trymer
Joined: November 2018
Posts: 2,386
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Post by trymer on Jul 30, 2023 10:29:30 GMT
Is the Ukrainian population largely Russian Orthodox ? previously ROC, but as the ROC have endorsed the invasion, the U's are breaking away from that label and, i believe, becoming more unified with the ways of mainland Europe , not sure though as to what label they will / are to calling it I think Ukrainian Orthodox ? it seems to have been slightly controversial changing the Christmas dates reading a few comments apparently some older people will stick with the old date and others will celebrate both dates ( 2 lots of presents !). I am not a christian so I couldnt care less about any of it but having seen the various branches of christianity ability to fall out about nonsense does make me wonder if this is a great idea for unifying the Uke population. On population subject I read that 6 million Ukes have left Ukraine since the invasion. Pre invasion population was 46 million (?) of which 17% was Russian.....population in the rural areas must be low as Ukraine is a big country.
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trymer
Joined: November 2018
Posts: 2,386
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Post by trymer on Jul 30, 2023 18:49:59 GMT
Peace talks in Saudia Arabia this week (maybe).
Poland,some backlash against Ukrainian refugees and the grain deal,some supporters at a football match in Wroclaw waving various ant Ukraine / Bandera banners.
Coup in Niger, crowds waving Russian flags and chanting anti France and pro Putin slogans (apparently) another venue on the Wagner tour of Africa ?
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Post by lostinspace on Aug 4, 2023 19:25:46 GMT
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Post by Nobbygas on Aug 4, 2023 20:21:55 GMT
The surprising thing about this is the location !
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trymer
Joined: November 2018
Posts: 2,386
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Post by trymer on Aug 5, 2023 12:17:06 GMT
All good stuff but not a game changer in the war, Russia will put booms across harbours and sail by daylight with better protection for ships. I wonder if these attacks by the Ukes are to compensate for the lack of progress in their offensive. The West need to keep a better watch on Africa,Russia (and China) taking the initiative and these countries coming under their influence are mineral rich.
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trymer
Joined: November 2018
Posts: 2,386
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Post by trymer on Aug 19, 2023 15:02:23 GMT
Not sure what is going on,still reports of fighting "near Robotyne".
Headlines saying that F 16s will be sent to Ukraine,maybe this is a bit of a threat to push on the peace talks. All these weapons that have be sent over there to great acclaim dont seem to be making a huge difference, Himars, Leopards (and other old Western tanks) cluster bombs,the defence lines incorporating a mixture of mines,artillery, AT missiles and obsevation by drones are holding up progress so far.
The display of 'captured' Western weapons at Kubinka last week wasnt covered by a lot of the media here,we dont know if this kit was captured in Ukraine some of it might come from other places.
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Post by Nobbygas on Aug 21, 2023 8:52:20 GMT
Ukraine to get F16's from Denmark and Holland. The numbers have yet to be announced but I would expect it to total something like 80 frames. This could make a huge difference. One of the biggest problems Ukraine has is that it doesn't have air superiority making it almost impossible to provide air support to the ground units. This is hampering the ground offensive as an 'all-arms offense' isn't possible at the moment. We know that Uke pilots have been receiving training on the F-16's in the US. We know that Uke ground crew have been receiving training on NATO standard operational ground support for the F16. Once they get the airframes I think we'll hear about the F16 being used pretty quickly.
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Ukraine
Aug 23, 2023 17:16:52 GMT
via mobile
Post by lostinspace on Aug 23, 2023 17:16:52 GMT
The inevitable...Prighozin is deceased... apparently killed in a plane crash....biggest surprise of the year...not !!
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trymer
Joined: November 2018
Posts: 2,386
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Post by trymer on Aug 23, 2023 17:58:43 GMT
The inevitable...Prighozin is deceased... apparently killed in a plane crash....biggest surprise of the year...not !! He was supposed to be in Africa.... Makes me wonder what would happen if Russia disintegrated...lots of warlords with access to chemical weapons and nukes.
