Posted on 06/27/2023 7:45:39 AM PDT by SpeedyInTexas
This list only includes destroyed vehicles and equipment of which photo or videographic evidence is available. Therefore, the amount of equipment destroyed is significantly higher than recorded here. Small arms, ATGMs, MANPADS, loitering munitions, drones used as unmanned bait, civilian vehicles, trailers and derelict equipment are not included in this list. All possible effort has gone into avoiding duplicate entries and discerning the status of equipment between captured or abandoned. Many of the entries listed as 'abandoned' will likely end up captured or destroyed. Similarly, some of the captured equipment might be destroyed if it can't be recovered. When the origin of a piece of equipment can't be established, it is not included in the list. The Soviet flag is used when the equipment in question was produced prior to 1991. This list is constantly updated as additional footage becomes available.
(Excerpt) Read more at oryxspioenkop.com ...
Previous day’s thread: https://freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/4163525/posts
Calling someone a RuZZian on FR is considered an insult.
1/ A retired Russian tank battalion commander has given a frank interview about the rampant corruption that he says has led to the “complete collapse of the Russian army” in the last 16 years. His comments highlight how the army has rotted from within during the Putin era.
2/ I’ve previously covered the Russian military’s corruption problems at some length (see the nested threads below). But the interview of former army major “Alexander Rozhkov” – a pseudonym – provides rare and extensive personal insights into the problem.
3/ Rozhkov, a St. Petersburger, served for 15 years and resigned from the army at the age of 36 shortly before the Ukraine war begin. He says he decided that he did not want to “degrade further in this system” and has since been avoiding mobilisation orders.
4/ Rozkhov blames many of the problems on the military reforms begun in the 2000s under then-Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov. At that time, the mandatory length of service for conscripts was reduced from two years to one year. According to Rozhkov, this was disastrous.
5/ “When the Russian army began to serve for one year we practically lost a whole chain of junior commanders. Because with the two-year service, during the [first] year the newcomers were taught some things related to technical specialities by the older servicemen.
6/ “And when they switched to [only] a year of service, there was no one to teach them. Now a soldier can only learn to sweep in a year. And at best he’ll take a couple of trips to the firing range. He’ll hold an automatic rifle, and in a month he’ll have forgotten how to do it.
7/ “No one has even taught them anything close to military training.”
8/ At the same time, officers and NCOs from the conscript army were selected to become professional “contract” soldiers. But Rozhkov says this too was done in a disastrous way, leading to many unsuitable people becoming today’s senior officers.
9/ “There were telegrams from the top, that it was necessary to select the best officers and the best non-commissioned officers who had one year of service left. And to send them to the training centres.
10/ “But they began to send not the best officers, but the most lousy ones, who had already annoyed everyone in the unit. And sergeants – the worst scoundrels. Well, there was mayhem and mass drunkenness in these centres. Nobody taught anybody anything.
11/ “And from the outside, the contract servicemen were mostly from the edge of society, as a rule. Those who were unable to prove themselves in civilian life. Alcoholics, parasites and all sorts of scumbags. But in the army you didn’t have to do anything.
12/ “You had to line up in the morning, wiggle your head, walk around and you got your pay. And then they’d give you an apartment. I just decided to walk away from it all.”
13/ As a result of the corruption, he says, Russia’s colonels and lieutenant colonels are largely useless. Rozhkov says they would be in absolutely no demand in civilian life and are employed in the army as metaphorical “barrier openers”.
14/ Rozhkov says that “window dressing” permeates the army at all levels, with units’ readiness routinely faked for the benefit of senior officers. He was not surprised at the many complaints that have emerged of faulty and outdated equipment.
15/ “So you have 18 command and staff vehicles in your unit, and only two of them are operational. When the inspection comes, these two working vehicles move from one unit to another, to be photographed and [a report] is sent upstairs. We are fine, look. And this is everywhere.”
17/ Anton Igolkin, a graduate of the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, recalls how it worked in his conscript training a few years ago when he did his military training in his last year at the university.
18/ “We were never taken to the firing range. Instead, we just took photos [of ourselves] with guns. Every morning started with a burst of patriotic spirit.
