Russian invasion of Ukraine

[Gabriel]

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.

Quintessential ruski moment.

[Gorsameth]

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.

Sure but if the US intercepted it they can also give a friendly call to China to remind them of the consequences.

[zealo]

Sure but if the US intercepted it they can also give a friendly call to China to remind them of the consequences.

I'm pretty sure they already did.

Remember how the US a couple of weeks ago told china out in the open there would be consequences if they started supplying Russia with "lethal aid"?

[Flarelaine]

Some of them were airdropped into the Black Sea and drowned because the pilot went "close enough" and greenlit their jump.

I can attest that "close enough" as a mentality is very pervasive in Eastern Europe.

- - - Updated - - -

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.

It was a gamble which would have paid off in a big way had it worked. As in, had Ukraine not been tipped off to the plan. Spetznaz could have easily taken care of the standard guards.

[Iphie]

I can attest that "close enough" as a mentality is very pervasive in Eastern Europe.

I mean, there is the whole corruption stereotype which comes from this, yes?

It was a gamble which would have paid off in a big way had it worked. As in, had Ukraine not been tipped off to the plan. Spetznaz could have easily taken care of the standard guards.

High risk, high rewards, but now it probably cost russia the war and while spetznaz could take care of the guards they would not be able to sustain a prolonged period without support, the idea of the airbridge would only have worked if russia had air superiority as well. IIRC two cargo/troop transport planes got shot down over Ukraine in the initial fighting for the airport and that sealed the deal.

[Corvus]

There is serious fighting going on in Sudan at the moment. What has this got to do with the war? Well, russia.

Sudan was controlled by a military junta after a coup overthrew the president, but there were two factions - the military and the Rapid Security Force paramilitary, which grew out of the infamous janjaweed militias. The RSF worked with russia and the Wankers to control gold mines, but both sides relied on russia to prop them up, which it no longer can do. Up until now they had been working together but that has broken down and both sides are now trying to wipe the other out.

[Kallisto]

There is serious fighting going on in Sudan at the moment. What has this got to do with the war? Well, russia.

Sudan was controlled by a military junta after a coup overthrew the president, but there were two factions - the military and the Rapid Security Force paramilitary, which grew out of the infamous janjaweed militias. The RSF worked with russia and the Wankers to control gold mines, but both sides relied on russia to prop them up, which it no longer can do. Up until now they had been working together but that has broken down and both sides are now trying to wipe the other out.

I wouldn't be surprised if in a few days/weeks China will come in and put some kind of truce going on. Push that soft power that they've been doing (like with SA and Iran) also push west blame like they do.

[jonnysensible]

It was a gamble which would have paid off in a big way had it worked. As in, had Ukraine not been tipped off to the plan. Spetznaz could have easily taken care of the standard guards.

'Hostomel Airport, located 10 kilometres northwest of Kyiv, played an important part in Russia's plans to cut off Kyiv. Hostomel is the home of Antonov Airlines, the cargo division of the Antonov design bureau, and notably also housed the An-225, the world's largest aircraft, at the time of the Russian assault on the city. Sadly, this awe-inspiring aircraft could not be evacuated in time, and was destroyed during the fighting. The Russian plan entailed the rapid occupation of Hostomel Airport (popularly known as Antonov Airport) so that it could be used as a staging area for the subsequent encirclement and conquest of Kyiv. In keeping with its important role, Hostomel was taken with much fanfare by a heliborne assault using VDV forces on the 24th of February. Even though Ukraine had been made aware that Hostomel was a target by CIA director William J. Burns in January 2022, the speed with which Russia's heliborne operation was conducted still appears to have caught Ukrainian troops by surprise. [4]

During the assault, Mi-35 and Ka-52 attack helicopters operating out of Belarus softened up the airport's defences so that Mi-8 transport helicopters carrying VDV airborne troops could safely land. Over the course of these manoeuvres one Ka-52 was hit by MANPADS before making an emergency landing just outside the airport's perimeter. [5] However, Ukrainian defences were left largely intact and without any meaningful air support, the VDV was soon facing counterattacks by Ukrainian forces.

