Ukraine War. 2022-

Sadly "many a fine word said in jest".....

 

Calm before the storm?
This has become a media war like so many in the past. Dashing hopes and raising emotions.
What is really going on, only history will tell.

 

Written by a Ukrainian official or SPAD on the RUSI website: 'Russia's Ukraine Invasion: The Most Dangerous Phase is Upon Us' and it opens with:

Then ends with:

Link: https://rusi.org/explore-our-resear...ukraine-invasion-most-dangerous-phase-upon-us

Slightly different a second RUSI commentary on the impact on the British Army by staff member Dr. Jack Watling, he ends with a rather direct passage:

Link: https://rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/rearming-british-army

 

Nothing that many of us were not aware of, whatever our politics. RUSI were warning of this for the last Forty or more years.
At least B.J. will know by now that the Army wasn't just angling for funding for new silver in the Officers Mess.
If Ukraine and the rest of Europe had only kept up with the news over the last eight years, they might have changed strategies and tactics.

 

Send artillery in the thousands and shells in the millions. Nothing short of that will do,

 

T-62 in the latest style. Mad Max meets Shadowrun.
But it's no laughing matter: That's still a few tons of armoured steel with considerable destructive potential left, for which you need something with decent punch - and Ivan can still dig up a whole lot of these veterans from his arsenals

 

Veterans they might be but they will give Western accountants a headache if they keep hitting them with the latest missiles rather than RPG 7's. One thing Ivan was always good at was his innovation to reuse old kit or at least lend it to his low maintenance allies. Whatever happened to all those Rapier AA systems we had or are we going to need them for home defence sooner rather than later.

Edit: Just goes to prove that old systems never die, they go into storage and get modified.

Rapier (missile) - Wikipedia

 

For those wondering what happened to the Z Team


It appears they are recovering in hospital

 

Three days ago recently retired Australian General on Twitter provided an assessment, it is available via: Thread by @WarintheFuture on Thread Reader App

 

So many experts, so much advice.

So I am alone in a tiny dugout where I live along with the Infantry CO.
I am very busy as I have to answer not only my own phone and wireless but also theirs.
The floor is deep in mud so as you can imagine, we are slithering around with a
phone in each hand trying to fire the guns with one and explain on the other
to a company commander, above all the noise of firing, his flanking actions!

Major DCL Shepherd Battery Commander 266 Bty
from his OP shared with the 6th Gordons Italy Oct/Nov 1944


Cheer up chaps! Boris has been there, speaking words of wisdom.

 

What has the Ukraine lost in material terms? An article / interview with:

Link: Ukraine to U.S.Defense Industry: We Need Long-Range, Precision Weapons

The ammunition / logistic and industrial impact by a ret'd US Army officer via RUSI: https://rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/return-industrial-warfare

 

Dr. Jack Watling, RUSI in a short article, sub-titled:

Link: Ukraine is fighting a war of attrition. Only Nato can help change that | Jack Watling

 

Good piece trying to describe the average Russian's mentality - by someone who seems qualified...

What might be the average Russian's worldview? • WarTranslated - Dmitri Masinski

"In Russia, the past almost completely determines the present Russian identity – it’s not as important what happens next, the main thing is that we are the descendants of the great ancestors!"

 

See on BBC News that the new CGS has arrived at his Regiments standard marching pace. Hope he can get what he wants from Boris & Co. Although Boris turned him down for the CDS job in favour of an Admiral.
He comes across as no slouch in a technical world if you read his speeches to RUSI in his previous role.

Chief of the General Staff (United Kingdom) - Wikipedia

 

I don't think thats such a bad thing completely.

 

Yesterday logistics, now it is rivers and terrain. An academic commentary: Ukraine war: Russia's military campaign hindered by the rivers in Donbas

 

Sadly that attitude from the Russians is killing people from all sides.
It is good if your past helps you build a good safe future but his past is filled with death and destruction if you dont do as he thinks/says

putin is now threatening Lithuania he wants to repeal their independence



https://www.jpost.com/international/article-709046
If Ukraine falls, ‘Baltic states will be next’, says Russia’s former PM - LRT

 

He was of the opinion that the Alliance was a bunch of Paper Tigers. We have done nothing to convince him otherwise.
He has done his sums so knows how long it will take to build up our strength to face him with confidence, by which time he will be stronger and wiser.
Perhaps he is simply waiting to be dealt a trump card in his game of power poker.
Echoing the voice of Evelyn Waugh, "Put out more flags!"