Breaching operations just became more complex. Combat Engineers clear a lane then the enemy re-mines it via rockets...

 

MILITARY TECHNOLOGY RUSSIAN REMOTE MINING
The Russian remote mining vehicle ISDM Zemoedeliye with 50 122mm tubes has a range of 5-15 km and can quickly mine an area of several footballfields. Few in operation yet, but very useful.

Ukraine has used HIMARS recently for remote… pic.twitter.com/CxBtNpH43O

— Mikael Valtersson (@MikaelValterss1) June 13, 2023

With weapon systems like this, breaching operations have become much more complex. Imagine if you're a combat engineer. You swallow hard, do the incredibly hard thing of clearing a lane for your armored forces and then they re-mine the lane you just cut and to make matters worse its not to cut your off but to cut off your support?

So if you're lucky you continue on and hope that your fellow Sappers can get that NEW mine field cleared, that enemy arty doesn't zero in on your location (or attack helos or anti-tank teams or just some freak with an RPG that feels like playing Rambo) and that the assault can finally reach the breakthrough phase.

The Ukrainians are begging for F-16s but I'm thinking that what is probably needed on this new battlefield is A-10s to keep the anti-tank teams heads down and maybe kill some of the forward arty and B-1s/B-52s that can lob JDAMs from miles up at their leisure.

Open Comment Post. Russia-Ukraine War. 14 June 23

 

Open Comment Post. 14 June 23

 

ISDM Zemledeliye the counter breach weapon system

Thanks to Maria Zakharovka (too funny) for the link!

Note. In my opinion its important to have readers all over the globe especially in wartime. Luckily I have a few Russian readers and I'm beyond happy to have them here. WE NEED A BALANCED PERSPECTIVE. Not getting that with the propaganda being thrown around. Are we on someone's radar? Possibly, no make that probably. A group said that Vets are more likely to be extremist, more likely to carry out mass casualty events (shootings/bombings) etc. So long story short? We're gonna do what we do. All info from all sides. Hang with it and enjoy the jewel that was given to us by one of those Russian readers.

   

An analysis of the new Russian tactics here. Check out the vid in the story and it shows how they're basically destroying breaching operations with a combination of combined arms used in the defense and these missile deployed mines.

I wonder if its occurred to anyone that the Ukrainians really need to conduct an operation to pop this open.

This thing is offensive is screaming for an airborne, air assault, amphibious assault of some kind.

As things are going they're just banging their heads against an anvil.  I don't think the Ukrainian armed forces have the firepower to do a classic WW2 USMC "hey diddle diddle straight up the middle" assault.

Close combat you can train for. Steel yourself for. This attack helos launching from halfway over the horizon, UAVs you can't see and missiles from distance is a bitch.

 

“Well Bradley, Hello!” — Russian Helicopter pilot

-> Two destroyed Bradley’s more. pic.twitter.com/f8dYcM0SWi

— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) June 14, 2023

Close combat is horrifying. You can see, sometimes actually are touching the person you're engaging with. The damage you cause or is caused to you is instant and there is no doubt who did it. The smell, the visuals, every sense that the human brain can muster will lock onto it so that you're better the next time.

But this over the horizon shit.

This thing with UAVs flying at altitude so you can't see them before they strike.  Long range artillery.  Bombs from 50 miles away.

This shit sucks.

Ya know what I thought next?

COIN spoiled generations of US fighting forces.  Everything I'm seeing in this war that I consider horrifying is the same shit we were doing to insurgents for the past few decades.

This war is bad.

If we fight China its gonna be a new level of horrifying.  Good luck to whatever generation pulls that duty.

Fuck PTSD.  We're gonna see full on shell shocked soldiers.  Its all gonna be a mind fuck.

This analysis on the Ukrainian counteroffensive (before it began) aged badly.

 

I have watched the reaction to the Ukrainian offensive and I have to say that I'm a bit amazed.

I can only look at this from the perspective of the US military, with the view of being a Marine and having worked alongside other service members (different era but you get the idea).

Looking at it from a US perspective I can only think that we don't usually fire generals.  But if a general had led an assault that got bogged down this badly the calls to fire him would be heard round the world.

