Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-23 and Invasion

[Razgovory]

Russian is the language of love.

Russian has 5 vowel sounds: 2 sleepy and 3 drunk.

[Razgovory]

The Russian internal propaganda may be getting a bit thin in places...

The Ukrainian destruction of significant elements of a Russian motorized rifle brigade that tried to cross a pontoon bridge over the Siverskyi Donets River on May 11 has shocked prominent Russian milbloggers. Those bloggers have begun commenting on the incompetence of the Russian military to their hundreds of thousands of followers.

https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-may-14

Wait, most of the vehicles destroyed were amphibious.  Why did they need a bridge for those to cross?

[Josquius]

The Russian internal propaganda may be getting a bit thin in places...

The Ukrainian destruction of significant elements of a Russian motorized rifle brigade that tried to cross a pontoon bridge over the Siverskyi Donets River on May 11 has shocked prominent Russian milbloggers. Those bloggers have begun commenting on the incompetence of the Russian military to their hundreds of thousands of followers.

https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-may-14

Wait, most of the vehicles destroyed were amphibious.  Why did they need a bridge for those to cross?

Beca... Well... You see.... Silence you!

I guess they were forming a bridgehead to make the bridge for regular vehicles?

[grumbler]

The AFVs were amphibious, but couldn't hold ground without the support of tanks, artillery, and supply vehicles, all of which needed a bridge.

[PDH]

Wait, most of the vehicles destroyed were amphibious.  Why did they need a bridge for those to cross?

The tanks are "Wading tanks" in that the can cross water with a snorkel and support on leaving side, if I recall correctly - this means in an opposed crossing they don't wade.  The BMPs and other APCs have been listed as "amphibious" since they were introduced, and they have always crossed water like a brick.

[HisMajestyBOB]

That's a pretty low level to be managing at for a head of state.  I can see why he's so desperate to reduce the number of functional units in Ukraine, the sheer amount of workload he's taking on is unsustainable and has to be reduced somehow.

Fortunately, the Ukrainians are helping reduce that workload. Soon it will reach a manageable level.

[Razgovory]

The AFVs were amphibious, but couldn't hold ground without the support of tanks, artillery, and supply vehicles, all of which needed a bridge.

Wait, most of the vehicles destroyed were amphibious.  Why did they need a bridge for those to cross?

The tanks are "Wading tanks" in that the can cross water with a snorkel and support on leaving side, if I recall correctly - this means in an opposed crossing they don't wade.  The BMPs and other APCs have been listed as "amphibious" since they were introduced, and they have always crossed water like a brick.

Ah.  So amphibious is more aspirational than practical.

[DGuller]

The AFVs were amphibious, but couldn't hold ground without the support of tanks, artillery, and supply vehicles, all of which needed a bridge.

Wait, most of the vehicles destroyed were amphibious.  Why did they need a bridge for those to cross?

The tanks are "Wading tanks" in that the can cross water with a snorkel and support on leaving side, if I recall correctly - this means in an opposed crossing they don't wade.  The BMPs and other APCs have been listed as "amphibious" since they were introduced, and they have always crossed water like a brick.

Ah.  So amphibious is more aspirational than practical.

Yes, they aspirate water.

[viper37]

That's a pretty low level to be managing at for a head of state.  I can see why he's so desperate to reduce the number of functional units in Ukraine, the sheer amount of workload he's taking on is unsustainable and has to be reduced somehow.

He is a practical man.  Ukraine has been downing Russian generals at an unprecedented rate.  Better to be a lowly colonel, they're not important enough for drone strikes

[jimmy olsen]

I was wondering why they weren't issued AKs. Surely the Russian armories can't be lacking even half-functional rifles?

Maybe all the AKs were sold to 3rd world rebels, pirates and American military "surplus" stores.

[Eddie Teach]

I was wondering why they weren't issued AKs. Surely the Russian armories can't be lacking even half-functional rifles?

Maybe all the AKs were sold to 3rd world rebels, pirates and American military "surplus" stores.

Well, we certainly don't have a deficit of guns.

[FunkMonk]

On lessons learned: I'm wondering if China is looking at the fact the two of the three major military powers (US, Russia, China) launched massive wars this century, only for them to turn into massive disasters, and is thinking "Yes, I want to do that."

War is the great fucker. It cares not for your intentions or preparations. It cannot be controlled. On paper and in computers all the numbers say you'll win easily. But the thing you least thought about beforehand will end up killing you because you thought war was actually a good idea.

Fucking morons. 

[Barrister]

That article is very spot on.

Also interesting on him, from Alexander Clarkson:

Alexander Clarkson
@APHClarkson
Khodaryonok worked in the Operational Command of the General Staff under Yeltsin and has been a defence journo for years. State media editors will known his views, and that he won't be touched because of his former role, but invited him on anyway. As interesting as his comments

Not my observation, but I've seen it said repeatedly that you don't get on Russian TV without getting permission for what you're going to say.

Note of course he never blamed the Putin government for being in this position.  More likely he's being used to soften up public opinion for the "special military operation" not going well.

[Barrister]

Some hints that after the Mariupol defenders finally surrendered after being promised to be part of a prisoner exchange, Russia may declare the Azov Regiment (which many of them were members of) a terrorist organization, and then refuse to hand them over.

[grumbler]

Some hints that after the Mariupol defenders finally surrendered after being promised to be part of a prisoner exchange, Russia may declare the Azov Regiment (which many of them were members of) a terrorist organization, and then refuse to hand them over.

That would be the least surprising decision ever.  There's no way the Kremlin could claim they were "de-Nazifying" Ukraine and leave any member of the Azov regiment that falls into their hands alive.

In general, though, the Russian termination of prisoner exchanges will work in Ukraine's favor.