Russia Invades Ukraine XVI

[Tidewater]

On a related note.

Ukraine has a program of resistance to Russian occupation.
They have adopted a symbol.

They have a supporting propaganda program, with props appropriate to the program.

They might be involved with the Russian "industrial accidents" inside Russia.

 

[Tidewater]

And this, from last April:
Behind the Lines: Ukraine Warns Russia’s Neighbors to Prepare for Resistance
Of course, Ukraine wants to play up the danger from Russia, but Aaron Bank (the Father of US Army Special Forces) realized that setting up resistance is a lot easier before enemy occupation than after, so the Ukrainians' warning is not misplaced.

 

[crimsonaudio]

Ukraine says US-made F-16 fighter jet crashed, killing a top pilot

 

[Tidewater]

This is interesting.
Read the full federal indictment accusing Russians of funding divisive online content in the U.S.

Since the invasion of Ukraine, most countries in the West have shut down RT, so the Russians went (slightly) more underground with their influence operations. Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva are charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act. These two set up a front company and funneled Russian money to online influencers who supported policies the Kremlin wants. The Southern District of New York indicted the two Russians. I suppose this means the "influencers" are cooperating with federal law enforcement.
The indictment is here.
If you want to see how things are done, here is a peek under the hood.

 

[Tidewater]

Margarita Simonyan, RT editor in chief is quoted as saying, after RT was suppressed in the West, they would establish an "entire empire of covert projects." (Something to ponder when thinking about "driving out" some nefarious Russian activity. Suppressing something does not necessarily mean it goes away, just that it goes out of sight.)

As for what RT does, Simonyan is quoted as saying, "since RT receives budget from the state, it must complete tasks given by the state."
Nothing really surprising here, but interesting to examine what appears above the water line (details in the indictment) to get a feel for what happens below the water line (Russian influence ops that are going on out of sight).

 

[Jon]

more Ukrainian cleverness

Ukraine is fielding machine-gun turrets remotely controlled by the Steam Deck video game system made for playing Halo

The remotely controlled gun turrets follow a trend in this war, in which remotely operated unmanned systems are ever-present and wildly destructive.

www.yahoo.com

.

 

[Its On A Slab]

Ukraine is rewriting the playbook for modern warfare. I really hope our armed forces are taking notes because in future conflicts, our enemies are also taking notes. Drones are going to be difficult to defend against.

 

[Tidewater]

Right on cue...
European fighter jets deployed after Russian drones enter Nato airspace
I am not sure an F-16 is the right response to a drone flying at 40 mph. The stall speed of an F-16 is 210 mph so it cannot slow down enough to even get a look at a drone.
Still, sortieing an F-16 is more about PR than substance. If is like going after a mosquito with a sledgehammer.

 

[Padreruf]

Right on cue...
European fighter jets deployed after Russian drones enter Nato airspace
I am not sure an F-16 is the right response to a drone flying at 40 mph. The stall speed of an F-16 is 210 mph so it cannot slow down enough to even get a look at a drone.
Still, sortieing an F-16 is more about PR than substance. If is like going after a mosquito with a sledgehammer.

Could NATO be sending Moscow/Putin a signal he cannot possibly miss? I sure hope this game of "chicken" doesn't escalate!

 

[Tidewater]

Could NATO be sending Moscow/Putin a signal he cannot possibly miss? I sure hope this game of "chicken" doesn't escalate!

