Russian invasion of Ukraine

[Iphie]

Haha.

But yeah, I think they lost pretty much all of VDV as well. Some of them were airdropped into the Black Sea and drowned because the pilot went "close enough" and greenlit their jump.

Wait what?

[Gabriel]

Wait what?

Can't find another source right now, but I 99% believe it.

[Gorsameth]

Guess that's a risk when you don't have proper GPS systems and tape a civilian road satnav to your dashboard.

[Breccia]

Can't find another source right now, but I 99% believe it.

Um...it's been a while since I've looked at standard armed forces loadout, but isn't the average soldier carrying like 10-25 kilograms of weapons, armor, and supplies? Even if the cold wasn't a factor, wouldn't they pretty much have to drop their kit just to survive the swim?

[Elder Millennial]

A bit more on the loss of the spetsnatz forces - one unit started with 900 men and is down to just 125 active personnel. They are also meant to take at least 4 years to train so they are pretty much out of action for years before they can train replacements.

There's also a question of just how many of these soldiers aren't per say casualties but rather troops that "leaked" out of the Russian military and into groups like...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriot_(company)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redut_(company)

Why die for a couple of hundred dollars a month when you go can work for Shoigu directly and get paid 6k a month?

[enigma77]

Can't find another source right now, but I 99% believe it.

Makes you feel almost bad for them.

Almost.

[Iphie]

Um...it's been a while since I've looked at standard armed forces loadout, but isn't the average soldier carrying like 10-25 kilograms of weapons, armor, and supplies? Even if the cold wasn't a factor, wouldn't they pretty much have to drop their kit just to survive the swim?

Airborne are notoriously lightly equipped their role is to lead the way, secure a foothold and then hold out until reinforcements come in to support with the heavy supplies. That's what went wrong at Hostomel airport as well. VDV are airborne.

[Breccia]

Airborne are notoriously lightly equipped their role is to lead the way, secure a foothold and then hold out until reinforcements come in to support with the heavy supplies. That's what went wrong at Hostomel airport as well. VDV are airborne.

Ah...so they wouldn't have been pulled under by their gear, just frozen to death. Gotcha.

[Gabriel]

Um...it's been a while since I've looked at standard armed forces loadout, but isn't the average soldier carrying like 10-25 kilograms of weapons, armor, and supplies? Even if the cold wasn't a factor, wouldn't they pretty much have to drop their kit just to survive the swim?

I think you should survive landing in water, since afaik your backpack is supposed to be airtight (if you are airborne unit) and it acts as a flotation device, but if you are not wearing a wet/dry suit when you land in freezing salt water... It's ripperino in pepperinos.

[Breccia]

I think you should survive landing in water, since afaik your backpack is supposed to be airtight (if you are airborne unit) and it acts as a flotation device, but if you are not wearing a wet/dry suit when you land in freezing salt water... It's ripperino in pepperinos.

Oh the temperature was a death sentence. Not debating that Just wondering whether the airdrop was lethally stupid, or double lethally stupid.

[Yunru]

Oh the temperature was a death sentence. Not debating that Just wondering whether the airdrop was lethally stupid, or double lethally stupid.

The plane could be on fire tho and maybe got hit by a AA. So there is a chance of a panic jump.
We kinda need more info.

[Iphie]

Oh the temperature was a death sentence. Not debating that Just wondering whether the airdrop was lethally stupid, or double lethally stupid.

Yeah, paratroopers are vulnerable without quick support. A determined defense can repel them and then they are really in deep shit as they are not equipped for prolonged actions.

[Kallisto]

Can't find another source right now, but I 99% believe it.

Damn thought it was something recent. But it turns out it was the first week of the war (if that is saying 26th Feb 2022).

[Breccia]

The plane could be on fire tho and maybe got hit by a AA. So there is a chance of a panic jump.
We kinda need more info.

Going with the "accidental" part of the story by what accounts we have. Yes, if the choices are "stay on crashing burning plane" or "jump off crashing burning plane" the rules change.

[Gabriel]

Damn thought it was something recent. But it turns out it was the first week of the war (if that is saying 26th Feb 2022).

VDV didn't survive longer than that rofl.

[PosPosPos]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...ments-discord/

China approved “provision of lethal aid” to Russia in its war in Ukraine earlier this year and planned to disguise military equipment as civilian items, according to a U.S. intercept of Russian intelligence revealed in leaked secret documents.

The intercept, apparently obtained through U.S. eavesdropping on Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), was included in a top-secret summary, dated Feb. 23, of recent Ukraine- and Russia-related “products” compiled by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. It was among a number of previously unreported documents that The Washington Post obtained from a trove of images of classified files posted on a private server on the chat app Discord.

According to “signals intelligence,” the intelligence summary said, the SVR reported that China’s Central Military Commission had “approved the incremental provision” of weapons and wanted it kept secret. The report did not indicate the source of the SVR’s information.

Not surprising in the slightest, but good to see it be officially in the open.

If it wasn't obvious from the way China tries to pretend to be a peacemaker by calling for a ceasefire so Russia can regroup, recover and rearm themselves, it is now.

[jonnysensible]

VDV didn't survive longer than that rofl.

the best is still that airport zerg on day 1, where they dropped 'elite' soldiers way behind enemy lines to secure the airport with small arms and the ukranians just turned up with tanks and wiped them. Some stupid shit.

[Iphie]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...ments-discord/



Not surprising in the slightest, but good to see it be officially in the open.

If it wasn't obvious from the way China tries to pretend to be a peacemaker by calling for a ceasefire so Russia can regroup, recover and rearm themselves, it is now.

You'd do well to also show that the article mentions that there's no indication that anything has actually been transferred and the first paragraph states: "Russia believed..." Suggesting that it might not have planned out.

[PosPosPos]

You'd do well to also show that the article mentions that there's no indication that anything has actually been transferred and the first paragraph states: "Russia believed..." Suggesting that it might not have planned out.

Because it actually takes time in between making agreements to send weapons and doing the due diligence on logistics to send weapons.

And you would be really naive to believe China is above sending weapons to Russia behind everyone's backs when they have zero credibility both internationally and intranationally.

[Iphie]

Because it actually takes time in between making agreements to send weapons and doing the due diligence on logistics to send weapons.

And you would be really naive to believe China is above sending weapons to Russia behind everyone's backs when they have zero credibility both internationally and intranationally.

We're 3 months down the road from the alleged agreement, if they were going to supply they'd had ample time to do so by now. Furthermore, just today China vowed not to sell arms to either side in the war, so you know, whatcha gonna believe, the info 3 months out of date or the new info?

As for China's credibility? It sure as hell is a lot more than russia's though that's a low bar to clear.