Ukraine's Armor Appears To Have A Russian Attack Helicopter Problem

As Ukraine presses on with its counteroffensive in the south and east, making incremental advances in the process, there is evidence that Russia may be starting to enjoy more aerial access over critical areas near the front lines.

As Russia continues to adapt its application of air power, after a fairly dismal start to the campaign, some of its aircraft are now able to operate in a less restricted way, or at least Russia is willing to take on more risk in doing so. Either way, this will put further pressure on the Ukrainian forces, raising questions, in particular, about the availability of mobile short-range air defense systems, or SHORAD. At the very least, as Ukraine gets away from its more entrenched and fixed air defense capabilities, the importance of SHORAD is only going to be underscored.

As The War Zone has discussed in the past, SHORAD is fundamental to the protection of friendly units close to the front lines, including armored ones, defending them against a wide variety of aerial threats, ranging from low-flying fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters to larger drones and cruise missiles, and even smaller drones carrying improvised explosive devices.

Speaking recently about the counteroffensive in the Zaporizhzhia region, in the southeast of the country, Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Hanna Malyar noted: “Our troops are moving in the conditions of extremely fierce battles,” before pointing to the particular threat posed by “the enemy’s aviation and artillery superiority.” President Zelensky echoed those same sentiments recently, as well.

But your analysis does make sense. Russia is “defeated” in the sense that Kiev will never be Russian, but neither will Crimea ever be Ukrainian. And it’s increasingly likely that much of the Donbas is unattainable. We should accept that reality and instead of conquering Moscow, our goal should be containing Russia, eliminating the danger of further aggression.

I’ve said that here and been accused of being a Putin stooge, an appeaser, bowing down to nuclear blackmail, a Putin puffer, and been questioned whether I was a American, so this slime is coming from both sides if you try to take a neutral position.

From the Ukrainian perspective:

Pressure to show results or take action?

They have been selling the idea that they’re winning, taking back land, and they need to show something.

Believing ones own hype and lies?

This is a war of attrition at this point. Ukraine is at the disadvantage. Burning up your troops like this makes about as much sense as attacking in the Battle of the Bulge where Germany burned through some of their last combat troops which would have been a pain in the rear had they fought a defense.

Sam Houston and Washington did best in the defense. Defend, defend, defend, and wait for the ideal point in time where you can land a punch that for sure will be a victory, preferably a decisive one which turns things around: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_San_Jacinto or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Yorktown or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Midway

There is always this pressure to go on the offense, and it is true that you win ultimately in the offense, but you need to choose that battle wisely!

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/06/15/us-trained-ukraine-pilot-00102188

Another hero of the war.

You can bury him at one of those new graveyards that’s popping up all over Ukraine and being filled up:

https://ik.imagekit.io/po8th4g4eqj/prod/tr:w-1168/ukraine-cemetery-dnipro-2022-1168x440px.jpg

https://img.lemde.fr/2022/08/24/0/0/4000/2666/556/0/75/0/719eb15_5004101-01-06.jpg

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/public/RXGVUMXHKEI6ZJBCCG53SHNTBM_size-normalized.jpg&w=1440&impolicy=high_res

Ever notice how there are few reports about Ukrainian war losses, but endless reports about all those dead Russians?

Russia is no threat to us. They don’t have the conventional military to take on NATO, not even remotely, in their wildest dreams. All these boogieman Cold War imagery stories about them wanting to regain what was once Soviet, bla, bla, bla, is junk.

But they have already achieved their military objectives in the Ukraine, take the ethnic Russian areas of Ukraine, a major industrial area and port city. They have already achieved their political objectives, Ukraine will not be in NATO and not even the EU will want them now.

It was those drunk vodka drinking Russians that beat the Germans and the Ukrainians that were helping them in WWII: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/14th_Waffen_Grenadier_Division_of_the_SS_(1st_Galician)

No one bled more, and no one is responsible for taking the Axis down more than Russia. Russia (((ALONE))) accounted for 2/3rds of all German casualties. Africa, Normandy and all of France, the invasion of France, invasion of Poland, invasion of Greece, marching through Yugoslavia, invading Norway, the battle for Briton, in the North Atlantic, in the air war over Germany and all through Italy, dealing with the Partisans in YU, invading the Netherlands, all that added up accounted for 1/3. Norway, Greece, Netherlands, France, Poland, the UK, Canada, the USA, even troops from India all added together accounted for 1/3 of the German casualties.

I know Brad Pit and his one tank won WWII. But reality is a bit different.

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