The British Ministry of Defence provided an intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine, it’s quoted below.

“Russian forces continue to suffer from morale and discipline issues in Ukraine. In addition to combat fatigue and high casualties, one of the main grievances from deployed Russian soldiers probably continues to be problems with their pay.

In the Russian military, troops’ income consists of a modest core salary, augmented by a complex variety of bonuses and allowances. In Ukraine, there has highly likely been significant problems with sizeable combat bonuses not being paid.

This is probably due to inefficient military bureaucracy, the unusual legal status of the ‘special military operation’, and at least some outright corruption amongst commanders.

The Russian military has consistently failed to provide basic entitlements to troops deployed in Ukraine, including appropriate uniform, arms and rations, as well as pay. This has almost certainly contributed to the continued fragile morale of much of the force.”

Tom Dunlop
Tom Dunlop
Tom has spent the last 13 years working in the defence industry, specifically military and commercial shipbuilding. His work has taken him around Europe and the Far East, he is currently based in Scotland.

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214 COMMENTS

  2. Smells whiffy 🫢 yet they (Russia) still control 20%+ of the country.Morale doesn’t seem to be affecting the outcomes.

    Effort by the West to end this war should be a priority instead of the endless horseshite propaganda. Neither side telling the truth on this colossal waste of life.

    🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇬🇧

    • Yes, but our MoD, in Whitehall or wherever, really ought to comment on how a military with morale, equipment, pay etc as low as they claim it is still seems to be able to continue advancing, albeit slowly, relentlessly.

      Part of the problem is perhaps that they don’t, or won’t acknowledge that a significant proportion of the fighting is being done by Ukrainians vs Ukrainians. In that, on the Russian side it is the DNR and LDR Militias inc mechanised infantry that are in contact, whilst the Russian Army supply them with artillery, aviation and special forces. So whilst the Russians may be marginally motivated the DNR and LDR Militia are fighting as hard as the Ukrainian Army. The other main frontal force is Wagner, again not Russian Army.

      And, as Airbornes says, propaganda is part of war/ All I would add to that is that a winning side tends to be more relaxed about it whilst the losing side often has a real struggle to find it and may need to create it or take action specifically for the PR impact.

      • Or, of course, it might be that Russia has over three times the population and 30 times the military budget of Ukraine. The Ukraine has been playing catch up and doing very well. The donations of western gear are all very well, but raise the difficulties of integrating ad-hoc mixes of equipment.

        The idea that the DNR and LDR are fighting as hard as the Ukrainian army doesn’t seem to square with a lot of the reports coming from their side of morale issues among these forces as well. But certainly the Russians would prefer their allies, too, fight to the last Ukrainian.

        • You raise important points. The logistical issues of the multitude of NATO gear must be hooendous on the front lines. Also it is the DNR and LDR forces that tend to be the ones that are badly equipped, not the Russian Army, but they are fighting, like the UA for their country. It seems that both sides are fighting to the last Ukrainian..

      • JIMK wrote:

        “”Yes, but our MoD, in Whitehall or wherever, really ought to comment on how a military with morale, equipment, pay etc as low as they claim it is still seems to be able to continue advancing, albeit slowly, relentlessly.””

        That’s easy, Moscow started from a stronger position regards Militaries having spent more each year since 2001 on its military than the Ukraine has done collectively for the entire period (2001-2022)
        With such a strong over reach Moscow has the equipment in reserve to fill any gaps due to losses. But there’s also another much more salient factor “Putin” who as a dictator who rules with an Iron rod (I’ve read actual news reports that he likes to prop up little boys with a little internal back support with that iron rod of his) who keeps sending Russian troops forward to their deaths simply because as a f-ing bully he can’t accept being embarrassed by a so called third rate nation whom the superior Russian military he controls should have over run in days (if not hours) 

        “”In that, on the Russian side it is the DNR and LDR Militias inc mechanised infantry that are in contact, whilst the Russian Army supply them with artillery, aviation and special forces. “”

        The DNR have revealed themselves to be of a similar calibre to the Italians in Germany service during WW2 , in that:
        1)    They run when faced with people who fight back
        2)    They have started falling out with their Russian masters (as per many reports from pro Russian accounts) 
        which explains this:
        https://i.postimg.cc/LX9GN18h/Fb1-Vp6-CWAAEEWIF.jpg

        • Please accept my appologies George, my post was sent to mod, so I reposted it with the second link which I didnt spot.
          Whislt I am here, cracking web site

        • Last night I came across a vid on twitter, (sorry cant find it again) But the Daily Mail have picked up on it. its a few months old and I have to ask WTF:
          Oh and just for the info we have similar numpties in our armed forces. Such as the time I was instructing Young Officers to become Combat engineers and during a Mine warfare excercise I saw a 432 start zig zagging across a 3 lane mine field. I (having a wash and shave at the time) ran across the field shirtless to stop this and when I asked the Officer in charge what he was doing he stated and I quote:
          “I was covering uo the 3 lanes ”
          To which I replied
          “You would have died at the first mine.
          But the thing about the British army (And no doubt other western armies) is we teach our young to be not so f-ing stupid (usually with a few choice words and a little bit of violence) ive actually liased with the Russian army and the Navy and I must admit I havent been impressed by what I have seen (as I have with the Danes/Belgigue and french troops (with the latter I refer to their R&F and not the FL (whom I have also worked with and most impressed))
          My point, the quality of Russian soldiers inside the Ukraine isnt anything to write home about

          • Your life of experience means I have little doubt that your last sentence summed it up pretty well, I have also little doubt that we were able to instill in the Ukrainian Army during all those years we were training them part of our Army’s ethos. But, brute force not skill is winning.
            They may have the best NCOs and officers but they are powerless when the enemy does not want to fight in the open but by using overwhelming artillery. Using a strategy seemingly designed to stay in much the same place but get the enemy to come to you, bringing forward replacements as the originals are killed/wounded/exhausted.
            My point is the Russians don’t seem to worry about the quality, its the volume of munitions that matter.

