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Russian forces conducted another massive series of missile strikes against Ukrainian critical infrastructure on December 29. Ukrainian officials reported that Russian forces launched 69 cruise missiles and 23 drones at Ukraine and that Ukrainian air defenses shot down 54 of the missiles and at least 11 of the drones. Ukrainian sources reported that Russian forces struck targets, primarily infrastructure facilities, in Lviv, Kyiv, Odesa, Kharkiv, and Donetsk oblasts causing widespread disruptions to energy, heating, and water supplies. Russian sources claimed that Russian forces also struck targets in Sumy, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytsky, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhia oblasts. The Belarusian Ministry of Defense claimed that Belarusian air defenses shot down a Ukrainian S-300 air defense missile during the wave of Russian strikes and that wreckage fell onto Belarusian territory. It is currently unclear whether Ukrainian air defenses may have been responding to Russian missile launches from Belarusian territory, which Russian forces have used repeatedly in support of their campaign against Ukrainian critical infrastructure.
If they can build stealth jets, than surely they can build tanks. Discounting your enemy doesn't help the war effort. The truth is based and neutral. If you want to win a war, you have to operate in reality and with accurate intel.
I believe they have maybe ten in service? The new batch maybe added 4 more?
Your source sucks. Those aren't even really stealthy, they are called stealthy by Russia but it is estimated the RCS of an SU-57 is about the same as a clean F-18 Super Hornet, you know those planes US was flying 25 years ago?
See the difference? SU-57 with exposed engines, grilled vents under the intakes, gaps, non-sawtoothed edges, bolts holes, poorly blended inlets that run the length of the body vs. F-22 smooth flat underside, wide leading edges that fatten the radar return when employed, a stealth coating that is so poor it appears to be rusting through in places. It is just a ghetto attempt at a stealth fighter.
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Originally Posted by andywire
If they can build stealth jets, than surely they can build tanks. Discounting your enemy doesn't help the war effort.
I think you're misunderstanding whoever you're referring to on tanks. Russia knows how to build tanks, but the ability to do so has been slowed because of sanctions and there is no way they are building them at anywhere near the replacement rate to how they are losing them. If anything the war has demonstrated that even their most hyped most advanced tanks are quite vulnerable to a simple ATGM.
Jeez, that guy still yowling about Russia and their tank factory? I put him on ignore, but when someone quotes him I can see that he is digging in....... Oh, well.
Another big fire today in St Petersburg. Warehouse of some sort. The Mystery Fires are approaching 60.
Russia builds very few commercial aircraft and spare parts stopped arriving last March. Most international flights have stopped, grounding about 400 aircraft. As a result, cannibalizing aircraft has become a way of doing business in Russia. Passenger activity in country is down 20% and at some point the system of flying by the seat of their pants in aircraft with used parts will become untenable. Can you run a country as big as Russia if aircraft cannot fly? Not much danger soon, though. 400 grounded aircraft is a lot.
Russia will see less than 1.2 million births next year, so doing the obvious math, in 2043 there will be a mere 600,000 20-year-old women in the entire country. That's the lowest in modern history, according to Igor Efremov, a researcher and specialist in demographics at the Gaidar Institute in Moscow. Total deaths in Russia average close to 2 million annually, though that number increased during the pandemic to 2.5M. The war and its associated emigration will result in nearly 2M people lost from the population in 2022. There was a "plan" to reverse population decline by 2023, but that, of course, is now a mere dream. Russia's population will continue to decline. Unlike some other countries, only women can bear children in Russia.
Your source sucks. Those aren't even really stealthy, they are called stealthy by Russia but it is estimated the RCS of an SU-57 is about the same as a clean F-18 Super Hornet, you know those planes US was flying 25 years ago?
See the difference? SU-57 with exposed engines, grilled vents under the intakes, gaps, non-sawtoothed edges, bolts holes, poorly blended inlets that run the length of the body vs. F-22 smooth flat underside, wide leading edges that fatten the radar return when employed, a stealth coating that is so poor it appears to be rusting through in places. It is just a ghetto attempt at a stealth fighter.
