Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules
Interesting piece by AP on how the Russian state controls the populace:
The cyber gulag: How Russia tracks, censors and controls its citizens
It's becoming increasingly difficult for Russians to escape government scrutiny. Authorities monitor social media accounts, prosecuting critics of President Vladimir Putin or the war in Ukraine.apnews.com
I totally agree and strongly suspect that Ukraine will be 'flexible' around use by dates"A weapon unused is a useless weapon."
General Sline
Ukraine war: Russia says it thwarted major Ukrainian offensive
Kyiv hasn’t responded to the claim, the latest sign an expected Ukrainian counter-offensive may have begun.www.bbc.com
True for the Russians, but the Ukrainians do what they can with Russian donor tanks.Russian tank refurbishment is not going to keep up with this.
How America Rebuilds And Upgrades The Mighty M1 Tank
I hope that Leo was on the rapid move along that path, otherwise exposing your thinner slide armour to the enemy seems unwise.On a side note Leopard tanks have reportedly been spoted in combat.
No but American repair teams hosed out and repainted the white internal paint on a lot of battle damaged Shermans in WWII Europe (Despite the reputation, relatively few actually burned). Occasionally there were complaints that they missed something as the refurbished vehicle would have a bad stench for quite awhile.True for the Russians, but the Ukrainians do what they can with Russian donor tanks.
The Ukraine repair shop: where Russian tanks go to change sides
Western supplies of Leopards and Challengers have made the news, but the biggest donor is the enemywww.theguardian.com
Gesturing towards a T-72B3, covered in dry leaves, and bearing evidence of battle in the form of warped and battered armour, "It took a direct hit on its turret," says Anatoly. "The firing system was damaged too." They plan to get it back on its tracks in swift time, with added armour. There is little time for sentiment. Did Russian soldiers die in it? "I don't know, I suppose so. There were arms and legs in it. Lots of blood."
I don't imagine the folks at the Abrams refurb plant ever had to scrap arms and legs out before beadblasting.
As far as I know the picture is for ilustrative purposes only and does not show a leo (at least it shows a tank). Looks like a Ukranian T-something, Could be anything upto t-90, either from their arsenal or captured from russians.I hope that Leo was on the rapid move along that path, otherwise exposing your thinner slide armour to the enemy seems unwise.