We're 10 days (at least) into this thing and the Ukrainians haven't even made it to the main defensive line of the Russians.

I still think they moved too early, were batshit crazy to advertise it and failed to account for Russian resistance even though they watched them preparing positions for weeks if not months.

Long story short.

The Ukrainians were arrogant.  Apparently they believed their own propaganda.

From my chair they need to preserve their forces.  No need in continuing to hit your head against this anvil.  Sort yourself out and do it again when you have your shit together.

If they don't do that then they risk losing it all and seeing a massive push into their heartland.  Basic tactics is to wear your enemy down and then launch a savage counter attack when they're spent and demoralized.

This is a mess.  I'm sure the Pentagon/White House knew this was a gamble but didn't think it would be this bad.

This so smells like a political decision and not a military one that I can't help but think this was decided between Zelensky and Biden.

Side note.  I wonder what gave this guy the idea that they could rout the Russians?  Almost like he was expecting a Europe style Shock and Awe or perhaps better said a modern day Blitzkrieg.

CIA warned Ukraine not to attack Nord Stream

 

WSJ:

CIA warned Ukraine not to attack Nord Stream.

Western allies had suspicions of a Ukrainian plot prior to the attack on pipelines.

CIA deliberated Ukraine's ability to carry out the Nord Stream attack. pic.twitter.com/hXqMOMgbXi

— Clash Report (@clashreport) June 13, 2023

The worst part of this is that our own govt allowed the public to believe (not me but many of the more gullible) that the Russians did this. The next concerning thing is that the Ukrainians did this then what won't they do that could widen the war. This is why I believe giving them long range weapons is so dangerous. Give them F-16s and they'll be mounting attacks inside Russia, maybe even Moscow.

Some want NATO involved in this fight.  

When I say NATO they mean that they want the US and Poland to do the fighting.

The problem?

America won't bite.  Poland will only annex the parts of Ukraine they want and Zelensky will go from hero to pariah for widening the war to include Europe.

It really is a recipe for disaster.

Turn this war off.  Ukraine is wandering into wild card territory.

What game is Prig playing? He's got to be getting close to the edge

 

Prigozhin gathered another meeting to discuss the current state of events, said the Ukrainian offensive is moving competently and carefully, not enough is being done to stop them. pic.twitter.com/pNJnzXyiaE

— Dmitri (@wartranslated) June 13, 2023

Wow. What game is this dude playing? He's got to be getting close to the edge and the fact that he hasn't gone missing yet is either (1) impressive and open discussion is actually allowed in Russia, (2) batshit crazy and they're getting the acid filled tub together after the pigs are fed or (3) Putin is actually ordering him to do this.

I just can't figure out what's going on with him.

Any theories out there?

Why are they trying to make the Trump indictment such a simple deal?

 Still healing up from this fractured ankle (never in my life did I think it would take this long...rehab sucks DONKEY DICK!) and I've been listening to the talking heads on TV discuss this thing.

I wonder why they're dumbing this thing down.  This isn't simple. This won't be easy.  The damage done to the DOJ and FBI might be irreparable.

One thing that annoys is that they keep emphasizing that the Special Prosecutor is asking for a quick and speedy trial.

Trump won't go for that.

He'll be running for President.

Even if convicted HE WILL APPEAL!

A reader here has been pushing the idea that this is designed to knock off Trump so that he can't run again.  The theory goes on to state that Biden will be off'ed and Kamala will be shown the door too.

I thought it was too convoluted but it could make sense if you were dealing with anyone but Trump and IF they hadn't taken 3 shots at the crown before and missed.

Long story short?

Expect 2 more years of this madness with many foreigners of left leaning tendencies trying to weigh in on AMERICAN politics.

Details of the new US aid package for Ukraine. It's telling. Anti-Air, Battlefield Mobility, Anti-Armor & Breaching equipment

New $325 million aid package for Ukraine from the US includes:

10 x Stryker APCs
15 x Bradley IFVs pic.twitter.com/a7QgUa2LA7

— Clash Report (@clashreport) June 13, 2023