Russian special military operation in Ukraine #34

Belgorod under fire. Supposedly traces of HIMARS

I can't see the video because it is too big... you sure they are not firing a missile at the target?

Nope. Clearly a HE round at ballistic trajectory.
But you are right, I forgot that the velocity is decreasing. Silly me.
Still, that would be way too fast to fly 14s at 7+km...
So either they are shooting at max range of 11km ...
Or the distance measured there is wrong.
Or the charge is reduced.
Interesting.

Rounds at long distances are fired upwards in a ballistic paths, not strait like apfsds at close range.

So the distance is the addition of distances in x and z axes.

By controling this parameter and the starting velocity you manage multiple hits on the same spot at the same time. Something common for modern artillery but not tanks.

HARM used in Belgorod direction.



Manufactured in ... 1989.

Not sure if the picture is morphed but why would a Su-35 carry such a large payload of air to air missiles?

Ukraine barely has any manned fighter aircraft. Ukrainian drones are unlikely to be targeted with a R-37, R-73 or R-77. Also unlikely that Ukrainian SAMs - BUK, IRIS will be intercepted by the Su-35s air to air missile.

Furthermore, if this a still from a purported "counter patrol" sortie why is the Su-35S carrying a Kh 31 PM?

Two missiles for every possible situation. 2 very long range, two medium range and two small range and one anti radar.

That's a normal payload. If a mig-29 comes from the trees only the r-73 are useful and two isn't a lot. If it comes 20km away then you have the two r-77. And plenty of targets can be found at 200-300km so 2 r-37 isn't a lot too but enough.

Su-35 do their patrol alone. So it's a normal configuration.

Furthermore, if this a still from a purported "counter patrol" sortie why is the Su-35S carrying a Kh 31 PM?

Both hunting and self defense. Ukrs still have some AD systems left, you know.

It's afraid...

"Putin’s Belarus Visit Stokes Fears It Could Be Drawn Into Ukraine War"

"Russia’s closest ally has resisted being pulled into the conflict, but pressure from Moscow to open a new front appears to be growing"

bigrussianshop
@bigrussianshop
·
17h
In general, yesterday there was a two-pass scheme. First, geraniums were allowed on stationary infrastructure facilities. And then they hit the exposed air defense with missiles. Well thinned.

It's afraid...

"Putin’s Belarus Visit Stokes Fears It Could Be Drawn Into Ukraine War"

"Russia’s closest ally has resisted being pulled into the conflict, but pressure from Moscow to open a new front appears to be growing"


https://archive.vn/U6CmB

Who's afraid?

The propagandists who author articles such as these in an attempt to muddy waters and find seed of discord where there aren't any?

Russia and Belarus are on the same side here. Whether Belarus is involved directly is but a tactical consideration. I doubt there is a need for them to be unless NATO intervenes more overtly.

@John,
It is a repeated scheme. They are doing that daily basis.
Ukroluftwaffe has the option to do nothing or die while trying. 35s/31s are there, just waiting for prey.
Those R-37Ms under the pylons are there for a purpose, you know ...
The same applies to AD assets.
Russkie took out three battalion-level S-300 radars this week because Ukrs decided to do something. Bum-bum-bum.
There is no replacement, you know ...

Again on the situation with the wounded and dead - analysis by the Military Chronicle and Rybar

Despite the obvious problems of the Ukrainian healthcare system due to power outages, the situation is disastrous and for more prosaic reasons.

The situation with the wounded in the AFU is critical. The most difficult situation is in the #Soledar direction, where daily losses in the battles for #Bakhmut range from 50 to 100 people on average.

There is also nowhere to store the corpses: there is no centralized burial, and it is forbidden to give the bodies to relatives, so as not to disturb the Ukrainian society with the facts of losses.

Problems with medical staff

Doctors and doctors buy most of their medical equipment and medicines with their own money.

The salaries of medical personnel are small, even for those who work on the front lines and risk their lives. For example, a practicing surgeon has a salary of about 8,000 hryvnia.

In Western Ukraine no serious efforts are being made to treat the wounded - the doctors simply do not care about the wounded. And if the patient is from the central or eastern part of the country, you can't count on a normal attitude.

For Westerners, they are second-class citizens. The nursing staff does everything through their fingers, and at the first opportunity they discharge them and send them back to the front line.

The treatment of the wounded.

If they are lucky, high-ranking officers may be evacuated by helicopter to hospitals in #Poltava and #Dnepropetrovsk regions. Those with moderate or minor wounds are taken as far to the rear as possible to hospitals in Western Ukraine or to #Kiev.

