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    Russian special military operation in Ukraine #22

    LMFS
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    Post  LMFS Sun Aug 14, 2022 12:37 pm

    Russian air defense repelled another attempt by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to strike at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant

    Russian air defense repelled another attack by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the Zaporizhzhya NPP, no hits were made on the plant. This was announced by a member of the CAA of the Zaporozhye region Vladimir Rogov in his TG channel.

    The Zaporozhye nuclear power plant is operating normally, the attempt of Ukrainian military formations to deliver another strike on the plant failed, Russian air defense intercepted all the launched ammunition. However, Energodar and the Zaporizhzhya thermal power plant again came under fire, at which nine artillery shells were fired.

    Part of the shells fell between the thermal power plant and the nuclear power plant, and part - on the thermal power plant. The nuclear power plant itself was not damaged and is operating normally. The air defense of the Russian army once again covered the object from the nuclear threat, which is constantly provoked by Ukrainian nationalists

    Rogov said.

    According to him, the shelling was prepared by the Zelensky regime in advance, a few hours before it, Kyiv spread the message that Russia "will shell itself."

    Nine artillery shells were fired at the station adjacent to the territory. The nature of the damage received is being specified. It is important to note that the shelling was carefully planned by the Zelensky regime, as evidenced by the fact that a few hours before the opening of fire, reports began to circulate on the net that the Russian Army would soon shell itself.

    - Rogov wrote in his TG channel.

    Earlier, the administration of the nuclear power plant reported that in connection with the constant shelling, the Russian military had strengthened the air defense of the station by placing additional anti-aircraft systems. The station continues to wait for the IAEA visit, which is unknown when it will take place, or may not take place at all.

    https://en.topwar.ru/200270-rossijskaja-pvo-otrazila-ocherednuju-popytku-vsu-nanesti-udar-po-zaporozhskoj-ajes.html

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    Post  Hole Sun Aug 14, 2022 12:41 pm

    Russian special military operation in Ukraine #22 - Page 28 Fahbhc10
    Russian special military operation in Ukraine #22 - Page 28 Fahbjl10
    Russian special military operation in Ukraine #22 - Page 28 Fahbki10
    DPR forces

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    Post  Hole Sun Aug 14, 2022 12:42 pm

    Russian special military operation in Ukraine #22 - Page 28 Fafact10
    Russian special military operation in Ukraine #22 - Page 28 Faghlv10
    Laughing

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    Post  LMFS Sun Aug 14, 2022 12:55 pm

    Russian Ministry of Defense
    Summary of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of a special military operation on the territory of Ukraine ⚡
    (14.08.2022)

    ◽ The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue a special military operation in Ukraine.

    ◽ As a result of the offensive actions of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the settlement of Udy in the Kharkiv region was completely liberated.

    ✈ High-precision strikes of the Russian Aerospace Forces on the temporary location of the 66th mechanized brigade in the area of Dzerzhinsk, Donetsk People's Republic, destroyed up to 40 nationalists and 9 units of military equipment.

    As a result of strikes by the Russian Aerospace Forces on concentrations of manpower and military equipment of the 63rd mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of Belaya Krynitsa and Belogorka in the Kherson region, 35 nationalists and 15 units of armored and automobile equipment were destroyed.

    Concentrated fire strikes on the positions of the 53rd mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the area of the settlement of Sribnoye of the Donetsk People's Republic destroyed up to two hundred nationalists and 15 units of military equipment.

    ◽ In the areas of Opytne and Pervomaiske localities of the Donetsk People's Republic, more than two hundred servicemen of the 56th Motorized Infantry Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine refused to perform combat tasks and voluntarily left their positions due to heavy losses. So, in the third battalion of this brigade, which operated in the Marinka area, out of 580 people on the list, about 140 military personnel remained.

    Strikes by operational-tactical and army aircraft, rocket troops and artillery against military facilities on the territory of Ukraine continue.

    💥 A radar station for detecting and targeting targets in the area of the settlement of Perestovka in the Mykolaiv region, a fuel depot in the area of Slavyansk, two ammunition depots in the areas of Zvanovka in the Donetsk People's Republic and Iskrovka in the Kirovohrad region were destroyed.

