OT: Putin's War in Ukraine

[kato13]

Cool find, Kato. Just wish the city names were easier to read.
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The creator also has the Kharkiv-Donbas Strategic Front where the names are clearer.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FPou3yHXEAECCXzformat=jpg&name=4096x4096

Here is the latest largest picture

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FPouUCxWUAAKiZ9format=jpg&name=4096x4096

Source

https://twitter.com/JominiW/

Not normally a twitter fan but information is information.

[pmulcahy11b]

When this is over, Ukraine is going to need something like the Marshall Plan after World War 2. I heard a report on NewsNation that it will take more than $1 trillion to rebuild Ukraine.

[kato13]

Regarding the Switchblade, I saw 100 were included in the most recent assistance package, but I haven't seen whether they're the 300 or 600 (the latter is quite a bit larger).

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-04/u-s-switchblade-drones-for-ukraine-will-include-tank-killers

Switchblade 600s have entered the fray.

[Raellus]

"Special Armor"

It'll be interesting to see what effect Switchblade- especially the anti-armor version- has on the conflict. I hope it's not too little, too late.

One way that T2k discussion on this forum has proved particularly prescient is evidenced by the improvised "special armor" increasingly seen fitted to Russian soft-skinned vehicles on the Ukraine battlefield.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/45108/russias-increasingly-bizarre-artisanal-armor-looks-more-mad-max-than-major-power

I thought the MTLB engine hood mounted to the truck was particularly interesting. In my PotV PbP campaign, the crew used a similar trick to give the Wisla Krolowa river tug's bridge some protection against small arms fire.

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[Vespers War]

It'll be interesting to see what effect Switchblade- especially the anti-armor version- has on the conflict. I hope it's not too little, too late.

One way that T2k discussion on this forum has proved particularly prescient is evidenced by the improvised "special armor" increasingly seen fitted to Russian soft-skinned vehicles on the Ukraine battlefield.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/45108/russias-increasingly-bizarre-artisanal-armor-looks-more-mad-max-than-major-power

I thought the MTLB engine hood mounted to the truck was particularly interesting. In my PotV PbP campaign, the crew used a similar trick to give the Wisla Krolowa river tug's bridge some protection against small arms fire.

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On another forum, I've referred to that as "psychosomatic armor" - it makes the driver feel better about his chances, but it doesn't really do much against a dedicated opposition.

[swaghauler]

Cappy's Update

Cappy is giving us an update;

https://youtu.be/OZUMJ_T1YBI

Swag

[Raellus]

Leopard I to Ukraine

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/45170/ukraine-situation-report-leopard-tanks-could-arrive-in-six-weeks-with-germanys-approval

What are the odds that this goes through I doubt it'll happen, but I hope it does.

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[pmulcahy11b]

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...manys-approval

What are the odds that this goes through I doubt it'll happen, but I hope it does.

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Goose eggs, for the reasons given in the article, and since Germany hasn't seen fit to contribute anything useful to the Ukraine effort besides attaboys.

[kcdusk]

So Russia is withdrawing forces east. But looks like mounting a new attack in the south, with forces cueing up again along highways.

I wonder if their tactics will be different this time, if they learnt anything from the resistance they received from their initial thrusts. Or if it will just be the same grinding advance.

[pmulcahy11b]

So Russia is withdrawing forces east. But looks like mounting a new attack in the south, with forces cueing up again along highways.

I wonder if their tactics will be different this time, if they learnt anything from the resistance they received from their initial thrusts. Or if it will just be the same grinding advance.

It does seem that the Russians don't learn from their mistakes, doesn't it

[Raellus]

Tactics v Terrain

I wonder if their tactics will be different this time, if they learnt anything from the resistance they received from their initial thrusts. Or if it will just be the same grinding advance.

One of the big reasons for the failure of the first phase of the Russians' offensive (around Kiev) was that their tanks were operating in wooded and/or urban areas, were Ukrainian infantry armed with ATGMs and RPGs could effectively use ambush and hit-and-run tactics. Russian tactics don't necessarily need to change for them to have success in the east. The terrain there is much more open. The landscape is much more conducive to massed tank formations and artillery fires operating at range, negating many of the advantages that Ukrainian forces had during the Kiev campaign. The Russians will also have much shorter supply lines in the Donbass (and more local support). This article does a good job of explaining this in a bit more detail:

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/45183/ukraine-is-in-critical-need-of-more-tanks-to-face-down-russian-armor-on-the-open-plains-of-donbas

In more positive news,

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/ukraine-situation-report-slovakia-donating-mig-29-fighters-is-fine-by-the-u-s

I wonder why Slovakia's MiGs are OK, but Poland's were too risky to transfer.


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[pmulcahy11b]

One of the big reasons for the failure of the first phase of the Russians' offensive (around Kiev) was that their tanks were operating in wooded and/or urban areas, were Ukrainian infantry armed with ATGMs and RPGs could effectively use ambush and hit-and-run tactics.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/45183/ukraine-is-in-critical-need-of-more-tanks-to-face-down-russian-armor-on-the-open-plains-of-donbas

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We used to do that at all the units I was stationed at -- get the tanks to follow us into the woods, where they couldn't turn their turrets without being blocked with a tree and the TC had to pop up in his hatch to use the commander's machinegun. He usually died fast and we could pelt the tanks as much as we wanted with AT-4s and ATGMs. One brave soul even snuck to the rear quarter of an M1, climbed up on the engine deck without the crew noticing, and set a (simulated) thermite grenade on top of the engine deck. The M1 was called by the referees a total loss.

[pmulcahy11b]

I wonder why Slovakia's MiGs are OK, but Poland's were too risky to transfer.


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Maybe the Polish wanted too much in return -- much more than simply F-16s, but something else that was not advertised. The Slovakians may have given NATO a better deal.

[Top-Break]

Putin's current strategy may go something like this.

1. Take hammer.

2. Bash objective with hammer.

3a. If objective breaks, move on to next objective.

3b. If hammer breaks, put in requisition for a larger hammer.

Repeat until all objectives have been broken, or the supply of hammers has been exhausted.

Putin ran short of hammers trying to take Kyiv, so he's taking his remaining hammers east where he intends to whale away at the Ukrainians in the Donbas and along the Azov coast.

[Tegyrius]

I wonder why Slovakia's MiGs are OK, but Poland's were too risky to transfer.
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The political difference seems to be a direct transfer versus the US acting as a passthrough.

There may also be technology transfer issues. I seem to recall another War Zone article stating that Poland's MiGs have received some upgrades not present in the Slovakian fleet.

- C.