          • JIMK wrote:

            “”My point is the Russians don’t seem to worry about the quality, its the volume of munitions that matter.””

            Funny you should mention that , as reported this morning:

          • So now the Ukrainians advance and the Russian rapists stalling, is suddenly Russkie strategy? FFS desperation and changing your version of current and ongoing events makes the Tories look organised!

        • Thanks for the map. I have been watching that situation develop since the 29th. According to Ukrop Legitimny channel this was the setup for Kherson offensive. They say that wave 1-2 got completely destroyed at the end of last week, hence the reported overloading of hospitals.

          – the first wave: strike groups of special forces. Approximate 5.000 people

          – the second wave: immediately after the first, regular units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which went through the spring campaign and have good combat experience. Approximate participation 10.000 people

          – currently being deployed is the third and fourth wave: consisting of additional special forces and Armed Forces of Ukraine with combat experience of at least four months. Approximate number of participants: 10.000

          – the fifth wave, now being brought from the rear: it consists of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the territorial defense. Approximate number: 20.000

          This is how a section (just to the right of the big arrow in you chart, note your chart no longer shows Sukhyl Stovok under UA control) of the Ukrainian advance was allowed to develop before Russian artillery reversed it. They watched as 3/4 river crossings were used to move thousands of troops and gear east over the river. Then they destroyed the pontoon bridges and sent in the artillery and aviation.

          https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fbt4dcZXwAA-xuT?format=jpg&name=small

          I assume you read the reports on the attempted storming of the NPP on the morning of the UN Inspectors visit?

          • JIMK wrote:

            “”I have been watching that situation develop since the 29th. According to Ukrop Legitimny channel this was the setup for Kherson offensive. They say that wave 1-2 got completely destroyed at the end of last week, hence the reported overloading of hospitals. “”

            I’ve been reading such reports as well, but what I can’t understand is how after the Ukraine placed a media blackout on its offensive on the kherson front I am still coming across many videos of destroyed Russian kit, captured Russian soldiers, advancing Ukr troops, flags been raised in recaptured towns, yet Moscow which hasnt enacted such a news blackout regards reporting from the same area and theres very little, (I’d like to nil, but I did find a video of a ATGM strike on a tank) you’d think with such heavy losses, Moscow would be airing hundreds of videos of destroyed Ukr equipment, dead and captured Ukr soldiers, but actually ive yet to come across one funny that, oh wait the Russians do air a daily situation report on how well the Russian forces are doing (I’ll link it in , in a follow up) and boy even I’m gobsmacked at how well Moscow has done against the Ukrainian military.
            https://i.postimg.cc/50t8W0ZK/pol.jpg
            In fact with such heavy losses , I’m surprised the Ukrainians are still in the fight. Or maybe, just maybe the Russians are talking tosh and people who can’t be bothered to check the veracity of their outlandish claims are more than happy to swallow what Moscow peddles as the News.
            (On that note I had a little chuckle over the weekend when a Russian offical meeting IAEA inspectors at Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant explained that the reason a Missile looked like it had been fired from Russia, is because it carried out a 180 degree flip just before hitting the ground (which doesnt explain how it is buried into the ground) Link below

          • 2) Link to video of Russian offical claiming that a missile which looks like it was fired from the direction of Russian occupied Ukraine actually did a flip to make it look like it did.

          • Yes I read them as well. The problem with summary figures is that they make daily figures that may contain realitivly small exaggerations turn into implausible ones that just roll forward. Then compounded by injudicious words from locals. Gives me a few WTF smiles at times. It isn’t stopping soon so we just have to wait to see how it turns out.

            It is curious that on the one hand UK MoD, with their all seeing eyes and ears, do not put out much in the way of alternative views whilst on the other the Russians release almost no official video or photos (much coming from Militia sources), Compared to the wars we have been used to its almost a blackout.

          • JIMK wrote:

            “”The problem with summary figures is that they make daily figures that may contain relatively small exaggerations turn into implausible ones that just roll forward.””

            Help me here, as it appears that you are saying that the huge errors in place are down simply to a collective roundup of erroneous tallying. We are not talking about a bloke sitting in his moms bedroom tapping out stuff, we are talking about the Russian MOD, a government department painting the picture that they have destroyed more stuff than what the Ukrainian actually started with in feb 2022. For example, that figure for aircraft is just shy of 100 air frames more than what Kyiv held, the figure for Helicopters if true would mean Kyiv has none left.. A Bloke sat in his moms bedroom may get away with such outlandish claims, but a Government agency doing so , loses all respectability 

          • JIMK wrote:
            It is curious that on the one hand UK MoD, with their all seeing eyes and ears, do not put out much in the way of alternative views whilst on the other the Russians release almost no official video or photos (much coming from Militia sources), Compared to the wars we have been used to its almost a blackout.
             
            1)    Sorry but what does trying to conflate the Uk with Russia regards Moscow not substantiating all its claims regards the current bunfight around Kherson got to do with the price of fish?
            2)    The Uk MOD regularly imbeds Journalists into its forces and a simple search will find many such reports the only time the MOD issues a blackout is before and during an actual event so as not to give the other side any warning that something is happening.
            3) Why should the Britsh MOD promote an alternative viewpoint, when by law they have to tell the truth and anybody caught out doing so , quickly finds themselves tapping the boards Spreading Misinformation might work if you are a pressure group, but its a huge no no for the MOD. Which is why when accused of something by such groups, the Military send away somebody in which to check out the facts and 9.9 times out of time when they come and report that actually that didnt happen, the media who were than happy to spread that story cant be arsed to correct themselves You know stories like
            1) UK forces raped 100s of kenyan women…
            2) Uk forces murdered innocent civillians in Iraq/Afghan
            3) UK forces left Ammo at kenyan ranges

          • Once again Farouk is handing you your arse every time you attempt to justify the unjustifiable and post obvious propaganda which is full of very obvious errors! But, as we have all said in the past, your on a leash and have an agenda to push out! Did Putins disco leg excite you the other day, put on a silver slip-on and he could be going on strictly nonce dancing!

