Could this be a Ukraine-style Doolittle Raid?  Intended more for the shock value than any actual damage inflicted?

Quote from: NT2C on May 04, 2023, 10:01:09 PMCould this be a Ukraine-style Doolittle Raid?  Intended more for the shock value than any actual damage inflicted?

I'm hoping it was a Russian false flag operation. Because if it was a symbolic, morale building exercise, it's an extremely risky gamble, given the justification it provides to Russia.

But I must say, based on the videos of the drones striking the Kremlin, those were suspiciously tiny warheads. Apparently they caused only superficial damage with zero potential to penetrate the structure, let alone assassinate Putin, as Russia claims Ukraine was attempting. 

Quote from: NT2C on May 04, 2023, 10:01:09 PMCould this be a Ukraine-style Doolittle Raid?  Intended more for the shock value than any actual damage inflicted?

Possibly. A propaganda win is just as important as battlefield success. It's also possible that Ukrainian Special Forces pulled it off from inside Russia.

It could also be Russian dissidents or pissed-off Russian troops. I'm starting to lean that way.

This guy seems to think it was Russian partizans.

Ooh, wonder how long until he dies of "natural causes". 

Many Russian diplomats have "fallen out of the window."

Quote from: Z.O.R.G. on May 05, 2023, 08:08:17 AMMany Russian diplomats have "fallen out of the window."

It's a very contagious disease, comrade.

Okay...it gets more interesting...and concerning

https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/international/2023/05/04/russia-accuses-u-s--of-being-behind-putin-assassination-attempt--white-house-denies-involvement

Quote from: Lambykins on May 05, 2023, 08:54:50 AMOkay...it gets more interesting...and concerning

https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/international/2023/05/04/russia-accuses-u-s--of-being-behind-putin-assassination-attempt--white-house-denies-involvement

I think that's more for internal domestic consumption.  I don't think many analysts or leaders on either side of this conflict seriously believe the US orchestrated this. I question how many people even consider this a credible assassination attempt. 

I wouldn't be surprised if this was fabricated to stoke domestic Russian outrage and lay the ground work for a general mobilization. They certainly need to replenish their ranks with more cannon fodder brave defenders of the motherland.

Quote from: DarkAxel on May 04, 2023, 11:05:52 PMThis guy seems to think it was Russian partizans.

Least consequential action of the War that I know of. 100s of thousands dead, well over a 100 of billion in property damage, millions of refugees and this is a big nothing burger. Whatever was supposed to happen, didn't happen.

Quote from: Uomo Senza Nome on May 05, 2023, 02:03:25 PM

Quote from: DarkAxel on May 04, 2023, 11:05:52 PMThis guy seems to think it was Russian partizans.

Least consequential action of the War that I know of. 100s of thousands dead, well over a 100 of billion in property damage, millions of refugees and this is a big nothing burger. Whatever was supposed to happen, didn't happen.

I get the feeling it was supposed to topple the flag or set it ablaze.

Quote from: NT2C on May 05, 2023, 08:25:04 AM

Quote from: Z.O.R.G. on May 05, 2023, 08:08:17 AMMany Russian diplomats have "fallen out of the window."

It's a very contagious disease, comrade.

Defenestration seems to be catching...

Quote from: wee drop o bush on May 05, 2023, 02:53:31 PM

Quote from: NT2C on May 05, 2023, 08:25:04 AM

Quote from: Z.O.R.G. on May 05, 2023, 08:08:17 AMMany Russian diplomats have "fallen out of the window."

It's a very contagious disease, comrade.

Defenestration seems to be catching...

I can totally understand falling out the window but do they have to murder their families before they do so? Or, just playing the devil's advocate here, since they shot and murdered their family they could just use the gun for the suicide?

Quote from: Uomo Senza Nome on May 05, 2023, 09:16:55 PM

Quote from: wee drop o bush on May 05, 2023, 02:53:31 PM

Quote from: NT2C on May 05, 2023, 08:25:04 AM

Quote from: Z.O.R.G. on May 05, 2023, 08:08:17 AMMany Russian diplomats have "fallen out of the window."

It's a very contagious disease, comrade.

Defenestration seems to be catching...