19/ “It was quite funny, because the Russian national anthem was played through an iPhone and played on an old Soviet loudspeaker. The unit commander drank every day.
20/ “After the second bottle of vodka he would crawl into his Land Cruiser and drive at breakneck speed around the compound. How he didn’t hit anyone, it’s a wonder.”
21/ Tank training was also routinely faked. Crews are supposed to do a certain amount of hours in their tanks, but Rozkhov says that this was faked by “winding up” the tanks to ensure the instruments showed the mandated amount of mileage.
22/ “Technically it’s not hard to do. The track shaft is removed from the chain links and the running tank simply stands still and runs idle. Subsequently, the perfect, brand new equipment, which has never been driven anywhere, is simply written off and sent to a special base.”
23/ Money for maintenance was routinely stolen, requiring junior officers to make so-called “voluntary-compulsory contributions” from their own salaries to make up the shortfall – part of a phenomenon known as “officer slavery”.
24/ Rozkov comments: “But no one, of course, came to the unit commander and said: “Comrade Colonel, my barracks is not painted because there is no paint.” And if someone did come, there was such a response that it’s hard to call it an insult. I’m not going to reproduce it.
25/ “In literary terms, the point was this: “I don’t even care how you do it. Just do it, and that’s it.””
Promotion is also subject to corruption, with officers obtaining seniority through bribes paid to the commander of the unit.
26/ “Let’s say your term to get a rank came up but there was no position available. So they call you up and say: look, there’s a vacancy here, but you’re not the only one applying for it.
27/ “A silent auction begins between those who are more or less sane, who can write, read and speak. And the highest bidder wins in the end. When I had to get a captaincy, they asked me to pay 150,000 rubles [$1,777] for the post of company commander. That was still inexpensive.”
28/ Many officers compensate for their expenditure by extorting money from subordinates. Rozkhov says that platoon commanders, through their non-commissioned officers, forced conscripts to write letters home with requests to send remittances which the officers then stole.
29/ Some company commanders objected to this practice and tried to stop it, but Rozkhov says that the military investigating authorities did not care at all about what was happening and did nothing about it.
30/ Igolkin experienced this first-hand. “I still remember frozen beef carcasses with the ink stamp ‘1974’ and poor conscripts with grey faces, who went around begging for cigarettes from us,...
31/ ...explaining that they will be beaten up by their ‘grandfathers’ [older servicemen] and sergeants if they don’t bring their smokes. And at the military department itself they were already extorting bribes from us.
32/ “Two colonels from Moscow, who taught us, blackmailed everyone that they would fail the final exam and forced us to contribute money.
33/ “And when one of the students complained to the university’s management, these soldiers didn’t just apologise, they publicly threatened the guy who had complained. They asked him in public if he knew what it felt like to be squeezed out of a toothpaste tube.”
34/ Another common scam is to charge subordinates to approve their leave. When Rozkhov was serving, the bribe was 1,000 rubles ($12) a day. He says it’s now 2,500 ($30). (On the front line in Ukraine, it’s now reportedly as much as 100,000 ($1,188).)
35/ Many Russian soldiers have complained, before and during the war, that they have been unable to get uniforms in the sizes they need. Mobilised men have often ended up buying their own uniforms – or outdoor clothes of some kind at least – from camping stores.
36/ In Igolkin’s case, he recalls that the men at his training camp for conscripts were given only “some mismatched shirts” as uniforms. There were no boots at all, so they were allowed to wear their own shoes.
37/ Much of this is due to corrupt quartermasters who make extra money by selling military stores, as Rozkhov notes. “Military jackets, for example, are gladly taken by fishermen engaged in winter fishing. They can buy such clothes for a whole fishing party of 10-15 people.”
38/ Rozkhov saw many other things being stolen from military stores, from uniforms to equipment to diesel fuel. (In one spectacular example I reported on previously, thieves made off with a 72-ton prefabricated bunker.)
39/ Stolen clothing is written off to ‘dead souls’ – fictitious soldiers who, Rozhkov says, exist in every military unit. This is a scam which dates back to tsarist times and was the focus of a famous novel by Gogol in 1842. Some dead souls, as Rozhkov found, are very much alive.
