Posted on 09/23/2024 8:33:37 AM PDT by Alter Kaker
The aging, damaged ‘Kuznetsov’ is unlikely to deploy ever again.
Admiral Kuznetsov, the Russian navy’s only aircraft carrier, hasn’t deployed in eight years—and it’s increasingly unlikely it will ever deploy again. That helps explain why, in recent months, the Kremlin reportedly reassigned the aging ship’s sailors to the army—and sent them into battle in Ukraine.
It’s a startling revelation that underscores the Russian army’s manpower crisis as Russia’s wider war on Ukraine grinds toward its 31st month—and also underlines the decrepit state of the Russian navy’s biggest warships, most of which are Cold War leftovers.
Open-source analyst Moklasen first reported the reassignment of some of the 58,000-ton Kuznetsov’s approximately 1,500-person crew. The sailors formed a so-called “frigate” mechanized battalion within the 1st Guards Tank Army, Moklasen concluded after scouring Russian social media for clues.
The frigate battalion fought around Kharkiv in northern Ukraine before shifting to the Pokrovsk axis in the east. Moklasen surmised that at least one former carrier crewman, Oleg Sosedov, went missing during a Russian attack in Kharkiv on July 23.
That the Russians are apparently pulling people from Kuznetsov isn’t surprising. The Kremlin is taking extreme measures to mobilize the 30,000 fresh troops it needs every month just to replace battlefield losses—killed, wounded and captured—in Ukraine.
The alternative to, say, stripping away ship’s crews might be a nationwide draft, which would be politically risky for the regime of Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin.
And besides, the rickety Kuznetsov isn’t about to return to sea. The 39-year-old flattop was supposed to leave the port of Murmansk, in northern Russia, back in the spring for the first time in eight years. Instead, the carrier remains pierside in Murmansk, in northern Russia.
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
Daily Mail says the are equipped with the latest shovels, and pickle jars.
“The one with the rifle shoots. The one without, follows him! When the one with the rifle gets killed, the one who is following picks up the rifle and shoots!”
Reminds me of the Germans deploying Luftwaffe field divisions compromised of men no longer needed for flight operations. These units were useless.
That, too!
Only this time they don’t have the numbers to overcome the opponent like they did in WWII.
If there is a top ten list of grim times, the war of attrition is on it.
In WWII they also had a massive production advantage over the Germans both themselves and of course with massive logistical support from United States lend/lease. Russia has nothing like that this time. They are dependent on hand-me-downs from Iran and North Korea which are piss poor substitutes.
Russia always seems to be the best at putting their men into the meat grinder when they go to war
Even so, if not for the human waves, they would not have overcome the Nazis, at least until after Moscow and other big cities were taken.
It’s kinda difficult to sail an aircraft carrier on land.
Poor fellows. How many would be alive today had the Dems not cheated? As a mom, with a (fairly) freshly minted Marine, I feel awful for young men that have to die for things that didn’t have to be. I don’t like to hear about the Israeli soldiers getting killed either, but at least they are dying for a noble cause. Let’s hope for Trump’s safety and for him to prevail in November to try to get some of this sheet hitting the fan under control. I wish him and the country the best of luck.
“ The alternative to, say, stripping away ship’s crews might be a nationwide draft, which would be politically risky for the regime of Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin.”
So according to the writer, grounding 1,500 sailors to help replace the 30,000 monthly casualties is an alternative to a nationwide draft.
AI won’t improve stupidity.
They did similar with Kreigsmarine sailors.
It’s not necessarily stupid, the Russians are looking for manpower everywhere they can find it (including by hiring foreign mercenaries), but it’s not exactly a sign that things are going well.
In the Russian Navy, enlisted men are all volunteers and they sign up for 3 years service as opposed to 2 in the army. Most of those boys went into the Navy agreeing to the extra year on a boat thinking they would avoid all the evils of the Russian Army. But...here they are, not only transferred to the decimated army, but getting sent to Ukraine as more cannon fodder to boot.
So I guess that the Russians are finally giving up on carrier aviation then? They were never very good at it to begin with.
I think the human wave thing is overstated. They had better tanks, better generals, better logistics and better artillery.
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