"All of Vlad's forces and all of Vlad's men, are out to put Humpty together again." (1 Viewer)

[Escuadrilla Azul]

Russian attack helicopters shooting rockets salvo upwards.

Looks like a tactic to extend the range at the cost of precision.

Ukrainian AA fire pretty fearsome for low flying aircraft.

Russian Attack Helicopters Are Now Wildly Lobbing Rockets Over Ukraine (Updated)

While this tactic is likely forced upon Russian helicopters by Ukrainian air defenses, the military value of it is questionable, to say the least.

www.thedrive.com

 

[Snautzer01]

Airborne Katyusha multiple rocket launcher

 

[Admiral Beez]

Russian attack helicopters shooting rockets salvo upwards. Looks like a tactic to extend the range at the cost of precision.

IMO this is an example of a pilot both wanting to survive and not too supportive of the invasion who cleared his rockets into the general direction of the enemy so he can return to base with empty racks, suggesting he's done his duty.

 

[wlewisiii]

IMO this is an example of a pilot both wanting to survive and not too supportive of the invasion who cleared his rockets into the general direction of the enemy so he can return to base with empty racks, suggesting he's done his duty.

And presumably no "gun" cameras showing otherwise...

 

[Admiral Beez]

And presumably no "gun" cameras showing otherwise...

The gunner may have inadvertently switched them off.

 

[Escuadrilla Azul]

The gunner may have inadvertently switched them off.

Twice! Probably malfunction!

 

[ARTESH]

------

Just imagine 40 years later, a 15 years old girl, tweets about the reason behind 3rd world war:

"Who knows? Maybe Putin fell in love with the eyes of an Ukrainian girl?"

------

 

[vikingBerserker]

I bought a new t-shirt last night:

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Perhaps when Mikhail's Navy sails by Turkey.

I love a good pun!

 

[special ed]

But only deterrence against attack on the member nations. NATO has no charter to deter attack anywhere else. From NATO's own website:

Safeguarding the freedom and security of its members

NATO's essential and enduring purpose is to safeguard the freedom and security of all its members by political and military means. Collective defence is at the heart of the Alliance, as set out in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty. NATO's greatest responsibility is to protect and defend Allied territory and populations against attack in a world where peace and security cannot be taken for granted.

Deterrence is a core element of NATO's overall strategy: preventing conflict and war, protecting Allies, maintaining freedom of decision and action, and upholding the principles and values it stands for – individual liberty, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Free societies and the rules-based international order need to be backed by credible transatlantic defence.

NATO's capacity to deter and defend is supported by an appropriate mix of nuclear, conventional, and missile defence capabilities, which complement each other, and is underpinned by an array of civil and military resources to support these capabilities and the posture more broadly. NATO also maintains the freedom of action and flexibility to respond to the full spectrum of challenges with an appropriate and tailored approach.


The capitalized term "Allies" has a specific meaning and relates solely to those countries who are party to the NATO treaty. Other nations who align with NATO but are not signatories of the treaty are termed partners...and you'll note that "partners" does not appear in the description.

I suspect the lawyers among you might see the phrase "Allied territory AND POPULATIONS against attack" as a loophole for protecting ethnic peoples living in a non-NATO country as did Hitler with those Germans in the Sudatenland.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

When the invasion of Ukraine began three weeks ago, many thought it would end quickly because of Russia's military strength. But as the war drags on and Ukraine digs in, two questions are increasingly being asked: Can Ukraine win this war, and what will it take?

[...]

The reason for Russia's lack of battlefield success started before the invasion began and can be attributed to systemic issues, including corruption and poor training, and bad assumptions, said Steven Horrell, a senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA).

Horrell, also a former U.S. naval intelligence officer, thinks Russian President Vladimir Putin saw the attack on Ukraine unfolding in a vastly different way.

"I think Putin truly believed the things that he said about the Ukrainian people welcoming them," Horrell told NPR. "They just failed to understand that the Ukrainian armed forces of 2022 are far different from the Ukrainian armed forces of 2014 when they annexed Crimea and began their adventures in eastern Ukraine."

[...]