I think you're misunderstanding whoever you're referring to on tanks. Russia knows how to build tanks, but the ability to do so has been slowed because of sanctions and there is no way they are building them at anywhere near the replacement rate to how they are losing them. If anything the war has demonstrated that even their most hyped most advanced tanks are quite vulnerable to a simple ATGM.
Hmmm, according to various reports uralvagonzavod or whatever it is called, has been operating in overtime mode for a while now..
In terms of losing them, well, according to Pravda they lost more than they ever had there. So there is that, lol.
Now, on a serious note, I agree, tanks are vulnerable
“Everyone was unprepared for a war. Launching any sort of production requires time. First and foremost, all suppliers, selectors and allied manufacturers should be dealt with,” the Rostec employee says. “Producing tanks requires metal, guns, engines, electronics, communication devices and all sorts of other complex mechanisms and integral units. All those things were purchased based on the actual contracts and cannot be acquired in a snap of a finger. There were no stocks, too; we have a lean manufacturing policy.
Our source working for one of the state corporations in Russia estimates the current Uralvagonzavod’s production capacity at 200–250 tanks a year. The footage of Medvedev’s visit indicates that the new tanks are being assembled manually, and the old ones are being modernised on the stocks. Notably, the old Soviet assembly line provided an annual capacity of thousands of tanks each year. The workers at the factory make jokes that their tanks are handmade as they speak to the Novaya-Europe reporter unofficially.
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Uralvagonzavod used to deliver tanks in dozens but handing in a batch of 5 or 10 tanks to the army is somewhat common these days. The factory is now focused on producing T-72B3M tanks, although a set of modern T-90M appeared on the Internet recently. Ukraine’s servicemen have already captured some of those. It’s difficult to make up a worse marketing campaign than the newest Russian tanks getting put out of action using old rocket launchers and anti-tank missiles. Russia’s Defence Ministry might be in possession of up to eight thousand tanks of different models, from T-62 to T-80, preserved in storage, as per Volya, a Telegram channel. Volya tried to figure out how many tanks are in Russia’s use, and found out that up to 90% of the depreserved vehicles require mandatory modernisation. According to the channel’s calculations, Russia’s tank industry is currently capable of producing up to 250 new vehicles and modernising up to 600 old ones each year.
I make no claims on the accuracy of this source, but an interesting read to chew on. Obviously if Russia can put 250 new and 600 refurbished tanks into the war per year, and has lost 3,000 in ten months then something has to eventually give, assuming (I know, grain of salt) both production numbers and casualty numbers are anywhere near accurate. Even if they can add 1,000 more tanks year and the casualty numbers are inflated by double, you've still got a shortfall of over 500 tanks annually eating into their active stock.
Also, more and more sources are talking about US considering sending M2 Bradleys to Ukraine. Who knows if this will pan out or when but I believe IFVs like M2 is exactly what Ukraine needs on the offensive. They can move troops quickly over long distances, can bring suppressive fire with the 25mm chain gun, and have the sensors and TOW missiles to be a serious threat to main battle tanks. It is often claimed that M2 Bradleys destroyed more opposing Iraqi main battle tanks than M1 Abrams.
It makes sense for USA too, they have thousands of them but don't need as many due to changes in doctrine with stryker brigades, plus they are actively looking for a replacement.
Of course, that was not the case here. There was no expressed intent to "move on" Russia.
Depends really. If by "venture to where they are..." includes crossing their border; and if by "engage them preemptively", you mean use military forces to shell civilian targets across their border and also attempt to destroy their military capability; and if by "in a defensive move" you mean attack a country that has made no move against you and you have actually pledged to defend....well, I would call that an invasion.
And you know it.
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Originally Posted by fishbrains
Unless Putin had dramatically misjudged the capability of his military and the willpower of the Ukrainians. In which case, it would look exactly like the past 11 months.
That isn't what led up...or what happened initially.
Putin tried to achieve a diplomatic resolution.
Before & after.
The West...that wants war for the commercial & geopolitical benefits...rejected the peace proposals.
If you educate yourself on it...instead of just going with the propaganda and spun rhetoric...you will gain greater knowledge & understanding.
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