Russian-Ukrainian War: Combat Tactics & Strategy

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 28 Jul 2023 20:04

allegedely main CO has started (now) but result is same, Ru is celebrating Diwali with West tanks & weapons https://twitter.com/MyLordBebo/status/1 ... 84993?s=20

YashG · Post by **YashG** » 28 Jul 2023 20:38

Russia is deploying a new LMUR helicopter launched ATGM with 15 KM Range.

Likely this will equip the Mi series (apart from Ka-52) of russian helicopters to attack from a longer standoff distance/ will keep them away from Ukrainian AD. I think if russia can press more of its Mi inventory into war it will not be a game changer but a force multiplier. Russian inventory of Mi helicopters is huge.

YashG · Post by **YashG** » 29 Jul 2023 21:52

A single Russian tank stopped an entire column of 2 tanks + 2 APCs + 4 IFVs. This single tank destroyed between 5 - 8 vehicles. This might be one of the greatest act of a tank war. Pretty Incredible. Even the drone operators asked the tank to withdraw. While the russians were trying to arrange SPGs and Artillery work - the tank went ahead, manoeuvred and took out all the vehicles by itself.

Talk about low russian morale now!

https://twitter.com/witte_sergei/status ... 4681276417

Genuinely crazy footage. A lone Russian tank massacres an AFU column.

drnayar · Post by **drnayar** » 29 Jul 2023 23:38

YashG wrote: ↑29 Jul 2023 21:52 A single Russian tank stopped an entire column of 2 tanks + 2 APCs + 4 IFVs. This single tank destroyed between 5 - 8 vehicles. This might be one of the greatest act of a tank war. Pretty Incredible. Even the drone operators asked the tank to withdraw. While the russians were trying to arrange SPGs and Artillery work - the tank went ahead, manoeuvred and took out all the vehicles by itself.

Talk about low russian morale now!

https://twitter.com/witte_sergei/status ... 4681276417
Genuinely crazy footage. A lone Russian tank massacres an AFU column.

"One person alone on a field is not a warrior, unless that person is a Russian. "

BajKhedawal · Post by **BajKhedawal** » 29 Jul 2023 23:57

YashG wrote: ↑29 Jul 2023 21:52 A single Russian tank stopped an entire column of 2 tanks + 2 APCs + 4 IFVs. This single tank destroyed between 5 - 8 vehicles....
https://twitter.com/witte_sergei/status ... 4681276417
Genuinely crazy footage. A lone Russian tank massacres an AFU column.

Why would the AFU column when under fire cluster together and present a unified target instead of dispersing? Are they also advised and financed by George Soreass?

YashG · Post by **YashG** » 30 Jul 2023 00:02

Maybe under fire (especially when you dont know from where) the instinct is to shelter behind some other vehicle than to go out in open. That is why the fishes school.

But look at the other versions of that video, a vehicle that moves out also gets hit. In the last the tank reloads and goes back again to the same spot. The drone observers say - he is on adrenaline. Aloysha is how the tank guy is referred. When the tank reaches the spot again - the video is cut off. There 2/3 vehicles moving from far. I hope the tank guy lived to tell the tale. The crew should be transported back to training grounds - this crew can have outsized effect on troop & recruit morale.

Cyrano · Post by **Cyrano** » 01 Aug 2023 12:02

Ukr vehicles tend to go one behind the other or bunch together due to the danger of minefields all over.

drnayar · Post by **drnayar** » 01 Aug 2023 22:28

UKrainian soldier firing some artillery shells against Russian positions while making sure that he won’t risk skin cancer in the future while hiding between civilian houses...

and then ....

https://twitter.com/_Surovikin_/status/ ... 5191519233

that escalated quickly !!

YashG · Post by **YashG** » 02 Aug 2023 04:39

‘I don’t understand their motivation’
The brutal tenacity of Russian tactics remain steadfast.

Amid constant outgoing shellfire, Serhey, an AREY commander, said: “Their tactics haven’t changed. They put the Storm Z convicts in front with no comms or information.”

Such prisoner assaults – waves of poorly equipped recruits from Russia’s jails who are often described as “cannon fodder” – are used to expose Ukrainian firing positions, so better trained Russian soldiers can engage them, he said.

He added: “They stand till the death. I don’t understand their motivation. Or what they are fighting for.”

So much for low russian morale - https://edition.cnn.com/2023/08/01/euro ... index.html

Deans · Post by **Deans** » 02 Aug 2023 08:40

YashG wrote: ↑02 Aug 2023 04:39
‘I don’t understand their motivation’
The brutal tenacity of Russian tactics remain steadfast.