Russia wants to control Ukraine and have it be a non-Western leaning state, but Horrell said the Ukrainian people had shown that the invasion alone would not eliminate their Western ideals. And, he said, they would not accept a president who was chosen by Russia.

"That is almost zero chance of occurring now," Horrell said. "And for Ukraine ... you would define victory as the complete expulsion of the Russian invaders, not just this recent invasion, but to get the borders back to 2014 before Crimea was illegally annexed."

[...]

Retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges serves as the Pershing Chair in Strategic Studies at CEPA and said that based on his experience and the reports of Russian ammunition and manpower shortages, the war may culminate in the next week.

"The time challenge for Russia is not just military," Hodges wrote in his analysis on Tuesday. "The effects of sanctions are growing — Russia may soon default on $150 billion of foreign currency debt — and Russian domestic resentment is also growing."

Hodges said the U.S. and other Western powers needed to move with "urgency" to offer more support against Russia.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Putin vows Russia will prevail in Ukraine but glitch hinders TV

LONDON (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin justified the invasion of Ukraine before a packed soccer stadium on Friday but coverage of his speech on state television was unexpectedly interrupted by what the Kremlin said was a technical problem with a server. Speaking on a stage at the...

www.yahoo.com

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Private jets are leaving Russia for Dubai after Putin threatened to purge Russian society of traitors

Many Russians have fled the country since the invasion of Ukraine, citing fears of Russian crackdowns and the country's new economy.

www.yahoo.com

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Russia threatens Bosnia and Herzegovina over NATO membership

A Russian ambassador said Bosnia and Herzegovina could face the same military aggression unleashed on Ukraine if the country joins NATO.

www.yahoo.com

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Russian state TV confirmed on Friday that one of its top commanders died in in Ukraine, CNN reported.

Ukraine's Ministry of Defense claimed on Twitter that its soldiers "eliminated" Col. Sergei Sukharev, commander of the elite 331st Guards Airborne Regiment.

"He took part in the Battle of Ilovaysk in 2014 and 2015, where he committed a war crime," the ministry said, referring to the conflict which saw pro-Ukrainian paramilitaries attempt to capture and restore control over the city.

"The Last Judgment to announce its verdict soon," it added.

Russian television network GTRK Kostroma, citing the Regional Military Commissariat, confirmed that Sukharev had died along with several other members of the unit.

The service members "gave their lives for the security of [Russia]," GTRK Kostroma reported the Commissariat saying, according to CNN.

Confirmation of the death follows several reports of top Russian generals dying in the invasion, which is now 23 days old.

Russia state TV confirms death of top commander

Russian state TV confirmed on Friday that one of its top commanders died in in Ukraine, CNN reported.Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense claimed on Twitter that its soldiers “eliminated” Col. Sergei Sukh…

thehill.com

They'll have corporals leading companies before too long, at this rate.

 

[GrauGeist]

Russia threatens Bosnia and Herzegovina over NATO membership

A Russian ambassador said Bosnia and Herzegovina could face the same military aggression unleashed on Ukraine if the country joins NATO.

www.yahoo.com

And just how does Russia expect deliver on that threat?
Bosnia/Herzegovina is landlocked by Croatia and Montenegro, both being NATO nations and to get to them would mean violating either's borders...

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

And just how does Russia expect deliver on that threat?
Bosnia/Herzegovina is landlocked by Croatia and Montenegro, both being NATO nations and to get to them would mean violating either's borders...

We all know he does not plan on stopping at Ukraine so why not? No point in keeping it a secret.

 

[GrauGeist]

We all know he does not plan on stopping at Ukraine so why not? No point in keeping it a secret.

All Putler needs to do, is watch old CNN footage of the first 72 hours of Operation Desert Storm to see what'll happen to his glorious military if he tries...

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Easiest way to stop a Russian offensive: booby-trap the grocery stores.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

All Putler needs to do, is watch old CNN footage of the first 72 hours of Operation Desert Storm to see what'll happen to his glorious military if he tries...

Agreed, but I think he lives in a delusional world. That makes it a really dangerous situation. He thinks he can do what he wants because he holds the keys to 6000+ nukes.

I would not be surprised if he has some aggressive form of brain cancer that is affecting his ability to think rationally.