Front-line hospitals in #Donetsk and #Kharkiv regions are overcrowded, and there is no proper supply.
Severely wounded people are operated on on the ground in the field. Priority is given to foreigners if there is a need for assistance on the spot.

Soldiers can not even count on such treatment. If they are even taken out, they are only transported in ordinary vehicles, and the bodies are stored in KAMAZs and Ural trucks.

Because of this, in the best case some remain disabled, and in the worst case they die due to ill-timed care and unsanitary conditions. In most cases gangrene with subsequent limb amputation or abscess occurs.

Huge number of bodies.

Morgues can't cope. There is a catastrophic shortage of personnel. There is not enough equipment, storage conditions are violated. Corpses are tried to be distributed not only to morgues, but also to municipal hospitals.

Most of the bodies have to be kept outside. The facts of corpses being eaten by rats and worsening the epidemiological situation in the cities have been recorded.

Nobody deals with rodents, because the administrations in the regions do not care about the lives of ordinary citizens. The most important thing is that the data on the number of the dead did not leak out on the net. The bodies can be taken by relatives, but for a bribe of $300 (as many as threatened to cremate them if they refuse to pay, when such sensitive matters were brought up).

Pathologists in hospitals and morgues do not perform autopsies. Conclusions on the results of the "expertise" are written by eye, which allows you to specify the necessary reasons and omit unnecessary data.

The situation in Ukraine is close to critical due to the huge number of dead, improper storage of bodies, and the lack of proper measures to maintain and bury them.

Growing insanitation and the deepening energy crisis are bringing the country closer to an epidemiological catastrophe that no one is trying to deal with. Kiev has decided to withhold information not only about casualties, but also to conceal the true treatment of the wounded and the dead in every possible way.


https://t.me/sitreports/2232

The Russian Armed Forces have received a batch of the latest Penicillin sound and thermal reconnaissance systems, which effectively detect enemy artillery positions and transmit coordinates for their destruction, an informed source has said.

"Penicillins have already proven effective in combat in Ukraine, including against NATO artillery supplied to Ukrainian forces, another source said earlier.

The systems are capable of detecting gun and rocket artillery, as well as anti-aircraft and tactical missiles by acoustic and thermal waves from gunfire and bursts. They give the operator the exact coordinates of the enemy's gun, and the time to get the coordinates of a single firing target does not exceed 5 seconds.


https://t.me/Slavyangrad/25357

"Poland prepares for 'liberation march' in Ukraine. We already know the most important dates": Niezależny Dziennik Polityczny writes that Poland's ruling party has not only fully agreed on a plan to take over Western Ukraine but has also set dates. Having invaded on 4 May, the Poles expect to hold a referendum on accession on the symbolic day of the beginning of the Volyn massacre, 11 July.

"Kaczynski has already chosen the date for the start of the 'liberation march' on Kiev - 4 May. This looks realistic because of the fact that from 23 to 27 March, general drills begin, which will last 33 days. Due to heavy losses, Ukrainian units will have completely lost their combat capabilities by May. Therefore, they will not be able to fight on two fronts simultaneously - against Russia and Poland. According to this plan, a referendum in western Ukraine is planned for "Bloody Sunday in Volyn" - on 11 July. This date is symbolic as on 11-12 July 1943. The OUN-UPA began a major act of genocide".


https://t.me/Slavyangrad/25369

@Rybar: Consequences of RF Strikes on Ukraine's Energy Infrastructure

Two days after the massive fire attack on 16 Dec, the effectiveness of Russian strikes can be assessed.

The aim was to cut off the large cities of #Kiev, #Kharkov, #Odessa, #Dnepropetrovsk and #Zaporozhye from power supply.

#Kharkov and Poltava: TEC-5, the Zalyutino 330kV PS and TEC-2 Eskhar were hit.
CHPP-5 was effectively shut down.
All autotransformers at the Zalyutino PS were destroyed and high-voltage equipment was damaged.
The 110 kV switchgear at TETs-2 was hit.
The power supply was restored by the following day. The remaining unscathed CHPP-3, generating about 86 MW, cannot supply all of Kharkov with electricity. It is likely that power supply is via the switchyard of the Zmievskaya TPP.
To prevent this scenario, the Kremenchuk 330kV and Mirgorod 330kV PSs were likely hit, causing blackouts in the Poltava region. But the damage seems to be non-critical and electricity transit through the Poltava 330kV PS was restored by the morning.

