircraft production facility in the city of Kazan in west-central Russia,” according to a Jan. 11 unclassified CBP report obtained by Yahoo News.
“He described the aircraft type as ‘an attack jet’ and said it ‘was called White Swan-TU160, the largest military aircraft.’”
==
“The TU-160 White Swan, also known by the NATO reporting name ‘Blackjack,’ is reportedly the most advanced strategic bomber in the Russian inventory and has been also used in a tactical airstrike role in the Ukraine war. According to open-source reporting, a major new construction program of an improved version of the aircraft as well as an upgrade program of existing aircraft got underway at the Tupolev facility during the past few years,” according to the unclassified “CBP Indications and Warnings Daily.”
==
The engineer is believed to be inside the U.S. and is still being questioned by U.S. officials. He is likely being questioned about the restart of the Blackjack production, and the revamped or upgraded versions believed to have been worked on during the time of the Russian engineer’s employment as “site manager.”
He is also likely being asked about matters unrelated to the bomber jet, which could include everything from the email system, software, staffing and manufacturer used by the aircraft production facility - information that could be used to carry out targeted cyberattacks or for intelligence gathering or other efforts.
“We of course know the Russian bomber well. But specs, the real specs, nuclear capabilities - there are certainly things we would be interested in hearing about, if this guy is credible. The big thing is: Did they retrofit it for hypersonic missiles?” a military official explained to Yahoo News.
“I’m not saying he does [know the answer] and I’m not saying he doesn’t. I’m not even saying we know if he does or does not have that information. I’m just saying if he had anything that speaks to that, that would be significant.”
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