"All of Vlad's forces and all of Vlad's men, are out to put Humpty together again." (69 Viewers)

Snautzer01 said:
I would like to donate a shell to the cause. Cant afford an A-10. Why isnt there a site where i can order one with my name on it. Bet you quite a few dollars i am not the only one.


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

Australian supplied guns in action: Source: Vasyl Myroshnychenko, Ukrainian Ambassador to Australia and New Zealand
ww2aircraft.net ww2aircraft.net
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Here you are.
 
ThomasP said:
Supply to Ukraine from European NATO nations is ongoing, as it is from the US and other nations around the world.

The UAF engaged in combat within Ukraine have absorbed nearly all that they can at this point in time, aside from the ongoing need for expendables and a trickle of replacement personnel and equipment. There is a continuing small but significant indigenous build-up of strength via expansion of existing units, and the addition of some newly formed units.

Enough small arms, web gear, and personal kit (including protective vests) for over 500,000 troops has been transferred but not yet deployed within Ukraine.

The numbers of Javelin and NLAW sent to Ukraine have been highly publicized, but there have been even more AT-4 and LAW type weapons sent. At one point about 2 months ago it was reported that there were 10x AT weapons for every operational tank in the entire Russian army.

Additional tranches of supply are being worked up, with the amounts being decided on by NATO or by individual nations alone and/or in concert with NATO, based on what the countries feel they can readily afford (both in cost and in terms of maintaining operational capability). Contracts for additional production of many of the types of munitions being supplied have been let. Some of the manufacturers here in the US have been running expanded and/or additional shifts for several months.

Training of units of varying size is being performed at dispersed sites around NATO and in other countries. This includes additional heavy equipment like HIMARS/MLRS and the new NASAMS units. Most sites are not being publicized, although a few like the infantry and artillery training bases in the UK have had some press coverage. Entire combat maneuver units are being trained and worked up to operational status, as well as the accompanying logistic and maintenance support units. SOF and other specialized units are also being trained.

As I mentioned upthread, Ukrainian pilots are already being trained on Western airframes.

There is a mostly quiet but amazingly solid methodology being employed in the planning and implementation of the build-up of the UAF - in concert with the effects of sanctions on the ability of the RF to produce - the primary focus being to keep Ukrainian manpower losses to a minimum while accomplishing the goal of reducing the RF military to the point where they are either unable or unwilling to continue the war.

Whether things will work out as we would like them to, or not, is of course open to question - but I would not go placing any bets against Ukraine etal just yet.
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Good commentary, thank you.👍
By the way, about training... Numbers just released.
"over 4,000 persons trained in 14 countries...
2,000 - tube artillery, 500 - rocket artillery, 500 - anti-air defence, almost 200 - maintenance of anti-tank weapons, almost 200 - maintenance of radar systems."
 
buffnut453 said:
Interesting development on the sanctions front. The G7 has agreed a cap on Russian fuel costs (details from BBC):

Group of Seven (G7) finance ministers have announced they plan to implement a price cap on Russian oil.
The cap will help fight inflation while delivering a blow to Moscow's ability to finance the war in Ukraine, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says.
The oil price cap plan is "specifically designed" to reduce Russian revenues and its ability to "fund its war of aggression", according to the agreement.
The full document from G7 finance ministers also says it is designed to limit the "impact of Russia's war on global energy prices, particularly for low and middle-income countries".
It claims this will work by "only permitting service providers to continue to do business related to Russian seaborne oil and petroleum products sold at or below the price cap".
This will be achieved, the document says, by preventing shipping companies from transporting Russian oil via the sea unless it has been purchased at below the price cap.
There is no detail yet at what level the cap will be set, but the document says this will be "publicly communicated in a clear and transparent manner".


Of course, Russia doesn't like it and had already threatened responses before the G7 decision:

Before the G7 announcement today, the Kremlin warned that imposing a price cap on Russian oil exports would trigger Russian retaliation.
"Companies that impose a price cap will not be among the recipients of Russian oil," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
The aim of the price ceiling is to curb Russian oil profits that are helping to finance Russia's war in Ukraine.
"The adoption of such a decision will lead to significant destabilisation of the oil markets," Peskov warned.
World prices for oil and gas have soared amid energy shortages linked to the Ukraine war - although the price of oil has fallen since its June peak.
The EU plans to impose an embargo on Russian crude oil from 5 December. It will apply to crude shipped by tanker and most piped supplies.
China and India - major trading partners for Russia - may not follow G7 policy on Russian oil, analysts say. They have not joined the Western sanctions targeting Russia.
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Doesn't mean a thing to Russia so long as India and China refuse sanctions and ignore embargo - which they wll continue to do. There is a global political element/faction determined to end fossil fuels imbedded in G7.