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trymer
Joined: November 2018
Posts: 2,386
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Post by trymer on Aug 23, 2023 18:06:00 GMT
Ukraine to get F16's from Denmark and Holland. The numbers have yet to be announced but I would expect it to total something like 80 frames. This could make a huge difference. One of the biggest problems Ukraine has is that it doesn't have air superiority making it almost impossible to provide air support to the ground units. This is hampering the ground offensive as an 'all-arms offense' isn't possible at the moment. We know that Uke pilots have been receiving training on the F-16's in the US. We know that Uke ground crew have been receiving training on NATO standard operational ground support for the F16. Once they get the airframes I think we'll hear about the F16 being used pretty quickly. I doubt they will get a dozen F16s in Ukraine this year. Although you are correct that the Ukes dont have air superiority neither do the Russians as their air force hasnt really been utilised over Ukraine. Will F16s help the Ukes get through the minefields ? we will see but i am sceptical. The interesting thing about seeing F16s over Ukraine is that we will see what Russian SAMs are capable of, one day there will be shoulder fired missiles (maybe the size of the Panzerfaust 3 AT ) that will lock onto aircraft by type...that will spell the demise of warplanes in the same way as tanks are becoming obsolete.
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trymer
Joined: November 2018
Posts: 2,386
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Post by trymer on Aug 23, 2023 18:10:08 GMT
Interesting article on BBC online news yesterday about conscription in Ukraine, no one is exempt....except for the people who bribe recruitment officials !
On Radio 4 they were talking to various blokes who had been press ganged,no one can leave the country and you have to go to a front line unit even a hare krushna was called up, thats more draconian than WW1 or WW2 conscription, people could go to non combatant units like stretcher bearers etc...probably Ukes so short of men that their scraping the barrel.
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oldie
Joined: September 2021
Posts: 6,957
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Ukraine
Aug 23, 2023 19:35:53 GMT
via mobile
Post by oldie on Aug 23, 2023 19:35:53 GMT
Hare Krushna....the mind boggles... 😂😂😂😂
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trymer
Joined: November 2018
Posts: 2,386
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Post by trymer on Aug 24, 2023 10:21:23 GMT
Lots of speculation on how the demise of Prighozin will effect the war and what will happen to Wagner now,be interesting to see what happens in some Afrriican countries(if anything). Apparently Russia has destroyed tens of thousands of tons of Ukranian wheat in warehouses since the end of the grain deal,that could push prices up everywhere and cause starvation in Africa.
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Post by Nobbygas on Aug 25, 2023 7:05:46 GMT
Interesting article on BBC online news yesterday about conscription in Ukraine, no one is exempt....except for the people who bribe recruitment officials ! On Radio 4 they were talking to various blokes who had been press ganged,no one can leave the country and you have to go to a front line unit even a hare krushna was called up, thats more draconian than WW1 or WW2 conscription, people could go to non combatant units like stretcher bearers etc...probably Ukes so short of men that their scraping the barrel. I did read somewhere that only about 20% of any army are frontline troops. If someone is conscripted it doesn't mean they have to go and fight. It would be detrimental to your own efforts to send de-motivated people to the front. The only people there should be there are the ones who want to be there. There are 1001 other jobs in an army that need doing, especially in the area of things like Logistics.
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Post by Nobbygas on Aug 25, 2023 7:13:02 GMT
"Will F16s help the Ukes get through the minefields ? we will see but i am sceptical." - The problem with minefields is that you have to slow down to clear them and move forward and these areas would already have been zeroed into the Russian artillery. This is not a good thing. The F-16's would be able to help suppress the Russian artillery thereby making it easier to move forward for the Ukes. Another option is the F-16's clear areas of Russian aircraft allowing Uke helicopter gunships to operate against Russian artillery positions. All-Arms Combat remember.
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trymer
Joined: November 2018
Posts: 2,386
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Post by trymer on Aug 26, 2023 13:23:17 GMT
Interesting article on BBC online news yesterday about conscription in Ukraine, no one is exempt....except for the people who bribe recruitment officials ! On Radio 4 they were talking to various blokes who had been press ganged,no one can leave the country and you have to go to a front line unit even a hare krushna was called up, thats more draconian than WW1 or WW2 conscription, people could go to non combatant units like stretcher bearers etc...probably Ukes so short of men that their scraping the barrel. I did read somewhere that only about 20% of any army are frontline troops. If someone is conscripted it doesn't mean they have to go and fight. It would be detrimental to your own efforts to send de-motivated people to the front. The only people there should be there are the ones who want to be there. There are 1001 other jobs in an army that need doing, especially in the area of things like Logistics. I agree with you but it must be remembered that the Ukes have lost lots of soldiers dead and too badly wounded to fight again add to that the men who have left Ukraine and the ones who have paid bribes not to be called up and they must be running low on manpower. I was reading a while back about losses in frontline infantry units in WW2,as you say there is a huge tail to the fighting units,the infantry suffered massive casualties and supporting units (artillery) had to be converted to riflemen enmasse (British army) even the Red army was getting low on potential manpower as they overran p.o.w camps they armed the prisoners and sent them up to the front....same as the Ukes problem,the frontline units need their numbers kept up. The 'Verdun' type battle at Bakhmut earlier this year was probably worse for the Ukes although they lost less men, the Russians lost convicts and new conscripts and they can afford bigger losses. I am convinced that Russia (well Putin anyway) would like a 'forever' war,not only is their bigger pool of manpower a plus for him but also the Ukes cant join NATO whilst they are in a war.