Amid constant outgoing shellfire, Serhey, an AREY commander, said: “Their tactics haven’t changed. They put the Storm Z convicts in front with no comms or information.”

Such prisoner assaults – waves of poorly equipped recruits from Russia’s jails who are often described as “cannon fodder” – are used to expose Ukrainian firing positions, so better trained Russian soldiers can engage them, he said.

He added: “They stand till the death. I don’t understand their motivation. Or what they are fighting for.”
So much for low russian morale - https://edition.cnn.com/2023/08/01/euro ... index.html

There are no convicts in Russian units. There were former convicts in Wagner units, who have since been disbanded (those who survived Bakhmut
were pardoned and returned home after 6 months at the front). These are WW2 stories, being peddled as factual by Ukraine and repeated by MSM.
There was an expectation pre counter-offensive that these units would run at the first Ukrainian attack. That clearly did not happen.
There are plenty of video clips on Russian TV of medical evacuation teams in a APC, picking up wounded soldiers, while under constant fire.

YashG · Post by **YashG** » 04 Aug 2023 14:41

YashG wrote: ↑25 Jul 2023 09:38 ^^^
On twitterverse there was a video of lancet hitting troops. With someone implying that this is due to 10X reduction in cost + Increase in supplies.

https://twitter.com/RWApodcast/status/1 ... 2725491716

As per the recorded data july saw 136 Lancet strikes vs 22 in beginning of year. Gong by that estimate alone i.e. 7X increase in lancet strikes. All things equal, RU's claim of 10X looks reasonable. There will not be 1:1 increase in strikes, since lancet has limitations of use. If range increases - more use cases will be found.

With increase range/ Swarming capability - lancet will take out the ukrainian assets even in stages but will come at greater cost - unless released by planes at high altitude.

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 04 Aug 2023 15:43

Ukrainian Troops Trained by the West Stumble in Battle
Ukraine’s army has for now set aside U.S. fighting methods and reverted to tactics it knows best.. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/02/us/p ... tw-nytimes

Tanaji · Post by **Tanaji** » 05 Aug 2023 16:06

Looks like Ukraine is having some success with their sea drones: a warship damaged and now a tanker. One hopes that the IN looks closely and takes lessons. Their is no shortage of peacefuls in India who would try to launch similar stuff in India next to IN bases - a small fishing trawler with a death wish loaded up with RDX can do serious damage.

Manish_P · Post by **Manish_P** » 05 Aug 2023 18:13

Tanaji wrote: ↑05 Aug 2023 16:06 Looks like Ukraine is having some success with their sea drones: a warship damaged and now a tanker. One hopes that the IN looks closely and takes lessons. Their is no shortage of peacefuls in India who would try to launch similar stuff in India next to IN bases - a small fishing trawler with a death wish loaded up with RDX can do serious damage.

It's not new.. the peacefuls have done it successfully in the past - USS Cole Bombing

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 05 Aug 2023 23:36

terrorist attack on civilian sites in Moscow using US drones and attacking Black sea fleet (again using US water drones) is Ukrops latest respite after their CO has been clobbered

YashG · Post by **YashG** » 06 Aug 2023 11:52

https://twitter.com/UkraineDiary/status ... 3940412417

The video in this tweet actually shows how much ukrainian citizens trust Russia to not bomb civilian targets.

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 06 Aug 2023 12:30

The most interesting point for me is the language of the signage of the shops. Just one was in the local language.

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 06 Aug 2023 15:08

Ukraine counter-offensive against Russia yields only small gains in first 2 months
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66383377

when BBC has to write that!
In the meanwhile wagner fighters have landed in Niger

YashG · Post by **YashG** » 06 Aug 2023 19:10

^^^
but bombing of airbases by Russia has also yielded very little. SU25 based storm shadow attack continue. It seems it is very very difficult to hit airbases until a. russia doesnt start taking out all SAM batteries b. Has intel info when SU25 take into air & then intercept them in air.

Im surprised that russia is still struggling to take out SAMs when it does have air dominance.

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 06 Aug 2023 23:52

buzz from SM indicates water drones are coming from NATO territory in Romania, cos Odessa and other ports in Ukr have been heavily bombed

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 06 Aug 2023 23:56

NYT
As War Grinds On, It Expands Beyond Old Battlefields
Russia has turned to regular attacks on the Black Sea, a vital economic hub, while Ukraine has grown bolder, with strikes hitting Moscow and Russian ships

https://archive.ph/EADk6#selection-603.0-603.473

Ukraine wants to take the war to Russian citizen article claims

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 07 Aug 2023 08:01

IndraD wrote: ↑06 Aug 2023 23:56 NYT
As

Snip....

https://archive.ph/EADk6#selection-603.0-603.473

Ukraine wants to take the war to Russian citizen article claims

Oh....