40/ The scheme Rozhkov describes is not complicated: an ex-soldier wanting some extra money negotiates a fictitous return to the army with the unit’s commander or chief of staff. He’s put back on the payroll as a ‘dead soul’ and shares his salary with his uniformed ‘sponsor’.
41/ The ‘dead soul’ doesn’t do any actual military service. He only shows up at the unit during inspections, so that the scam can keep going. The rest of the unit is, of course, fully aware of what is going on.
42/ Rozhkov saw this first-hand in his unit. “One day I come to the formation, and I turn my head sideways – there are two warrant officers standing there. And I see them for the first time. So I understood that the two of them were Armenians. Our commander was also an Armenian.
43/ “I see that some people from the Investigative Committee are walking around and I understood at once that they are the commander’s dead souls. They come up to me and ask if I know these people. Well, if I am in the system, I am not going to set up the commander.
44/ “I said that yes, I see them every day, but I do not know them personally. Then the commander was prosecuted anyway and after the trial he was fined half a million ($5,923) and dismissed.
45/ But when the dismissal documents were sent to Moscow in a special car, they simply did not get there. Probably the Armenian diaspora got involved. So he worked his way up to retirement. Then he wrote a report and left.”
46/ Some commanders came up with more creative ideas to make money on the side. In 2010, Rozkhov says, his regiment was doing tank training exercises in the Vladimir region. “We went to the training area, practiced riding and firing.
47/ “And the regiment leadership had a genius idea - why not to make some more money out of it. Some people found, who were ready to pay for that to ride on the tank and to shoot. Civilians, you know? Nothing to do with the army. A tank safari for the rich.
48/ “And two conscripts got crushed to death as a result.” The incident was hushed up.
Rozhkov is highly critical of the army’s failure to provide its soldiers with modern equipment. “I never saw any novelties there during the whole time of my service.
49/ “I had a 1961 submachine gun when I was at the college. Then “new” armament started coming in and the submachine gun was made in 1978. And after the Kalashnikov assault rifle, nothing else appeared in our army.
50/ “We like to show off at various forums and exhibitions: look what a splendid plane we have. Well, we have just one! What an awesome automatic rifle we’ve made! Yes, but we haven’t put it into mass production to staff the army.”
51/ Having experienced war as a tank battalion commander in South Ossetia in 2008, when he suffered a wound from a landmine explosion, Rozkhov is not keen to repeat the experience of going to the “aid” of a hostile population.
52/ “I remember very well how the local population there felt towards Russian soldiers. Many Ossetians told us openly that we were occupiers just as much as the Georgians. After a curfew it was better not to show our faces on the street in uniform so as not to lose our heads.”
53/ Rozkhov is deeply sceptical of Putin’s motives and has no desire to go to Ukraine. “I just don’t understand why I have to die for some czar who got bored at the age of 70, or maybe he got schizophrenic and decided to feel like Tamerlane, to conquer something.” /end
https://twitter.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/1673426878583959554
“Russians launched a counterattack from Oleshky against the Ukrainian bridge head at the destroyed Antonovsky Bridge, but a remotely placed mine eliminated the BMD-2 almost immediately after the Russin IFV crossed the Konka Bridge.”
https://twitter.com/Tendar/status/1673453983258615809
“Preparations are underway for the transfer of heavy military equipment of the Wagner PMC to the active units of the Armed Forces, - the Russian Defense Ministry said”
https://twitter.com/Liveuamap/status/1673609062993350656
“A Russian tank was damaged by a FPV drone near Zavitne Bazhannya, south of Velyka Novosilka.”
https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1673612262064414720
“Lukashenko confirmed that Prigozhin is now in Belarus.”
https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1673691115839541248
“A destroyed Russian BUK air defense system in the Zaporizhzia direction.”
https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1673683896808906752
“”During its summer campaign, Ukraine has already liberated approximately 300 km² of its territory. This is more than Russia captured during its entire winter campaign,” Ben Wallace said during a speech in the House of Commons.”
https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1673646904939368449
“A Russian abandoned tank was destroyed.”
https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1673638375234969600
You guys may already be using this but if not, it might be useful.