The People in those (and our) countries would love a 'cap' on fuel prices but how exactly CAN G7 implement a price cap? Sanctions have not - an will not work. Folks are buying and hoarding coal for the upcoming winter. Euro companies need natural gas and diesel fuel. Think adequate supplies of natural gas will be available in EU if not supplemented by Russia?

Think OPEC is in line with price caps?

Looks like a Kabuki dance to me.
 
drgondog said:
Doesn't mean a thing to Russia so long as India and China refuse sanctions and ignore embargo - which they wll continue to do. There is a global political element/faction determined to end fossil fuels imbedded in G7.

The People in those (and our) countries would love a 'cap' on fuel prices but how exactly CAN G7 implement a price cap? Sanctions have not - an will not work. Folks are buying and hoarding coal for the upcoming winter. Euro companies need natural gas and diesel fuel. Think adequate supplies of natural gas will be available in EU if not supplemented by Russia?

Think OPEC is in line with price caps?

Looks like a Kabuki dance to me.
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'Fraid I disagree with you. China and India may ignore the embargo and refuse sanctions....but there's no way they can make up for the 2 million barrels per day that went to Europe via dedicated pipelines before the invasion. China and India can take some of Russia's oil but they can't take that amount. Europe absolutely will have a terrible winter this year, and they almost certainly will have to take Russian oil and gas. However, this isn't a binary "all or nothing" situation. If Europe can reduce its demand on Russian oil and gas, then it reduces Moscow's leverage. The less oil and gas that Europe uses, the more Russia will have to find alternate customers which (a) don't really exist, and (b) requires a huge increase in ocean-going tankers to transport the fuel.

I suspect the G7 cap is as much about seeking to reduce cost impacts on domestic energy users than an attempt at tweaking Putler's nose. I share some skepticism about the likelihood of success...but doing nothing guarantees that average citizens will suffer. OPEC certainly can make its own decisions but its member nations also want to be perceived as being on the side of right, even if they aren't willing to outright jump on the sanctions bandwagon. OPEC intransigence and profiteering may achieve some short-term financial gain but it will prove extremely damaging in the long term...and OPEC can't ignore the "futures" aspect of business.

I'd like to understand the rationale for your statement "sanctions have not and will not work." What's your definition for sanctions actually working? Also, what's your evidence that they aren't working?

Sanctions aren't a silver bullet that will bring Russia to the negotiating table, complete with having to negotiate from a position of weakness. However, it seems pretty clear that sanctions ARE working to the extent that they can. They've effectively isolated Russia from its biggest markets, they've prevented the transfer of technology, and hindered Russia's ability to manufacture replacement weapon systems for the war they started.
 
According to Gazprom, this is what's causing all the problems (Source BBC). They call it an oil leak. Looks to me like someone spilled their morning coffee:

1662149760618.png
 
European leaders have, unsurprisingly, poured scorn (laced with skepticism) on Russia's claim that an oil leak has closed down the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. Now Siemens is piling on and calling Moscow's bluff:

As we've been reporting, European leaders have cast doubt on Russia's stated reasons for keeping the Nord Stream 1 pipeline closed.
Now Siemens Energy - the German firm that has assisted with maintenance of the Nord Stream pipeline - has told Reuters that oil leaks do not normally impact the operation of the turbine.
"Such leaks do not normally affect the operation of a turbine and can be sealed on site. It is a routine procedure within the scope of maintenance work," the company said.
"In the past, too, the occurrence of this type of leak has not led to a shutdown of operations.
"Irrespective of this, we have already pointed out several times that there are sufficient other turbines available at the Portovaya compressor station for Nord Stream 1 to operate."
 
