[WonderMomma]

Since this is coming from the Ukrainian government, I'm putting it in the briefing thread.

"The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine warns the Russians that they have the last chance to withdraw from Crimea.

They say it will storm."


#govtroll #crimea

[WonderMomma]

"Ukrainian operators are testing the Latvian Atlas PRO tricopter

The drone has a protected communication channel and is designed for reconnaissance and adjusting artillery fire.

By the way, the general director of the Atlas manufacturing company, Ivan Tolchynskyi, has already launched a research and development factory in Ukraine, and is building a production plant here.

Since December, the company has transferred more than 200 Atlas Pro for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and not so long ago the "Return to Life" Foundation purchased and transferred another 300 of them to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The company also develops "pocket" drones Atlas mini (weighs about 1 kilogram) and micro-Atlas weighing 300 grams."

[WonderMomma]

"Ruzzia may start withdrawing troops from southern Ukraine to keep Bakhmut - ISW

Analysts note that the Ruzzian command is withdrawing forces from other regions of Ukraine because of the Ukrainian counter-offensive in Bakhmut. It is known that the Russians recently transferred an indefinite regiment of airborne paratroopers from the Limansk direction to Bakhmutskoye.

At the same time, if the reinforcements already sent to Bakhmut are not enough, Ruzzia will have to risk creating serious vulnerabilities in the Kherson or Luhansk regions or start withdrawing troops from southern Ukraine."










"“Impractical, with thin armor”: the commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine appreciated the French AMX-10 RC on the battlefield

The battalion commander of the 37th Marine Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with the call sign "Spartan" in an interview with AFP said that the AMX-10 RC light wheeled tanks delivered to Ukraine are impractical in an offensive due to their thin armor, but are effective in reconnaissance and for fire support.

As a result of the explosion of a 152-mm artillery shell next to such a tank, fragments penetrated through the armor. On one such occasion, the entire crew died, the Spartan said. “The guns are good, the observation devices are very good. But, unfortunately, the armor is thin and it is not advisable to use them on the front line,” he summed up.

I think that they should be used for proper purposes that is it. Those are not the heavy armoured tanks to break through the Ruzzian defence…"

[Roosta]

Originally Posted by WhiskeyOutpost ↗

HK416 (gas piston system) is a fantastic weapon, it is what the original AR/M16 pattern rifles should have been.

The modern gas piston models are great especially for longevity, low maintenance and use with suppressors. When I shoot my direct impingement AR-15 (older fashioned 90's Bushmaster) with a suppressor I get a noticeable "puff" of gas off to the right side of my face when firing, on my gas piston AR-15 there is zero puff. HK 416's are in regular use with SOF guys and many US law enforcement agencies (the latter don't deserve them )

I hear you !

Agree with the M16 comment & must say that they rushed the M16 a bit with their design as they tended to jam a lot & vets using them in Nam say that they were a letdown as they were unreliable & cost a lot of lives rather than doing there job.
I did notice a bit of jamming with my AR 10 but that was because of a cheap factory load (for hunting purposes) instead of the Winchester load that I changed to for this particular system as it doesn't jam at all now, so I think that back in the Nam days the shells were mass produced using factory standard methods (Factory Load) that was essentially looking for mass production of shells rather than quality of the brass shell, meaning the variable loss rate would have been 10 - 15% & thus still viable for mass production as a clip or mag of 20 shells you would get the odd one or two average that would jam up making your engagement rather questionable.

Anyway, as a whole, Bushmaster, Colt, HK have the right idea so I'm looking forward to what they come up with next.

P.S That puff of smoke is probably coming out of the brass ejector port when your firing & the suppressor is only making that more noticeable.

[Guns N' Coffee]

https://rowman.com/ISBN/978081173796...M16-in-Vietnam


Misfire
The Tragic Failure of the M16 in Vietnam
BOB ORKAND AND LYMAN DURYEA

The M16 rifle is one of the world’s most famous firearms, iconic as the American weapon of the Vietnam War—and, indeed, as the U.S. military’s standard service rifle until only a few years ago. But the story of the M16 in Vietnam is anything but a success story. In the early years of the war, the U.S. military had a problem: its primary infantry rifle, the M14, couldn’t stand up to the enemy’s AK-47s. The search was on for a replacement that was lighter weight, more durable, and more lethal than the M14. After tests (some of which the new rifle had failed) and debates (more than a few rooted in the army brass’s resistance to change), Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara ordered the adoption of the M16, which was rushed through production and rushed to Vietnam, reaching troops’ hands in early 1965.

Problems appeared immediately. Soldiers were often not adequately trained to maintain the new rifle (in fact some were told the new rifle was “self-cleaning”), nor were they always given cleaning supplies or instructions. The harsh jungle climate corroded the rifle’s chamber, exacerbated by the manufacturer’s decision against chrome-plating the chamber. The ammunition that accompanied the rifles sent to Vietnam was incompatible with the M16 and was the principal cause of the failure to extract malfunctions. The result was the M16 often jammed, making the rifle “about as effective as a muzzleloader,” in the words of one officer. Men were killed in combat because they couldn’t return fire until the malfunction was cleared. Congress investigated and the rifle and its ammunition were incrementally modified, greatly improving its reliability over the next few years. Troop training was also improved. But the damage to the M16’s reputation could not be undone, and many soldiers remained deeply skeptical of their rifle through the war’s end.

Misfire combines insider knowledge of U.S. Army weapons development with firsthand combat experience in Vietnam to tell the story of the M16 in Vietnam. Even as it details the behind-the-scenes development, tests, and debates that brought this rifle into service, the book also describes men and M16s in action on the battlefield, never losing sight of the soldiers who carried M16s in the jungles of Vietnam and all too often suffered the consequences of decisions they had nothing to do with.