#Kiev and #Zhytomyr: missiles hit CHPP-5, CHPP-6 and the Lesnaya 330kV PS
Electricity was restored in part of the districts (exception Brovary). Indirectly, this indicates that CHPP-6 is out of service.
Despite the preservation of generation from the #Kiev HPP, the situation could not be rectified - probably due to earlier strikes on the 110kV Vyshgorod PS.
The strike on the Lesnaya 330kV PS near Korostenya interrupted electricity transit from the Rivne NPP to Kiev via the 330kV switchyard of the #Chernobyl NPP.

#Dnepropetrovsk: repeated strikes on the Prydniprovska TPP. The Dneprovska TPP in Dneprodzerzhynsk (Kamenskoye) and the Pavlogradska 330kV PS are presumed to have been hit.
Light in Dnepropetrovsk region has not yet been restored. The power system of #Dnepropetrovsk itself has been badly damaged as a result of previous strikes.

#Zaporozhye: Dnepr HPP hit
Despite the strikes on Machine Hall 1 and the 330kV switchyard, the city's power supply has not been severely affected. Apparently, it is still possible to transmit power through the Zaporozhye 750kV PS from the South Ukraine NPP.

#Odessa: impacts on PSs in city and region
The consequences have been partially mitigated. Although electric transport in the city is not working, the Christmas tree has already been triumphantly lit in Odessa.

#KrivoyRog: probably strikes at the Kirovskaya 330kV substation.
The situation is complicated because of the Krivoy Rog TPP: if it is running, it is far from full capacity. Electricity supply in the city has not yet been fully restored.

In other regions, power supply is being restored, but with limitations and emergency schedules. In #Lvov, Sumy and #Rovno oblasts, blackouts occurred in response to strikes in other regions.

Strikes on PPs and PSs are having their effect, but so far they are not bringing the end result.

Ukrainian power engineers are busy patching up holes and collecting emergency schemes. But the capacity reserves of the energy system in several regions have already run out - nothing can be done about it.

The railways have been badly affected, with electric trains at a standstill. There are clearly not enough diesel locs to remedy the situation. Some passenger trains are delayed for up to 14 hours.

For the first time, the national state of electricity emergency has been declared.

The timing of the restoration indirectly points to problems with the accuracy of the strikes: missiles sometimes strike not important buildings and circuit breakers, but vacant lots, leaving huge craters. Damage like this can only be done to insulators and wires, which are then repaired in 12 hours.

🩸 But strikes on critical technological units of TPPs, CHPPs and HPPs must continue. Particular attention should be paid to Zmiivska TPP as the main node on which Kharkov's power supply currently rests, as well as TPP-3, which is responsible for powering industrial facilities.


https://t.me/sitreports/2254

Читать ria.ru в
МОСКВА, 18 дек — РИА Новости. Великобритания отправила на Украину партию высокоточных ракет Brimstone-2, сообщило британское Министерство обороны в своих соцсетях.
"В рамках своего пакета помощи Великобритания предоставила Вооруженным силам Украины высокоточные ракеты Brimstone-2. Эта помощь сыграла решающую роль в сдерживании продвижения России", — заявило ведомство.

MOSCOW, Dec 18 — RIA Novosti. The UK has sent a batch of high-precision Brimstone-2 missiles to Ukraine, the British Ministry of Defense reported on its social networks.
"As part of its assistance package, the UK has provided the Armed Forces of Ukraine with high-precision Brimstone-2 missiles. This assistance has played a crucial role in deterring Russia's advance," the ministry said.

More on Billybatts post above.

   Marinka, the main stronghold of the AFU, was taken by the Russian Armed Forces.

   Tonight we received information that, after several weeks of fighting, the Donetsk People's Front commandos managed to crush the enemy in the centre of Marinka and were finally able to take control of the last (southern-central) enemy stronghold in the high-rise development area.

   Given that at the same time our forces are attacking the town of Pobeda and are well entrenched in the northern parts of Marinka (opposite Krasnogorovka), there can be no enemy counterattack. This means that after mopping up the town, which may take a few days, Marinka will be completely under the control of our troops, after which it will be time for Krasnogorovka and... to resume the offensive against Ugledar. Because after taking control of the town of Pobeda, the Ukrainian military grouping in Ugledar will essentially find itself in a very difficult situation. And a strike on Kostyantynivka from the north could be fatal for it.

https://t.me/Slavyangrad/25419

EDIT added below posts

Clearing of the Fortified Area of the AFU on the southern outskirts of #Maryinka

Tankers of Southern Military District @tankist4 shared with us footage of fighting in #Maryinka. The video shows Ukrainian positions being cleared in the urban development on the southern outskirts. By settling in multi-storey buildings, the AFU turned every inch of the city into one big stronghold.