          • Well then the heroic soldiers of the motherland are successfully repulsing the Ukrainian hordes in the typical Orc way of massive expenditure of ordinance according to yourself! Now then a simple question arises from this how are the Orcs going to replace this ordnance to continue to throw the Ukr back?

          • Much the same as we are, emptying old stocks (they have an advantage of having vast WP stocks), manufacturing more (it seems that unlike us they have that ability), buying in from other stockists.

            It seems to me that they are, to optimise those sources, making use of dumb munitions where they can, carefully saving the ‘smart’ weapons. An example of this at the weekend was a Su-34 strike using 24 or so KAB-500 bombs.

          • Right how are these munitions going to get to the forces that are supposed to be repelling the Ukr counter attacks near Kherson then? You cannot move ammo etc over bridges that do not exist anymore no matter how much you claim to have!

        • 3 points
          1)Russia has a written constitution
          2)Russia has an elected Legislature(9 political parties)
          3)Russia has an elected President

          Those points make Russia far more subject to the rule of law than either Britain,The EU or the USA.President Putin has simply been far more successful at implementing his programmes than recent British Prime Ministers who feed us with a barrage of lies i.e inflation is 9% hahahahahaha

          • Gerald Reitlinger’s study of the ‘attempted destruction of Europe’s Jews’ Final Solution, refused to use the word. An Oxford classicist, Reitlinger used the simpler and correct term mass murder. That will do to describe Russia’s unprovoked rape of Ukraine.

            May I respectfully suggest you distance yourself from Putin’s crimes against humanity?

          • Unprovoked ? .hahahahaha.Entirely provoked by America and solely America and it`s lust to rule the whole world as it does British yes men

          • You really said that? FFS, but no surprise as by not condemning this illegal invasion by Putin you give tacit support to the murder, rape, torture of free people! But also as a sad paid troll (very much like A Moore who happens to pop up same times, same stories and defending Putins actions like you mmmmmm) it’s no surprise! Still, at a supposed 76 years of age you won’t be trolling much longer eh?

      • You are incorrigible! You have supported this unprovoked attack on Ukraine and sat mute as its cities, town and villages have been raped by an aggressor. In February and March you proclaimed the dash and biro of Russia’s clearly superior forces as they ground to halt outside Kyiv; you evaded the clear truth of what then ensured as an entire Army was thrashed in days and weeks after you and many more said it would be all over. Then confidently predicted the retreat that left more busted armour behind it than most European countries possess collectively would swing into a brilliant pincher attack. The preening over confidence confidence of your predictions of a great encirclement of the Ukrainian Army in beginning in May are still hanging in mid air.

        The Russians need a miracle. No! They need several just to extract themselves! This reckless, senseless adventure is a disaster for Russia and its people. Here you are, snug in your solar powered dream world still radiating muck. How big a pile of corpses are you not prepared to stand on, with a smirk?

          • Thank you. I wish there was an edit button – a misspelling (pincer) and double ‘confidence’!

        • I really don’t know why you and others should be setting so much store by my words. I am a non military commentator sat at my desktop picking up tidbits of information where I find it and relay the parts that I think may interest others here. I have never claimed to be anything more.

          In my opinion, it is the Ukrainians that need a miracle, preferably in the next 7days in Kherson. Only if they are able to push the Russians back to or near the Dneiper will they have demonstrated that they have a chance. Capturing a few miles really won’t cut the mustard and they have a very critical military suppliers meeting in two days, a reason for all their activity over the past week.

          Meanwhile in the economic aspect the Russians have just put Germany in an energy headlock with NS1. If they follow up with the other gas plus oil pipelines we will be on our knees.

          They say that history doesn’t repeat it rhymes, look back at the start of the Pacific War caused in part when the US put an energy headlock on Japan.

          We the UK have little say in this, either Germany/Russia do a deal on NS2, which will crash the energy price, or we will suffer badly.

          • You frequently complain that your comments are not treated with respect. Therefore I shall try to parse your latest self-serving composition with as much as I can muster.

            I really don’t know why you and others should be setting so much store by my words. 

            Why not?

            I am a non military commentator sat at my desktop picking up tidbits of information where I find it and relay the parts that I think may interest others here.

            You are not anything like. You responded promptly when the Moskva was sunk quoting arcane sources, part of an orchestrated disinformation effort. You respond to few other topics on this site excepting those that impact on Russia’s assault on Ukraine.

            In my opinion, it is the Ukrainians that need a miracle, preferably in the next 7days in Kherson.

            You make my case for me better than I do myself. You are a dissembler.

            Meanwhile …

            Meanwhile you consistently fail to condemn Russia’s war making either on Ukrainian soil or its implicit threat of violence against peaceful countries from the North Cape to the shores of the Mediterranean.

            I put it to you that you both support the attack on Ukraine and the potential for more against the west and its allies; this is not a position that others have not been shy to take. It is of course disgusting, but at least no longer a pretence. The simple way to prove myself and others wrong about the nature and direction of your sly comments (‘I really don’t know why …‘) would be to condemn the unprovoked war against Ukraine. Do so or stop whining.

          • JIMK wrote:
            “”They say that history doesn’t repeat it rhymes, look back at the start of the Pacific War caused in part when the US put an energy headlock on Japan.””

