Russian special military operation in Ukraine #41

Burlak is a few years old. I don't think it went anywhere.

@Spriter99880
In the evening, after artillery preparation, an armored group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine went on the offensive near the town of Orekhov in the Pohovsky district of the Zaporozhye region.

Interesting, what advantages/ improvements does this new Burlak turret offer? If in case this turret is installed in new T-90s, maybe they can add another pair of wheels and increase length of the tank while they are at it, this will be a Black Eagle 2.0 kind of upgrade.

Burlak was the version for the T-72 upgrade with a rear turret bustle autoloader that was to be used together with the underfloor autoloader. (With the Black Eagle the turret bustle autoloader replaced the underfloor loader).

The extended fuselage was supposed to allow an increase in angle of the front armour plate improving their protection without having to make them a lot thicker.

A turret bustle would add weight to the rear of the turret to help offset the weight of the gun and front turret cheek armour which is rather heavy.

A turret bustle location for an autoloader is useful if it can be aligned with the gun breach and ammo straight rammed into the gun together at once.

Longer rounds and faster simpler reloading... no somersaults into the breach... from underfloor ammo bins.

It is just very exposed to enemy fire.

Maybe the plan on the T-80 is to move the vertical propellent stubs to the turret bustle so they are more isolated from the crew... and perhaps HE rounds can be loaded into the turret bustle instead of in the turret under the floor.

They aren't fools, they know Russia has Kinzhals and in fact one such rocket was already used to strike a hardened underground base at the start of the war

They are the worst kind of fools though... they are arrogant fools... they started this conflict... they take extreme measures to fund the continuation of this conflict while their own populations could do with that funding and support...

Burlak is a few years old. I don't think it went anywhere.

Deemed too vulnerable to enemy fire.

Perhaps they want to test some ideas that make it less vulnerable.

I do remember in the T-72 model (which the Burlak is) they designed the turret bustle autoloader as being a complete piece that could be removed or replaced by crane in the field.

If they could jettison a burning module, that would make it safer and faster to load the tank up with ammo.

With 31 rounds of ammo and not removing the underfloor loader that would give a T-72 53 (31 + 22) rounds of ready to fire ammo in both autoloaders, and if fitted to a T-80 that would mean 59 rounds ready to fire (31 + 28).

The bustle would be good for long rounds but it seems they modify the underfloor autoloaders to allow longer penetrators so perhaps the HE and HEAT rounds might be loaded into the turret bustle so it can be ejected if hit to protect the crew.

Now we know why they tried Zaporizhia once and apparently are trying again tonight



https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/18/politics/us-warns-russia-zaporizhzhia-nuclear-plant/index.html

Time to Russify that plant

@Spriter99880
In the evening, after artillery preparation, an armored group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine went on the offensive near the town of Orekhov in the Pohovsky district of the Zaporozhye region

.
I am not seeing this on other accounts yet. Edit, here's one: https://t.me/CyberspecNews/28354

Anyway look at this. Gammon went on locked mode so you have to click on it. Glide bomb aftermath. Looks like a small nuke was used

https://t.me/atodoneck/27280

It's a Soviet era nuclear power plant.
How would anything US get into it, and why would Russia even care about US threats like that?

It's a Soviet era nuclear power plant.
How would anything US get into it, and why would Russia even care about US threats like that?

The US was probably going to start the process of making nuclear weapons for Ukraine at the plant. So they'd need the US's blueprints for that.

Christ those Americans have some neck. They cause multiple genocides over decades.
Then demand Russia doesn't investigate major crimes vs humanity of America (esp Biden's gang) committed when they invaded what is Russian territory.

I wonder if it was enriched fuel for nukes. Or product for dirty bombs. Maybe both?

More on the US nuclear secrets

@amuse
@amuse
·
9h
SHOCK: Biden ordered the DoE to give Ukraine classified nuclear tech 6 months before Russia's invasion. The tech improves electrical output by 10%. What else it does is top-secret.
https://energy.gov/ne/articles/us

Trolling par excellence again

levi3853
@Levi_godman
·
46m
Medvedev on the possible supply of weapons to Kiev by South Korea:

"I wonder what the citizens of this country will say when they see the latest models of Russian weapons in North Korea"

GEROMAN -- time will tell - --
@GeromanAT
·
1h
Replying to
@GeromanAT
this area of the Dnjepr is completely overfilled because Kiev has closed the dams - either to dry out the southern part to cross it - (or to take the cooling water away from the NPP) - or Kiev will reopen the dams to flood the area - time will tell.

