Ukraine war mega thread

[bsnub]

What is happening in Belgorod?

[Norton]

What is happening in Belgorod?

[Troy]

What is happening in Belgorod?

An interesting diversion?

[OhOh]

The UNSC has determined that the Russian aggression against Ukraine is illegal,

Thank you for your post .

A link to your "UNSC determination" would be useful.

[Stretchy]

Russia voted against itself? That must be a first for the U N security council.

[Troy]

Russia voted against itself? That must be a first for the U N security council.

This is Ohoh's defence, that because Russia, as a permanent member, vetoed the UNSC resolution it makes the war legal.

Total BS but OhOh is full of that.

A special meeting was organised to bypass the veto and several resolutions pertaining to the Russia aggression were passed. This included ES-11/1,2,3,4 and 5 the full text of ES-11/1 can be found here:

Aggression against Ukraine :

Furthermore, Ukraine sued Russia in the ICJ, which ruled in favour of Ukraine by 13-2 with Russia and China being the 2 against.

The summary of the legality is here...

Legality of the Russian invasion of Ukraine - Wikipedia

No doubt Ohoh knows this but will stick to the strawman of the UNSC and Russia as a permanent member because that's his only argument.

[helge]

Legality of the Russian invasion of Ukraine - Wikipedia

Have you read it, Troy ?



Not your edition, is it ?

[panama hat]

An interesting diversion?

Russians invading Russia . . . a civil war . . . interesting. Things aren't quite working out the way the fascist cretin Putin thought they would.

[David48atTD]

Leadership is Ukraine's secret ingredient in war with Russia

In the past few months, many Western nations have stepped up the provision of weapons and munitions for Ukraine.
This will be key to the coming Ukrainian offensives and comprises the physical elements of the combat power to defeat the Russians.
But there are two other aspects of combat power which are even more vital for Ukraine's defence.

These are the moral and intellectual aspects of a nation fighting power.
The intellectual components provide the knowledge of war, strategy and cognitive capability – the "what to think".
The moral component reinforces culture, values and legitimacy, and is a foundation for the will to fight.

The moral and intellectual aspects of combat power are the domain of humans and, in particular, leaders.
Few need reminding of the role played by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in this war.


A former comedian with a very low popularity rating as late as 2021, he has risen to this historical moment.
Zelenskyy has united his people and led his nation through the calamity of a Russian campaign designed to exterminate his country.

His "I need ammunition, not a ride" moment will be recorded in history alongside the great statements of wartime leaders such as the UK's WWII prime minister Winston Churchill's "we shall fight on the beaches", or Abraham Lincoln's "last full measure of devotion", delivered during the American Civil War.

Leadership is Ukraine'''s secret ingredient in war with Russia - ABC News

[David48atTD]

Back to the fun stuff ... WAR PORN

It's a newish channel and they really explain how the stuff works in an easily consumable way.



AiTelly - YouTube

[helge]

The moral component reinforces culture, values and legitimacy, and is a foundation for the will to fight.

They had to let half the leadership go because of corruption, for fuc k sake !

Nice foundation

Do you read it before you post it ?

[David48atTD]

The moral component reinforces culture, values and legitimacy, and is a foundation for the will to fight.

They had to let half the leadership go because of corruption, for fuc k sake !

Nice foundation

Do you read it before you post it ?

Yep, I read it.

The author is referring to the Art of War, to coin a phrase.

About the Author ... "Mick Ryan is a strategist and recently retired Australian Army major general.
He served in East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan, and as a strategist on the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff.
His first book, War Transformed, is about 21st century warfare."