            Actually, that not the full story and rather than blame the US, we should actually be looking at in part at Russia but primarily at Japan.
            During the 1930, Japan embarked on a expansionist agenda which resulted in the second Japan/Sino war. Not impressed with the help Moscow was giving China , Tokyo set up plans to remove that assistance whilst at the same time launch into the resource rich Siberian flank of Russia, the problem for the Japanese is they lost at Battle of Khalkhin Gol to a then untested Georgy Zhukov. That defeat put paid to all the plans that the Japanese Strike North Group had of Hokushin-ron (“Northern Expansion Doctrine-which stated that Manchuria and Siberia were Japan’s sphere of interest and that the potential value to Japan for economic and territorial expansion in those areas was greater than elsewhere.) and which saw Japan turn its expansionist policy to the south. Now if you feel that the US was wrong to sanction Japan for its Invasion of China, it annexation of Vichy French Indochina which funny enough was almost a year to the day of Pearl Harbour then please explain what you would have done. Because like Russia in 2014, Japan had already set its sights on war and taking territory from the French, Dutch who had been rendered impotent after been invaded and occupied by Nazis Germany and of course the Uk, which was busy (according to the Worlds media at the time) Losing to Hitler.

            Oh and as for that Energy headlock, Japan at the time had enough oil reserves to last 3 years (or half that time if it decided to go to war with the West)

          • America has been set on a course of militrary expansion since the conquest of Florida.Even they admit their conquest of Hawaii was beyond the pale.But you are just a ventriloquist dummy and glove puppet for your Yankeecontrollers.How much are the paying you?

          • More chuff, getting desperate reading the way you post! Any condemnation of rape in Ukraine by your Russian rapist squads? Any condemnation of Putins illegal invasion of Ukraine? No answer, therefore if your not against it then you support it, little troll Nazi!

          • Nobody sets any store by your words until they include “I condemn Putin and his actions” are included in them.

        • And we can just cut and paste his/their previous propaganda posts, they seem to forget that the sad sad troll he/they are!

    • Honestly this MOD so called intelligence report is an embarrassment it’s pathetic and doesn’t even come close to being classed as intelligence. Quote “ THIS IS PROBABLY ……… THERE HAS LIKELY……THIS HAS ALMOST CERTAINLY……….” absolute shite .. This is just made up drivel by individuals who don’t know and are guessing.

      Real intelligence is graded A1 B2 etc etc the source has to be evaluated is it known directly to them etc etc. This nonsense from the MOD is what you call Propaganda and it’s an utter disgrace that HM gov are churning it out.

      when are we gonna get an honest picture of the reality of the situation.? And when’s wee Liz gonna get on the blower to try encourage peace talks between the both of them? ….aye that’ll be the day more likely here’s another billion down the pisher for Ukraine and here’s another 10,000 badly trained recruits ripe for the slaughter. They don’t give a fcuk about Ukraine.

      🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇬🇧

    • It can end when Ukraine want it to end. And that looks to be when all Ukrainian territory is back under Ukrainian control.

      Apologists like you are just going to leave the democratic world weaker. Thankfully you aren’t in charge.

      • 😂 Here he is wee Tam the bam taking silly billy to new levels. Quote from you “ IT CAN END WHEN UKRAINE WANT IT TO END”? 😂 aye right so your saying Ukraine just want to keep the war going make sure thousands more of their people die just for the shits and giggles? And for folk like you to get off on? 🙈 good grief man.

        what are you 12 years old? If I’m an apologist for not wanting this war to continue then you must be a warmonger for wanting it to continue and someone devoid of empathy who doesn’t give 2 shits about all the suffering those poor people have to endure due to its continuation.

        let me tell you sonny war is brutal it’s ugly and likewise death is an undignified ugly thing and I’ll wager you’ve never seen a dead body , mangled corpse from accident or someone who’s life has been ended due to the actions of someone else. If you had then you might be a little more receptive to peace. So maybe just pipe down a little you just stick to Call of Duty on the Xbox 👍🏻And We’ll just agree to disagree 👍🏻

        🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇬🇧

      • As the Ukrainian fighting is the military aspect of a far larger and more serious conflict between Russia and the US, that the Russians regard as existential and which has finally come to a head, I suspect that the Ukrainians are not in the decision loop as perhaps was shown back in April.

        From Lloyd Austin’s comments earlier in the year, this is all about trying to make sure that Russia couldn’t do it again. Unfortunately for us a key part of the US strategy was the sanctions, Russia’s economic strength was misjudged and they have backfired catastrophically as per energy prices.

        The destruction of Ukraine is bad enough but what looks like the economic collapse of Europe this winter including us is of far greater impact for most of us on this site.

        • ‘As the Ukrainian fighting is the military aspect of a far larger and more serious conflict between Russia and the US …’

          At last! This level of frankness will destroy you! You must be bonkers! Macron, love him or loath him, was correct; before Putin’s reckless and spiteful aggression N.A.T.O. was indeed ‘brain dead’. American tax payers were fed up with paying for European defence (not before time). Most of the countries in the organisation were flagrant in ignoring the undertakings they had entered into to increase defence spending and successive U.S. administrations, culminating in Donald Trump were going to give up and shift their focus elsewhere – chiefly the Pacific.

          Putin electrified N.A.T.O. in ways that would have produced raucous laughter on both sides of the Atlantic had anyone been stupid to make a career ending speculation a year ago that by mid 2022 Sweden and Finland would join the organisation as fast as possible and others would begin what for them is very nearly part mobilisation. No one thinks N.A.T.O. has past into history now.

          ‘The destruction of Ukraine is bad enough but what looks like the economic collapse of Europe this winter including us is of far greater impact for most of us on this site.’

          Crocodiles do not cry as a matter of fact. Societies like ours in the west transform as a matter of course and the pace is picking up. Putin has made two mistakes, both large and irreversible. Firstly, he has declared unofficial war on the one part of the globe that has advanced industries and complex capabilities, industrial, commercial and military. Secondly, he has made Russia extremely vulnerable politically, economically and culturally in the medium to long term. We who care about the defence of the west will end the year thanking him.