Biden ordered the DoE to give Ukraine classified nuclear tech 6 months before Russia's invasion.

Russia is 30 years ahead of the US in nuclear tech.
Get the junk out of the NPP and send it back.

Mmmm we will see

Lord Bebo
@MyLordBebo
RadaTV, Deputy Minister of Defense of the Republic Anna Malyar:

AFU launched a counter-offensive in Donbass in four directions

The deputy head of the department clarified that the Ukrainian army launched offensive operations in the Artyomovsk, Maryinsky, Avdeevsky and Liman directions.

Malyar also noted that at the moment the Armed Forces of Ukraine are conducting "active assault operations" in Bakhmut itself.”

Look how high the Bradley is compared to the T-55

ayden
@squatsons
·
46m
When Ukraine uses T-55s it’s a good thing, when Russia might use them it’s bad.

(((Tendar)))
@Tendar
·
1h
US-delivered Bradleys M2 next to M-55 from Slovenia, now all in Ukrainian services.
#Ukraine #USA #Slovenia

Tony
@Cyberspec1
·
3h
M2A2 Bradley ODS-SA and Slovenian tanks M-55S during exercises of the 47th Specialized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The servicemen of this particular unit of the Ukrainian army were trained on the Bradley's in the USA.

Re the Ukies closing the dams, could be a change now

Erik Zimerman
@ZimermanErik
·
1h
Though reports of flooding are incoming, Sat imagery in general still shows recent days to be somewhat drier than last year as far as water level.
Regardless, Ukraine clearly has announced that there will be some flooding in low lying areas along the river, & has opened the gates

Erik Zimerman
@ZimermanErik
Interesting development in the #UkraineRussiaWar is the reports of the Ukrainian gov't holding back massive amounts of water in its dammed sections of the Dnieper. Water levels are at record highs.

At first thought, this could indicate one of several Ukrainian intents:

1. Hold back water in an attempt to, as summer nears, drop the levels of the river in the Kherson region so that they are more easily crossable by UA forces.

RU withdrew from Kherson in part to shorten its lines. The front across the river did not have to be as heavily guarded. Opening up the threat would require RU to man the front more heavily, and leave less troops available to concentrate for its offensives elsewhere. It also puts the Enerhordar nuclear power plant (which Ukrainian forces routinely shell from across the river to the complete apathy of western media) in danger of being captured.

2. In combination with #1, or independently, the water reserves could be released by UA all at once (or in separate "salvos") to overwhelm the narrow Kherson estuary and flood the banks. If Ukrainian forces are able to close or keep closed the Kakhovka damn (each bank held by each side), for example by damaging the control mechanisms on the Russian side, they would restrict flow to the Black Sea and increase the flooding upstream from the damn (where the nuclear power plant is).

The northern (Ukrainian) bank is higher in general and thus flooding would largely be southwards. Russia's defensive entrenchments are in this low lying area and so could be flooded.

Don't think this would work very well because flooding may push back RU forces, but also make it harder for UA forces to cross simultaneously, plus it depends on controlling the dam and multiple canals north of it that direct water for agriculture and towards Crimea, and ultimately the Black Sea. Russia could dissipate the water relatively quickly and UA advances would be arguably even more difficult while there is flooding than before it, higher water level, mud and all.

3. Just a card in the deck. By holding the water back, UA can lower the water level in the front, and also reserve its ability to unleash flooding at any time. It is somewhat unpredictable and can worry and preoccupy Russian planners and front units. At the very least, flooding or the threat of flooding can disrupt economic activity and endanger civilians (not to mention the nuclear power plant) along the Russian held territory.

Depending on the state of increasing Russian air superiority, such games could cause a reaction of Ukrainian bridges and dams across the Dnieper being bombed and destroyed, something Russia has avoided doing thus far. We discussed this before. This could release water flow down river to ease to minimize the threat (either of drying the front or flooding it) and disrupt supply to the eastern front very significantly. The heavy guided bombs Russia is increasingly using could that kind of work.

You may have other ideas of why they may be doing this (coincides with announcements bout their new "river force" being built up). These are my initial thoughts. It is an interesting development and we shall see how it affects, if at all, the strategic situation going forward.

Destroyed Ukro BMP-2


Looks as if the only part of the tank not covered in ERA is the crew.

Chuba with a trophy

Retired Lt.Col. helping to demine areas.

Ukrainian M-109 SP Gun hit by Krasnopol round. Could have been hit with Lancet but pro Russian forces chose M-109. Interesting choice.

The counter offensive is on.

Did say they would