Ukraine Watch...

[UndercoverElephant]

https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/03/15/7393449/

The Russian Defence Ministry will start new recruitment of professional soldiers to the Russian army from 1 April, their aim being to add 400,000 new recruits to the army.

Source: Russian Radio Svoboda

More meat for the grinder.

[adam2]

Major fire at russian security building.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64975202
Not yet known if this was an attack, or a simple accident.

Corrected incorrect link, and added that one person is reported as dead, and that the fire is being blamed on an electrical fault.

[PS_RalphW]

I think you posted the wrong link

[adam2]

I think you posted the wrong link

Yes I did, now corrected thanks.

[PS_RalphW]

Might have been an arson attack, but we will never know.

US released video of the Russian collision with the drone. The tail of the fighter must have clipped just an inch or two of one blade of the drones propeller. The pilot is incredibly lucky not to have destroyed both aircraft.

Poland to give 4 su29s to Ukraine.

Edit

CCTV footage suggests the FSB building fire was triggered by an explosion, and it didn’t look like a gas explosion to me (no flash or cloud of burning gas visible) so sabotage seems likely

[Mark]

Interesting to follow what's currently going on in Georgia....
Will they see this as an opportunity to reclaim their territories occupied by the Russians since 2008... ?
Other 'hot spots' will also be watching carefully....

[PS_RalphW]

Slovakia sending 14 SU-29s to Ukraine. Denmark considering its options.

The SUg27 pilots who collided with the US drone, nearly destroying their 30M dollar aircraft, have been awarded medals.

[kenneal - lagger]

Major fire at russian security building.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64975202
Not yet known if this was an attack, or a simple accident.
...........

There have been major fires in Russia on a weekly basis or more ever since the war began, some in civilian buildings and some in defence related buildings. It seems that there is a campaign by Ukraine sympathisers going on and there is possibly also a spate of fires which could be crime related, arson for insurance, arson to cover up fraud or arson as a punishment using the war as a cover.

[Vortex2]

The SUg27 pilots who collided with the US drone, nearly destroying their 30M dollar aircraft, have been awarded medals.

Have you seen the video? Those pilots were pretty good!
"Nearly" is fine.

[PS_RalphW]

You have clearly never been a military pilot.

[BritDownUnder]

I suggest the Americans look at the Little Nellie scene in the James Bond movie You Only Live Twice for some hints at air to air destructive capabilities.

I would further suggest dumping clouds of abrasive volcanic dust as the Russian planes fly by as the experiences from the Icelandic and Indonesian volcanoes shows that this causes quite a lot of damage to the high temperature resistant ceramic coatings of jet engine turbine blades. Might as well have a bit of fun with the Russians and develop some asymmetric capabilities at the same time.

[UndercoverElephant]

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/uk ... r-AA18Q74C

Poland pledges to enter the war if the Ukrainians start losing. Which amounts to a NATO pledge to ensure Russia loses the war, whatever the consequences.

Poland has also agreed to send 4 fighter jets in the coming days.

[adam2]

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/uk ... r-AA18Q74C

Poland pledges to enter the war if the Ukrainians start losing. Which amounts to a NATO pledge to ensure Russia loses the war, whatever the consequences.

This I view with considerable concern. Whilst I support Poland and believe that they doing the right thing by offering to assist friends and neighbours, it is never the less a potentially dangerous escalation. It could turn a proxy war between NATO and russia into an actual war with NATO.

OTOH russian forces have been found wanting in numbers, material, and training, and if a russia/NATO war is inevitable in any event, best get it over with now whilst the russian forces are in their present weakened state, rather than leaving it until after they have re-armed.
Nuclear war is (slightly) nearer.

[UndercoverElephant]

OTOH russian forces have been found wanting in numbers, material, and training,

They have plenty of numbers. But sending untrained conscript infantry to take well-fortified positions with assault rifles and no artillery support is not going to work. Not quite the Battle of Rorke's drift, but heading that way.

[kenneal - lagger]

If Poland joined the war on Ukraine's side it wouldn't mean that NATO had joined the war. Article 5 couldn't be invoked because Poland hadn't been attacked. While it would be an escalation of the war it wouldn't lead to any further involvement of Nato countries. It would be interesting to see what the reaction of Belarus would be. Russia would certainly put further pressure on them to join in on Russia's side but I think that Lukashenko would be even less inclined to join in as he would then be vulnerable to a fight on two fronts with his border to both Poland and Ukraine.

The News from Ukraine YouTube channel has been reporting small scale intrusions in depth by Ukrainian forces behind the Russian lines in numerous locations in the south from the Dnieper river to nearly Vuhledar since before the weekend. These could be just probing attacks looking for week points in the Russian defences or they could be distraction attacks to take Russian troops away from the area where their Spring offensive will actually occur.