John Wright Posted January 14, 2023 Share Posted January 14, 2023 3 minutes ago, Freggyragh said: Worth remembering that Soledar had a pre-war population only slightly larger than Ramsey. However it is on raised land, and whoever controls Soledad also controls strategic routes to other places passing close by Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freggyragh Posted January 14, 2023 Share Posted January 14, 2023 I'm not disputing that it is strategic loss, just pointing out that it the Ukrainians were able to defend this town for seven months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Non-Believer Posted January 14, 2023 Share Posted January 14, 2023 3 hours ago, Freggyragh said: Worth remembering that Soledar had a pre-war population only slightly larger than Ramsey. I bet it looks like Ramsey now.... 😂 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.K. Posted January 17, 2023 Share Posted January 17, 2023 Former Wagner Group commander seeking asylum in Norway Andrey Medvedev, 26, deserted after reportedly witnessing war crimes in Ukraine and is willing to reveal what he saw, his lawyer says A former commander with the Russian mercenary Wagner Group has sought asylum in Norway after deserting the organisation that has played a central role in some of the major battles of the Ukraine conflict. Andrey Medvedev, 26, crossed the border into Norway near the Pasvikdalen valley shortly before 2am last Friday, where he was arrested and detained by border guards. The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) confirmed to Associated Press that Andrey Medvedev sought shelter in the country but “for reasons of security and privacy … cannot comment further on this matter”. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/17/alleged-ex-wagner-group-commander-seeking-asylum-in-norway This sounds all good, fine and dandy and maybe cracks are appearing in the Russian Command and Control hierarchy? Until you get to this bit: "Medvedev alleged he had served as a unit commander in charge of between five and 10 soldiers." In other words he's a section leader which in the British Army would be led by a Lance Corporal. The lowest NCO rank. So much for Wagner Group Commander...! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Phantom Posted January 17, 2023 Share Posted January 17, 2023 57 minutes ago, P.K. said: Former Wagner Group commander seeking asylum in Norway Andrey Medvedev, 26, deserted after reportedly witnessing war crimes in Ukraine and is willing to reveal what he saw, his lawyer says A former commander with the Russian mercenary Wagner Group has sought asylum in Norway after deserting the organisation that has played a central role in some of the major battles of the Ukraine conflict. Andrey Medvedev, 26, crossed the border into Norway near the Pasvikdalen valley shortly before 2am last Friday, where he was arrested and detained by border guards. The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) confirmed to Associated Press that Andrey Medvedev sought shelter in the country but “for reasons of security and privacy … cannot comment further on this matter”. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/17/alleged-ex-wagner-group-commander-seeking-asylum-in-norway This sounds all good, fine and dandy and maybe cracks are appearing in the Russian Command and Control hierarchy? Until you get to this bit: "Medvedev alleged he had served as a unit commander in charge of between five and 10 soldiers." In other words he's a section leader which in the British Army would be led by a Lance Corporal. The lowest NCO rank. So much for Wagner Group Commander...! I'm not sure what the Russian NCOs actually do either. A lot of this conflict has shown a complete absence of initiative and decison making on the battlefield by the Russians. Hence why a lot of the high ranking staff officers are getting killed, as they need to be near the front to make the decisions at high level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GD4ELI Posted January 17, 2023 Share Posted January 17, 2023 7 minutes ago, The Phantom said: I'm not sure what the Russian NCOs actually do either. A lot of this conflict has shown a complete absence of initiative and decison making on the battlefield by the Russians. Hence why a lot of the high ranking staff officers are getting killed, as they need to be near the front to make the decisions at high level. The NCOs force the Orcs into battle. A primitive system from 100 years ago. One reason why the Soviet Union lost ~15million troops in WWII. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Phantom Posted January 17, 2023 Share Posted January 17, 2023 2 minutes ago, GD4ELI said: The NCOs force the Orcs into battle. A primitive system from 100 years ago. One reason why the Soviet Union lost ~15million troops in WWII. Ha, i did actually think that as I was writing. They're probably just the guys with pointy sticks behind the cannon fodder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GD4ELI Posted January 17, 2023 Share Posted January 17, 2023 25 minutes ago, The Phantom said: Ha, i did actually think that as I was writing. They're probably just the guys with pointy sticks behind the cannon fodder. In general, yes. There are some 'proper' troops but the bulk are poorly trained, poorly equipped troops. One video showed a platoon have just one first aid kit between them. The corruption is amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Phantom Posted January 20, 2023 Share Posted January 20, 2023 Will be interesting to see what announcements made at Davos today on the provision of more weaponry to Ukraine. It's all well and good UK sending some Challengers, US Abrams ,Sweden and France sending some of theirs, but they are all different machines and will require different training, logistics and maintinance. Germany needs to get off it's ass and agree to the provision of the Leopards, of which there are 1000s with multiple different EU countries but Germany is vetoing their supply as part of their manufacturing contract. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.K. Posted January 20, 2023 Share Posted January 20, 2023 Leopard 2 is a very good fit for Ukraine, no question of it. Poland is reaching the point of supplying them anyway. So Berlin is facing some difficult decisions in the next day or so... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Phantom Posted January 20, 2023 Share Posted January 20, 2023 19 minutes ago, P.K. said: Leopard 2 is a very good fit for Ukraine, no question of it. Poland is reaching the point of supplying them anyway. So Berlin is facing some difficult decisions in the next day or so... Even if it was just a little bit better than the Orc-mobiles, it would be sensible just from a logistics point of view. 100s (hopefully) of the same tank, same training, same parts, all relatively close, rather a hodgepodge of different vehicles. Germany are still twatting about and looks like no decision today. From 1941 - 2000(ish), Russia were without a doubt Germany's enemy number. I honestly would have thought that they would have remembered this! Yeah I think Poland might just crack on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Passing Time Posted January 20, 2023 Share Posted January 20, 2023 19 minutes ago, The Phantom said: Even if it was just a little bit better than the Orc-mobiles, it would be sensible just from a logistics point of view. 100s (hopefully) of the same tank, same training, same parts, all relatively close, rather a hodgepodge of different vehicles. Germany are still twatting about and looks like no decision today. From 1941 - 2000(ish), Russia were without a doubt Germany's enemy number. I honestly would have thought that they would have remembered this! Yeah I think Poland might just crack on. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/poland-ready-send-ukraine-tanks-even-if-germany-opposes-it-deputy-fm-2023-01-20/ looks like Poland are serious about going ahead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A fool and his money..... Posted January 20, 2023 Share Posted January 20, 2023 8 hours ago, The Phantom said: Will be interesting to see what announcements made at Davos today on the provision of more weaponry to Ukraine. It's all well and good UK sending some Challengers, US Abrams ,Sweden and France sending some of theirs, but they are all different machines and will require different training, logistics and maintinance. Germany needs to get off it's ass and agree to the provision of the Leopards, of which there are 1000s with multiple different EU countries but Germany is vetoing their supply as part of their manufacturing contract. I admire Germany for their moral courage. Tens of thousands of people have lost their lives in the Ukraine conflict, civilians and service men and women on both sides. I don't give a fuck what the political whys or wherefores are, nothing justifies this and the last thing any civilised, responsible country should be doing is providing either side with the means to increase the body count. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quilp Posted January 20, 2023 Share Posted January 20, 2023 3 hours ago, Passing Time said: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/poland-ready-send-ukraine-tanks-even-if-germany-opposes-it-deputy-fm-2023-01-20/ looks like Poland are serious about going ahead It's a nice gesture, a sign of solidarity perhaps but sending just 2 tanks isn't going to change things. The Leopard is a good tank but without its explosive-reactive defence they're susceptible to standard RPG rounds, as a Turkish brigade discovered in the battle for the Syrian city of Al-Bab, in 2016/17. IS fighters soon found the shoulder of the rear third of the tank was a weak spot. 12 Leopards, not fitted-out with ERA, were lost in that battle. Just sayin. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.K. Posted January 20, 2023 Share Posted January 20, 2023 3 hours ago, quilp said: It's a nice gesture, a sign of solidarity perhaps but sending just 2 tanks isn't going to change things. The Leopard is a good tank but without its explosive-reactive defence they're susceptible to standard RPG rounds, as a Turkish brigade discovered in the battle for the Syrian city of Al-Bab, in 2016/17. IS fighters soon found the shoulder of the rear third of the tank was a weak spot. 12 Leopards, not fitted-out with ERA, were lost in that battle. Just sayin. Tanks with no infantry support are vulnerable. Turkey had bought one of the best tanks to the battleground – the German Leopard 2A4 – which it had hoped would confront ISIS anti-tank missiles and improvised explosives which had previously destroyed many of the country’s M-60 Patton tanks. To their surprise, the tanks were unable to stand the adversary firepower with multiple Leopard tanks damaged in the counterfire. In total, some eleven tanks, three infantry (mobility) fighting vehicles, and an armored personnel carrier were reported damaged during the al-Bab fighting. The development left Turkey furious which demanded that Germany immediately upgrade the Cold War-era main battle tanks with new belly armor and missile protection measures. It demanded the addition of an Active Protection System (APS), which is capable of detecting an incoming projectile and initiating countermeasures. The country’s efforts to convince Germany to offer the new upgrades proved unsuccessful after the latter imposed an arms embargo after reports that Turkey was using the Leopard 2s to kill Kurdish fighters in the Syrian enclaves of Afrin and Manbij. The upgrades demanded by Turkey had already been performed into the newer variants of the Leopard 2A4 tanks, which includes the installation of a thick floor plate by Rheinmetall. However, according to experts, the 2A4 model was designed to fight in a completely different battle environment, in which the armored brigades are accompanied by infantry ground forces and other support vehicles moving in highly mobile concentrated units. The defense analysts say that Turkey is partly responsible for the tank losses, considering the Leopard 2s were deployed in an exposed environment without any infantry support leaving them vulnerable to ambush. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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