As the VDV troops battled it out with Ukrainian forces for control over the airport, Russia's ground push from Belarus managed to break through Ukraine's defences near Ivankiv and raced towards Hostomel, running into several Ukrainian ambushes on the way. Nevertheless, Russian troops managed to fully secure Hostomel Airport on the 25th of February. The Russian Army and VDV then set out to turn Hostomel into a forward operating base from which the push on Kyiv could be initiated. It was at this time however that Russia's offensive into Ukraine began to bog down, leading to the forming of the infamous 40-miles-long convoy and complete units that had to halt their push due to a lack of fuel.

Not to be deterred by setbacks elsewhere, newly arrived VDV and Russian Army units attempted to break out of Hostomel Airport into the nearby town and press their advance into Bucha and Irpin. However, these poorly coordinated pushes ran into ambushes in Hostomel and Bucha with significant losses in manpower and equipment as a result. Though the Russian military had prepared for an easy lightning takeover of Ukraine, it now found itself in a situation it had not bargained for, with Russian forces seemingly clueless about where to expect its enemies and how to best combat them. The ambushes in Hostomel and Bucha not only inflicted substantial casualties, but also set in a stark realisation of what was to be expected when advancing further on Kyiv.

The next developments turned out to be crucial. Rather than adapting to the new reality, and looking for ways to deal with it, the VDV and Russian Army around Kyiv largely became a static force, waiting for additional supplies and for the 40-miles-long convoy to advance and complete the encirclement of Kyiv (which would never occur). Faced with poor or absent leadership, a lack of supplies, daily shelling and significant casualties and low morale, the VDV and Russian Army were forced to bunker down, digging in on the roadsides to defend themselves against Ukrainian artillery and drone strikes. Increasingly they began to be pestered by such drones (often scouting targets for artillery) and SOF inflicting heavy casualties during the night, against which Russia is poorly prepared, having invested little in night equipment for its soldiers. All the seeds for an army that would soon turn its guns on civilians and begin looting were planted.

The situation was entirely analogous in Hostomel, where the VDV and a sizeable Russian Army contingent was stationed waiting for the order for a push on Kyiv that never came, while under constant shelling. On the 4th of March, Russian state-owned television channel Channel One Russia aired footage that already showed large amounts of destroyed Russian equipment struck by Ukrainian artillery scattered around the base. [6] Russian forces stationed here had essentially become sitting ducks, with no order given to advance and no order to retreat.

Relief came only when such an order finally was given on the 29th of March, after which Russian troops at Hostomel began their retreat from Kyiv Oblast. [3] Damaged equipment that couldn't be taken along was blown up, while Ukrainian artillery shelling covered the flight. At Hostomel, such equipment included 16 of the VDV's most modern AFVs, the BMD-4M, and a 1L262E Rtut-BM EW system. Their position indicates they were either destroyed while they were staging to retreat or blown up by the Russians themselves. After Ukrainian troops reentered Hostomel, they encountered evidence of Russians having left in a hurry everywhere, including anything from unopened packages of food, passports, bank cards and even captured Ukrainian armoured vehicles that couldn't be taken back. [7] A video of the carnage can be watched here.

lol they got pumped because they are stupid.

[Elder Millennial]

A new jerry rigged vehicle just showed up in Ukraine.

But this time on the Ukrainian side, tho in a typical Ukraine v Russia fashion this seems to be much better thought out and built.

It's the chassis of an old T64 (an old tank that has very heavy frontal armor) that seems to have had its turret removed, fitted with tons of explosive reactive armor and seemingly refitted to be some type of very heavy APC.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidax...h=2bcfbe561b55

[Gabriel]

The ERA brick memes are hilarious.

[Azadina]

Prig is on vodka and coke more than usual. Now he wants his band of throwaway terrorists to duel Finnish troops.

As much as I'd want to see the utter devastation they'd get in the duel, it's not worth a single Finnish life. Not unless the stakes are something like... Finland wins; RuZZia ceases to be. Or something in that magnitude.

[Yunru]

The ERA brick memes are hilarious.

Yep:
https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/...69/273/b75.png

I kinda wonder who suppys them with so many reactive armor tho...

[Iphie]

Prig is on vodka and coke more than usual. Now he wants his band of throwaway terrorists to duel Finnish troops.

As much as I'd want to see the utter devastation they'd get in the duel, it's not worth a single Finnish life. Not unless the stakes are something like... Finland wins; RuZZia ceases to be. Or something in that magnitude.

Oh do spill the tea where did he say that?

