re: Latest Updates: Russia-Ukraine Conflict

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Statement by the Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov.

Ukraine entering difficult phase of war, foreign weapons to provide advantage only after some time.

Ukraine is entering a new long-term phase of the war after Russia suffered a strategic defeat by May 9 and reduced the scale of its goals to the operational-tactical level, Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov has said.

At the same time, I want to note the following. We are facing extremely difficult weeks. No one can say for sure how many there will be.

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There we go again saying Ukraine is dominating

A rather long read on how river crossing operations should work, and the importance of doing it the right way.

Russia didn't do it the right way and they were slaughtered.

Sorry for the janky formatting and no link, as this was from a shared facebook post from Doctrine Man if any of you are familiar with him.

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As we have previously written about, the Russian Army has attempted several river crossing operations recently. This kind of operation is also known as Gap Crossings.

Recently, they took significant losses at one near Severodonetsk. Upon initial reports and assessments, several critical shortcomings were identified.

But first, we need a quick background on this kind of operation. Gap Crossing Operations are a combined arms operation, designed to project combat power across an obstacle, in this case a body of water.

The obstacle is a natural one and it is creates crossing points in or all of the immediate area of operations.
Gap or river crossings, under combat conditions, usually require detailed planning and dedicated combat support, such as reconnaissance, air defense [localized] and Indirect Fires support, hence why it is undertaken by combined arms formations.

Critical to execution of this kind of operation, is the dedication of ground reconnaissance and the application of the basic tenants known by its term, #SOSRA.

A unit must have and employ ground based recon assets, and once done so, significant factors become known, prior to execution of a Gap crossing.

These include knowledge about the terrain, the conditions on the river banks, the soils ability to handle added weight along the banks, the location of enemy forces defending or observing potential crossing sites, etc. These are critical to any success.

Further, reconnaissance aids crossing by preparing entry and exit routes, completing water gap assessments like spotting underwater obstacles and or reducing any obstacles found and by providing protection for crossing equipment like bridging and or rafts, and the very hallmark of providing protection to any assigned engineering support units if desired or applicable.

Crossing fundamentals include surprise, detailed preparation and flexible planning, formation traffic control, organization, and it must be done fast.
Most importantly, all of this requires the basic skills of the application known as SOSRA when attempting to conduct this kind of operation.

SOSRA is a fundamental basic taught in professional militaries and is drilled at the very basic level of combat units. It is equally important and second nature.

The acronym stands for
Suppression, Obscuration, Secure, Reduction and finally, Assault.

Upon reaching a designated area prior to attempting a gap crossing, the unit should already have in place their ground reconnaissance, answering any and all questions and observing the area, the sites to attempt crossing at, specifically the immediate area past and beyond the planned crossing site.

At this time, the unit will conduct suppressing operations via an Attack by Fire position against any enemy forces opposite to them or in the immediate suspected area.

Once Direct Fire superiority is achieved, the unit must conduct obscuration of their efforts and the area suspected of being observed, as this will deny visual and potentially, some other* forms of contact, thus making observation for the enemy more difficult, complicating the enemy's targeting process and cycle.

After this, security is established at the near side of the gap crossing, and is subject to the Direct fire ranges of the respective weapon system found and used.

Once these conditions are met, any reductions or emplacements are made. Once thes conditions are set and established, then the actual assault and crossing commences. Upon crossing, the next step is establishing far side local security first, as this allows the main body to cross.

In this particular case, none of these steps were taken nor were followed, thus the conditions were set for failure.

The results speak for themselves.

-Mel Daniels.

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You yourself said this would be a 2 year war. Strap in, baw.

Think how much joy you'll get when Russia rolls into Kiev.

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how river crossing operations should work

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I was with an engineer brigade and we went out and watched our bridge company do their thing, absolutely incredible to watch and loaded tactical vehicles were going across in no time.

Guy I follow (malcontent news) just explained something that is hilariously appalling regarding the structure and makeup of the Russian BTG's

TikTok.

Says 70% are regular army, 30% conscript

Conscripts are supposed to be "in the rear with the gear" logistics types but due to war, they are being pressed into action.

Conscripts are poorly paid and all troops have their salaries skimmed by their commanders.

Commanders are incentized to report their BTG's are at 100% strength because that means their payroll disbursement is higher (more to skim). They are further incentized NOT to pick up the KIA's because they would be forced to admit losses that result in lower skims.

There are cases where commanders are reporting 100% strength keeping the entire pay of the KIA's for BTG's that are only 30% combat effective.

The General staff then make plans to utilize that BTG only to find out very late that they are not available.

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They are further incentized NOT to pick up the KIA's because they would be forced to admit losses that result in lower skims.

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These stories (which I honestly believed were one off kind of things) suddenly make much more sense.

Russian dead dumped in piles ‘as tall as a man’ to hide true tally: Ukraine officials

Al Jazeera English has reported on refrigerated trains filled with the bodies of Russian servicemen killed during the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

I wonder if technological advancements will cause this to be modified. Drones and long range artillery fires make the whole effort to cross much more dangerous. Local control on the ground isn’t as safe as it used to be.

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The on-paper advantages for Russia at the outset of this war were immense, but Russia's corruption is one of the things keeping Ukraine in the game.

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That soft strength of schedule caught up to them

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If Kherson becomes Russia through a sham referendum and Ukraine launches a counter offensive into Kherson, Putin can tell his people and the world it is now Russia that is being invaded. Maybe that opens up a new box of weapons Putin is willing to use, or at least threaten to use to get the west to stop bankrolling the conflict.

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NATO's response to something so laughingly transparent: