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This is getting interesting ... fetching popcorn ...
"We are Russians just like you. We are people just like you. We want our children to grow up in piece and be free people, so that they can travel, study and just be happy in a free country. But this has no place in today's Putin's Russia, rotten from corruption, lies, censorship, restrictions on freedoms, repressions. In that Russia where a person's life means less than an official's wallet. In that Russia where a separate railway is being laid to the residence of the bunker grandfather instead of repairing roads in the regions. In a dictatorial country where children are separated from their parents for calling for peace, and teenagers are given life sentences. It's time to put an end to the Kremlin's dictatorship. Thanks to all those who support us. To everyone who sends us donations and smokes where necessary. Your support is what every day reminds us of our final goal on Red Square [in Moscow]. Be brave and don't be afraid, because we are coming home. Russia will be free!"
View: https://twitter.com/legion_svoboda/status/1660554769121812480
Can anyone more proficent in Russian confirm translation?
Also on their telegram channel they wrote:
"Residents of the border regions!
Stay at home, don't resist and don't be afraid: we are not your enemies. Unlike Putin's zombies, we don't touch civilians and don't use them for our own purposes. Freedom is near!
To everyone who follows us: soon all the details, stay in touch.
"L"
For Russia! For freedom!"
I'm talking about the A10.The F-16 was designed in the same era.
As for facing threats, the F-16 has one advantage -- speed, but you can't outrun a missile. It also has one (as opposed to two) engines, slung under (rather than over) the fuselage.
I grant that 400 kts is not a lot of get-away, but that's more about enemy fighters than missiles.
Like I said earlier, I get the problems with survivability going low and slow over the battlefield, but those problems are going to affect any non-stealthy platform doing CAS/BAI with loitering being something of a requirement.
I'm talking about the A10.
Embarrassing for the Russians is that Gayvoron is a location where nuclear ammunitions are said to be stockpiled.This might get spicy (Source: BBC):
The governor of Russian Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, says a group of Ukrainian soldiers has crossed the border into his region, which lies just north of Ukraine's second city, Kharkiv.
"A reconnaissance and subversive group of the Ukrainian armed forces has entered Gayvoron district. The Russian armed forces together with the border force, National Guard and FSB are taking steps necessary to liquidate the enemy," he said on Telegram.
Videos circulating online appear to show military vehicles - including a US-made Humvee of the type used by Ukraine - entering Russia's Gayvoron checkpoint on the border with Ukraine.
The BBC has confirmed the location shown in the videos by comparing the distinctive buildings shown in them to those in publicly available satellite imagery showing the checkpoint. We have also confirmed they were uploaded earlier today by using software which checks them against existing videos on the internet - it found nothing posted before today matched them.
Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) has confirmed that an operation was under way in Belgorod region, and said that it only involved units comprised of Russian nationals fighting for Ukraine.
"The Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion, which comprise Russian citizens, have today started an operation to liberate these parts of Belgorod region from the so-called Putin regime and push the enemy back to create a certain security strip to protect Ukrainian civilians," GUR spokesman Andriy Yusov told Suspilne TV.
In the past, Ukraine has generally neither confirmed or denied operations that appeared to target Russian territory.
On a slightly more serious note, this sort of event is going to blow a huge hole in Putins attempt to control the story. Many thousands of people are going to start reacting to the fighting at Belgorod. They in turn are going to tell thousands of their family and friends about what is happening.
If true that might easily turn to a panicJust seen a video of the Belgorod governor urging the population to evacuate.
If true that might easily turn to a panic
On a slightly more serious note, this sort of event is going to blow a huge hole in Putins attempt to control the story. Many thousands of people are going to start reacting to the fighting at Belgorod. They in turn are going to tell thousands of their family and friends about what is happening.
Its one thing when the fighting isn't going well in a distant country, but when its close to home, the fantasy that the war is going well and to plan, is lot more difficult to sell.
As much as I'd like to agree, I think the Russian government's control of the internal narrative can handle this -- let's face it -- pinprick attack. Yes, there will be word of mouth, but I'm pretty sure that's been going along for the last sixteen months anyway, with little to show for it. The autumn offensive didn't move the public-opinion dial in Russia much at all, even though it required an additional conscription affecting 300,000 families directly. Why would this get more headway? Recall too the traffic jams in Crimea last year after Ukrainian attacks ... didn't move public opinion.
Greg Boeser , I'm not sure this is any escalation at all. Maybe Russia might issue more "dire threats", but that and four bucks will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks. It could have the benefit of redirecting rear echelons away from threatened areas, though -- that's a good thing.