Trust me…they saw the tanks long before they saw the stars.
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Europe under extreme duress
- Thread starter Randy Daytona
- Start date
Can someone briefly explain or post a reference article link how/why artillery is crucial in this ground combat scenario - like what's the objective of going through hundreds of thousands of artillery rounds? I get that the air-defense environment on both sides makes use of air assets untenable.
Thx.
Thx.
They are waging a war of attrition by using what they have, in this case a lot of artillery rounds that have been laying around in depots for years and can be replenished much easier than aircraft or missiles through imports or manufacture. Fling enough ordnance downrange and you are bound to hit something sooner or later, and they are. Same reasoning behind buying and making Iranian one-way attack drones, easy to make and use than cruise and ballistic missiles, while making the Ukrainians use up their anti-aircraft defenses to defend against them.
It is also a war of wills, with only Putin's opinion really being the main factor for Russia's 'will' so far while Ukraine has to factor in the will of its many allies as well. Given the issues with getting the latest Ukrainian support bill through Congress that part of the Russian strategy is at least partially working.
A lot of it seemed kind of pointless as far as much of the Russian shelling went, other than that they didn't know what else to do. They were pounding away at Ukrainian cities, turning them into rubble, which historically does not break the will of the people, instead if anything it strengthens their will to resist, and also turns the cities into excellent defensive fortifications should the Russians then try to invade them. Meanwhile they used up much of their artillery stock and wore down their guns.
The Ukrainians have been using artillery to presumably fire back at the Russian artillery and also to hit Russian logistics depots. They also use it to blow up Russian tanks because the Russians for some reason still haven't figured out not to bunch their tanks close together, so the Ukrainians can blow them up easily as groups.
EDIT: As it is now, the Russians keep firing tons of artillery likely just to keep the Ukrainians from being able to advance. The Russia-China-North Korea-Iran military industrial complex is able to keep producing artillery, and also have artillery in stocks, significantly greater than the West right now. So as long as Russia can keep producing/acquiring artillery, they will keep firing it.
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Also goes back to doctrine. In Soviet doctrine, artillery is/was the “king of the battlefield”. Ukraine inherited that legacy in terms of systems and some doctrine. Fun fact: I read the battle of Hostomel Airport was supported by artillery units from the Ukrainian army’s school house, and cratering the runway plus the shoot down of a Russian helicopter on said runway blew up the plans to use Hostomel as an APOD follow on forces in the opening hours.
In the static frontline, artillery duels are common and effective in slowing/stopping an assault. Guided shells (Krasnopol laser guided for the Russians and Excalibur GPS guided for the Ukrainians) have been used somewhat effectively for counter battery fire, and Ukraine was racking up pretty effective kill ratios last autumn/fall if you believe the OSINT numbers. Part of this is because no side can achieve air dominance (a hallmark of American doctrine since Vietnam) due to SAM systems and standoff air to air missiles.
Unfortunately supplies of western shells dried up last fall and the GOP can’t unfuck themselves to put more aid to a vote. Europe is paralyzed trying to spin up manufacturing and is loathe to give up their stockpiles.
Why Russia? Where have they been attacked by Russia. In Syria?
Yes. In Syria...like a lot.
I like to think of myself as well-read, but I admit I don’t get why ISIS would be launching something this big in Russia. I know it’s been doing like AQ did and each “branch” of the movement is basically a franchise that adopts the name but is still carrying out its local grudges. I didn‘t think any of the Muslim areas of Russia really had beef with Moscow, though. Maybe part of the Armenia-Azerbaijan thing?
Yeah, I'm with you on this...Apparently the 4 arrested were Tajiks. Something to do with the treatment of Chechnya or other Muslim enclaves in the former USSR? I dunno either.
A sign of erosion in their security at home? Fringe element of terrorist sympathizers?
The attackers are part of ISIS-K, active in Afghanistan…so Tajikistan is just across the Amu Darya River. The “why Russia” is either related to Putin’s support of Assad in Syria or even recent Russian “business” efforts in Afghanistan. Either way, this is likely something that has been in the works for some time.