Originally Posted by MontyB

It really is hard to get a read on this campaign, given that the Russians have been fighting in East Ukraine for the last eight years I find it hard to believe they didn't have a better understanding of the combat capability of Ukraine's military.

I think Putin and the Russian military expected to be viewed as liberators, especially among the Russian speaking population. That didn't happen

We have a Ukrainian member here, He is usually posting pictures of WWII sites. I wonder if we will see him again

Originally Posted by BritinBritain

What a target for a Vulcan with parachute retarding bombs, as I saw on Salisbury Plain in 1966 on a mocked up convoy.

That line up would be a sitting target for guy on a hangglider and a Molotov cocktail.

The rumours remain that the Russians are suffering food, fuel shortages and lack functioning secure communication, whether that is a known or just speculation I don't know.

There are so many rumors and the propaganda. I took a closer look at the casualties, we can't trust these numbers, the Russians have suffered about 6000 KIAs (yesterday) in almost a week. The Soviets suffered about 13 000 to 15 000 KIAs during the Afghanistan war and that war lasted for nine years. Let us assume these numbers are correct, this will be a painful affair for the Russians.

The convoy seems to be stalled by Ukrainian resistance. The Ukrainians have UAV's, the same used in the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia. If a few of these can be armed with cluster munition and hit some of the vehicles. The trucks loaded with ammunition will create a chain reaction among other vehicles if they continue to park and drive bumper to bumper

Originally Posted by I3BrigPvSk

There are so many rumors and the propaganda. I took a closer look at the casualties, we can't trust these numbers, the Russians have suffered about 6000 KIAs (yesterday) in almost a week. The Soviets suffered about 13 000 to 15 000 KIAs during the Afghanistan war and that war lasted for nine years. Let us assume these numbers are correct, this will be a painful affair for the Russians.

The convoy seems to be stalled by Ukrainian resistance. The Ukrainians have UAV's, the same used in the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia. If a few of these can be armed with cluster munition and hit some of the vehicles. The trucks loaded with ammunition will create a chain reaction among other vehicles if they continue to park and drive bumper to bumper

For what it is worth I found this interesting....

https://youtu.be/poXV-cwbQDA

Originally Posted by MontyB

That line up would be a sitting target for guy on a hangglider and a Molotov cocktail.

The rumours remain that the Russians are suffering food, fuel shortages and lack functioning secure communication, whether that is a known or just speculation I don't know.

No doubt but a Vulcan bomber is much more interesting to watch

From what Russia has revealed the amount of kit on hand and the number of troops armed and ready, they should have rolled over the whole of Ukraine in less then a week, possibility propaganda? I must admit I'm not very impressed with Russia's military capability so far, especially their logistical resupply and as reported, Russian troops are surrendering and damaging their equipment.

Originally Posted by MontyB

For what it is worth I found this interesting....

https://youtu.be/poXV-cwbQDA

I have heard similar things from other sources and I am surprised. I thought the Russian would attack with heavy artillery, mechanized forces, and a powerful air campaign.

Originally Posted by BritinBritain

No doubt but a Vulcan bomber is much more interesting to watch

From what Russia has revealed the amount of kit on hand and the number of troops armed and ready, they should have rolled over the whole of Ukraine in less then a week, possibility propaganda? I must admit I'm not very impressed with Russia's military capability so far, especially their logistical resupply and as reported, Russian troops are surrendering and damaging their equipment.

The problem is we don't know the extent of the propaganda, if Ukraine says it killed 1000 Russians, Russia says it lost 10 from that at best we can determine the casualties most likely as more than 10 but less than 1000.
I am dubious about equipment losses as they both have similar vehicles so a burnt out Ukrainian truck looks the same as a burnt out Russian truck unless you can see it markings.
I have seen a few captured Russian troops (or at least reported as Russian) but nothing on a scale to indicate large numbers so at this point I generally regard it as propaganda.

That said the slow speed of the advance and the inability capture anything of significance is rather telling, it is about a 150km drive from the Russian border to Kiev and less from Belarus and a week into it they still aren't there it does indicate something is wrong, but then why aren't the Ukrainians throwing the kitchen sink at it, it would be the perfect target for their drones.

While I agree about the Vulcan I still would have preferred a couple of Warthogs.

Another thing that surprises me is; why aren't the Russian trying to use their air force to reduce the amount of military aid that entering the country. I assume the aid is coming in from Poland.

All these years we talked about the steamrolling Russians....

Originally Posted by I3BrigPvSk

Another thing that surprises me is; why aren't the Russian trying to use their air force to reduce the amount of military aid that entering the country. I assume the aid is coming in from Poland.

All these years we talked about the steamrolling Russians....

Hard to say, we know they have received more UAVs from Turkey and Slovakia has provided aircraft, I guess Poland would be the most logical route for equipment via Sweden, Lithuania and Germany, Hungary is the only bordering country that won't allow weapons to transit?

We weren't entirely wrong they seem to be moving at the speed of a steam roller.

Anyway another point of view.

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/03/...-a-big-target/

That's another thing we hear a lot about the Russian plans seem to not be working well, but they have had months and maybe years to plan for an invasion of Ukraine. It seems to be working better in the south. Can the convoy be a decoy? The Russians want the Ukrainians to come out to attack it, but it seems the Ukrainians aren't biting, mostly because they probably lack the resources to do so.

I have noticed another thing about the convoy. When I was in the army; every time we stopped a vehicle march, we turned off the roads and put out our camouflage nets around the vehicles. We didn't park our vehicles like we were at a shopping mall either