Good, if Ukraine succeeds. It will just make the post war peace that much harder.

YashG · Post by **YashG** » 08 Aug 2023 20:42

There is a video doing round on twitter that shows atleast 28 T80 with Sosna - U being transported. This video is within 30 days of last transport shown on T90 being transported ( there wers some 10 -12ish visible in video). That puts a total of atleast 40+ tanks delivered this month.

Now, there may be additional deliveries not caught on video or this signals production uptrend and 40+ this months may start looking like 80+ in 2/3 months, ultimately may reach 100+ but its s stretch.

But it would take Ukraine 3 months of begging around to get 50 tanks. Allies in H1 of 2023 promised 100ish tanks. That support was the high point of western support. Support will continue but not in the same measure.

Another 100 leopard 1s and 40 Abrams are on promise. That is the upper limit of for Ukraine till 2024. Russia could amass additional 400ish tanks by then to be used on 3/4 axis of attacks.

YashG · Post by **YashG** » 08 Aug 2023 20:56

https://www.statista.com/statistics/136 ... aid-tanks/

Ukraine has received atleast 750 tanks from west since war started. It also had some 1000+ tanks of its own and those captured/abandoned by russian.

So ukraine had a total of 1800ish tanks for this war - that will easily put them as one of the world's top tank operators. So Ukraine was no pushover. Even US has not taken on an enemy which had so many tanks.

Secondly this 750+ west effort of outfitting Ukraine is culmination. They will never be able to replicate this.

Yagnasri · Post by **Yagnasri** » 09 Aug 2023 08:32

UKN was the biggest armed by numbers at the start of the SMO by Russia. That was trained for almost since 2014. That army is now destroyed. Whatever additional forces were created and weapon systems supplied were also practically gone. The level of casualties UKN never suffered by any Western nation, even in WW2, in such a short time.

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 09 Aug 2023 10:42

The Russians are not revealing casualty figures. Not are the Ukrainians. Yet social media is showing that Ukrainian graveyards are full. No such evidence emerging from Russia.

Is it because the Russians have a larger population base. Therefore, the impact of the war is not felt as acutely by the Russians?

Second, the equipment losses in the conflict. Based on what Ukraine was asking for. It seems that Ukraine has lost over 2000 tanks and several thousand more APCs.

As they had nearly that many at the start of the open conflict. With nearly 1000 tanks provided by NATO.

This is not going to be sustainable for the west.

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 09 Aug 2023 10:54

Pratyush wrote: ↑11 Jul 2023 10:16
ramana wrote: ↑11 Jul 2023 08:57 Also 880 sub-munitions/shell mean projectiles like aspirin bottle sized per shell. So these are anti-personnel?
It's 88 hand granade sized sub munitions per shell. If we are talking about the US made 155 rounds.

You can see how this can be useful for counter battery fire. Or against a typical Russian infantry position in the field.

Those are lightly protected from above.

The first few minutes show the impact of the DIPCM munitions at the target coordinates.

Thanks Bala.

bala · Post by **bala** » 09 Aug 2023 11:12

Pratyush,
For YT to display,
Use the string after v= e.g. AikVgetsy1g between the youtube tags.

sanman · Post by **sanman** » 09 Aug 2023 17:00

Interesting comments. So Russian mine defenses and electronic warfare capabilities were much more effective than expected.
Ukraine has sustained massive losses of troops who were trained by US.
Guest feels Zelensky will be replaced soon (I doubt that)

YashG · Post by **YashG** » 09 Aug 2023 17:12

Okay, so an explosion main military optics plant in Moscow.
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/08/ ... ion-a82098

So just when Russia seems to have figured out the optics issue and there was visible uprise in output. Sounds so convenient. This is for sure CIA sabotage.

Tanaji · Post by **Tanaji** » 12 Aug 2023 18:33

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2 ... y-farther/

The beggars seem to want yet another shiny piece of kit: what do they care anyway.

I don’t think it would be allowed to transfer this missile to Ukraine at full range but this has never stopped Nato.

Russia should threaten to proliferate to Iran and Noko in response…

YashG · Post by **YashG** » 12 Aug 2023 21:31

David Axe writes very pulp fiction kind of news. He has the ability to make an analysis of war basis a single incident on battlefield.

However taurus will be transferred - its just that west will transfer ATACMS, F16s and more. Slowly as they realise they are losing in Ukraine, they will try too hard.

