Article on terror violence and killing in the villages of Ukraine.
Russian war power needs to be irreparably degraded expeditiously.
This isn't sentiment or bloodthirst. The simple truth is that the world must consider itself in a war of annihilation against the Russian military by any means. A hundred thousand dead regulars in short order, or better yet seriously WIA, ought to be enough to grind the Russian maneuver elements to a standstill as the losses are replaced by decreasingly-trained conscripts and reservists inferior to the Ukrainian territorials. And in terms of combat systems destroying artillery is paramount, since it's killing the largest share of Ukrainian regulars (see this brutal clip for just one example) and the Ukrainians usually have no response; at best they can expose their own artillery for counter-battery fire.
https://funker530.com/video/russian-...ainian-patrol/
Are there any sources of loitering drones out there that could push a few hundred units into Ukraine on short notice? Anyone know? A few dozen Bayraktar prove very cost-effective, but they're not enough.
Or...
@spmetla Do we have any Predator drones left on hand? We still possessed a few hundred when they were retired in 2018. If they're still in storage, operable, then a hundred Predators with a thousand Hellfire missiles would make it quite daunting for Russian artillery to operate anywhere in West or North Ukraine, given the 500-mile (I'm also reading 750-mile) combat radius. American operators, either ex- or "ex-"military, also training Ukrainians, whether operating from the Polish or the Ukrainian side of the border. Predators are completely disposable military surplus, so any losses are a write-off. While bulky and obsolete, it remains to be seen whether Russian IADS is competent enough to intercept them.
A better idea than A-10s. And if Turkey can ship their much-feared TB2s into a warzone, we can certainly deliver some retired equipment.
I think so far Ukraine has destroyed 5% of the Russian active military. While impressive, their own casualties are unsustainable, and lost ground usually irrecoverable. Destroying or capturing at least 10% of all Russian active-service T-80s by visual confirmation is illustrative: cool and all, but not nearly enough.
Also, why don't NATO forces on scene in Poland train Ukrainian militia and foreign volunteers in a safe environment before they head to the AO? A good way to keep themselves frosty just in case, moreover.
Recent news: Kadyrov himslf claimed to be in Hostomel (Antonov) Airport. Snipe the SOB and watch Chechnya descend into chaos, right? Would be great if the bulk of Russia's National Guard had to stay out of Ukraine to peacekeep in Chechnya for a bit.
Most of the active service models are modernized, though some models are older than others. The large majority of the T-72s were modernized in the past decade
and are apparently considered to be superior to the Soviet models of the T-80, which was based on the T-64. The majority of Russian T-80s are Soviet models. Relevant video:T-72B3 model 2011 (~2010)
Upgrade for T-72B tanks, including Sosna-U multichannel gunner's sight, new digital VHF radio, improved autoloader, 2A46M-5 gun to accommodate new ammunition. Retains older V-84-1 840 hp (630 kW) engine and Kontakt-5 explosive reactive armour, and lacks satellite navigation.[39]
T-72B3 model 2016 or T-72B3M
Upgrade for T-72B3, with Relikt explosive reactive armour on the sides, side skirts with soft-container reactive armour and slat screens, 2A46M-5 gun capable of firing 9M119M Refleks guided missile, V-92S2F 1,130 hp (840 kW) engine, automatic transmission, digital display and rear-view video.[40][41][42] Often incorrectly referred to as "T-72B4"
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