I can totally understand falling out the window but do they have to murder their families before they do so? Or, just playing the devil's advocate here, since they shot and murdered their family they could just use the gun for the "suicide"?

Fixed for you 

Quote from: NT2C on May 05, 2023, 02:15:05 PM

Quote from: Uomo Senza Nome on May 05, 2023, 02:03:25 PM

Quote from: DarkAxel on May 04, 2023, 11:05:52 PMThis guy seems to think it was Russian partizans.

Least consequential action of the War that I know of. 100s of thousands dead, well over a 100 of billion in property damage, millions of refugees and this is a big nothing burger. Whatever was supposed to happen, didn't happen.

I get the feeling it was supposed to topple the flag or set it ablaze.

At this link there are are pictures of a drone that was targeting Putin for assassination in April. It was launched in the Ukraine and allegedly penetrated 500 miles of Russia AD Radar. For unknown reasons it crashed 12 miles short of target and it's payload of C4 survived intact.

Ukraine 'tried to assassinate Putin using drone loaded with explosives' | UK News | Metro News

Round up of Uke news.

Russian and Ukrainian officials got into a fistfight at a conference in Turkey and had to be physically restrained (msn.com)

Video at link of the fisticuffs. In art imitating life, the sneaky Russian tries to steal the Flag of the Ukraine.


Where Countries Stand on Russia (msn.com) 

Russia, with help from China, is slowly shifting some of the soft power allegiances. It seems likely China took note of the world condemnation and realized they will need some of the rest of the world when they mount their campaign to retake Taiwan.

National Guard shoots down Russian drone and strikes invaders' positions based on its memory card (msn.com) 

It's always a bad idea to announce publicly how you are targeting the enemy. When you do that it allows them to react and prevent such attacks in the future. The only reason to do it is misinformation.

Did Russia Prime Nuclear Jets after Kremlin Drone Strike? What We Know (msn.com) 

More theories on false flag Kremlin attack.

Photos capture US special operators landing one of the Air Force's biggest planes on a Wyoming highway (msn.com) 

Special Operations Forces prepare for WW III.  Many people know that the Interstate Highway system in the US was designed in part to function as landing strips in the event of the big one. Some are dusting off the old TACSOPs.

Russia likely won't be launching any 'significant' offensive operations this year if it can't find more troops and weapons, US intel chief says (msn.com)

Stalemate seems extremely likely in this war of attrition.

Quote from: Uomo Senza Nome on May 06, 2023, 09:11:12 AMRound up of Uke news.

Russian and Ukrainian officials got into a fistfight at a conference in Turkey and had to be physically restrained (msn.com)

Video at link of the fisticuffs. In art imitating life, the sneaky Russian tries to steal the Flag of the Ukraine.

That link reports that the Russian ripped the flag from a "holster".  The language seems a bit off given that it was being held by the Ukranian standing with it behind another Russian giving an interview. 

I do love the symbolism of the whole thing, though.

The Infographics Show is at it again.  This time, it's a video detailing all of the Russian failures in Ukraine, and once again, there are tons of zingers in it! 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nel-xVJQuV4

Some of my favorite quotes from this video:

[This is the quote that starts the video] "It's been one year since Russia began its war to defeat Russia..."

"Putin gave the go-ahead and even planned his invasion believing he was at the head of the world's second most powerful army. Within hours it was clear that he'd have to fight for the title of 'Most powerful army inside Ukraine.'"

"The Russian convoy had been brought to a standstill by good old-fashioned Russian incompetence, just like Uncle Stalin used to make!"

[When discussing the use of drones to take out tanks/trucks in the stalled convoy] "...and the reason why takes the absolute cake for stupidity, and that's a very tough competition given the fact that the Russian military is basically fueled by stupid... because the operators never turned on their air defense radars... However, recently it's been revealed that the biggest reason Russian air defense operators weren't defending the convoy from simple drone attacks is because [the air defense operators] were being jammed by the Russian military!"

"The Russian military is not just at war with Ukraine, it's at war with efficiency."

"Since the sinking of the Moskva, the entire Russian Black Sea fleet has not strayed far from safe harbor, in effect, ceding the Black Sea to an enemy without a navy."