    💥 In addition, two warehouses of rocket and artillery weapons of the 58th motorized infantry brigade in Artemivsk of the Donetsk People's Republic and the 63rd mechanized brigade in the area of Bereznegovatoe of the Mykolaiv region were destroyed.

    Five command and control points were hit, including the 43rd Airborne Brigade in Velikaya Novoselka, the artillery group of the 79th Airborne Assault Brigade in the Chas Yar area of the Donetsk People's Republic, the headquarters of the 247th battalion of the 127th Territorial Defense Brigade in the city of Kharkiv, and four temporary locations of the 113th units. territorial defense brigades in the Zolochiv area of the Kharkiv region, as well as manpower, weapons and military equipment in the 151st district.

    In the course of the counter-battery struggle, the following were suppressed: a platoon of Grad multiple launch rocket systems near the settlement of Artemivsk, anartillery platoon of Hyacinth-B guns, as well as seven platoons of D-30 howitzers at nationalist firing positions in the areas of Zvanovka, Kuzminovka, Seversk, Pereezdnoye, Vesyoloe and Vyemka of the Donetsk People's Republic.

    Russian air defense systems have shot down two Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in the areas of Lysychansk, Luhansk People's Republic,and Glubokoe, Kharkiv region. In addition, a Tochka-U ballistic missile was intercepted in the air over Lysychansk of the Luhansk People's Republic and 15 multiple launch rocket shells were intercepted in the areas of Lysychansk of the Luhansk People's Republic, Antonovka and Nova Kakhovka of the Kherson region.

    📊 In total, 267 aircraft, 148 helicopters, 1,738 unmanned aerial vehicles, and 365 anti-aircraft missile systems have been destroyed since the beginning of the special military operation.,
    4,303 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 798 multiple launch rocket systems, 3,298 field artillery and mortar guns, as well as 4,888 units of special military vehicles.

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    Arrow


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    Post  Arrow Sun Aug 14, 2022 1:02 pm

    Russian artillery on the southern front.
    https://t.me/boris_rozhin/60421

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    Post  Big_Gazza Sun Aug 14, 2022 1:43 pm

    Arrow wrote:https://ejmagnier.com/2022/08/13/russia-buys-1000-drones-from-iran-and-expands-the-level-of-strategic-cooperation/

    On the cooperation of Russia and Iran About in the technology of drones that will be used in the conflict in Ukraine.

    The article makes this claim:

    Russia has not dedicated much attention or adequate investment to the drone industry in the past decade. Instead, Moscow has focused on developing hypersonic missiles, which succeeded in attaining an operational level of this technology ahead of the US.

    If I had to choose between hypersonic missiles and drones, I know which I would prefer... Hurty dakka dakka that can't be defended against. thumbsup

    Having said that, they are still useful, and not just as murder-bots like the seppos employ them. Russia could build her own (and she is) but I guess that buying some from Iran is useful from both a military and geopolitical viewpoint. Russia increasing her links with Iran will mghtily annoy both the seppos and their zionist lease-holders, so thats a nice side benefit Twisted Evil

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    Post  Mir Sun Aug 14, 2022 1:44 pm

    LMFS wrote:
    It is very easy, just go to a "fact checker" and search for "disinformation" sources, they have nicely and for free compiled there for you all the sources that are worth following Razz

    Nice one! Laughing Laughing

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    Post  Big_Gazza Sun Aug 14, 2022 1:57 pm

    LMFS wrote:Russian air defense repelled another attempt by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to strike at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant

    The rank abject stupidity of the Bandera crowd is simply stunning. Just when you thought that these butt clowns couldn't get any dumber they pull this kind of retarded shit clown

    These idiots make the Wahabbi nutjobs seem sensible by comparison.

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    Post  TMA1 Sun Aug 14, 2022 2:13 pm

    Thanks for doing a based LMFS that is actually a genius idea.

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    Post  flamming_python Sun Aug 14, 2022 2:48 pm

    PapaDragon wrote:
    LMFS wrote:Lieutenant Colonel Ilya Sizov awarded the title Hero of Russia

    August 12, 2022, 00: 58

    Lieutenant Colonel Ilya Sizov was awarded the title Hero of Russia for bravery, bravery and heroism shown in the performance of military duty. This was announced on August 12 by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
    .....
    According to the Ukrainian media, the helicopter was carrying the Deputy Commander of the Ukrainian Navy, Colonel Igor Bedzai, along with a group of special-purpose foreign advisers.
    .......

