War in Ukraine, technical and military aspects only

[alejandro_]

5 hours ago, Soldier36 said:

Russia has resumed production of T-80 tanks. The initial version of the T-80 was mass-produced in the USSR from 1976 to 1978 at factories in Omsk and Kharkov; more than 10 thousand vehicles were produced. Until now, Uralvagonzavod has modernized the Soviet-built T-80. The main distinguishing feature of the T-80 tanks is the presence of a gas turbine engine. 

This was discussed somewhere else. At the moment there is no production of chassis and especially turrets, so the tanks "produced" are in reality overhauled/upgraded. T-80s were also produced in Leningrad.

[DB]

15 hours ago, mkenny said:

 Progress is when you are prepared to consider the other side may have legitimate concerns. 

And when did you ever do that?

[Josh]

Interesting article concerning the war of attrition in Ukraine. The author seems biased towards Ukraine and a lot of his conclusions seem subjective, but if you dig down deeper towards the end of the article you get some interesting numbers.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/9/30/2196246/-Ukraine-Update-Data-shows-Ukraine-is-laying-down-the-heaviest-firestorm-of-artillery-in-the-war?fbclid=IwAR02bvyyEgX_RaaALtnzaW2yCCvPuKWiE-a6uOM06Di932uO14qPtmLOHR8

Most particularly I thought this graph based on FIRMS to be interesting:

[Josh]

I have seen two different reports indicating either a highway or a railroad is being constructed from Mariupol back to Rostov-on-Don. Unclear if these are the same project, two projects, or two different interpretations of the same report.

[Roman Alymov]

34 minutes ago, Josh said:

I have seen two different reports indicating either a highway or a railroad is being constructed from Mariupol back to Rostov-on-Don. Unclear if these are the same project, two projects, or two different interpretations of the same report.

Not "constructed" (it is there from Russian Empire time) but repaired after decades of neglect under "independent Ukraine".

 

Edited October 2, 2023 by Roman Alymov

[glenn239]

35 minutes ago, Josh said:

I have seen two different reports indicating either a highway or a railroad is being constructed from Mariupol back to Rostov-on-Don. Unclear if these are the same project, two projects, or two different interpretations of the same report.

They're building a railroad from what I've heard.

[Roman Alymov]

17 minutes ago, glenn239 said:

They're building a railroad from what I've heard.

Railroad is allready in place since at least early XX century, but it goes via Donetsk and Volnovakha (both under pro-Ukrainain bombardment) so it is reasonable to have at least temporary rail line along Azov sea (but it is extremely challenging due to terrain - too many river and creek valleys to cross) 

[glenn239]

The map of the proposed railroad I saw is along the coast of the Sea of Azov.

[Josh]

1 hour ago, glenn239 said:

The map of the proposed railroad I saw is along the coast of the Sea of Azov.

One of the reports I read also indicated a coast connection, though it seems unclear whether it was a railroad or highway. Perhaps it is both.

The current rail network has a section that runs just inside Russian controlled territory just south of Donetsk that is within easy Ukrainian artillery range (~10km). I don't think this route is used as a result, requiring all rail connections west of this position to go through Crimea.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=180u1IkUjtjpdJWnIC0AxTKSiqK4G6Pez&hl=en_US&ll=47.756341287864565%2C37.526277602261096&z=11

 

Edited October 2, 2023 by Josh

[Roman Alymov]

8 minutes ago, Josh said:

One of the reports I read also indicated a coast connection, though it seems unclear whether it was a railroad or highway. Perhaps it is both.

There is existing highway alon sea coast, and it was upgraded recently.

[Markus Becker]

2 hours ago, Roman Alymov said:

Not "constructed" (it is there from Russian Empire time) but repaired after decades of neglect under "independent Ukraine".

Never mind the fact that it's a cross border line into a country that was hostile for almost the years already. 

There's a coastal highway and we'll, the bloody sea. With both towns being ports the point of a major railway line is pointless. 