After the terrorist bombing of the Brussels airport, the Belgian government deployed the Belgian army to the airport for years. They had soldiers in helmets patrolling up and down the departures terminal, and arrival area. The mission was to reassure the public because soldiers were mostly useless. Did the belgian government want soldiers randomly searching peoples' bags? No. Were the soldiers supposed to be shooting anybody? Absolutely not. Their job was to be seen by the public.
The same goes with Romanian F-16s. Reassure the public (even if the military response was practically useless.)
In June 1940, the USSR annexed Bessarabia (the land between the Dniester and the Bug Rivers), sliced off the southern portion, (called the Budjak, the southern border of which is the Danube as it empties into the Black Sea) and gave the Budjak to Ukraine (and compensated the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic with a sliver of Ukraine called Transnistria). Who cares which constituent Soviet Socialist Republic a region is in, right? The USSR will remain together forever and these 'republics' will never be independent."
The upshot is that even though there is another country (Moldova) between Ukraine and Romania, the two do share a border in Bukovina/Galicia/Ruthenia region and the Budjak. Russia was trying to attack the Ukrainian ports on the Danube and (surprise!) their navigation stunk.

 

[Its On A Slab]

I was in Krakau during Passover last Spring. There were either heavily armed LE or military stationed at the synagogues. They looked like they meant business. Assault rifles at the ready.

Same for the airport in Krakau.

 

[Tidewater]

I was in Krakau during Passover last Spring. There were either heavily armed LE or military stationed at the synagogues. They looked like they meant business. Assault rifles at the ready.

Same for the airport in Krakau.

I love Krakow. Beautiful city.

 

[Its On A Slab]

I love Krakow. Beautiful city.

The bugle at St Mary's Cathedral was really cool. We would wait for the 1st of the hour to hear it.

The legend of the bugle call from St Mary’s

The bugle call became the sonic symbol of Kraków and it resounds to this day: it is played to the north, south, east and west every hour of the day. Yet, why does the melody break mid-note? ...

krakow.travel

We were in Vienna, Prague and Krakau for two weeks. I want to go back.

 

[Tidewater]

The bugle at St Mary's Cathedral was really cool. We would wait for the 1st of the hour to hear it.

The legend of the bugle call from St Mary’s

The bugle call became the sonic symbol of Kraków and it resounds to this day: it is played to the north, south, east and west every hour of the day. Yet, why does the melody break mid-note? ...

krakow.travel

We were in Vienna, Prague and Krakau for two weeks. I want to go back.

I took my daughter to Vienna and loved it. Like Germans but a bit more relaxed. Vienna is like Paris. It has museums, architecture, statues, but is clean and without graffiti.

I've never been to Prague.

 

[Its On A Slab]

I took my daughter to Vienna and loved it. Like Germans but a bit more relaxed. Vienna is like Paris. It has museums, architecture, statues, but is clean and without graffiti.

I've never been to Prague.

The Old Town in Prague is amazing, beautiful, and very walkable. Huge squares, and you go to the next block, and another huge square opens up.

Vienna was very classy. Clean(as you said). English is spoken in most restaurants. Waiters are so classy.

 

[crimsonaudio]

 

[Bamaro]

Right on cue...
European fighter jets deployed after Russian drones enter Nato airspace
I am not sure an F-16 is the right response to a drone flying at 40 mph. The stall speed of an F-16 is 210 mph so it cannot slow down enough to even get a look at a drone.
Still, sortieing an F-16 is more about PR than substance. If is like going after a mosquito with a sledgehammer.

An F16 may be a little overkill but certainly more than capable of taking out a slow drone. After all they are also used for taking out stationary objects on the ground. Heat seaking missles, radar guided missles even gatling guns.

 

[92tide]

View attachment 45510

hopefully it is on like donkey kong

 

[Tidewater]

An F16 may be a little overkill but certainly more than capable of taking out a slow drone. After all they are also used for taking out stationary objects on the ground. Heat seaking missles, radar guided missles even gatling guns.

True, but if you use guns, those rounds are going to go somewhere.
Heat seeking missiles may not even be able to lock onto something as small an cool as a drone.
Ditto for radar guided missiles.
If the drone is a Bayraktar or a reaper, sure, but something small (and slower) will be difficult/dangerous.

 

[Tidewater]

hopefully it is on like donkey kong

Well, the "mess around" phase appears over. Next comes the "find out" phase.