    So did he shoot down that helicopter or not?





    Yes he did; he wasn't shot down by a transport helicopter out of all things

    Just a mistake in the auto-translation that's all

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    Post  LMFS Sun Aug 14, 2022 3:08 pm

    TMA1 wrote:Thanks for doing a based LMFS that is actually a genius idea.

    Those retards just do our work for us lol1

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    Post  kvs Sun Aug 14, 2022 3:20 pm

    Big_Gazza wrote:

    Russia has not dedicated much attention or adequate investment to the drone industry in the past decade. Instead, Moscow has focused on developing hypersonic missiles, which succeeded in attaining an operational level of this technology ahead of the US.

    If I had to choose between hypersonic missiles and drones, I know which I would prefer...  Hurty dakka dakka that can't be defended against. thumbsup

    Having said that, they are still useful, and not just as murder-bots like the seppos employ them.  Russia could build her own (and she is) but I guess that buying some from Iran is useful from both a military and geopolitical viewpoint.  Russia increasing her links with Iran will mghtily annoy both the seppos and their zionist lease-holders, so thats a nice side benefit Twisted Evil  

    It was not an either/or for Russia. Russia did invest in domestic UAVs and even drones. But it has been predicated on pure domestic
    production of all parts. That is why it took longer. The average social media idiot has no awareness of how much effort is required
    to bootstrap the production of even simple things. Their whole perception is shaped by 007 movies and such where the mastermind
    can snap his fingers and create enterprises that in real life require countries to operate and years to establish.

    Really, if production was so easy, then every country would have reached full development decades ago.

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    Post  Hole Sun Aug 14, 2022 4:23 pm

    Russia has not dedicated much attention or adequate investment to the drone industry in the past decade. Instead, Moscow has focused on developing hypersonic missiles, which succeeded in attaining an operational level of this technology ahead of the US.

    And cruise missiles and ballistic missiles and lasers and ASAT/ABM systems and AD systems and jammers and submarines and 5th gen fighters... and the Okhotnik drone, the most advanced drone in the world.  Rolling Eyes

    The guy made a big mistake by mentioning Syria. If this iranian Cessna was really used there then that shows that it´s not very effective. 99% of the heavy lifting there was done by
    the VKS.

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    Post  walle83 Sun Aug 14, 2022 5:57 pm

    Dont know if this has been posted already but..

    "Slovakia confirms transfer of four Zuzana 2 howitzers to Ukraine"

    https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2022/08/13/7363136/

    "Jaroslav Nad, the Minister of Defence of Slovakia, has confirmed the transfer of four Zuzana 2 self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine.

    This has been reported by European Pravda.

    "Slovakia is helping to protect innocent Ukrainian lives! Happy to confirm that the first 4 Zuzana Howitzers are in the hands of Ukrainian armed forces, ready to be deployed in defence against the Russian aggressors," Nad tweeted.

    He added that four more howitzers will be delivered in the near future.

    On 2 June, Ukraine and Slovakia signed a contract for the supply of eight Zuzana 2 self-propelled howitzers
    "
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    Post  Belisarius Sun Aug 14, 2022 6:01 pm

    Russian special military operation in Ukraine #22 - Page 28 Img_2084
    The Ukrainian defence minister says:
    "Pisky (1) is not under Russian control".
    The minister himself announced at the same press conference:
    "There is a battle taking place for Pervomaiske (2)".

    In general, I don't think you can attack (2) without having control of (1).
    https://t.me/theRightPeople1/5620

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    Post  JohninMK Sun Aug 14, 2022 6:31 pm

    walle83 wrote:Dont know if this has been posted already but..

    "Slovakia confirms transfer of four Zuzana 2 howitzers to Ukraine"
    "
    Just to add that these are 155mm guns.
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    Post  Rodion_Romanovic Sun Aug 14, 2022 6:36 pm

    Big_Gazza wrote:
    LMFS wrote:Russian air defense repelled another attempt by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to strike at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant

    The rank abject stupidity of the Bandera crowd is simply stunning.  Just when you thought that these butt clowns couldn't get any dumber they pull this kind of retarded shit clown

    These idiots make the Wahabbi nutjobs seem sensible by comparison.
    possibly Russia will need to advance in the western side of the dniepr and occupy nikopol and marganez, to at least partially prevent these attacks.