          • Thank you for your interesting response. We are clearly on different sides of a coin. I really don’t follow your initial comment, surely it is clear that there is a major conflict underway, how would acknowledging that destroy me?

            I would go further, it is not just between Russia and the US but has now swept in all their supporters too, as you mention re S and F but also to a degree CH. In effect on one side are the 45 Western countries that have sanctioned Russia and on the other is the rest of the World watching, waiting and in many cases helping and exploiting. Like India rebranding Russian oil and China the LNG and then both selling onto the EU, a farce.

            As to Putin’s mistakes, its Russia’s leaders not just Putin, I’d say they feel they had no choice if they wanted to be a sovereign country. The Russian economy is now effectively split from the west and is linking up with China and beyond, they view their south and east as their future. Virtually all those countries you mention are dependent on the other side of the World for their raw materials and especially energy. As to future vulnerability, you are aware that it is highly likely that virtually every country that has been colonised or attacked by the West over the past couple of centuries is holding their breath, waiting to see what happens now someone has stood up to the Big Bully?

            The US rolled the dice once too often and we will suffer.

          • Still posting absolute rubbish. Russia started this war because they wanted to be a sovereign country?? In what way was it not?? Putin started this war because the vicious little thug couldn’t abide the thought of another flourishing democracy on Russia’s border, showing up the lie that Russia was or is a great power.

            Someone standing up to the big bully ? That someone is Ukraine. Fighting back against the gangster Russian state in its expansionist war, that shoots down civilian airliners, that deploys radiological and chemical weapons against opponents in foreign countries, weaponises food and fuel, rapes , murders and kidnaps civilians as a military strategy and relies on mewling, spineless courtiers like you to abjectly debase yourself justifying it.

            Throughout this century and the last, the history of Russia is writ large with wholesale state sanctioned bloodshed and repression against its own population, expansionist wars against neighbours, ethnic cleansing, genocide, death camps, torture, political repression, murders and imprisonment without trial. How come you’ve nothing to say about these self evident truths? Why do you think that former Warsaw Pact countries are striving to prevent themselves from ever falling under the yoke of Russian occupation again, ? Likewise the first actions of former USSR states was to seek independence from Moscow. They know what life is like under Russian rule.

            Be my guest and point out where I’m wrong here, I suspect that you won’t though, you’ve never been able to acknowledge those truths.

          • Thank you. You are an accomplished propaganda agent for the Russian Federation, are you not?

            The language, the smoothness and the expert deflection technique are those I noted long ago when I began my own political journey learning about the Otto John affair.

            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_John#:~:text=In%20July%201954%2C%20he%20surfaced,sentenced%20to%20prison%20for%20treason.

            A television report on the old Tonight programme tried to unravel this Cold War mystery. An East German official gave a demonstration of practiced bemusement – (I really don’t know why you and others should be setting so much store by my words), – brushed aside the difficult questions by asking one of his own and all the while playing the injured democrat, interested only in peace and the truth, smearing both gently as he spoke. It was a lesson I never forgot. Many years later, here you are again.

            At least you aren’t as crass as A. Moore

          • Yes, you’re on the side of the coin that includes murderers and genocide. Condemn them and rejoin humanity.

          • The one where Putin is dressed as Jimmy Saville, and invaded a country which kills all his rapist army, while he has a cowboy hat in and his shirt off showing his old, pale flabby body..….have you not seen it? Or was that the Viz?

        • You`ve been reading Professor John Miershiermer and Samo Burja whereas Tams,Farouk,Airborne etc have stuck to reading the Beano and Girl Guides Manual—–dib dib dib

          • Your responses and retorts are some of the worst efforts by a nonce troll we have seen for some time! You really must do better, it’s going to be a 2 out of 10, must do better!

          • Ah bless, the little bed wetting nazi trollbot awakens, vomiting gibberish and scuttling back underneath its rock.

  4. Low moral is good, lack of discipline and control not so good for the poor population of Ukraine. The only silver lining is if the Russian army falls apart it’s one step closer to Ukraine being free of war.

    • Anyone remember the scene from the movie Dr. Zhivago, when the retreating troops dispatch the officers leading new recruits to the front line trenches? May life imitate art! 😁

      • Hi FormerUSAF,

        I remember that scene and life did “imitate art” at the time and there were reports a few months ago of at least one Russian Brigade commander being deliberately ‘run over’ and killed by his own troops.

        Cheers CR

  6. I look at pictures like the above one (Taken on Vokzalna Street Bucha) add the view from behind the BTR 80 mounting what looks like a BMP3 looking towards where the above photo was taken
    https://i.postimg.cc/mhfLgXm5/3159111-2125619128.jpg
    and I think to myself bloody hell, that was something of a turkey shoot. The Russians lost a lot of trained soldiers that day and whilst they may have kept that story to themselves until their so called tactical feint was over and they pulled out (still can’t understand what that feint was for, as they weren’t doing so well in the east at the time either) Duty rumour spreads like wild fire and if rumour and rife is saying that Russian special forces got their backsides truly kicked , which turned out to be true after Moscow retreated lock , stock and barrel from the area what message does that send to, those not as well trained (the all singing and dancing troops of the newly formed Russian 3rd Corps just deployed into the Ukraine are all middle aged blokes who have all received 2 weeks basic refresher training after many years out of uniform.) who have yet to face combat and will most likey say “F this for a game of soldiers , when they find themselves trying to make themselves one with the floor, as shells burst all around them. Yes we can say the same for the Ukraine, but they are not fighting for money, they are fighting for their loved ones, their country and for revenge. Oh well, I’ve lit that slow fuzee, I shall now grab a beer, don my bin lid and watch that tracer. 