[bsnub]

Elements of the all-Russian pro-Ukrainian Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK) and Freedom of Russia Legion (LSR) conducted a raid into Belgorod Oblast on May 22. Russian sources began reporting on the morning of May 22 that a detachment of the RDK and LSR consisting of two tanks, an armored personnel carrier, and nine other armored vehicles crossed the international border and captured Kozinka, a settlement in the Grayvoron region of Belgorod Oblast within 600 meters of the border with Sumy Oblast.[1] Several Russian sources claimed that the grouping then captured the settlements of Glotovo and Gora Podol (3km and 5km from the border, respectively), although some milbloggers disputed claims that the attack completely captured Glotovo or Gora Podol, instead reporting that RDK forces only got to the Glotovo House of Culture.[2] ISW has not yet observed geolocated confirmation that the RDK or LSR reached Glotovo or Gora Podol. Geolocated footage posted on May 22 does confirm that the RDK struck a border post near Kozinka before crossing the border with at least one tank.[3] The RDK also posted footage reportedly showing the body of a Russian border guard in a border station, likely from the border crossing near Kozinka.[4] Russian milbloggers later claimed that Russian troops retook control of all three settlements.[5] Some Russian sources additionally reported that Russian forces repelled pro-Ukrainian sabotage groups near Dronovka, about 22km northwest of Kozinka.[6] The RDK additionally posted footage reportedly outside two settlements near the border area in Bryansk Oblast, but the nature of this incursion is unclear and ISW has not observed additional evidence or discourse surrounding actions in Bryansk Oblast on May 22.[7]

Ukrainian officials noted that they are aware of the attack but denied any direct involvement by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) Spokesperson Andriy Yusov noted that the RDK and LSR are comprised exclusively of Russian citizens and reported that the groups launched an operation in Belgorod Oblast to “liberate these territories...from the so-called Putin regime” and create a “security zone” by the border to protect Ukrainian civilians from further Russian shelling.[8] Advisor to the Head of the Ukrainian President’s Office Mykhailo Podolyak stated that Ukraine is observing and studying the situation but “has no direct relation to it,” noting that armed anti-regime Russian partisan movements are inevitable against the backdrop of the war.[9]


The raid prompted a slate of responses from local and federal Russian officials. Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov announced on May 22 the start of a counterterrorism operation regime in order to “ensure the safety of citizens in Belgorod Oblast.”[10] While some social media users posted footage claiming to show an official evacuation from the Grayvoron region, the Belgorod Oblast Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that it never announced an evacuation and suggested that some individuals may be leaving of their own accord.[11] Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD), Federal Security Service (FSB), and Border Service reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin on an “attempt by Ukrainian saboteurs to break into Belgorod Oblast.”[12] Peskov also accused Ukraine of staging the incident in order to distract from the situation in Bakhmut.[13] A Russian milblogger additionally claimed that the Russian military leadership decided to deploy the 74th Motorized Rifle Brigade (41st Combined Arms Army, Central Military District) to the Belgorod Oblast border area in order to counter the attack.[14]


The Russian information space responded with a similar degree of panic, factionalism, and incoherency as it tends to display when it experiences significant informational shocks. Some milbloggers fixated on the fact that the RDK and LSR are comprised of mostly Russians and labeled them traitors to Russia, baselessly accusing them of working under the GUR.[15] Several milbloggers additionally speculated that the attack was a purposeful information operation intended to distract from the recent Russian capture of Bakhmut and to instill panic in the Russian information space in advance of a potential Ukrainian counteroffensive.[16] Former Russian officer and ardent nationalist milblogger Igor Girkin remarked that he has long warned that such cross-border raids may be part of a wider Ukrainian counteroffensive strategy.[17] Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin took advantage of the incident to accuse the Russian government and its bureaucratic inertia of contributing to the attack and criticized the Russian MoD for being unable to strengthen Russian borders and defend Russia.[18] The first observed line of Russian defensive fortifications notably runs 2km in from of Gora Podol, and the suggestion that RDK forces managed to penetrate the defensive line emphasizes the weakness of such fortifications at least when not fully manned by well-prepared and well-equipped soldiers. While the majority of milbloggers responded with relatively varied concern, anxiety, and anger, the information space did not coalesce around one coherent response, which indicates first and foremost that the attack took Russian commentators by surprise.

Totally caught by surprise and it resulted in total chaos in ruzzia. Panic, factionalism, and incoherency.

Indeed.

[panama hat]

A former comedian with a very low popularity rating as late as 2021, he has risen to this historical moment.
Zelenskyy has united his people and led his nation through the calamity of a Russian campaign designed to exterminate his country.

