Is Ukraine about to have a war?
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 33,449
Received 3,192 Likes
on
1,339 Posts
Remember the impounded AN-124 in Canada, it appears to have a new owner.. 
An An-124 Ruslan transport aircraft belonging to the Russian cargo airline Volga-Dnepr was arrested in Toronto, Canada - TG-channel Operatyvnyi ZSU https://t.me/ZSUoperativno It will be transferred to the Armed Forces of Ukraine to deliver military aid from the US and Canada.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 33,449
Received 3,192 Likes
on
1,339 Posts
Hmmmmm
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 33,449
Received 3,192 Likes
on
1,339 Posts
NLAW or Javellin?
I concur with Geriaviator about JPcont, which I thought very revealing. Here's another video about the war and some more background:
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 33,449
Received 3,192 Likes
on
1,339 Posts
How accurate are those numbers likely to be? Apparently Russia has (or rather, had) approximately 12,400 tanks. Yet we've not only seen Russian forces using some decidedly dated variants but we have also seen overall incredibly poor serviceability of even their more modern vehicles.
It might sound a lot by Russia is 17,125,191 square kilometres in size, so getting armour together and delivered from far reaching areas must be a logistics nightmare, they were talking of a 4 day journey from Siberia to the Ukraine for some of the tank deliveries.
Then you need fuel, spares, ammunition, food etc for those already in country, all needing to be delivered..
If they are requesting ammo and it takes days to arrive, then they are screwed, plus they need trucks etc to deliver it..and even more fuel for them.
It is only recently that Russia started to update their military, unfortunately having the latest tanks etc is a bit pointless if you man it with inexperienced conscripts lead by inept leaders still working to a 1944 doctrine and forced to stick to paved surfaces..
It might sound a lot by Russia is 17,125,191 square kilometres in size, so getting armour together and delivered from far reaching areas must be a logistics nightmare, they were talking of a 4 day journey from Siberia to the Ukraine for some of the tank deliveries.
Then you need fuel, spares, ammunition, food etc for those already in country, all needing to be delivered..
If they are requesting ammo and it takes days to arrive, then they are screwed, plus they need trucks etc to deliver it..and even more fuel for them.
It is only recently that Russia started to update their military, unfortunately having the latest tanks etc is a bit pointless if you man it with inexperienced conscripts lead by inept leaders still working to a 1944 doctrine and forced to stick to paved surfaces..
Then you need fuel, spares, ammunition, food etc for those already in country, all needing to be delivered..
If they are requesting ammo and it takes days to arrive, then they are screwed, plus they need trucks etc to deliver it..and even more fuel for them.
It is only recently that Russia started to update their military, unfortunately having the latest tanks etc is a bit pointless if you man it with inexperienced conscripts lead by inept leaders still working to a 1944 doctrine and forced to stick to paved surfaces..
Between those and the figures released from Ukraine, they will soon be reduced to throwing rocks and calling each other names.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 33,449
Received 3,192 Likes
on
1,339 Posts
Out of all of this mess, one company I feel sorry for is Volga-Dnepr, even after the war had started and sanctions were in place they continued with their contract to deliver their "Humanitarian" cargo to a Country that had placed Sanctions on Russia and its aircraft, it could have turned around and headed home.
And lets face it throughout the likes of Afghanistan they provided the West with heavy lift capability
https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/113445
An An-124 Ruslan transport aircraft belonging to the Russian cargo airline Volga-Dnepr was arrested in Toronto, Canada - TG-channel Operatyvnyi ZSU https://t.me/ZSUoperativno It will be transferred to the Armed Forces of Ukraine to deliver military aid from the US and Canada.
And lets face it throughout the likes of Afghanistan they provided the West with heavy lift capability
https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/113445
An An-124-100 freighter belonging to Russian cargo specialist Volga-Dnepr Airlines (VI, Ulyanovsk Vostochny), carrying Covid-19 testing kits previously ordered from China by the Canadian government, has been seized at Toronto Pearson Airport amid international sanctions against Russia imposed after its invasion of Ukraine.
RA-82078 (msn 9773054559153) was detained on February 28 after the European Union and Canada - but before the United States - initiated airspace flight bans paralysing the movement of aircraft operated by Russian airlines carrying passengers or cargo.
The Antonov Design Bureau freighter, which had landed at Toronto the previous day via a refuelling stop at Anchorage Ted Stevens, is now stored there, the ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows, and it will remain there for the foreseeable future, according to Omar Alghabra, Canada’s minister of transport.