    • You are right. I know a few guys who went out there at the start. The feedback is from seeing and handling Russian POW’s is that bad equipment, low morale and appalling leadership have lead to ambivalence. Lets be honest, most just want to go home and are not interested in war. We knew from the Gulf Wars that Russian gear is second rate, it is just mass that makes it intimidating. “The West” sat back in 2014 when Russians marched into Crimea. That politically was a big mistake.

      • Crimea was a mistake with the benefit of hindsight. At the time western intelligence massively overrated the Russian capability and realistically no one expected it to turn out as bad as it was. At the time the west was looking at the thousands of tanks and artillery of russia and was worried that intervening would have been a disaster of biblical levels, potentially going nuclear.

        There was many reports of issues within the Russian army, but not to the extent that it turned out to be.

        Equally Russia didn’t expect it to be as bad either, and so the west intervening in Crimea could have resulted in Russia declaring war on NATO, which I am sure Russia would have thought they could take on a disjointed NATO and not only get Ukraine but some of the other eastern bloc, and the only way that could have ended would be nuclear war. Because the moment NATO started pushing russian forces back towards russian borders, Russia would perceive they would continue to push and would have to go nuclear to protect its borders.

        • I did not suggest a military intervention. Nor would I. The “west” ignored other means of objecting. Partly because of cheap energy. It was the point that Putin knew he could push his weight around and the influence of Alexander Dugin was extended over their policies. That is why Trump took his stance on demanding the freeloaders of Nato spend on defence rather than rely on the US. If apportioning “blame”, it lies in eastward expansion and a German desire for Russian gas. History will show Merkel as the gross hypocrite she was. Of course, neocons within the US loved all of this because it lead to gigantic orders for armaments.

    • (still can’t understand what that feint was for, as they weren’t doing so well in the east at the time either)

      JohninMK explained all at the time; it was very cunning he claimed. I can’t see it either.

  7. Putin really should remember the advice the Roman Emperor Septimus Severus (r. 193-211 AD) gave his sons as he was dying at Eboracum (now York) after a less than totally successful attempt to conquer Scotland: “Pay the soldiers, the rest do not matter.”

    • Wasn’t that part of the Soviet Union’s problem? Keeps one from an immediate coup, but eventually, it does matter, when the rest of your economy falls behind, your technology can no longer keep up with the other side’s innovations because they spent money on things other than a huge military…

      • Very true. A big part of why the Soviet Union’s economy failed was because it was being starved of resources that went to feed its bloated military.

        And there are a long list of things that hurt military morale: poor food, no mail, incompetent officers to name but a few. But historically failure to pay the troops in time and in full is one of the top complaints. If this continues we may well see the old Soviet workers bitter joke: “They pretend to pay us. We pretend to work.” updated to “They pretend to pay us. We pretend to fight.”

  8. Low morale and zero morals.

    The sooner all discipline collapses and the orc scum turn on their officers and leaders the better. Hopefully the Ukrainians will get to repeat 1991’s Highway of Death as the Russians flee.

    • Strength to Ukraine 🇺🇦, its people, president and armed forces. Hope they can take the fullest advantage possible of all this low 🇷🇺 morale and push the Russian’s back to their side of the fence!!

  9. We can hope for rebellion in the Russian ranks… just over a 100 years since the last one and look where that led…

    A lot of navel gazing at the moment, over our treatment of Gorby and Russia after the Comms were fecked. It opened the door to Pootin.

    Do we need to learn that lesson?

    It worked with both Germany and Japan.

    Meanwhile, the more Russians dead, the happier, I will be, the scum.

    • We saw the lesson in 1920’s Germany, 1990’s Russian, 2000’s Iraq…
      Democracy is hard to establish after the fall of totalitarianism in a country with no history of it.

      • Difficult but not impossible. Look how far Germany and Japan have come since the end of the second world war, even just in terms of their economy and industry of both countries.

      • Yes, but, you have to remember post ewr Germany and Japan as the other poster mentioned. Ultimately, Gorby had asked for a Marshall Plan but was denied; and we now have the fruits of that poor decision.

        • In both Germany and Japan, the same party/coalition has been in power for the vast majority of the post war period. Hardly a healthy situation in a true democracy.

          • Doesn’t that depend how the public have voted in the elections?

            If the same party or coalition has been in power for that long then that’s how the public has kept voting.

            Germany is an interesting one though having only voted in a single party government since their first post ww2 election in 1949.

          • No, because to have a healthy democracy you have to have at least two parties that are viewed as credible candidates for government. Without that, you get the same party continually re-elected which has a tendency to lead to both arrogance and then corruption in the ruling party. And we’ve seen both in these countries.

          • Yes and think how much worse we’d have if the Conservatives (or Labour) had been in continuous power since 1945.
            No need to think too hard, you just need to look as the record of all the Communist regimes since the end of WW2. Arrogance, incompetence, and corruption abounded in every single one.

          • CDU/CSU 1949
            SPD 1969
            CDU 1982
            SPD 1998
            CDU/CSU & SPD 2005
            CDU/CSU 2009
            CDU/CSU & SPD 2018
            SPD 2021

            For the 73 years since WW2, the CDU/CSU has governed for 52 years (over 70% of the period).

          • Utterly and obviously incorrect. I take it you’ve never studied Post WW2 German politics even slightly… Laughably obtuse.

            Whereas democracy isn’t remotely close to being implemented in the UK, and it’s doubtful it ever will be at this rate. Maybe next century? LMFAO.

          • And you’re obviously one of those conspiracy nutters if you think the U.K. isn’t a democracy. Maybe you prefer Putin’s style of democracy given how deranged you are?

          • How about US democracy, where many regard the two political parties as just two wings of the Uniparty? As the most powerful country they have probably evolved their systems to match in that TPTB have absolute control and allow the facade to change. A modern Roman circus so to speak.

          • The effect of this singularity? Who doubts great countries do bad? No student of history. But the U.S.A. has done much more than most that is good and will last.

          • Nope. The nutter is you ‘Sean’ since it may have escaped your notice, but you’ve managed to let a minority (less than 80K predominantly old, white males, such as yourself no doubt) ‘elect’ your PM. ROFLMAO. You don’t have a written Constitution. You don’t have an elected head of state, or second chamber. You don’t even have proportional representation!

            You’re a third rate, third class nation pretending it still has an Empire. It’s a joke and so are you for defending it (and for your total ignorance about what democracy actually entails).

          • Ah so I was right in my suspicions, a Britain-hating foreign troll luring on the U.K. Defence Journal website. The only question unresolved is whether your a sad git who has nothing better to do is his life than to troll, or you’re one of Putin’s paid stooges?
            My guess is the latter as I can’t imagine anyone having such a sad, lonely, and utterly insignificant life that they’d do the former… Then again I’ve never met you.

            Actually there’s 172k members of the Tory party, and I’ve never been wrong of them. Yes you’re delusional.

            You’re clearly too stupid too to understand the different functioning of a parliamentary democracy over a presidential democracy.

            “Third-rate”… really?
            • member of G7,
            • member of P5,
            • declared nuclear power,
            • strongest conventional military in Europe,
            • world’s 11th largest manufacturer by value,
            • home to the world’s largest international banking and forex capital
            • technology capital of Europe
            • 2nd to USA for Nobel Prizes won
            • etc etc

            I could go on but I think I’ve amply demonstrated how factually incorrect you’re childish rant was.

          • Another one turns up! It’s sad there are so many teeth gnashing UK haters who spout shite, but when it comes down to it, it’s just good old fashioned jealousy mate!

          • Yeah jealousy and bitterness is such an unedifying spectacle. I can just picture them… no hopers who, if they have a job, it’s probably something menial and dull, probably 40+ year old virgins, still living at home, no mates and no hobbies/interests, their only pastime being ranting on the internet 🤷🏻‍♂️

          • Wow, projecting much dear old Sean? I can just see you there looking forlornly in the mirror to describe yourself. Useless, just like your comments here. LMAO

            You can’t refute me intelligibly of course as you’re too dense and/or senile; no surprise there.

            Which worthless ’empire’ will crumble first I wonder? Putin’s pathetic attempt at rejuvenation (with a bang at least) or sad old England (with a long drawn out whimper). And yes, I meant England, the canker at the heart of the YooKay 😂

          • Not projecting, simply extrapolating from the fact that you’ve already shown yourself to be a desperate saddo.

            Much as I’d love to publicly humiliate you further, I’m now on holiday in California – with a seriously hot blond lady – and I have way way better things to do with my time….

          • No, more like 10th rate actually. Especially judging by the lack of education shown by jingoistic, right trash cretins such as yourself on here.

            How’s that £3 Trillion debt coming along BTW?

            Maybe shouldn’t have spent so much on a white elephant aircraft carrier that doesn’t work (and doesn’t have aircraft)?

            Lots of similarities between the delusions of Russia and the UK in terms of how they see themselves.

            Great thing about the English, as you so ably prove, is your servile forelock tugging not only to Old Etonian ‘betters’ but to your boss, the USA. Lapdog doesn’t really describe it – more like arse-licking poodle.

            But carry on, claim credit for your wonderful country’s “achievements”, only made possibly by raping and pillaging the rest of the world of course, but let’s brush that under the carpet. Stand proud and salute your valiant Leader, Truss! 😂

            You and your ilk are a laughing stock.

            As ever, you’ve not amply demonstrated *anything* except to prove all my points, so thanks for that 😉

          • Oh dear you are angry aren’t you? What a frothy rant, to Sean, twice. That’s double angry and double sad! That handbag must be getting heavy, best put it down for a moment!

          • Oh dear more chips on shoulder time! Your post is wrong on so many levels it’s gone to the waste bin of comments with our other ranting saddo A Moore!

          • Not a rant. Just truth. Hurts, doesn’t it, “Airborne”?! A nobody like you actually thinks calling themselves that will convince people you’re a Para? Impressive! ROFLMAO.

            Hey good luck with your new PM btw, you’ll need it! 😂 And to think the world was amazed at the useless buffoonery of your last one; they ain’t seen nowt yet!

          • Oh dear, my comment did hurt you didn’t it? It’s ok, it’s ok there there, calm down, feel better now? It’s ok not everyone can be British, but it’s ok for you to pretend in front of the mirror!

          • Err no funnily enough it didn’t hurt. Because I *am* British. And I actually must live quite close to you (because I can spell the bullshit emanating strongly from your fetid estate) 😆

          • Yawn, you’ve got nothing to say, yet still have to say it. What a waste of oxygen you people are… Luckily your new govt. will probably take away your benefits LOL

          • Why do presume I’m angry? I’m just laughing my arse off at you losers. OTOH Your entertainment value is really going downhill (bit like the £)… 😆

          • So very aggressive and “shouty” on that keyboard! Never mind eh, it’s ok you never made it in the military, not everyone does.

          • You’ve never done anything except play with your toy soldiers. Sad and pathetic. But hey, you can be a SF super-hero on here, how proud your parents must be!

            Good luck with surviving your gas bills this winter in your shabby squat. I’m sure your fantasy military role playing will keep you warm though. 👌

          • Your still very aggressive and shouty! That keyboard of yours must be terrified! Oh love the constant use of emoji’s, very impressive……

          • Wow, you’re such a sad sack. The only military you’ve seen is when you’ve blown squaddies in exchange for drugs money LMAO.

            Keep having fun with that, loser! 😘

          • The only one of these comments to hit the nail on the head!Donbas and Luhansk together with Crimea want independence from Ukraine as Russia (Yelstsin)demanded independence from the USSR(Gorbachov).National identity trumps all.Ukraine has nothing to offer Russia which is much much wealthier than Ukraine or say Britain.Russia is pivoting to Asia where the future lies.Personally i hope the relative decline of my country Britain together with Europe can be reversed but we should not expect any help from America. Self interest rules and America can only gain from dimishing rivals(Theodore Roosevelte)for the same reason no business promotes its rivals.

          • On my quite a few words on this one, slightly better effort, new controller/producer? But, not to let you down, iiiiiiiiiiits monkey sheeeet time 🐒💩

          • You still in the anal phase of development?seem obsessed with faeces,Girl guide.Fan of the Krays are you?hahahahaha.

    • The USSR was already borrowing huge amounts of money by 1989, on the back of a falling oil market. It was Not sustainable.

  10. Despite all the propoganda from Putins stooges, is it any wonder that morale is low amongst the Russian invaders? How could any reasonably sane person make any sense of Putins decision to bludgeon his own kith and kin in the birthplace of two Soviet Presidents and at the same time destroy the Russian and Ukrainian economy and bring the world to the brink of Nuclear holocaust? No Russian conscript let alone enlisted man could have any enthusiasm for such a conflict, whilst obviously Ukrainians-men,women and children are fired by anger and patriotism against this outrage.
    We tend to have too much faith in our structures and Institutions but in the end how often in history does it come down to just one twisted and mad individual to light the fires of destruction?

    • You are of course talking about Churchill.Lost a war,lost an empire and bankrupt my country simply because he wanted to be a hero.Was he worth it?

      • Time suggests yes.

        Great Britain and Northern Ireland ensured a fascist defeat. Western Europe was saved by the Commonwealth and its Allies.

        Like many people (and all Americans) you believe Hollywood’s version of ‘the British Empire’ and therefore its collapse post 1945. Never a military Empire, the British actually drew up the boundaries of many parts of the globe that previously had been vague and fluid. In almost all of it the governance was by fountain pen rather than bullets – though there were instances. All the successful countries east of Suez are of British foundation. As they evolved, running these from London became superfluous – hence pre-1945 Acts of Dominion created modern self governing countries.

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominion

        Victory in 1945 made the fact of independence that Australia, Canada and New Zealand, South Africa, etc., had obviously assumed during the conflict. The Empire evolved and still is evolving. British led victory ensured the international order that Putin and Xi threaten today.

        I am a critic of Churchill but only a fool would dispute his place in history. Q.E.D.

        • Barry I have to salute your efforts at attempting to educate such pork as A Moore-on, but we both know it will fail as he/they don’t want/allowed/need to know the truth! The internet is so full of trolls it’s quite sad isn’t it. However your posts are always a good and informative read so keep them up for the rest of us to peruse, cheers.

      • Which war did Churchill lose?
        You suggest he started British involvement in WW2 to ‘be a hero’. Chamberlain declared war, not Churchill.

      • You keep saying “my country” but your poor grammar and spelling suggest English isn’t your first language. Or of course you could just be an idiot, but even one if our idiot’s knows half of what you spout isn’t true.

        Another Russian troll 🤷🏻‍♂️

      • Oh dear, the slight badly worded change in tac “my country” on a few posts! Another obvious and well known effort at trolls thinking we have notice they are, er, foreign trolls! Come on Saville you must do better!

  11. These photos are great to see again after many months.

    Were these the result of ambush with ATGWs or artillery fire?

  12. My theory is that in all populations there are always a certain percentage of people with latent or actual psychopathic tendencies which, given a suitable opportunity, these tendencies will come to the surface. In conflicts like WWII, the ISIS thing, and now sadly the war for Ukraine, these psychopaths are drawn to the conflict. I’m sure many Russians are good people, like many muslims, many Germans etc. – yet there are those within populations who are basically relishing the harm that they can do.

    • The concept of psychopathy is far from universally accepted. Setting that to one side, the sorts of characteristics typically associated with it are certainly present in the general population to some extent. However, the rates of people with those characteristics who are able to function in any form of organised society will be quite low. Many will find themselves removed from society into secure mental health/ prison environments.

      If we move the focus to consider whether there are aspects of social structure and even certain roles which might attract people with complex personality presentations then this is certainly true. But we can generalise that to notice that many people are drawn into roles which match their own underlying personality and attachment representations. Health and social care would collapse if many people were not predisposed to give care to others for example.

      Similarly, places where imposing one’s will onto others, using violence, a callous disregard for the other, will tend to populate with people who already possess such characteristics. Those people’s own characteristics might then be enhanced in those environments.

      It is possible to build such an environment in ways which may not fit well with such people, but it will always be a challenge to filter out such people if one wishes to keep them away from such environments. Hence, military/ police etc tend to want rid of such people though they are not always as successful as they should be at achieving this goal.

      • The way I read your response is that you are basically reinforcing my main point. i.e. even those with only a latent psychopathic-type personality disorder who enjoy causing harm to others but present in society as “normal,” are attracted to environments where that sort of behaviour is allowed to exist. A prime example would be the ISIS “caliphate” that attracted certain types of people from all over the world. It sounds like Russian forces have people who enjoy murder and torture too.

        • Basically, yes

          sorry I was taking a break from some technical writing when I wrote that reply – it could have done with a little work to be more readable.

        • We are a species of obligate predator.As Seneca put it,There are no depths to which the human mind cannot sinkThat is EVERY human mind.The waffle youre spouting emanates from people who cant see beyond the end of their nose.A sheep is a predator to plants.Live with it.

  13. I’m not surprised Russian morale is low there equipment has failed them I don’t suppose these young conscripts want to be in the Ukraine when the Ukrainians have everything too fight for just the same as the UK in 1940

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