Advancement in #Maryinka is complicated by the presence of civilians, who are not allowed out of the settlement and are used as human shields by Ukrainian militants.

Despite this, the RF Armed Forces personnel broke through the AFU positions in the centre of #Maryinka (see Report), cutting into the defensive lines on Druzhba Avenue and starting to mop up the area along Shakhtorskaya Street.

Coordinates: 47.9358, 37.5034

However, the AFU understands the threat posed by the loss of #Maryinka. Strongpoints are being set up within the city limits. The forces of the 79th Separate Air Assault Brigade have been deployed to the forward positions, and the 36th Separate Marines Brigade is in the second echelon.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian forces have pushed the RF Armed Forces southwards, creating a bridgehead to further advance and flank the Russian grouping in #Maryinka or east of #Novomikhailovka.

🩸Vladlen Tatarsky explains the loss of position by unhelpful rotations of units to different parts of the front, resulting in a loss of well-established cooperation and understanding between fighters.

The still-existing problem of tasking according to the lesson plan, rather than the real needs at the front, is deeply entrenched in the army.

Instead of providing the combat cohesion required at the front between the troops and consequently increasing the likelihood of a successful defence/offensive, some commanders are committing acts unacceptable to the warring units.

The complete elimination of pointless bureaucracy, the establishment of clear interaction between Russian servicemen and the removal of detached military commanders are the minimum measures that can lead to positive changes in the RF Armed Forces.

https://t.me/sitreports/2269

Vladlen Tatarsky- referred to above:

The morning for me personally began with bad news. The enemy managed to dislodge our troops from the positions for which we fought all autumn. Of course, success is so-so. They have already changed hands three times, but still ...

It's not my business, of course, but this happens almost always when some strange rotations occur. It seems that somewhere in the high headquarters they just play backgammon and lose brigades and divisions to each other. They just settled down and got used to it, got acquainted with the enemy, and then the unit was transferred to another sector of the front. Immediately there are explosions on mines and the loss of some positions.

Yesterday, already late in the evening, they told us about one of our offensive attempts on one of the sectors of the front. All according to the classics of 1942. I believe that if the general arranged Rzhev two or three times at the minimum wage, he should be changed, and not let him do it the tenth and eleventh time. It is necessary to do the "rotation of a fool for a fool."

https://t.me/vladlentatarsky/18147

Argentina !!!!!!!!!

Russia is going to be shown in a positive light after the war with either of these two things happening.

1.Zelensky fleeing Ukraine if Russia enters Kiev there would be no way for western media to spin that he has killed so many of his people to only run away himself and this will make people more upset with him than Russia.

2. Get caught, but Russia will broadcast his hanging by noose, and I am sure this will be all over the TV around the world more than the moon landing and the internet but 1st they will speak about the maiden massacre, video proof of Ukraine's fascism on trial, donbass genocide before the hanging so the western audience will be curious about those events themselves and maybe think ehh Russia is not so bad before he gets hung.

I don't expect the 3rd option of him either being killed in the war but who knows.

Strikes on PPs and PSs are having their effect, but so far they are not bringing the end result.

Armchair experts once again think that they know more then military engineers or the real pros who manage the russian energy system and clearly
aiding the MoD in his strike decisions.

The complete elimination of pointless bureaucracy, the establishment of clear interaction between Russian servicemen and the removal of detached military commanders are the minimum measures that can lead to positive changes in the RF Armed Forces.

This is like me claiming that Argentina had won the world cup final easily against "France" 5-0 if Messi had been sitting on the bench. 

If they wanted to destroy energy system they would have targeted the nuk power plants... not their goal. They need to provide the people with electricity after the war.

Even if Russia gets hold of Zelen, they will not kill him. Very short sighted view.

In the end If Russia can even get close enough remains to be seen.

They have two options.

1. Annex all of Ukraine, then simply send the pro EU types to the EU countries be like "Okay so if you wanna go there, we won't stop you at all feel free" Yes they will have to deal with an insurgency for a bit.

2. Only Annex portions, whatever they do not take is going to become a NATO strong hold and staging points. Some clowns here will comment "Just destroy the NATO forces" which Russia will never do at least not within being fired at officially by NATO or "They can just go in again before it happens" No it doesn't work like that, once you leave its much harder to go back in as it takes time to prepare.

I personally think they should just take the whole thing, better to deal with some limited insurgency for a little bit than let your enemy turn that place into a springboard against you and they aren't going to get a second chance either.