[WonderMomma]

"Kuleba was reacting to Orban's high-profile statements this week, when he said that "Ukraine is no longer a sovereign state."

"I'm tired of refuting all these ridiculous arguments... It's all just blah, blah, blah," the minister said, reacting to Orban's interview with Bild. Kuleba noted that he does not consider Orban an ally of Putin, "but the political understanding of the situation in the Hungarian prime minister's office and in the Kremlin is very similar," the minister said."

I can relate to being tired of refuting ridiculous arguments.




"In a brief interview with Ukrainian media, Budanov revealed a secret many want to know. Ukraine's military intelligence chief told how he survived his death"

[WonderMomma]

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65955365 (this is all over the place, it's the first link I found)

Ukraine finds British WW2 Hurricane planes outside Kyiv
2 July 2023



The rusting remains of eight British Hurricane fighter planes dating back to World War Two have been found buried in a forest in Ukraine.

The aircraft were sent to the Soviet Union by Britain after Nazi Germany invaded the country in 1941.

They were part of a package of allied military support for the USSR, paid for by the United States under the so-called Lend-Lease scheme.

Similar legislation is being used by the US government today to send military aid to Ukraine as it seeks to expel Russian forces from its country.

Aviation experts say this is the first time the remains of so many Hurricanes have been found in Ukraine.

"It is very rare to find this aircraft in Ukraine," says Oleks Shtan, a former airline pilot who is leading the excavation. "It's very important for our aviation history because no Lend-Lease aircraft have been found here before."



The Hawker Hurricane was the workhorse of the Battle of Britain - the air campaign of 1940 when the Royal Air Force (RAF) defeated German attempts to invade the UK. Although its role has often been overshadowed by the newer and more adaptable Spitfire plane, the Hurricane actually shot down more than half of all enemy aircraft during the battle.

"The Hurricane was a strong, easy to fly machine," Mr Shtan says. "It was stable as a gun platform and suitable for inexperienced pilots. A reliable aircraft."

In total, about 3,000 Hurricanes were sent to the USSR between 1941 and 1944 to support the Soviet war effort. Most were either destroyed in combat or dismantled later for parts.

But some Hurricanes were deliberately broken up and buried after the war so the Soviets did not have to pay back the United States. Under the Lend-Lease legislation, the USSR was required to pay for any donated military equipment that remained intact after hostilities ended.

This was the fate of the eight Hurricanes found buried in woodland south of Kyiv - now the capital of independent Ukraine, but until 1991 part of the USSR.



They had been stripped of their instruments, radios, machine guns and any useful scrap metal. They were then dragged by tractors from a nearby airfield, broken up and dropped without ceremony into a shallow ravine. It is thought they were then covered with earth by bulldozers.

The remains were discovered recently after an unexploded bomb dating from the war was found nearby. The rest of the ravine was checked using metal detectors and the Hurricanes were found.

The National Aviation Museum of Ukraine is now in the process of painstakingly excavating the site by hand. Staff there aim to identify as much of the aircraft as possible so they can be reassembled and put on display.

Valerii Romanenko, head of research at the museum, says the Hurricanes played an important part in Ukraine's history.

"The Hurricanes are a symbol of British assistance during the years of the Second World War, just as we are very appreciative of British assistance nowadays," he says. "The UK is one of the largest suppliers of military equipment to our country now."



"In 1941 Britain was the first who supplied fighter aircraft to the Soviet Union in mass scale. Now the UK is the first country which gives Storm Shadow cruise missiles to our armed forces."

It is thought there are just 14 restored Hurricanes able to fly in the world today.

After the German invasion, the USSR lost many warplanes and was in desperate need of fighter aircraft. Initially several RAF Hurricane squadrons were sent to the Arctic to help.

But soon the British pilots left and the aircraft were taken over by Soviet airmen. Records show that many disliked the Hurricane, considering it under-powered, under-armed and under-protected.

By the end of the war it was considered obsolete and was used mainly for air defence work. The eight Hurricanes found south of Kyiv were used to defend major transport hubs - especially railway stations and junctions.

[WonderMomma]

"A monument to the victims of the Russian occupation was unveiled in Bucha. The memorial bears the names of 501 residents of the city who were killed by the Russians."

#bucha #warcrime #civilian

[WonderMomma]

"Some collaborators of ZNPP employees and Rosatom personnel left Enerhodar

According to Mayor Dmytro Orlov, some of the ZNPP collaborators who signed contracts with Rosatom have left Enerhodar. Also, some of the Rosatom personnel brought from Russian nuclear power plants - up to 100 specialists - left the city at the end of the previous week.

Now there are about 5-6 thousand ZNPP employees who are actually hostages of the Russian army, the mayor noted. The occupation authorities do not allow them to leave the city. They are not allowed to go to work because they have blocked their passes unless they have signed a contract with Rosatom.

Orlov also said that there are no shelters in case of an explosion at the ZNPP."


#znpp


"The President is in Odesa today to meet the commander of the Naval Forces on their Day.

Every day I cannot but admire this unique individual. A very successful man, he had a million reasons to disappear, and no one would blame him for it.

But he did not back down, he went head-first into the second most difficult job in the world (the most difficult being the job of a ZSU soldier) and sacrificed himself, showing an immense example with his courage. His sacrifice is in his eyes.

He is the most attacked person on the planet but he brushes off the haters with such ease they're left scratching their heads hoping to find a new line of attack, but it is fruitless.

One can only wonder how one man can have such incredible stamina and decisiveness."
#zelenskyy

[WonderMomma]

"How F-16 jets can change the situation on the battlefield for Ukraine."