Posted on 08/12/2023 4:34:55 AM PDT by hardspunned
Amid growing reported shortages of surface to surface missiles, the Ukrainian Military has repurposed Soviet S-200 surface to air missile systems to fire their primary munitions ballistically for strikes on Russian targets. The areas targeted include the Crimean Peninsula and the Rostov and Kaluga regions in the southern and western Russia. Four V-880 missiles were fired, with chief of the Russian Air Force General Staff Viktor Afzalov reporting two were neutralised using electronic warfare assets and another two kinetically intercepted. "There have been no casualties or destruction," the Defence Ministry reported. Gerasimov nevertheless instructed the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces to identify storage units, training sites and launch positions of Ukrainian S-200 systems and similar assets. The S-200 formed the backbone of the USSR’s long range air defences into the 1990s, before being phased out in Russian in favour of longer ranged new variants of the S-300 and S-400 systems. With an engagement range of 300km against aircraft, the system could potentially reach targets well over 500km away if fired ballistically.
(Excerpt) Read more at militarywatchmagazine.com ...
I read the above headline this morning and thought, oh no, what new technological escalation has NATO deployed this time? After checking, I find out this is a Soviet missile system from last century! After our $150 Billion largesse, this is what the Ukes have to fight with? $150B, that’s a lot of payback pensions.
Next, the Ukies will be fighting the Soviets, hand-to-hand with shovels.
How’s our border?
Drugs?
Crime?
Inflation?
CRE?
Banking?
Military recruiting?
While not a laughing matter, the shovel thing is a classic. and humor helps
Winter is coming so dual purpose ice axes will be in demand.
“Next, the Ukies will be fighting the Soviets, hand-to-hand with shovels.”
A lot of were wondering why Ukraine kept blaming Russia for converting S-300s into surface-to-surface missiles, when it made no sense, considering the cost and complexity of S-300s. Now we know whose was REALLY doing that.
This is an effect of the US and various Euro countries attempting to prevent “escalation” (a chimera) by refusing to supply Ukraine with long range weapons, such as unrestricted Stormshadow or ATACMS.
I suggest you contact your congressman to urge him to supply Ukraine with ATACMS.
Reports from mobilized Russian reservists have previously suggested soldiers were ordered to attack Ukrainian positions equipped only with "firearms and shovels," Britain's Ministry of Defense (MOD) said on Sunday.
Munitions shortages in the Russian armed forces have been well documented by Western analysts, and loudly protested by the head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin.
missed the lead line
You have domestic problems that are due entirely to government policy. And those policies are due to a profound split in US society and culture.
The culprits are your neighbors. To fix these problems you will have to fight and defeat your neighbors.
Its going to get very ugly.
In the meantime, its best to ship as much of the materiel of the US military to Eastern Europe, and Ukraine. Else all of that is likely to be used against you.
“Mobilized Russian fighters are likely using “shovel”-like tools for “hand-to-hand” combat”
Must be some DAMN GOOD ‘shovels’ to be destroying Main Battle Tanks and Bradlees...
The Russians have been regularly using S300’s as SSMs.
They have lots of spare S300s. Their standard SAM is the S400. It makes sense to use the S300s as SSMs.
No thanks Spaniard.
I suggest you think through what you are saying. You are talking giving that perverted maniac in Kiev missiles capable of taking out Russian nuclear first and second strike assets. The significance of that, I’m sure, flies right over your head. Here’s something novel for you, history that has a direct bearing on current events. Check out the reasons why an ABM treaty was signed in 1972.
Most of the war is small infantry units fighting in trench lines. Shovels have been very common close combat weapons in trench fighting, going back to WWI.
Look it up.
While I agree that Russian shovels are good for hand-to-hand fighting (without having to ‘look it up’), still have trouble seeing how they take out Main Battle Tanks and Bradlees.
Perhaps they’re used to jam the treads on those vehicles?
“The Russians have been regularly using S300’s as SSMs.”
I don’t remember Russia announcing that, nor a CREDIBLE source saying it.
“I suggest you contact your congressman to urge him to supply Ukraine with ATACMS.”
And I suggest you contact your congressman to urge him to stop supporting the Uke war with money and arms and instead funnel those resources to the southern border. This war is none of our damn business.
The Uke and Ruskie governments are equally evil, let them destroy one another.
First you mock them for extemporizing long range missiles, and then you want to continue banning western supplies of these weapons?
You are being incoherent.
Worse, as always, you are excluding the middle. ATACMS doesnt have the range (under 200 miles) to reach Russian strategic ICBMs, which are deep in Russia, while still having the range to fully interdict the theatre.
Yes, because the Biden administration refuses to send Ukraine ATACMS. Also, Ukraine is handicapped. They cannot use any missiles sent from the West against russian military targets in russia. Hell of a way to fight a war.
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