U.S. Security Cooperation with Ukraine
FACT SHEET
BUREAU OF POLITICAL-MILITARY AFFAIRS
JUNE 14, 2023
https://www.state.gov/u-s-security-cooperation-with-ukraine/
Ukraine: military situation update - June 26, 2023
Extras:
——> Ukraine Situation Report: Breakthrough Across The Dnipro At Antonvosky Bridge <——
The bridge is the scene of heavy fighting after a breakthrough by Ukrainian forces into the Russian-controlled left bank of the Dnieper.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/ukraine-situation-report-breakthrough-across-the-dnipro-at-antonvosky-bridge
==
——> Prigozhin Is Back On His Soapbox Two Days After Outright Mutiny <——
After more than a day of uncharacteristic silence, the head of the Wagner mercenary group opened up about his mutinous march on Moscow.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/prigozhin-is-back-on-his-soapbox-two-days-after-outright-mutiny
==
——> Denmark Accelerating F-16 Retirement, Could Benefit Ukraine <——
Denmark says its accelerated F-35A plans and the start of F-16 pilot training for Ukraine have created space to talk about donating Vipers.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/denmark-accelerating-f-16-retirement-could-benefit-ukraine
[ Checkmate in 2 moves | Clever. Ukrainians Cut Supplies & Russians Immediately Retreat ]
••Day 488: Jun 26
After Ukrainians liberated Novodanylivka and Makarivka, the next logical step became pushing Russians out of Rivnopil.
In order to facilitate faster development of the events, first of all, Ukrainians focused on undermining Russian supply lines.
Russian forces had already appeared in a salient, so when Ukrainians started pushing from 2 sides, the situation for Russians became critical.
In order to buy themselves more time to get all the ammunition and equipment out of this previously important forefront logistical center, Russians tried to divert Ukrainian attention and resources away from Rivnopil by launching a series of powerful assaults in the direction of Makarivka.
Unfortunately for Russians, it came at a great cost because Ukrainians controlled the hills west of the settlement, so very soon, Ukrainians retook the initiative and continued undermining Russian defense.
And by undermining Russian defense in this particular place, Ukrainians could collapse the most tactically significant positions in this region with minimal direct engagements because if we look at the topographic map, we can see that Rivnopil is located right in the center of the elevated platform.
And this is exactly what happened today.
Today Ukrainian 31st Mechanized Brigade released a video confirming that they established total control of Rivnopil.
Russian sources reported that Russian forces retreated to more reliable positions since Rivnopil was at a huge risk of being taken into a pocket.
Some Ukrainian fighters reported that not all Russians managed to retreat, mostly because they were killed by the heavy artillery fire that Ukrainians concentrated on the key Russian retreat routes.
Ukrainians tried to capitalize on the disarray associated with the retreat and push Russians even further, however, imperfect weather conditions and mine fields complicated advances.
According to the latest updates, Russian forces assumed positions along the tree lines immediately south of Rivnopil.
However, as they are cut off by the gully from the next elevated platform under Russian control, these Russian positions remain extremely vulnerable, and many analysts agree that Russians will likely retreat behind the gully.
In the meantime, Ukrainians around Levadne have already started undermining Russian defense here.
Their main axis of attack is toward Pryiutne because if Ukrainians successfully push along this ridge, Ukrainians will once again undercut this vast elevated platform and collapse the Russian defense without bumping into the most fortified part of the front line, where Russians have a tactical advantage.
Geolocated footage shows how Ukrainians are successfully chasing a small group of Russian troops from their positions just east of Levadne, which Ukrainians recently liberated.
Ukrainian 36th Marine Brigade posted a video showing how they are destroying Russian armored fighting vehicles near Pyiutne.
Ukrainian 501st Mechanized Brigade also showed how they hunted down Russian equipment near Pryiutne.
Lastly, after joining their efforts, the above mentioned Brigades even destroyed a tank on the Russian defense line.
Overall, Ukrainians have liberated more than 200 sq km only south of Velyka Novosilka.
Ukrainian President recently visited the Zaporizhia front and met with the soldiers that were responsible for this massive progress.
The President thanked everyone for their service and sacrifice and awarded all fighters who distinguished themselves during the liberation of the Ukrainian land.
