MB <MB@nospam.net> wrote:
> On 09/03/2022 17:48, Clank wrote:
>> Reminds me that the moment I realised "shit is about to get real"
>
> I was on an IASTE exchange in the Netherlands when the Soviets went into
> Czechoslovakia, the student flats were by the Eindhoven bypass. I was
> woken in the middle of the night by a rumbling sound, I looked out of
> the window and saw lines of APC on the move. Presumably NATO mobilising.

I turned on the radio in 1978 to hear reports of Russian tanks rolling into
Prague. After some “oh, no, not again” moments I discovered it was a
retrospective, 10th anniversary documentary.

Sam

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Arthur Figgis <afiggis@example.invalid> wrote:
> On 09/03/2022 22:06, Recliner wrote:
>> It's very impressive how the countries of western and central Europe have
>> welcomed the millions of refugees who have suddenly been forced out by
>> Russia. Unfortunately, Britain's record has been rather less impressive.
>
> On the other hand, Britain has been providing practical if less
> photogenic support, while some European countries get praised despite
> refusing to do so.
>

I noticed something unusual and interesting last night: an Indian air force
C-17A flying in and out of Rzeszów, a Polish airport just across the border
from Lviv. It's where western arms for Ukraine are flown to, then trucked
across the border.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rzeszów–Jasionka_Airport

It's normal to see western military transport aircraft there, but not
Indan. That suggests that India, though publicly neutral, has come off the
fence and is supplying Ukraine with Russian-made defence equipment of a
type they both use. A quick slap of paint, and it'll look just like
Ukraine's existing armaments, or stuff they've captured from the Russians.
And, of course, the Ukrainians are trained to use it already. I speculate
that it might be anti-aircraft missiles, which is what the Ukrainians most
need.

Perhaps India is responding to what it's heard from the many thousands of
Indian students who are among the refugees from Ukraine? And, of course,
one didn't make it:

<https://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/body-of-indian-student-naveen-shekarappa-gyanagaudar-killed-in-ukraine-recovered-563926.html>

On 11/03/2022 10:09, Recliner wrote:
> I noticed something unusual and interesting last night: an Indian air force
> C-17A flying in and out of Rzeszów, a Polish airport just across the border
> from Lviv. It's where western arms for Ukraine are flown to, then trucked
> across the border.

Aircraft from lots of odd countries seen around that area!

Though it has been said in the media that arms are being taken to an
airport in Poland near the border then taken across the border.

I noticed earlier that as well as the streamed Ukrainian radio news
service, with English translation, there is also a Ukrainian TV news
service being stream but no English translation (at the moment).

The RUSI report on the comms gear being used by the Russians is worth a
read.

MB <MB@nospam.net> wrote:
> On 11/03/2022 10:09, Recliner wrote:
>> I noticed something unusual and interesting last night: an Indian air force
>> C-17A flying in and out of Rzeszów, a Polish airport just across the border
>> from Lviv. It's where western arms for Ukraine are flown to, then trucked
>> across the border.
>
> Aircraft from lots of odd countries seen around that area!

Mostly NATO countries, as far as I've noticed.

>
> Though it has been said in the media that arms are being taken to an
> airport in Poland near the border then taken across the border.

Probably more than one.

>
> I noticed earlier that as well as the streamed Ukrainian radio news
> service, with English translation, there is also a Ukrainian TV news
> service being stream but no English translation (at the moment).
>
> The RUSI report on the comms gear being used by the Russians is worth a
> read.
>

Yes, it's extraordinary that the Russians are using insecure analogue comms
that the Ukrainians are monitoring.

Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
> Arthur Figgis <afiggis@example.invalid> wrote:
>> On 09/03/2022 22:06, Recliner wrote:
>>> It's very impressive how the countries of western and central Europe have
>>> welcomed the millions of refugees who have suddenly been forced out by
>>> Russia. Unfortunately, Britain's record has been rather less impressive.
>>
>> On the other hand, Britain has been providing practical if less
>> photogenic support, while some European countries get praised despite
>> refusing to do so.
>>
>
> I noticed something unusual and interesting last night: an Indian air force
> C-17A flying in and out of Rzeszów, a Polish airport just across the border
> from Lviv. It's where western arms for Ukraine are flown to, then trucked
> across the border.
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rzeszów–Jasionka_Airport

The recent news about Israel trying to mediate makes sense of an executive
jet flying Tel Aviv-Moscow a few days ago.

Sam

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On 11/03/2022 10:52, Recliner wrote:
> Yes, it's extraordinary that the Russians are using insecure analogue comms
> that the Ukrainians are monitoring.

A lot of their equipment appears to be dated / poor quality / poorly
maintained.

On Fri, 11 Mar 2022 16:06:47 +0000, MB <MB@nospam.net> wrote:

>On 11/03/2022 10:52, Recliner wrote:
>> Yes, it's extraordinary that the Russians are using insecure analogue comms
>> that the Ukrainians are monitoring.
>
>A lot of their equipment appears to be dated / poor quality / poorly
>maintained.