GTX said:
www.abc.net.au

Russia scraps Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline reopening, stoking European fuel fears

Gazprom, the state-controlled firm with a monopoly on Russian gas exports, says it could not safely restart deliveries until it had fixed an oil leak found in a vital turbine.
www.abc.net.au www.abc.net.au
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Happily not thinking this through, I like the idea of Russia shutting off the gas. Just rip the Band-Aid off in one quick move. Europe may be realizing it shouldn't have made itself energy dependent on Russia. Europeans will be in for a hard time. They will be in for another hard time when Putin decides for a more substantial route into Kaliningrad or the Zaporizhzhia Oblast is Russkiy Mir. If putler plays economic hardball, well, look at who he's up against. Tougher times for all. Less for some, more for others. Russia, however, will really start hurting. Those daily billions Russia makes? Most of that goes to putler via his shrinking circle of oligarchs. Boris and Ludmilla Drunkenskiya aren't going to see any petrodollars. The bucks coming in needed to run the show probably isn't enough either.
 
buffnut453 said:
'Fraid I disagree with you. China and India may ignore the embargo and refuse sanctions....but there's no way they can make up for the 2 million barrels per day that went to Europe via dedicated pipelines before the invasion. China and India can take some of Russia's oil but they can't take that amount. Europe absolutely will have a terrible winter this year, and they almost certainly will have to take Russian oil and gas. However, this isn't a binary "all or nothing" situation. If Europe can reduce its demand on Russian oil and gas, then it reduces Moscow's leverage. The less oil and gas that Europe uses, the more Russia will have to find alternate customers which (a) don't really exist, and (b) requires a huge increase in ocean-going tankers to transport the fuel.

I suspect the G7 cap is as much about seeking to reduce cost impacts on domestic energy users than an attempt at tweaking Putler's nose. I share some skepticism about the likelihood of success...but doing nothing guarantees that average citizens will suffer. OPEC certainly can make its own decisions but its member nations also want to be perceived as being on the side of right, even if they aren't willing to outright jump on the sanctions bandwagon. OPEC intransigence and profiteering may achieve some short-term financial gain but it will prove extremely damaging in the long term...and OPEC can't ignore the "futures" aspect of business.

I'd like to understand the rationale for your statement "sanctions have not and will not work." What's your definition for sanctions actually working? Also, what's your evidence that they aren't working?

Sanctions aren't a silver bullet that will bring Russia to the negotiating table, complete with having to negotiate from a position of weakness. However, it seems pretty clear that sanctions ARE working to the extent that they can. They've effectively isolated Russia from its biggest markets, they've prevented the transfer of technology, and hindered Russia's ability to manufacture replacement weapon systems for the war they started.
Click to expand...
OK to disagree. 2-3X price for Gas and Fuel makes up for reduced deliveries. Russia can afford to a.) not ship fertilizer to US/Europe and b.) Shut Nord down completely. All OPEC has to do to a.) Help Russia, and b.) Help themselves, is to reduce output - which they very much intend to do. Iran and Veneuela will continue to produce. What is G7 going to do? Only agree to a phantom price resulting in zero no deliveries - with winter coming to Northern Europe, US/Canada and UK? Who can sustain daily operations better going forward - Russia or the West?

Setting a cap works how - if Russia, Opec and Venezuela/Iran don't fall in line with the cap? You may have missed the memo but OPEC will have no problem ignoring 'futures' unless Global Demand drops catastrophically (i.e. Great Recession/Depression) and the politicians holding the bag trying to explain their own self destruction on Russia will get lame. Don't get me wrong, I am NOT pro Russia. They simply are holding a better hand in this game of Russian Roulette

Everybody (politicians) 'want to stop inflation' because their PEOPLE are getting crushed - but high cost of fuel is just one link in the supply chain disasters across the globe. For the US the policy decisions to 'let them eat cake and buy EV' by trying to force US Producers out of business by killing drilling permits vital to new production of Natural Gas and crude - while killing coal and nuclear power - has artificially driven US producers away from keeping US self sufficient.

I made comments about the Grid. Texas is the most important nodes in the US Energy Grid. We almost took the US down when our feeble wind/solar power supply 2% power generation failed 18 mo ago.We have not fortified sufficiently in that timeframe to guarantee successful navigation through the same events. Some of the Americans on this forum have no fundamental understanding of the fuel for the Grid. Gas has largely replaced Coal (which is abundantly in supply but most plants have been shut down). Nuclear is being shut down. Exploration for Natural Gas via Drilling permits have been shut down. There will be zero return to normalcy in Energy grid supply if we have a major catastrophe and have to fire up coal as a backstop.

Our UK posters may wish to chime in re: Firing up coal power generation in time for winter. Ditto our German friends?