"Because if you thought Russian stupidity had reached it's zenith north of Kiev, you severely underestimated Russian stupidity."

"However, Russia would very quickly do its best to level the playing field by what can only be described as industrial-grade, weaponized, concentrated stupid."

[this next one had me laughing so hard I had to pause the video to recover] "Russia came up with a novel way of crossing the Donets River.  Instead of using traditional pontoons, it apparently attempted to fill the river with armored vehicles, so that the rest of its army could just drive over the top of them."

"However, the Russian aerospace forces will not tolerate any competition for the title of 'Dumbest Branch of the Russian Military.'"

"Russia is incompetent and can't deconflict its own airspace. Numerous, very high-profile incidents of friendly-fire resulted in Russian air defense units shooting down their own jets. In the initial stages of the invasion, this was especially problematic with the Russian ground forces doing more to defeat the Russian air forces than Ukraine."

"The Russian military attempted to defeat Ukrainian artillery shells with parked helicopters."

"The Russian commander in charge of the battle [of Vuhledar, which was badly lost by Russia] would be promoted for his glorious contribution to the Motherland.  Because in Russia, you don't fix stupid, you aggressively reinforce it."

Report puts Russian navy ships near Nord Stream pipeline blast site

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65461401

QuoteRussian ships able to perform underwater operations were present near to where explosions later took place on the Nord Stream pipelines

Quote from: EBuff75 on May 06, 2023, 08:13:46 PMThe Infographics Show is at it again.  This time, it's a video detailing all of the Russian failures in Ukraine, and once again, there are tons of zingers in it! 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nel-xVJQuV4

"Russians are stupid"

There were a few things that Russia got right, not that it helped much.

They identified that taking down the Zelinsky Government would very likely end the war and end it early. The delta between knowing that and doing that was pretty wide. I think they expected Zelinsky to flee, as Putin had way underestimated him. His decision to stay and fight was pivotal.

The Spetnaz defeated the Uke ABT Air Force hard, fast, early and ultimately with little fanfare. However the Russian lack of understanding about the drone threat was ridiculous. NATO, especially the US, use drones for all kinds of things and they were completely unprepared for it. This then created highly unrealistic expectations about the capabilities of the Spetnaz forces that got them attempting to do things unsupported that Special Operations Force simply shouldn't. It wasn't that their SOF weren't good, no SOF can take over an entire large city capitol when opposed by a retinue of regular army soldiers and pissed off citizenry.

Some other notes on the video:

- A comparison to the Desert Storm invasion isn't really a fair one. The US spent weeks of an air campaign attriting Iraqi forces and reducing infrastructure. This wasn't an option for Russia as they lacked support to do so and they were hoping for a quick victory with the war to be over and done with in a week or two through a massive show of force. They could avoid economic sanctions this route too. This wasn't as unrealistic then as it sounds now. It worked in Georgia and even to a degree in Chechnya. The threats were enough to install a puppet in Belarus. It was a very different strategy. Again Zelinsky.

- They really downplayed US Fratricide in Desert Storm. In truth 75% of US Ground Force casualties were caused by US air power. So yes, The US Air Force/ Army Aviation killed more Americans then the entire Iraqi Army X3.

- Russia hasn't really ceded the Black Sea to Ukraine. Ukraine has no navy and no Air Force therefore no one other than the Russian Air Force and the US/ NATO Intelligence assets are using it. The Russian air power patrols it to destroy drones and anything else they want.

- There is probably a lot more going on with the sinking of the Moskva.

- As bad as Russian corruption is, Ukrainian corruption is just as bad or worse. Zelinsky has fired a number of people in his cabinet that were straight up stealing. The big difference is that Russian soldiers really don't give a shit about the war and would prefer not to be fighting in it. Ukraine soldiers have nowhere else to go and therefore are heavily invested in the venture.

- The video producers seem to have a lack basic of understanding of how Russian tactics doctrine works and what Russian military culture is. Their doctrine and culture is actually killing them. As in any dictatorship, slavish obedience to orders and going by regulations and regurgitated doctrine is valued over independent thought and free thinking leader actions on the ground. In context it isn't so much that Russians are weapons grade stupid, they simply aren't allowed and will be punished, if they think for themselves.