Yes, indeed.

In some cases, it seems that corruption was to blame, with counterfeit parts fitted, presumably because someone stole
the budget for the right quality parts. This seems particularly to apply to tyres. Some fancy, very expensive Russian
mobile rocket launchers have got stuck because they were fitted with unsuitable knock-off Chinese tyres.

<https://www.economist.com/briefing/2022/03/12/vladimir-putin-is-pushing-russia-into-the-past>

THE PANTSIR-S1 is an impressive beast, almost 17 tonnes of top-notch hardware capable of shooting down planes tens of
kilometres away. The specimen photographed not far from Kherson, though, was a sorry spectacle; its missile-tubes
bristled like porcupine quills, but it was axle-deep in mud—one of nearly 1,000 pieces of Russian equipment destroyed,
damaged, abandoned or captured by Ukraine over two weeks of war.

Seeing the Pantsir on social media, Trent Telenko, a former auditor in America’s defence bureaucracy, noticed a telltale
detail which spoke of very poor maintenance: its tyres were in terrible nick. Worse still, they were cheap Chinese
knock-offs of the tyres you might have expected on such a vehicle, observed Jon Hawkes of Janes, a defence-intelligence
firm; they would have been unable to support the vehicle fully loaded.

MB <MB@nospam.net> wrote:
> On 11/03/2022 10:52, Recliner wrote:
>> Yes, it's extraordinary that the Russians are using insecure analogue comms
>> that the Ukrainians are monitoring.
>
> A lot of their equipment appears to be dated / poor quality / poorly
> maintained.
>

But they do have large quantities , you only need a few to work to do a lot
of damage and cause casualties.
Gambling on them not being able to do so really will be a game of Russian
Roulette,
and should the conflict widen even if it stays non nuclear Britain will be
in range of Russian weaponry
that can cause severe damage. Britain like much of Western Europe did not
plan for a European war
again and let the cold war defences wither away.

And as for poor quality we havn’t fixed the engine problems on our type 45
warships yet , this recent status report is a bit concerning.
<https://www.navylookout.com/the-royal-navys-type-45-destroyers-status-report/>

Below is quite a good summary of our overall situation and it isn’t good,
distressing as it is and MP’s are getting swamped from constituents
suggesting NATO
should be taking action over Ukraine it is almost certain that should that
come about the UK
would be first in line to be hit ,Putin would justify it as revenge for
our arms shipments.
<https://youtu.be/WNRUP-T01Ig>

GH

Marland <gemehabal@btinternet.co.uk> wrote:
> MB <MB@nospam.net> wrote:
>> On 11/03/2022 10:52, Recliner wrote:
>>> Yes, it's extraordinary that the Russians are using insecure analogue comms
>>> that the Ukrainians are monitoring.
>>
>> A lot of their equipment appears to be dated / poor quality / poorly
>> maintained.
>>
>
> But they do have large quantities , you only need a few to work to do a lot
> of damage and cause casualties.
> Gambling on them not being able to do so really will be a game of Russian
> Roulette,
> and should the conflict widen even if it stays non nuclear Britain will be
> in range of Russian weaponry
> that can cause severe damage. Britain like much of Western Europe did not
> plan for a European war
> again and let the cold war defences wither away.
>
> And as for poor quality we havn’t fixed the engine problems on our type 45
> warships yet , this recent status report is a bit concerning.
> <https://www.navylookout.com/the-royal-navys-type-45-destroyers-status-report/>

Thanks, I knew the whole fleet was alongside, but didn't know the details.
The lead ship should really have been called HMS Disastrous.

Sam Wilson <ukr@dummy.wislons.fastmail.co.uk> wrote:
> Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Arthur Figgis <afiggis@example.invalid> wrote:
>>> On 09/03/2022 22:06, Recliner wrote:
>>>> It's very impressive how the countries of western and central Europe have
>>>> welcomed the millions of refugees who have suddenly been forced out by
>>>> Russia. Unfortunately, Britain's record has been rather less impressive.
>>>
>>> On the other hand, Britain has been providing practical if less
>>> photogenic support, while some European countries get praised despite
>>> refusing to do so.
>>>
>>
>> I noticed something unusual and interesting last night: an Indian air force
>> C-17A flying in and out of Rzeszów, a Polish airport just across the border
>> from Lviv. It's where western arms for Ukraine are flown to, then trucked
>> across the border.
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rzeszów–Jasionka_Airport
>
> The recent news about Israel trying to mediate makes sense of an executive
> jet flying Tel Aviv-Moscow a few days ago.

Or oligarchs fleeing Putinland:

Rich Russians seek safe haven for their fortunes in Israel
<https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/5d5fe466-a172-11ec-b38e-10b333e9179b?shareToken=60b3e90fa6ddc3ace247f244a298f548>