[Azadina]

Oh do spill the tea where did he say that?

https://www.iltalehti.fi/ulkomaat/a/...2-616b9683f0cf

Sorry to anyone who doesn't read Finnish

[Elder Millennial]

Yep:
https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/...69/273/b75.png

I kinda wonder who suppys them with so many reactive armor tho...

They were either given the entire Eastern European stockpile, or they can actually make them themselves.

I wager it's probably both.

[Iphie]

https://www.iltalehti.fi/ulkomaat/a/...2-616b9683f0cf

Sorry to anyone who doesn't read Finnish

What an incredible idiot XD. I mean the Finnish army would mop up the floor with his band of misfits... Maybe someone should remind him of Simo Häyhä.

[Bakis]

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.

Hehe of all the retarded WW2 tactics that Russia based their hastily thrown together invasion on, some are just harder to comprehend. Most of all those actions that does not in any way rest on some level of western intel. All airports especially that one being a prime target was obvious to any layman and to the planners as well.
Yet sending a force that depended on air superiority and reinforcements of which themselvevs was part of an invasion that as a whole made it glaringly obvious that the Russian military is corrupt, poorly trained, ill-equipped and generally perform PISS POOR which was unexpected to the west but not to the Russian military higher-ups but they did it nevertheless.

Pure joy that some of the best trained troops on paper if nothing else got sent to an immediate grave.
I toast every single dead Russian soldier involved in the war with my Friday gin & tonic. This Friday its a Japanese gin named Ruku that will have that honor.

[Gabriel]

The poor communication between branches of the russian military is by design. The military can't plot a coop against you if nobody is talking to each other.

In the immortal words of one Ukrainian soldier: "We are very lucky that they are so fucking stupid."

[Elder Millennial]

Hehe of all the retarded WW2 tactics that Russia based their hastily thrown together invasion on, some are just harder to comprehend. Most of all those actions that does not in any way rest on some level of western intel. All airports especially that one being a prime target was obvious to any layman and to the planners as well.
Yet sending a force that depended on air superiority and reinforcements of which themselvevs was part of an invasion that as a whole made it glaringly obvious that the Russian military is corrupt, poorly trained, ill-equipped and generally perform PISS POOR which was unexpected to the west but not to the Russian military higher-ups but they did it nevertheless.

Pure joy that some of the best trained troops on paper if nothing else got sent to an immediate grave.
I toast every single dead Russian soldier involved in the war with my Friday gin & tonic. This Friday its a Japanese gin named Ruku that will have that honor.

From a purely theoretical stand point the attack on Hostomel made perfect sense.

This is not a novel concept, the US also did a couple of these Zerg Rushes for example in Iraq on various airports, sometimes with little else than a bunch of Humvees.

There were two points of difference tho. 1 the US had complete and total air superiority so it could actually provide air support and the moment the airports were taken they could start flying in supplies and reinforcements. 2 the US could actually reinforce the fast moving units. If the Iraqis couldn't stop the Humvees they sure as shit weren't going to stop the Bradleys, Strykers and Abrams rolling in right behind.

Market Garden (the whole A Bridge too Far thing) was ambitious. The Russians were literally delusional. They couldn't even unfuck themselves from the traffic jam they created, even before the Ukrainians started popping their tanks with Manpads and Artillery.

The theory was sound, but the notion that they could pull it off was... delusional.

I don't think we have ever seen another major military in history that would have been as unaware of its own capabilities and limitations as the Russians.

I think even Napoleon was more realistic about his Russian invasion plans than the Russians were about Ukraine.

I was one of those people who thought the Russians would overwhelm the conventional Ukrainian military relative quickly. None of those 2 to 10 day things, but probably a couple of weeks...but I also were just as convinced that Ukraine would turn into "Afghanistan but worse" as I didn't think the Ukrainians would take kindly to an occupation or regime change.

But I was operating off the idea of a Russian military that was actually semi competent and decently lead by career officers.

Basically I bought the Russians propaganda about themselves. What's weird tho as that seemingly even the propagandists bought into their own propaganda. That's just weird tho.

[Edge-]

But I was operating off the idea of a Russian military that was actually semi competent and decently lead by career officers.

Basically I bought the Russians propaganda about themselves. What's weird tho as that seemingly even the propagandists bought into their own propaganda. That's just weird tho.

It's incredible how arguably Russia's biggest success in recent decades is convincing the world they have a trained, technologically advanced, effective military, including intelligence agencies. And it would still be the case had Putin not decided to start his "3 day special operation" that's now around 400 days or so in.