Russia's War Against Ukraine

[solops]

I bellowed with laughter some days ago when commentators predicted that Putin would not attack Ukraine because it would make him an international pariah.

[acctingman]

I wish we could lift Ukrainian spirits with a little bit of, "BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRTTTT!!!!!"

This is (imo) one of three most psychologically devastating sounds in modern combat history:

A-10's guns
Stuka siren
MG34/42 rof and it's distinctive sound

[Hot lead and dirty talk!]

I wish we could lift Ukrainian spirits with a little bit of, "BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRTTTT!!!!!"

I giggled every time it was fired and I don't giggle...ever!

[solops]

I wish we could lift Ukrainian spirits with a little bit of, "BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRTTTT!!!!!"

A squadron of A-10s, with a bit of air cover, would indeed solve most of the pest problems that Ukraine has today.

[Uberhaus]

The su-27 requires a 240m runway.  If the Ua airforce is operating from ones very close to the NATO borders, it would be very unwise to bomb, rocket or maybe even conduct ground attacks.

NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg has clearly stated that NATO is providing weaponry, equipment and cyber assistace to its partner Ukraine.

[Jarhead0331]

Ukraine has Hinds too!

Reminds me of the scene from Red Dawn when shortly after the invasion, a Huey attacks a Soviet road block.

[Toonces]

Thinking more on the MiG-29 Ghost story, can you imagine what that must be like for that pilot?

He rolls off the runway and essentially everything flying around him is an enemy plane.  Meanwhile, with all the Russian friendly aircraft flying, that one lone MiG-29 is almost invulnerable because the Russians would assume its friendly, or at least be reluctant to shoot for fear of fratricide.

And so the Ghost goes up there and it's like he can just pickle missiles at anything that comes within a weapon envelope without worry of hitting a friendly.  Truly a once in a lifetime, maybe once in a generation event.

What a fucking stud.  How he fit his balls into that cockpit....   

[Gusington]

I wonder if there have been any Hind/Hind helicopter dogfights. Has there ever been a recorded helicopter dogfight anywhere?

[SirAndrewD]

I wonder if there have been any Hind/Hind helicopter dogfights. Has there ever been a recorded helicopter dogfight anywhere?

Yes, in South America in the 90's. 

There's even footage...

[Gusington]

 8)

[JasonPratt]

Thinking more on the MiG-29 Ghost story, can you imagine what that must be like for that pilot?

Ace Combat scenario for real!

[ArizonaTank]

This story almost makes McAuliffe's answer of "nuts" at Bastogne sound tame...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/snake-island-soldiers-defiant-last-words-as-russian-warship-targets-them/ar-AAUhq0Y?ocid=undefined

[Gusington]

^I saw that earlier and thought 'wow that's awesome how they told the Russian warship to f off' until I discovered the Russians then opened fire and killed the Ukrainian defenders.

Have any Ukrainian cities fallen to the Russians? I am seeing reports on the NYTimes that there is 'vicious fighting' happening around Kharkov.

[MengJiao]

^I saw that earlier and thought 'wow that's awesome how they told the Russian warship to f off' until I discovered the Russians then opened fire and killed the Ukrainian defenders.

Have any Ukrainian cities fallen to the Russians? I am seeing reports on the NYTimes that there is 'vicious fighting' happening around Kharkov.

  Sumy was taken (oh and some town north of the Crimea..Kherson?).  Not sure why.  Mauripol seems likely to be surrounded soon.  Probably Kiev, Odessa and Kharkov surrounded some time in the next few days.

  And if blowing up everything doesn't work (work to do what?  exactly?  Nobody seems to know what invading the Ukraine is exactly supposed to accomplish since it seems mostly
likely to have the diametrically opposite result -- "Join NATO or die") killing everybody might work:

"Our information also indicates that Russia plans to threaten killing the family members of Ukrainian soldiers if they do not surrender," the official said, who
also commended the "incredible bravery" that the Ukrainians showed in the first day of fighting.

I'm not sure how that would work.  First you have to locate the family members and then match them to soldiers who have not surrendered.  Sounds like an administrative nightmare.
I think the Russians will take the obvious short-cut and just kill everybody who is not in NATO.

[SirAndrewD]

In really bad news..

The Russians are mobilizing Chechen conscripts for what is almost sure to be the occupation phase.

Putin can have non-ethnic Russians absorb the casualties of an insurgency.  And of course the Chechen reputation for brutality precedes them. 

As I said, the war will be bad, but the aftermath of a Russian victory will be worse.