His "I need ammunition, not a ride" moment

Ah, the fuckwits like sabang, OhWoe and Bacspit were making fun of the guy going around asking for help . . . like that was somehow unsavoury when looking at the odds. THAT was statesmanlike.

They had to let half the leadership go because of corruption, for fuc k sake !

Nice foundation

I'm a bit confused . . . he got rid of the corrupt scum whereas Putin is ac orrupt scum surrounded by corrupt scum yet somehow Zelenski comes out looking worse?

[cyrille]

It's a newish channel and they really explain how the stuff works in an easily consumable way.

Have actual people really started communicating like this, or is it just dave?

[helge]

I'm a bit confused .

I noticed

Putin is ac orrupt scum surrounded by corrupt scum

Nobody is praising Putin here or even talking about him

[panama hat]

Nobody is praising Putin here or even talking about him

Au contraire, mon ami du nord . . .

I noticed

It's the cold here . . .

[OhOh]

A special meeting was organised to bypass the veto and several resolutions pertaining to the Russia aggression were passed.

Your evidence:

1.

"Aggression against Ukraine : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly
UN. General Assembly (11th emergency special sess. : 2022)"

UNGA resolutions are not legally binding.

Fail. 1

2.

Furthermore, Ukraine sued Russia in the ICJ, which ruled in favour of Ukraine by 13-2 with Russia and China being the 2 against.

The summary of the legality is here...

Legality of the Russian invasion of Ukraine - Wikipedia

Wikipedia does not make international law.

Fail 2.

You may wish to review which countries recognise ICC rules".

One source which covers the ICG thoroughly:

Six Countries that Aren’t Part of the ICC

"Believe it or not, the three first world powers – United States, Russia, and China – aren’t part of the ICC, each for its own particular reasons.

These absences have been a very common topic since the creation of this intergovernmental organization twenty years ago, and until this day it’s quite often spoken among politicians, journalists, analysts and diplomats.

Other notable absences are Israel, Qatar, Iraq, and Libya; some of them with a very turbulent past (and present) and with a few not-very-good things in common. But let’s start with some basics about the ICC."

Six Countries that Aren't Part of the ICC

Another:

The U.S. does not recognize the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court
The U.S. does not recognize the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court : NPR

Fail 3.

No doubt Ohoh knows this but will stick to the strawman of the UNSC and Russia as a permanent member because that's his only argument.

My post are backed by facts, see above. Yours are not.

The UNSC like it or not, is the agreed creator and policeman globally recognised, warts and all.

[OhOh]

Providing F-16 Fighters to Ukraine Is Worth the Risk

The R-37M LRAAM Set the Record for Longest-Range Air-To-Air Kill in Ukraine: How Do NATO and the West Compare with Chinese and Russian Air-To-Air Technology?

Ruy Scalamandré

"In late October a Ukrainian Sukhoi-27 Flanker, Soviet-era fighter, was shot down by a long-range air-to-air missile (LRAAM) – the R-37M. This is not the first Ukrainian aircraft to be shot down since Russia’s invasion commenced in February, but it is nevertheless a significant feat for the Russian Air Force because the R-37M took down the Ukrainian Sukhoi-27 from a range of 217km (about 140 miles). This would make the kill the longest on record. The R-37M is a hypersonic long-range air-to-air missile (LRAAM) reportedly capable of reaching Mach 6 and striking targets up to 400km (250 miles) away.

The R-37M has become virtually unmatched, with few potential rivals.Furthermore, it is reported that the R-37M was fired from Russia’s fifth-generation fighter the Sukhoi-57 Felon rather than the Mikoyan MiG-31 Foxhound, Russia’s primary interceptor. The possibility of a fifth-generation Felon executing a target from such a long range is not at all impossible; the Sukhoi-57 has a sophisticated actively electronic scanned arrays (AESA) radar system comprising of the solid state AN/APG-77 – with a range of at least 200km (125 miles); and the N036 Byelka radar which boasts a maximum range just under 400km (250 miles).

