Police Helicopter
Posted on 05/05/2014 4:07:25 PM PDT by FreeInWV
ODESSA/SLAVIANSK, Ukraine, May 5 (Reuters) - Pro-Russian rebels shot down a Ukrainian helicopter in fierce fighting near the eastern town of Slaviansk on Monday, and Kiev drafted police special forces to the southwestern port city of Odessa to halt a feared westward spread of rebellion.
Ukraine said the Odessa force, based on "civil activists", would replace local police who had failed to tackle rebel actions at the weekend. Its dispatch was a clear signal from Kiev that, while tackling rebellion in the east, it would vigorously resist any sign of a slide to a broader civil war.
...
(Excerpt) Read more at in.reuters.com ...
First, all of the police were dismissed and replaced by Kiev's hand-picked civil activists. What does history tell us about this tactics?
Second, a MI-24 (HIND-D) helicopter was shot down. What purpose does such an aircraft have policing protestors??? I mean really! That is an armored heavy attach helicopter. I am also wondering who shot it down? It wasn't a MANPAD and they were designed to be resistant to .50 cal fire.
Police Helicopter
Actually, TWO helicopters were downed today.
Video of the Mi-24 downing shows a STUPID PILOT, that hovered for a long time at less than 100 feet, until it was hit in the rear by an RPG at close range.
That is the one that crashed in the river.
It was reported that the one was downed by large caliber machine gun fire. Whatever that was, I want one!
Maybe the protestors shot down the helicopters? If helicopters keep dropping out of the sky like this I might not want to call them protestors anymore.
“It was reported that the one was downed by large caliber machine gun fire.”
Likely it would be either the AA-equipped APC, or the truck-mounted AA cannon, that the locals got when the Ukrainian Airborne company surrendered a couple of weeks ago.
That makes sense.
Fresh video of fighting on the edge of Slovyansk.
Damned brave cameraman. Listen closely, and you can hear the buzz of the angry bees.
http://youtu.be/bf0OFAfL5Q0
Ukraine: 4 troops killed by pro-Russian militiamen in Slovyansk, 30 wounded
http://wapo.st/1q760GP
EuroMaidanPR has started posting Death cards from the fighting. A VERY high percentage of Kiev soldiers being killed are OFFICERS.
Someone please break this down for me. Is the Ukrainian military pro-new government or pro-old government? Are the protesters Russian secessionists, pro-old government or pro-EU?
My confusion just reinforces my belief we have no business getting involved in this cluster f**k.
Ukraine has around 45 Mi-24’s, but only around 10 were serviceable when this all began.
They have now lost three, and an MI-8.
How long until the flight officers refuse to fly without support, or they run out of choppers?
“the Odessa force, based on “civil activists”, would replace local police who had failed to tackle rebel actions “
Still following the Nazi template. Unreliable police will be replaced by putsch loyalists.
And they are resistant to .50 cal. But I wouldn’t call it “.50 cal proof”.
For example, a P-47 Thunderbolt would make quick work of one. As it flashes past, a few 50 cal hits might not bring it down. But in truth, everything that flies is vulnerable in some way to 50 cal.
It just means that more rebels will spring up in the east, same goes with the mass defections of Ukrainian soldiers to the Rebels and to the Russian/Soviet army.
“Someone please break this down for me. Is the Ukrainian military pro-new government or pro-old government? Are the protesters Russian secessionists, pro-old government or pro-EU?”
Ukrainian military is disgruntled. In the west it begrudgingly supports the new Kiev leadership. In the east, not so much. The old government in Kiev was overthrown. Among other things, this was because the old government was pro-Russian and refused to sign a EU cooperation pact. Many speculate that the EU, our NGO’s & $5B foreign aid dollars and other opportunists supported ultranationalists to make the protests and Kiev take over happen. Anyway, the people in the other end of the country (the east), were always autonomous in the past. They can’t stand the new ultranational Kiev leadership which wants their autonomy forever gone. They see it as an illegal coup in a city in a faraway corner of the country. They also fear repression from the west. The ultranationalists have a hatred of the ethnic Russians in the east and vice versa.
Russia wants to protect the ethnic Russians from oppression and also wants to protect its borders, ports and influence that they had under the old Ukrainian government. The EU and the Ukrainians in the east fear that the Russians want to expand and take over the whole Ukraine and become a threat to Europe again.
It is essentially a federalist/nationalist crisis. Eastern wants to remain an autonomous part of Ukraine if possible. If not, they want to secede and join the Russian Federation. The US, EU and Ukrainians in the east want the whole country. A strong pro-EU national Ukrainian government regardless of what Ukrainians in the east want.
Most of the energy, natural resources and industry are in the east too. The west has little, is bankrupt and would be a burden to whoever has it. I doubt Russia even wants it. The EU doesn’t want the burden of it unless the east comes along too.
Plus, the USSR had genocides against the eastern Ukrainians (the Holomodor). The ultranationalists sided with Nazis against the USSR in WW2 and killed a lot of Russians when they were most vulnerable. The ultranationalists had a few genocides of their own too. So, there is a lot of distrust and hatred between the groups.
Confused yet?
Tony Soprano once said some wise words “Whatever you do, don’t f’k with the Ukrainians!”
~It was reported that the one was downed by large caliber machine gun fire. Whatever that was, I want one!~
50 cal to a Hind is like a BB-gun to an elephant.
It has a good chance to get back home after MANPAD hit as well.
Antitank weapons are absolutely different thing but you have to be a total idiot to get hit by one in a helicopter.
FRiend, what type of ordnance would you suggest for engaging Chechen terrorists? A pop gun? Here's a pic from today. This is what "peaceful protestors" looks likes in Putin's fascist nightmare:
‘And they are resistant to .50 cal. But I wouldn’t call it “.50 cal proof”.’
Maybe not in real combat scenarios, but that is the way they designed it.
From Wikipedia:
“The Mi-24 fuselage body is heavily armored and can resist impacts from 12.7 mm (0.50 in) rounds from all angles. The titanium rotor blades are also resistant to 12.7 mm rounds. The cockpit is protected by ballistic-resistant windscreens and a titanium-armored tub.”
Still following the Nazi template. Unreliable police will be replaced by putsch loyalists.
I hate to disappoint you but I can assure you Ukrainian patriots don’t care what names you call them from your armchair. They are busy taking out the trash. The latest piece being Checken terrorists exported from their good neighbors. Adios.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.