Russia's War Against Ukraine

[Tripoli]

Interesting information I had not heard: Apparently, the Kuznetsov's crew has been re-formed into an mechanized infantry battalion and sent to Ukraine.  As the article points out, this indicates that Russia's (politically usable) manpower pool is low, and that the Kuznetsov will not be returning to active duty any time in the near future (if ever).
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/russian-aircraft-carrier-s-crew-repurposed-for-ukraine-offensive/ar-AA1r3hym?rc=1&ocid=winp1taskbar&cvid=2e3f92d292f6454bbed93681e6483024&ei=16

[ArizonaTank]

Interesting information I had not heard: Apparently, the Kuznetsov's crew has been re-formed into an mechanized infantry battalion and sent to Ukraine.  As the article points out, this indicates that Russia's (politically usable) manpower pool is low, and that the Kuznetsov will not be returning to active duty any time in the near future (if ever).
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/russian-aircraft-carrier-s-crew-repurposed-for-ukraine-offensive/ar-AA1r3hym?rc=1&ocid=winp1taskbar&cvid=2e3f92d292f6454bbed93681e6483024&ei=16

A hundred years ago the joke was: "Join the Navy, see the World. Join the Army, see the Navy."

The Russians have turned this joke on its ear... "Join the Navy, see the Army."

[JasonPratt]

Naval battalions are new again yo!

Meanwhile, here's some footage of the Sarmat blowing up in its silo during an attempted test launch.

https://www.reddit.com/r/UkraineWarVideoReport/comments/1fmxvui/maxar_collected_new_highresolution_satellite/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Before and after overhead snapshots

https://www.reddit.com/r/UkraineWarVideoReport/comments/1fmr788/satellite_images_show_a_huge_crater_and_traces_of/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Keep in mind you're looking at ground damage from the explosion under ground. Although burning residue/debris looks to have been thrown eastward (still smoking).

Those little trucks on the driveway are 293" long. So the crater by itself (not counting the destruction around the crater) is about 100 feet across.

[FarAway Sooner]

I'm not familiar with the details around the Oktyabrski depot in Russia, but the before and after pictures are pretty revealing.

[bobarossa]

I'm confused, how are there still trees standing/unburnt in the after photo?

[JasonPratt]

Me too? 

[Crossroads]

WSJ following a young drone operator in Ukraine. Quite a watch. Hopefully the video works, here's a gift link:

On The Front Lines With Ukraine's Killer Drone Pilot

Among other things he mentions his workshop used to be able to build 10 drones in two weeks, now they build 100 in one day. But as evident in the video, Russians are not without capabilities either.

[FarAway Sooner]

I'm confused, how are there still trees standing/unburnt in the after photo?

That is a good question.  Makes it seem a lot more likely that this ammunition depot was hit by Photoshop rather than Ukrainian drones.  I'm just amazed that the fastidious fact-checkers at Newsweek didn't catch it!   

One question I'll ask just because I'm ignorant about stuff like this:  When an ammo dump goes up, is it typically a huge single blast, or does the ammo just cook off steadily over time?  I've always assumed it's some of one, some of the other, and a lot of both.

That doesn't really explain how every single tree still looks to be standing on close-up inspection

[Uberhaus]

The trees don't matter.

[JasonPratt]

Well, the trees are a puzzle, but if what was seen were explosions mostly going up (which iirc is standard ordnance shelter design, make sure any explosions go up not laterally), and if the trees were wet, maybe some scorched trees are most of the foliage damage?

There's no doubt the strikes happened and were catastrophic. Photoshop didn't create a magnitude 3.2 earthquake. 

[JasonPratt]

Meanwhile, before I left for work I saw a report I couldn't read details on, that Russia threw 50+ tanks and APCs at the Kursk envelopment and Ukraine completely mulched them.

That could be a major game change if so.

[Skoop]

I think they killed the vehicles with javelins and arty.  Which is my favorite tactic in combat mission black sea, push into an area, then kill the counter attack with Javelins and arty.

[FarAway Sooner]

Poor Arty.  The guy works so hard all the time in that theater.

[Windigo]

Arms like PopEye

[JasonPratt]

Meanwhile, before I left for work I saw a report I couldn't read details on, that Russia threw 50+ tanks and APCs at the Kursk envelopment and Ukraine completely mulched them.

That could be a major game change if so.

Correction, not at the Kursk salient, but rather at the DonBas front on the east. The Orks were trying to push forward on Kolisynkvivka (my spelling is going to suck, sorry), south of Kupyansk, to finish setting up a flanking envelopment on that larger river city, preparatory to an attack to take and hold Kupy, thus securing control of logistic traffic on the Oskil river and its primary crossing point in the region going westward (or eastward for the matter, to supply Ukrainian defenders on the east banks). The Russians already control the eastern banks northward from Lyman Pershii to some extent, so that part of the envelopment had been achieved (more or less) already.

"Reporting From Ukraine" (no idea about the channel's reliability) provides a succinct but detailed strategic and tactical analysis.