Running Newsticker for the War in Ukraine

Ukrainian word that means mixed up stirred up into a confused mess.

 

Is the UK still sending Challenger tanks to the Ukrainians? I wonder if it will become problematic with Ukraine trying to operate, maintain and supply so many different types of tanks. With the Challenger, Leopard 2, M1 and the Ukraine Russian style tanks it will be a mish mash of technologies.

 

yes and yes...the chally offer was a means to open the dialogue for others to offer their Leos which are a far more viable option for the Ukes. The Chally is a very capable machine but unlike most guns its got a rifled bore so is limited in the ammo it can use. The US Abrams has also been touted as an issue by various pros but so far the Ukes have been pretty good at getting round technical stuff so other than schlepping JP4 around I'm not sure it'll not be that much of a hinderance....... but hell....I'm not a tanky so am probably wrong

 

German government approves delivery of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine

The German government will send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, it announced on Wednesday, following weeks of diplomatic pressure to make the move.

The decision to send the tanks is a landmark moment in the West’s support for Kyiv that follows days of intense pressure on Berlin from some of its NATO partners.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/25/euro...xuvSzxXsCHSu62WLolwsb3kiN&bt_ts=1674645280843


Good. Poland is planning on doing the same.......(they were just waiting for Germany's decision)

Ukraine is going to need all the help they can get...... as things are going to get really challenging as Russia will be even more deadly, destructive and aggressive. Russia seems to be playing the card of: If they can't have Ukraine....no one can They don't care HOW they do it or how barbaric they have to become. Can't believe that Russia does not realize how much it has lost alrady. Or they believe their own lies.......and Putin's delusions of grandiosity.

 

yeah...its been reduced to a simple strategy of Russia conducting a campaign of attrition to impose poverty on Ukraine....ironically this is exactly what is happening in Russia now as well. Over the next 2-3 years as sanctions bite Russians are going to have some serious issues. Their best bet is to start buying "barter" goods because their currency will become worthless and it will be back to the old "Soviet" times of black marketeers and bartering for basics. They are now having to sell oil and gas at way under production cost; I heard that in Russia gas costs $300/2500 CuMeter to produce and they are selling at less than $200/2500 CuMeter on top of which sales are down 40% in real terms from 2022 (Rosstat have not provided the 2022 figures for oil which is very unusual). There cash surplus is running out. 30% of Russians are employed by the public sector/Government who within the next year or so will see their wages cut by either inflation or real wage cuts or simply out of a job - they have no real industrial sector outside of energy therefore no chance to soak up extra job seekers and zero inward investment for industrial growth...they are buggered!! It's simply now a case prolonging the conflict to impose maximum industrial carnage on Russia - ergo all the support from the west.

 

This is from Ukrnform

https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-at...an-soldiers-destroy-nine-tanks-on-jan-24.html

Good to see that the kill rate of invaders is at a good level the last day or so.
reports. That is nice but can hardly be expected as an average. The statistic that really catches my interest is the number of tanks destroyed (9) and armored combat vehicles (23).

 

The M1s will be a symbolic event more than practical. Problem is that the west moved so slow and Germany is the clog in the tank tracks multiple tank systems could not be avoided. Of all leopard tanks could have been preferable. But you take what you can bet.

 

You made an excellent point. I like the fact that you pointed out it will take a while to have Russia self destruct economically. Hopefully that will spark real opposition to Putin,s regime and for the future Putin like regime. Let it be so.

 

JP4 that is the fuel that made the weapons I am familiar with go up on high into the sky. Go AirForce.

 

Ukrainian offensive operations will be enabled.
Ukraine Conflict Updates
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, January 24, 2023

Click here to read the full report.
Key Takeaways

• A coalition of NATO member states reportedly will send Ukraine modern main battle tanks.
• Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov continued efforts to portray himself and the traditional Russian military command structure as the true defenders of Russia.
• Russian outlet RBK claimed on January 23 that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu appointed Colonel General Sergey Kuzovlev as the Southern Military District (SMD) commander and Lieutenant General Yevgeny Nikiforov as the Western Military District (WMD) commander.
• Russian forces continued limited counterattacks along the Svatove-Kreminna line and Ukrainian forces reportedly continued counteroffensive operations near Kreminna.
• Russian forces continued to conduct ground attacks in the Bakhmut and Avdiivka-Donetsk City area. Russian forces made marginal territorial gains near Bakhmut.
• Russian sources claimed, likely to distract from the lack of progress in Bakhmut, that Russian forces launched an offensive around Vuhledar.
• Russian forces likely continued to conduct limited and localized ground attacks in Zaporizhia Oblast but likely did not make territorial gains, further undermining Zaporizhia Oblast occupation official Vladimir Rogov’s prior territorial claims.
• Ukrainian special forces conducted a raid across the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast on January 23-24.
• Russian authorities are likely continuing efforts to mobilize ethnic minorities to fight in Ukraine.
• Russia’s defense industrial base (DIB) is reportedly increasing the production of drones and loitering munitions.
• Ukrainian partisans targeted a member of the Zaporizhia occupation administration. . . .

Ukrainian Special Forces conducted a raid across the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast on January 23-24. The Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) posted footage on January 24 showing Ukrainian Special Forces conducting a night raid in the vicinity of Nova Kakhovka on the east (left) bank of the Dnipro River.[58] GUR reported that Ukrainian forces discovered a Russian forward deployment point and destroyed a Russian command post during the raid. Russian milbloggers claimed on January 24 that Russian forces repelled a Ukrainian attempt to land on east (left) bank Kherson Oblast near Kakhovka.[59] The milbloggers likely significantly exaggerated their claims of Ukrainian losses, likely in a further attempt to distract from the lack of Russian progress on the axis. One milblogger claimed that Ukrainian forces conducted a reconnaissance mission for a future attempt to establish a bridgehead on the east bank of the Kherson River and warned that Ukrainian activity in the area will likely escalate in the near future.[60] . . . .

 

The M1 is the boss of any battlefield it's on, but it requires a lot of support. Our son once commanded an M1 platoon.

The Wall Street Journal
What Makes the M1 Abrams So Critical to the Russia-Ukraine War?

 

Ukraine war live updates: Berlin sends tanks to Ukraine; Russia says heavy weaponry

 

Rheinmetal built several prototypes and use them for all the testing which needs to be done. Those are fully functional tanks and not demonstration pieces. When they showed the KF51 last year at one of those military equipment shows, it was quiet a shock, because they had kept the program secret.
What really surprised everybody, how far they were already in the testing of this tank.
It is expected that in a year this tank is ready. Normally a brand new tank is a government program and takes a decade till they are production ready. This is a private initiative by Rheinmetal.

 

do you think it'll be an issue for them? I mean I've read that it takes a lot of time for the techs to train on these things but based on how the Ukes seem to be able to Macgyver there way around kit I'm assuming that coupled with the US training they'll get the job done?

 

That is the hope. We shall see. I think it will work because it must.

 

So far I have read reports that the Ukes are good at McGyvering which did not surprise me. Yet the more complex the equipment the less likely McGyverisms work. On the other hand Ukes are reported to be quip learners. Because they need to be.

 

U.S. agrees to supply Abrams tanks to Ukraine, a major policy reversal
The decisions end months of debate among Western allies and paves the way for a major shift in the balance of power on the Ukrainian battlefield.
By Karen DeYoung, Loveday Morris, Emily Rauhala and Dan Lamothe

 

Makes one think if Ukraine had even double the jet fighters and fighter bombers coupled with the modern tanks they will get the Russians would get pushed out amor parts of the Krym and up to Mariupol. Likely would be able to do some serious damage to Russian occupied east. That would take another letter to Santa Clause.

 

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
― Theodore Roosevelt

 

Ukrainians have indeed been doing what they can with what they. There is nothing wrong with aspiring for more. Now more aircraft would be a great leap so as you posted do with they have.

 

https://english.nv.ua/nation/sweden...open-to-transfer-stridsvagn-122-50299846.html
also
https://defence-blog.com/sweden-to-deliver-cv90-fighting-vehicles-to-ukraine/


“Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced on Thursday his country would provide Ukraine with 50 CV90 vehicles and 12 Archer systems to boost the country’s defenses against Russia’s invasion.

“Earlier, Sweden announced plans to send the domestically developed Archer artillery system to Ukraine, but the information about the CV90 fighting vehicles came as a surprise to everyone.
. It is a modern, adaptable, and combat-proven vehicle with 1,300 vehicles in 15 variants sold to seven nations, including four NATO allies.”
Hey no tanks from Sweden but their reasoning sounds logical. Ukraine Archer systems along with CV90 fighting vehicles is a good deal and Ukraine will put them to good use. Hey automatic feeding 155mm artillery plus is a very good.

 

The tanks the US is promissing to the Ukraine apparently do not exist. The US Government is planning to have them built, procured.

What a shameful deceit that is.

Rather disgusting.

It will be interesting to read all the defenses of this fantastic decision.

But, but, but Germany and Scholz........................................

 

That is false. They are already built and will be delivered by contractors.

 

Here are the facts - the US Army has 2,509 Abrams M1A1 and M1A2 tanks in service, with another 3,700 available in storage. Therefore there likely will be a need to perform check out, test the systems especially the propulsion system.
With 3700 in storage they do not need to be built. The replacement for the M1 was cancelled.

 

https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-at...de-ukraine-with-shells-for-leopard-tanks.html
Ukrinform is a multimedia news source. They are usually very straight but at times they can get a bit like cheer leaders. Yet a thousand more straight than Russian propaganda.
Rheinmetall can provide ammunition for Leopard tanks.
“Germany's defense company Rheinmetall can provide a large amount of ammunition for modern Leopard 2 battle tanks, which Germany and other countries will send to Ukraine.
That's according to DW, Ukrinform reports.

"Rheinmetall is ready for this and has significantly increased in advance its capacity for the production of ammunition, especially large-caliber ammunition," the company said in response to a request from the Rheinische Post newspaper.”

Good for Reinmetall’s bottom line and for Ukraine. Of course there is a cost since as economist Milton Friedman ( supposedly said) said— “ there ain’t no free lunch”.