Volga-Dnepr Airlines, whose subsidiaries include AirBridgeCargo, Atran, and London Stansted-based CargoLogicAir, operates eleven An-124s, three of which are currently active, among its all-owned fleet of sixteen aircraft.
The carrier said in an emailed statement to The Globe and Mail newspaper that it was working towards the “settlement of all formalities to be able to fly to its home base. Volga-Dnepr Airlines operated a series of charters in the interests of the Canadian government delivering vital Covid-19-related products from China.”
Distinctive for its nose-loading cargo bay, the An-124 “Ruslan” entered service in 1986 and fewer than 60 were ever made. Less than half are still in use. Antonov Design Bureau is a state-owned Ukrainian manufacturer. The Ruslan is the second-heaviest freighter in the world after the majestic An-225 “Mriya”. The world’s only An-225 was destroyed in a Russian airstrike on Gostomel airport in the first days of the invasion.
RA-82078 (msn 9773054559153) was detained on February 28 after the European Union and Canada - but before the United States - initiated airspace flight bans paralysing the movement of aircraft operated by Russian airlines carrying passengers or cargo.
The Antonov Design Bureau freighter, which had landed at Toronto the previous day via a refuelling stop at Anchorage Ted Stevens, is now stored there, the ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows, and it will remain there for the foreseeable future, according to Omar Alghabra, Canada’s minister of transport.
Volga-Dnepr Airlines, whose subsidiaries include AirBridgeCargo, Atran, and London Stansted-based CargoLogicAir, operates eleven An-124s, three of which are currently active, among its all-owned fleet of sixteen aircraft.
The carrier said in an emailed statement to The Globe and Mail newspaper that it was working towards the “settlement of all formalities to be able to fly to its home base. Volga-Dnepr Airlines operated a series of charters in the interests of the Canadian government delivering vital Covid-19-related products from China.”
Distinctive for its nose-loading cargo bay, the An-124 “Ruslan” entered service in 1986 and fewer than 60 were ever made. Less than half are still in use. Antonov Design Bureau is a state-owned Ukrainian manufacturer. The Ruslan is the second-heaviest freighter in the world after the majestic An-225 “Mriya”. The world’s only An-225 was destroyed in a Russian airstrike on Gostomel airport in the first days of the invasion.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 33,449
Received 3,192 Likes
on
1,339 Posts
Russia is moving military equipment out of South Ossetia. The losses is Ukraine must be significant if they are forced to take such measures.
I must say that, listening to this lady tearing apart Sky News and the Western media in general, made me realise how weak Western politicians have become in the face of media pressure.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 33,449
Received 3,192 Likes
on
1,339 Posts
Downed Russian helicopter had a "To Berlin" artwork on it, fortunately it appeared to get lost and wandered into Ukrainian airspace and fell well short.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 33,449
Received 3,192 Likes
on
1,339 Posts
Ukrainian and Russian confirmed kills etc with images and locations. click on each one and it brings up the image.
So far by this site visually confirmed Russian* losses in #Ukraine, 3 weeks in:
- 233 tanks
- 474 armored vehicles
- 52 comms & engineering vehicles
- 69 air defense systems
- 94 artillery systems
- 13 fighter jets
- 32 helicopters
- 428 trucks & jeeps
https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2022/0...equipment.html
So far by this site visually confirmed Russian* losses in #Ukraine, 3 weeks in:
- 233 tanks
- 474 armored vehicles
- 52 comms & engineering vehicles
- 69 air defense systems
- 94 artillery systems
- 13 fighter jets
- 32 helicopters
- 428 trucks & jeeps
https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2022/0...equipment.html
RAF Voyager (& FGR4) route from Akrotiri to Romania - perusing FR24 I've noticed that they transit via the Med and Aegean then SE Greece rather than a more direct route over Turkey. No overfly permission?
So a few things reports are coming through that Lieutenant General Andrey Mordvichev has been killed, for those keeping count that number 5
also that russians are abandoning Kherson airbase with flying assets. Theres a video of non flying helicopters being towed out behind trucks
also that russians are abandoning Kherson airbase with flying assets. Theres a video of non flying helicopters being towed out behind trucks
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 33,449
Received 3,192 Likes
on
1,339 Posts
Question, if they launched the cruise missiles from the Black Sea to take out the aircraft repair centre, would it fly across western countries as shown on Sky or would it as I thought remain in Ukrainian territory.