[Markus Becker]

 

[Roman Alymov]

11 minutes ago, Markus Becker said:

Never mind the fact that it's a cross border line into a country that was hostile for almost the years already. 

Actually most of roads and infrastructure in Ukraine are in bad condition, not just this one

The collapse of the Degtyarevsky bridge in Kyiv: what really happened - Daily News (txtreport.com)

[Markus Becker]

Still not seeing the point of a railway line connecting two ports in different countries on the same sea that are 170 km apart. 

[Roman Alymov]

9 minutes ago, Markus Becker said:

Still not seeing the point of a railway line connecting two ports in different countries on the same sea that are 170 km apart. 

They were only "in different countries" for less than 30 years. But i doubt railway line I(except may be temporary one) is needed there. as existing one via Donetsk and Volnovakha is well developed since at least USST, if not Empire time. Highway was fixed quite well and is now providing relatively quick and covenient land route ro Crimea - the problem is lack of bypass road around Mariupol, traffic is going through the city

Actually there is plenty of road videos about this route on YouTube

 

 

[Roman Alymov]

P.S. Seems like in addition to existing seaside road that is subject to speed limititions (as it goes through villages and towns), new one (real highway)  is under construction through fields (red line on sat photo)

- and it will be part of new 1400-km road ring around Azov sea

Reortedly under construction 24/7, 6 road plants operating in Zaporozhye regioin alone (source https://levencovka.ru/2023/10/02/новая-трасса-ростов-симферополь-прой/?ysclid=ln9z1yos4p32023227 )

 

Also, new railway from Mariupol to Donetsk (not Rostov) reportedly under cionstruction, but probably they in fact mean upgrade to modern standards as this road is quite old, so seems like some connection lines/new bridges added  (source РФ начала строить железнодорожную ветку, которая должна соединить РФ с югом Украины (ctpaha.media) )

 

[JWB]

Russia has no plans to mobilize more troops in Ukraine, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday. “The General Staff is not planning additional mobilization. The Armed Forces have the necessary number of troops for the special military operation,” Shoigu said, using Russia’s term for the war in Ukraine. 

[JWB]

 

[Josh]

7 minutes ago, JWB said:

Russia has no plans to mobilize more troops in Ukraine, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday. “The General Staff is not planning additional mobilization. The Armed Forces have the necessary number of troops for the special military operation,” Shoigu said, using Russia’s term for the war in Ukraine. 

I think at this point the bottleneck for creating new units is likely training cadre and equipment more than warm bodies.

[alejandro_]

6 minutes ago, Josh said:

I think at this point the bottleneck for creating new units is likely training cadre and equipment more than warm bodies.

The mobilization was carried out last September, if volunteers/contract soldiers are not signing in good numbers at some point they will have to call more men, as injuries and deaths will reduce the contingent. I would say training is more of a bottle neck vs equipment. If needed Russia can buy kit from Iran or other countries.

According to Shoigu 335,000 men have joined the Armed Forces since September.

[alejandro_]

Wrong thread.

Edited October 3, 2023 by alejandro_

[JWB]

 

[Roman Alymov]

1 hour ago, alejandro_ said:

According to Shoigu 335,000 men have joined the Armed Forces since September.

Actually our Plywood Marchal is demonstrating the art of "good reporting" here: it is the number of signed contracts, but we are not told what number of contracts are with personnel who were allready serving and have re-signed contracts because of term expiring, changes of contract conditions etc., what is the number of conscript soldiers who volunteered after first few month of mandatory conscript service and so on. So it is not exactly lie, but data that are de-facto useless as not even close to indicate the number of new men who "have joined the Armed Forces".

Guys from frontline are complaining about severe lack of personnel (and everything else). At the same time, recruiters are turning down volunteers (at least our Museum electrician was turned down).

[alejandro_]

Quote

Actually our Plywood Marchal is demonstrating the art of "good reporting" here:

Maybe this is why other figures given by Medvedev and Putin don't quite match his.

New shot of Challenger 2 destroyed a few weeks ago.

 

[Mike1158]

That will buff out, no worries.