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trymer
Joined: November 2018
Posts: 2,386
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Post by trymer on Aug 26, 2023 13:32:08 GMT
"Will F16s help the Ukes get through the minefields ? we will see but i am sceptical." - The problem with minefields is that you have to slow down to clear them and move forward and these areas would already have been zeroed into the Russian artillery. This is not a good thing. The F-16's would be able to help suppress the Russian artillery thereby making it easier to move forward for the Ukes. Another option is the F-16's clear areas of Russian aircraft allowing Uke helicopter gunships to operate against Russian artillery positions. All-Arms Combat remember. Yes,if the Ukes are trained enough to coordinate their units that is all possible. I dont know how many combat engineers they have but clearing those minefields enough to move armour through is going to be a hard task even if they arent under artillery fire. The real unknown is the Russians AA capability and effectiveness,going to be interesting to see how the F16s fare against Russian SAM's, a bit like the tanks v AT missiles that we have seen. btw we talked earlier in the thread about the future of tanks,according to the press (ahem) Britain now has less MBTs than Switzerland or Madagascar,now I dont know if that is true but I do wonder if Challenger 3 will be cancelled, there are less than 200 to be built anyway but with what we have seen the money might be better spent on other weapons (imo).
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trymer
Joined: November 2018
Posts: 2,386
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Post by trymer on Aug 28, 2023 15:19:43 GMT
The Ukes have taken Robotyne ! Apparently the Russians are moving Guards paratroops to the area to try to stop a Uke breakthrough in the direction of Tokmak. Also a Russian offensive continuing in Kharkov area.
Thats all reported today but again how much of it is true I dont know.
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Post by Nobbygas on Aug 29, 2023 9:26:32 GMT
"Will F16s help the Ukes get through the minefields ? we will see but i am sceptical." - The problem with minefields is that you have to slow down to clear them and move forward and these areas would already have been zeroed into the Russian artillery. This is not a good thing. The F-16's would be able to help suppress the Russian artillery thereby making it easier to move forward for the Ukes. Another option is the F-16's clear areas of Russian aircraft allowing Uke helicopter gunships to operate against Russian artillery positions. All-Arms Combat remember. Yes,if the Ukes are trained enough to coordinate their units that is all possible. I dont know how many combat engineers they have but clearing those minefields enough to move armour through is going to be a hard task even if they arent under artillery fire. The real unknown is the Russians AA capability and effectiveness,going to be interesting to see how the F16s fare against Russian SAM's, a bit like the tanks v AT missiles that we have seen. btw we talked earlier in the thread about the future of tanks,according to the press (ahem) Britain now has less MBTs than Switzerland or Madagascar,now I dont know if that is true but I do wonder if Challenger 3 will be cancelled, there are less than 200 to be built anyway but with what we have seen the money might be better spent on other weapons (imo). Yes, the amount of tanks the UK have is worrying. It is doubtful if the British could even deploy a single armoured division any longer. Defense spending has been woeful for far too long. The same reasons get trotted out by the politicians and Senior defense officers of 'smaller, more agile, harder hitting' and it's all bollocks. The Navy are not doing too badly, with the new Aircraft Carriers and the growth of the Royal Marines. Also the equipment provided to the RM now is outstanding. The RAF are also doing ok with the new F35's, although the heavy lifters are suffering with the insistence of using the A400 and getting rid of the Hercs. The Army however is really suffering. the Ajax programme has been a complete disaster. By the time the Ajax platforms come into service they will be obsolete, and it's doubtful if they'll even work properly. The Army does seem to be stuck in the past and urgently needs reform. I don't know how closely you follow things but just look at what the Royal Navy/Royal Marines have done with the new Littoral Response Groups. The RM have also quietly ditched the SA80.
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Post by Nobbygas on Aug 29, 2023 9:27:15 GMT
The Ukes have taken Robotyne ! Apparently the Russians are moving Guards paratroops to the area to try to stop a Uke breakthrough in the direction of Tokmak. Also a Russian offensive continuing in Kharkov area. Thats all reported today but again how much of it is true I dont know. There does appear to be a lot of scrambling by the Russians in an effort to contain the Uke breakthrough.
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