••Denys lost his best friend, Dmitry, in the fighting in the south today and is quite sad and broken up about it. The information about what happened is classified, but he was a fantastic guy. They flew together for the same airline, and also in the same 737, and Dmitry was top rated on 777s. He was in the same aviation motorcycle club with Denys.
==
Today the United States will announce a new package of military aid to Ukraine worth up to $500 million, including ground equipment. Reuters
The new package from the USA will include:
30 BMP M2 Bradley;
25 M1126 Stryker armored personnel carriers;
additional ammunition for “HIMARS” MLRS, “Patriot” air defense system;
MANPADS “Javelin” and “Stinge
==
Denmark is already training Ukrainians on F-16s. It own F-16s will be phased out as F-35s arrive - this should be completed by 2025.
==
Kherson Region:
Russian supply is so bad that some soldiers were forced to fight without boots - just bare feet.
==
More and more Ukrainian officials are spreading their word on what to do when the Russians blow the reactors at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.
==
Sergey Lavrov is assuring everyone that Russia is not mining the Plant and has no plans to blow it up, just like he assured everyone that Russia was not going to invade, 3 days before Russia invaded. [ Does this mean that Russia will blow the Plant in 3 days? ]
He addressed world leaders [ yesterday ] with a warning that Russia is preparing to undermine [ destroy ] the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.
“Our intelligence received information that Russia is considering a scenario of a terrorist attack at the ZNPP with a release of radiation.
They have prepared everything for this.
Unfortunately, I have repeatedly had occasion to remind that radiation does not know state borders, and who it hits, is determined only by the direction of the wind.
We pass on all available information to our partners, all evidence - Europe, America, China, Brazil, India, Africa, the Arab world - all countries and international organizations should know this.
This time it should not be like with Kakhovskaya [ Nova Kakhovka ]. The world has been warned.”
==
[ Think of this disaster as Chernobyl times 6, only worse as the reactor explosions will be deliberate. This is not hyperbole, over reaction or anything of the sort. Why mine something like this if one does not, at some point, plan to detonate the mines?
Maps of the Chernobyl effected Zones:
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/commonwealth/chornobyl_radiation96.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e0/7d/73/e07d7397c6d629c6f1c6a8e294c31085.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster
##•• It bears repeating: if the Russians and Putin go through with this plan, the release will render Ukraine and several surrounding countries uninhabitable, and if the cloud moves over Europe, it too will become uninhabitable. This will be the worst crisis in all of human history, bar the Mt. Toba eruption 74,000 years ago. ••## ]
••Armed Forces of Ukraine advanced 1.5 km in the Tauride direction, - speaker of the Joint Press Center of the Defense Forces of the Tauride direction Valery Shershen
This, in particular, is about the successful offensive operations of the Tavria group in the Melitopol direction.
Now the Armed Forces of Ukraine are waiting reinforcements at the achieved levels. Aerial reconnaissance of the area is carried out, mine clearance is carried out, fire damage is inflicted, artillery is working on detected enemy targets, and measures are being taken for counter-battery combat.
==
Russian officials said everything is going according to the Plan & Prigozhin agrees.
Russia is a 14th century feudal empire running a gas station with nukes in the backroom.
Hi there - FR Uke troll whose account slept for years!!!!
I forgot to welcome you back in all those posts of mine you’ve had removed.
Its a beautiful list.
Waiting for GLSDB to show up.
I can validate a little of this, not this particular incident. A close friend of mine was with someone he described as Russian mafia, inside Russia, about a decade ago.
With fake ID they got inside a Russian army base, and my friend was able to fire small arms. He was told, for a price, he could fire a tank cannon.
NASDAQ today: 13,468 +28.5% YTD
/////////
To: SpeedyInTexas
Oh Great Swami, please your predictions for NASDAQ.
28 posted on 12/8/2022, 10:58:35 AM by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
///////
To: PIF
14,000 for NASDAQ. 12/31/2023.
30 posted on 12/8/2022, 11:13:44 AM by SpeedyInTexas (RuZZia is the enemy of all mankind)
////////
10 unsolicited comments right out of the gate after your post. Damned pathetic.
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