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

[Jabberwocky]

Look at Australia now, where Australian coal is sold nearly entirely to China. As an aside, Australian coal is now one of the top global producers of GHG.

Might want to check your facts there Admiral.

Japan, not China, is Australia's largest market for coal exports. Around 120 million tonnes a year. China is second largest market, at around 60-80 million tonnes per year. China accoints for less than 25% of total Australian coal exports - and that share has been falling for three years straight.

Next is South Korea and India, which are usually about 35-45 million tonnes. India will likely take more Australian coal than China this year though, thanks to COVIID-19 and China's limiting of steel production.

Also, Australian coal produces circa 3% of total GHG emissions.

China is Australia's largest market for exports overall - coal, LNG, iron ore, gold and copper. About $150 billion, or nearly half of total exports by value.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Polish MiGs disassembled and donated as "spare" parts?

And reassembled in Ukraine. I like it.

 

[buffnut453]

This arrived in my mailbox labelled Slick Elite Russian tank crew shows how it's done. Not knowing one tank from another I have a suspicion that this is not a Russian tank but I may be wrong. Comments from those who know please.

It's a Russian 2S3 self-propelled artillery piece.

 

[buffnut453]

And reassembled in Ukraine. I like it.

View attachment 666199

I vote that they win the forum's awards for all Group Builds for the foreseeable future.

 

[at6]

Since Russia has decided not to send natural gas to Poland and Bulgaria, there might need to be an "accident" at one of the gas facilities.

 

[MiTasol]

I do not use Farsebook but a lot of people do. I also have my browser set to block adverts and trackers. Since the last browser update all links to Arsebook provide the following message

This to me is great as it shows just how much Farcebook intends to respect your privacy and that my browser is doing what it claims it does.

Czar Zuckerberg has as much tolerance for your wishes as Czar Putin has for the Ukrainian peoples wishes.

My response to both Czars is phuque thee

 

[fubar57]

I had Facebook for about three minutes and then deleted it. I have Instagram to see what my kids and family are up

 

[MiTasol]

Sorry young fella but you DO use facebook - you just do not realize it.

If you do a web search for who owns instagram this is the result you will get

Saying you don't use Farcebook is just like saying I do not drive a Ford, I drive a Mustang.

The same lack of privacy etc etc etc apply at Instagram

 

[GrauGeist]

I've had eff-book since '08 - I suppose dealing with the public (and sales staff) for decades has given me thick skin.

I use it to stay in touch with friends and family all over the world, post cat photos to the cat group I'm in, and start sh!t in a few other groups.

I also get great material for my "history according to random people" thread here, from a few sources there

 

[Jagdflieger]

Interesting article on the history of Moldovia covering the Romania/Moldovia/Transnistria/Ukriane- Russia conundrum.
Written in April 2015 but could have been written yesterday.

https://euromaidanpress.com/2015/04/16/why-romania-will-fight-russia/

Historically this article is total nonsense. The Kingdom of Moldavia already existed 500 years before a Romania was born out of the partly joining by the four Kingdoms
Siebenbuergen, Walachia, Transylvania and Moldavia. Unless someone want's to revert history by 2000 years to the Roman Empire. Which then would make most of Europe
Roman anyway - Oh my God I am Italian?

 

[J_P_C]

This arrived in my mailbox labelled Slick Elite Russian tank crew shows how it's done. Not knowing one tank from another I have a suspicion that this is not a Russian tank but I may be wrong. Comments from those who know please.

actually this is 152mm self propelled gun-hawitzer 2S3 Akatsya,

 

[MiTasol]

actually this is 152mm self propelled gun-hawitzer 2S3 Akatsya,

Thanks

 

[MiTasol]

It's a Russian 2S3 self-propelled artillery piece.

Thanks

 

[MiTasol]

Two articles from US sources show widely differing outcomes and agendas

Congress Clears Bill to Allow Lending Arms to Ukraine (Published 2022)

House passage of the measure, which invoked the World War II-era Lend-Lease Act, sent it to President Biden for his signature.

www.nytimes.com

Congress says $33 billion Ukraine bill will take some time to flesh out | CNN Politics

Republicans and Democrats warn there are many issues that need to be sorted out over President Joe Biden's Ukraine supplemental funding request that officially came Thursday -- including drafting the legislative language -- and the whole process could take weeks until there are final votes in...

edition.cnn.com

 

[Jabberwocky]

Looks like Russia's ground forces have decisively changed tactics over the past 10 days or so.

Gone are the rapid thrusts down single roads to capture population centers from which they could then consolidate territory.

Russia is now applying general pressure across a large area of front and then deploying several reinforced Battalion Tactical Groups (BTGs) to undertake mutually supporting, careful advances in key areas - supported heavily by tube artillery and tactical air power. These BTGs will advance against Ukranian opposition where they can. Sometimes successfully, sometimes not. Then they will be rotated out of the line to for rest and logistics support. Whatever ground they manage to take will be held by other BTGs. Then another couple of BTGs will take up the advance, in a sort of leapfrog style.

So far its been somewhat successful. Russia has advanced south and west from Izyum, south from Lyman and north from Donetsk City.

However, it's also very expensive in terms of matériel and manpower. Not only is Russia heavily expending artillery ammunition, but its also putting a LOT of armoured vehicles into contact with Ukrainian forces. In the last three days, Ukraine claims to have destroyed 55 tanks, 80 IFVs/APCs, 15 tube artillery systems and three missile systems, three aircraft, one helicopter and about a dozen UAVs, as well as about 900 troops killed.*

Of course, this sort of broader front warfare is also expensive for the Ukrainians. But, they've got a defensive advantage in a relatively static tactical situation, so I suspect the exchange rate is heavily in their favour.