If folks think their monthly energy bill is outrageous, hide and watch a country forced out of gasoline driven transportation into 'light socket charging' when mass EV demand hits the Grid. As quoted in Ghostbusters "Who ya gonna call"?

Farmers and truckers (read food and goods to big cities) are getting crushed with skyrocketing costs to stay in business,.. and those that are still in business will continue to raise prices to each of us. The point is - price reductions have somewhat alleviated the pain but only slowed the inflation trajectory - not reversed it and the big city dwellers will be the first victims of the Perfect Storm.

Oh I forgot the 'new wave of Pandemics' including son of Covid, Monkeypox, donkey and zebra pox, etc - as an excuse to keep rioters off the streets.

IMO

I'm pleased to accept the 'tinfoil hat' monicker and delighted that those that feel that way also think their leaders in US, UK, Australia/New Zealand and Canada have 'got this'.
 
MiTasol said:
in those days there were six very distinct Maori languages.
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As determined not specifically by Maori themselves, I might add. Different tribal areas had different dialects that defined where people came from, and there were a lot more than six. It's worth remembering that Maori was only a spoken language, the people themselves never wrote it and expressed themselves through objects and carvings rather than in an alphabet. It is only through English interpretation that Maori in its written form exists, which should tell you something about why it is expressed the way it is these days.

MiTasol said:
Being different for the sake of being different is what can best be described as arogant petty barstardry and does nothing for international relations. And yes the Maori are no different to the Yanks on that
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You might be being a little bit harsh. I am aware of the complications of cultural awareness being driven by societal expectation, but Maori themselves celebrate this simply for the reason I mentioned earlier. Much of the problem you experience comes from the powers-that-be setting the rules (not specifically Maori themselves) in kowtowing to public expectation and doing it as lip service, rather than for any well-meaning actions of righting cultural wrongdoings. The opinions of those who weren't under restriction of how their language evolved over the years have the luxury of criticising how that language gets used in a modern context, but when you have had that subjugation it takes on a whole new meaning and seeing your language emblazoned on public buildings etc means a whole lot more if you were not allowed to speak it when you were growing up. Remember, this stuff happened in our lifetime.

I do cringe with the use of words that are sensitively described as "transliterating" English words into Maori, but it is no different to Katakana in translating a foreign word into usable text in Japanese language. For example, the Japanese word for windshield on a car is "furanto gurasu" the word for ice cream on a cone is "sofuto skupu ais-kurim". do we hold the same prejudice against the Japanese for creating a whole branch of their language specifically for use of foreign expressions? Also, English? Hmmmm... In the words of the eminently quotable George Dubya Bush "There is no French word for entrepreneur..."
 
SaparotRob said:
Happily not thinking this through, I like the idea of Russia shutting off the gas. Just rip the Band-Aid off in one quick move.
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Yep. Europe has dealt with much harder shocks than a lack of fuel, such as repairing total destruction in 1945 and reunification at end of the Cold War. Germany and the Euros will overcome this short term mega shock. Meanwhile, Russia can neither easily sell their gas to others nor stop production.

 
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nuuumannn said:
Maori themselves celebrate this simply for the reason I mentioned earlier…
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Just to try to make some relevance to our topic at hand, throughout their rule, the Russians tried to eradicate Ukraine's distinct language. Conquerors often understand that to truly conquer another people you must eliminate their language and cultural distinctions, forcing assimilation. That's exactly what we tried to do in what became Canada to our indigenous people, where we would kidnap their children and force them into Uyghur-like indoctrination camps. But Russia's invasion has done the exact oppostite, bringing Ukraine's distinct language and culture to the world's attention and ignited nationalist sentiment across Ukraine and its diaspora.
 
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Admiral Beez said:
But Russia's invasion has done the exact oppostite, bringing Ukraine's distinct language and culture to the world's attention and ignited nationalist sentiment across the Ukraine and its diaspora.
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Simply because Ukraine has the means and support from the rest of the world to combat Russian oppression. The Uighurs, Maori, Australian Aboriginals, native Americans etc didn't have Baykar Bayraktars... :D Sorry to side track from the discussion, everyone.
 
nuuumannn said:
Simply because Ukraine has the means and support from the rest of the world to combat Russian oppression. The Uighurs, Maori, Australian Aboriginals, native Americans etc didn't have Baykar Bayraktars... :D Sorry to side track from the discussion, everyone.
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The big difference is domestic vs international.
 
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