Eventually somebody should shoot one of these damn things down.
Another fuel depot goes bavovna.
Time to start on the next 100k.
This is equivalent to the amount of fuel needed for 1,000 Il-76 transport aircraft, or to refuel Russia's entire tank fleet at least 30 times. Direct financial losses are estimated at over 7 billion rubles ($77.8 million) from fuel alone, plus more from the lost facilities.
Ukraine hit it again. Hopefully it’s trashed this time.
Must be a fresh batch from North Korea.
before it was rare enough that I never noticed and now its like 50%
Russia’s barbaric assault on civilian targets continues.
I hope they left them with the dreaded Blue Screen of Death, or maybe a Jolly Roger flag.
Now there’s a smart idea. 🙄
These are future Darwin Award winners.
AC? Who needs AC?
More like a ravine than a pothole.
The ugliest turtle tank ever. Blowing it up improved its appearance.
This T-72 comes with a pre-tossed turret.
A Russian soldier laments how the new commander decided to move the mortar crews closer to the front lines with the infantry and how that resulted in a lot of dead mortar crew members.
The last line is priceless.
Not long ago, our battalion commander was replaced. The previous one, a cautious, pre- war lieutenant colonel, was replaced by a 25-year-old senior lieutenant. The old commander had many issues, particularly with coordinating between units-there was barely any. We hoped things would improve, but it turned out things could get even worse.
One of the first bold decisions by the new commander was to move the mortars closer to the infantry. At first glance, the advantages were obvious: increased accuracy, reduced flight time for the rounds, and ultimately, more enemy losses. What could go wrong?
The key issue was the dominance of enemy drones, especially kamikaze drones. The mortar battery suffered its first loss while searching for new positions—a gunner from one of the crews was killed. He was 30 years old, mobilized, and hadn't had time to start a family. He often said he wouldn't return to the war after his leave, having grown tired in his second year. But he did come back. He and his platoon commander were moving through the trees looking for a new spot, a slow and difficult task. Nobody likes being near mortar crews. Of course, they were spotted. A kamikaze drone struck.
And it didn't stop there. Another crew was hit while relocating-more losses. One soldier died, and the commander lost a leg. Both were 25. The one who died was an anime fan, didn't drink. They had signed contracts before the war instead of doing the usual two years of mandatory service. They had been serving for five years.
The real problem after moving positions was delivering 120-mm mortar rounds. For those who don't know, each round weighs 16 kg (35 Ibs). A soldier in full gear can carry one round over several kilometers. A full trip for the crew equals five rounds, and to stay operational, they need about 20 rounds daily. This kind of resupply is more manageable with 82-mm mortars, where the rounds weigh 3.5 kg. With those, two runs a day are usually enough to keep going.
The familiar Ural truck couldn't reach the new positions anymore, and the Chinese buggies frequently broke down due to harsh, constant use. The crews found their own solutions. At first, one soldier got a dirt bike, but after five days, it broke. He went to the nearest village for spare parts and was killed by a kamikaze drone on his way back. He was over 30, a new contract soldier who had joined in January 2024.
Another crew member bought a motorcycle in Donetsk while on a break from his position. He managed to deliver 60 rounds over three days. Then another drone hit, and he suffered leg injuries, including a compound fracture. He was nearly 40, a volunteer who had served in the Second Chechen War and signed a four-month contract in September 2022-extended automatically.
After that, they resorted to carrying rounds on foot, one at a time. This led to more losses- three dead within days. One of them was the platoon commander who had been scouting new positions with the gunner earlier. He was a pre-war contract soldier, careful and experienced, having served in Syria, Tajikistan, and Armenia. He had just been promoted to junior lieutenant. Last October, during the second assault on Avdiivka, he and the gunner had knocked out a tank with their mortar. He wasn't even 30. The second casualty was another 30-year-old veteran with two small children, a native Bashkir, clever and resourceful. The third was another pre-war contract soldier, a university graduate, quiet but dutiful.
The only consolation is that all the bodies were quickly recovered with their documents. We don't leave our own behind.
Portugal steps up.
I wonder where they got this idea from?
Beautiful renderings
Hopefully she will be able to return to finish school.
In case you wanted to expand your Ukrainian vocabulary.