To me, Russia's tactics are reminiscent of Britain's 'bite-and-hold' tactics from WW1: Gain local manpower/matériel superiority, advance with heavy support from artillery, take and hold tactical/local objectives and then repeat ad nauseaum. You don't overextend your lines and wander into an ambush, you don't outrun your logistical support, you don't have to worry about rear/flank security (too much) and you continue to pour pressure on an enemy that is overmatched in terms of total strength.

My worry for the Ukrainians is that all these local/tactical successes are going to add up to a major strategic success for Russia at some point. If Russian BTGs continue to advance west from Izyum or north from Donetsk City, there is a real risk they will outflank Ukraine's defences and heavy forces and find themselves facing much more limited opposition. They can then turn south or northwest and channel their BTG reserves into a proper encirclement. This would force Ukraine to redeploy forces away from the line of contact in the west - potentially giving large amounts of ground to do so - or to pull back entirely and abandon Donetsk Oblast.


*To put that into context, the worst year for coalition personnel in Afghanistan was 2010, when 710 people were killed.

 

[MiTasol]

 

[B-17engineer]

It's just interesting the morale difference between Ukraine and Russia. While I was in Ukraine I met a young boy (had just turned 13) and he had told me it was recently his birthday. I asked with the war if he was able to celebrate at all, he ended up telling me he spent his birthday making Czech Hedgehogs with his grandfather and some neighbors. The morale I saw of those staying within the country while I was there was incredible, for lack of a better word. They're willing to lose everything. Was fortunate to meet a lot of interesting people during my 2 weeks there.

I kept a journal of my days there, but due to a couple places I was located and events, I can't put it out on the internet while this is still an active conflict. But I would love to share with you guys at some point!

 

[Snautzer01]

And reassembled in Ukraine. I like it.

View attachment 666199

Ohh god donivanp is doing 1:1 kits now.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

April 29 (Reuters) - Russia used a diesel submarine in the Black Sea to strike Ukrainian military targets with Kalibr cruise missiles, the first time Moscow has announced the use of its submarine fleet to hit its former Soviet neighbour.

The Russian defence ministry released a video showing a volley of Kalibr missiles emerging from the sea and soaring off into the horizon - to what the ministry said were Ukrainian military targets.

This is the first time Russia's military has reported using submarine strikes against Ukrainian targets, Interfax news agency reported on Friday.

Russian submarine strikes Ukraine with cruise missiles, defence ministry says

Russia used a diesel submarine in the Black Sea to strike Ukrainian military targets with Kalibr cruise missiles, the first time Moscow has announced the use of its submarine fleet to hit its former Soviet neighbour.

www.reuters.com

Wait 'til the Ukrainians put sonar on their tractors.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

And --


HONG KONG/BEIJING, April 29 (Reuters) - From countering a Western "information war" during a Taiwan conflict to using "shock and awe" to swiftly subdue the island's forces, Chinese strategists are soaking up lessons from Russia's Ukrainian quagmire, diplomats, scholars and analysts say.

Chinese military experts are discussing the conflict in private chat groups, offering their takes on Western involvement in Ukraine and Russia's perceived failings, say two scholars and four Asian and Western diplomats who are in touch with Chinese strategists.

[...]

"China probably should think about conducting a much stronger and much more comprehensive operation at the very beginning to shock and awe the Taiwanese forces to secure a major advantage," Zhao said, referring to observations from Chinese strategists.


They believe securing that advantage would "deter enemy forces from being willing to intervene", he said.

Singapore-based scholar Collin Koh said such an approach would create its own problems for China's People's Liberation Army.

"If you are going to 'shock and awe' Taiwan with overwhelming force in the initial stages, there might be a lot of civilian casualties," said Koh, of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. That would make occupation difficult and harden international opposition.

[...]

Chinese strategists also worry about how Russia is contending with indirect Western military assistance, a factor China would also face in a Taiwan scenario, say two scholars and four diplomats.

Chinese experts are privately arguing about the need for Beijing to better compete in the so-called information war, which has complicated Russia's position on the battlefield, Zhao said.

Besides isolating Russia economically, Western diplomatic efforts - and reporting on atrocities in the war zone - have made it easier to provide aid for Ukraine and harder for Russia to find outside support.

[...]

"Taiwan would present a far greater logistical challenge than Ukraine, and to ready an invasion force on that scale undetected would be incredibly difficult," said Alexander Neill, who runs a strategic consultancy in Singapore.

[...]

Chinese analysts worry a Chinese invasion across the Taiwan Strait - widely seen as a far greater military challenge - would face similar problems, as it requires smooth co-operation across its recently formed Southern, Eastern and Northern Theatre Commands.

Russia's forces in Ukraine have had command breakdowns and low morale. Analysts say it's unclear how Chinese troops - untested since they invaded northern Vietnam in 1979 - would perform in a modern conflict.

Analysis: Russia's Ukrainian quagmire providing tough lessons for China

From countering a Western "information war" during a Taiwan conflict to using "shock and awe" to swiftly subdue the island's forces, Chinese strategists are soaking up lessons from Russia's Ukrainian quagmire, diplomats, scholars and analysts say.

www.reuters.com

On the one hand, China has the opportunity to learn from Russian mistakes. On the other hand, amphibious assault is one of the toughest evolutions even in peacetime exercises, much less under fire. Much of it depends upon Taiwanese determination and the fighting qualities of the individual Chinese soldier.