Russia is not the only Western rival boasting such long-range capabilities. China’s PL-17 and PL-20 LRAAMs can reportedly strike targets from a distance of 300km (just under 190 miles). In the weapons bays of China’s own fifth-generation fighter – the Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon – the PL-17 and PL-20 can grant Beijing a similar strike capability displayed by the Russian Air Force in Ukraine. If indeed the Felon’s strike capabilities can be matched by the Mighty Dragon, this would allow Beijing to execute an island invasion of Taiwan with the ability to cripple Taiwan’s Air Force. Taiwan’s best-performing fighters are the fourth-generation Lockheed Martin F-16 and the Dassault Mirage, which They are supported by the Lockheed Martin-Raytheon PATRIOT air defence system with a maximum range of only 70 km (about 45 miles).

Despite the proven strike capabilities of the R-37M, and the estimated 300km (190 mile) range of the Chinese PL-20, the United States and NATO have air-to-air missile technologies on par with their rivals’. The old Raytheon AIM-54 Pheonix LRAAM had a range of 135km (85 miles), but has now been replaced by Raytheon’s AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missile. The Raytheon AIM-120 is with a maximum range of only 55km (35 miles), but its beyond-visual-range (BVR) capabilities still makes it a potent missile.

The de facto replacement for the AIM-54 LRAAM can be found in MBDA’s Meteor. The Meteor is an innovative LRAAM for its BVR capabilities, and being the first air-to-air missile with a ramjet motor. This means that the missile is constantly thrusted by its engine until reaching its target “providing the largest No-Escape Zone of any air-to-air missile” according to MBDA. The range of the Meteor is estimated to be in excess of 100km ( just over 60 miles), although there is no confirmed official number."

Continues at:

The R-37M LRAAM Set the Record for Longest-Range Air-To-Air Kill in Ukraine: How Do NATO and the West Compare with Chinese and Russian Air-To-Air Technology? — London Politica

[pickel]

^^
The ICC isn't the same as the ICJ.

Fail

[Troy]

^ Not sure about the quality of that article.

the Sukhoi-57 has a sophisticated actively electronic scanned arrays (AESA) radar system comprising of the solid state AN/APG-77 – with a range of at least 200km (125 miles); and the N036 Byelka radar which boasts a maximum range just under 400km (250 miles).

Just to clarify, the AN/APG-77 is fitted to the F-22 and the N036 is fitted to the SU-57. The radar detection ranges depend on the RCS of the target and the one quoted for the APG-77 is the min est for 1sq m. I don't know what the RCS value is for the N036 at the quoted range.

There is no doubt that the R-37M is a very potent missile and an opposing aircraft would certainly need to detect it was being fired upon as early as possible. However, the number of platforms that can support the weapon is limited and it will be interesting to see how long the Russians can keep up the sortie rate of its Mig31s.

The Russian aircraft being within the safety of their own borders makes them impossible to shoot down by anyone but Ukraine without a major escalation and they don't have and will not have the weapons to do so even if/when they receive F-16s.

[helge]

and will not have the weapons to do so even if/when they receive F-16s.

I guess that you are expecting a long distance call from Seattle

[pickel]

The Russian aircraft being within the safety of their own borders makes them impossible to shoot down by anyone but Ukraine without a major escalation and they don't have and will not have the weapons to do so even if/when they receive F-16s.

What about the four aircraft shot down on the same day in Bryansk last week?

[Takeovers]

What about the four aircraft shot down on the same day in Bryansk last week?

That was weird. The 2 planes and 2 advanced electronics helicopters were confirmedd by video. But Ukraine did not take credit for it by not including them in their daily Russian losses list. Initial reports were they were shot down by Russian air defense but that was of course also not confirmed.

[helge]

WASHINGTON — Ukraine will get a boost on the battlefield against invading Russian forces once its pilots train and begin to fly F-16 fighter jets, but Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said Monday that the aircraft won’t make a dramatic change in the war.
“F-16s are going to help the Ukrainians but it is not going to fundamentally change the equation,” Kendall said during a morning meeting with reporters. “It makes sense. It’s going to help them, but it’s not a game-changer.”
F-16s won’t be a ‘game-changer’ for Ukraine in its war with Russia, Air Force secretary says | Stars and Stripes