Deans · Post by **Deans** » 13 Aug 2023 08:32

Deans wrote: ↑26 Jul 2023 18:19 Part 3 of my Ukraine war blog is done. rpdeans.blogspot.com

Apparently, my blog cannot attract advertising (not that I want it), because its views on Ukraine are not consistent with western MSM.
Based on requests, I have added a follow option to the blog so readers can be updated on new posts. Blog name is DeansMusings (google)
and website rpdeans.blogspot.com

Cyrano · Post by **Cyrano** » 14 Aug 2023 23:15

Read in full:

https://www.scottritterextra.com/p/gonz ... nformation

Cyrano · Post by **Cyrano** » 14 Aug 2023 23:27

After a long time, watched some reporting on a few French news channels today, which are all 100% pro Ukraine & fully Russophobic by now. The mood was totally deflated, they desperately tried to paint the gain of 3sqkm near Bakhmut as per Ukr govt as a significant advance. They have gone into the mode of "yeah, I'm fckud, but you havent seen the other guy".

The Russians stopping the grain deal and their helis boarding a commercial ship with special forces are being made out as the most horrendous crimes against humanity. The stopping of grain deal must be really hurting western speculators who must have first pushed up the prices and then went short hoping to cash in once again. The reality is that 2/3rd or so of Ukr grain is sold within EU as animal feed. If the prices dont fall, not only the speculators but the meat farmers of EU will also take a hit in the coming months.

Met a Romanian friend who came back from a visit to Romania, he spoke of endless lines of trucks on every highway transporting grain from Ukr to various destinations in western Eur. But there aren't enough trucks and of course its a lot more expensive than a cargo ship.

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 17 Aug 2023 08:46

Ukraine Commits Last Remaining Elite Brigade For Final Attempt

Rony · Post by **Rony** » 17 Aug 2023 22:53

Middle East Islamist groups learn lessons from the Ukraine War

Militant groups in the Middle East are watching how Ukraine is fighting back against a larger, stronger opponent. As one analyst wrote: “It would be foolish for a rebel to use all his available forces to attack his opponent conventionally.” The lessons armed groups have drawn from the conflict so far can include:

Divide your forces into small, mobile groups to initiate movement
Give autonomy of initiative to the bottom of the hierarchical ladder
Keep your soldiers motivated, to increase group cohesion

Meanwhile, an analysis of the Russian Armed Forces reveals the importance of other factors :

Capacity for prolonged and gradual reinforcement of the military posture prior to the outbreak of hostilities
Resilience in the face of high casualties
Intelligence and local collaborators

Radical strategic thinkers are looking with interest at strikes that break down both the enemy’s materiel and their morale. Islamic State (also known as ISIS or Daesh) has used them to stun their opponents during advances, and delayed battles by combining Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), booby-trapped vehicles and suicide bombers.

Other tactics are questioned, such as the extension of Russian defensive lines over 800 km to avoid bypass maneuvers. Arab strategists prefer bulldozed embankments to trench networks, which require solid logistical support. The use of reservoirs is also discussed. ISIS captured dozens of them when they took Mosul, but this did not affect the outcome of the battle.

For Middle Eastern armed groups, the Ukrainian conflict also demonstrated the extreme cost of tactical support : fuel, ammunition and mechanical maintenance. The war has also cemented the belief that the greatest strength of any armed group is its motivation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy made his mark in the early hours of the conflict by speaking from his smartphone on the streets of Kyiv – a stark symbol of the power asymmetry between him and the Kremlin. The boss of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, is seen as a strong leader as well.

Cyrano · Post by **Cyrano** » 18 Aug 2023 01:12

They forgot the need to have an MIC or at least assured limitless supply of the sort of weapons that these jihadis can only wet dream about, and of course a uber beggar like Zelinsky (though Immy the Dimmy could stake a claim to that skill set)

YashG · Post by **YashG** » 18 Aug 2023 12:19

NRao wrote: ↑17 Aug 2023 08:46 Ukraine Commits Last Remaining Elite Brigade For Final Attempt

Putting up a show for their masters in US ? So senate passes 24 Bn USD for Ukraine!

Deans · Post by **Deans** » 18 Aug 2023 15:57

Pratyush wrote: ↑09 Aug 2023 10:42 The Russians are not revealing casualty figures. Not are the Ukrainians. Yet social media is showing that Ukrainian graveyards are full. No such evidence emerging from Russia.

Is it because the Russians have a larger population base. Therefore, the impact of the war is not felt as acutely by the Russians?

Second, the equipment losses in the conflict. Based on what Ukraine was asking for. It seems that Ukraine has lost over 2000 tanks and several thousand more APCs.

As they had nearly that many at the start of the open conflict. With nearly 1000 tanks provided by NATO.

This is not going to be sustainable for the west.

I have spent some time looking at various sources for casualty figures. My take is in my blog: rpdeans.blogspot.com (Part 1 of a 3 part series on Ukraine).