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    Post  Mir Sun Aug 14, 2022 6:45 pm

    walle83 wrote:

    "Slovakia is helping to protect innocent Ukrainian lives!"

    That is probably why they signed to deliver only 8 of these guns - delivered in two batches.
    By the time the second batch is delivered the first would be toast. They are indeed saving a lot of innocent Ukrainian lives!

    Well done Slovakia! russia

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    Post  ALAMO Sun Aug 14, 2022 7:53 pm

    Hole wrote:
    DPR forces

    Oh, that is much more than one can think.
    The piece is an automatic 2B9 82mm mortar.
    Extremely lightweight, and at an extreme rate because of being fed with a magazine. In theory, it can shoot 120 rounds a minute.
    Yes, a minute Laughing
    Practical, due to mass of ammo and the feeder, is used in 4 or 6 rounds configuration, making the rate of fire about 40-60/min with a well-trained crew.
    This truck can carry a ton of ammo easily, and that is approx. 400 rounds Laughing

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    Post  JohninMK Sun Aug 14, 2022 8:21 pm

    ALAMO wrote:
    Oh, that is much more than one can think.
    The piece is an automatic 2B9 82mm mortar.
    Extremely lightweight, and at an extreme rate because of being fed with a magazine. In theory, it can shoot 120 rounds a minute.
    Yes, a minute Laughing
    Practical, due to mass of ammo and the feeder, is used in 4 or 6 rounds configuration, making the rate of fire about 40-60/min with a well-trained crew.
    This truck can carry a ton of ammo easily, and that is approx. 400 rounds Laughing

    What are range and accuracy like?

    Typical target in Ukriane?
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    Post  ALAMO Sun Aug 14, 2022 8:31 pm

    It is a very light system John, so +/-5km is a kind of maximal range.
    I would say it is a standard for low-caliber mortars.
    But it can be used for a direct fire either, which is quite unique.

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    Post  Belisarius Sun Aug 14, 2022 8:36 pm

    Breaking news from the front. The soldiers of the „Mining Division“ of the DPR army, with the support of units of the RF Armed Forces, broke through the defenses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and seriously advanced in the Ugledar direction. The Armed Forces of Ukraine suffered heavy losses in equipment and manpower. There have been no significant advances on this sector of the front in recent months until today.
    https://t.me/levigodman/4565

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    Post  Mir Sun Aug 14, 2022 8:39 pm

    Yet another "no analogues" system that was copied by the Chinese. Also known as the Vaselik gun mortar.
    It was used extensively in Afghanistan and usually mounted on the back of MTLB for better mobility.
    Range is about 4000m which is typical of a mortar of that caliber. With that rate of fire who needs accuracy! Laughing

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    Post  ALAMO Sun Aug 14, 2022 8:47 pm

    Accuracy is just the same as for any mortar of a caliber Laughing
    The interesting fact is with the rate of fire, it can burst about 20-24 mines till the first one hits the ground, making a serious suppression.
    It is a really formidable close support weapon. The rate of fire about equals automatic mortars the Fins has, with twin tubes and a fully automatic feed.

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    Post  JohninMK Sun Aug 14, 2022 8:48 pm

    Interesting post from MoA,

    August 9 Saky Event Assessment

    Saky Air Base, near the village of Novofedorivka, Crimea, is operated by the Russian Navy. This airbase experienced multiple explosions on August 9th, 2022. The site of the airbase airport is 45.09292618398976, 33.587008454887524 (Google)

    Google shows a second military airfield Aeroport Imeni A.koltunovoy at co-ordinates 44.69203910366254, 33.57033561670696. This appears to be fully functioning military field with numerous fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft on the aprons. It exhibits the ring road typical of military installations, ammunition storage bunkers, and hardened fully enclosed aircraft shelters.

    Google also shows what appears to be an abandoned military airfield at 44.785669934319216, 33.572956716880064. This is midway between the other two.

    Examination of the Saky facility shows the perimeter fencing to be incomplete with free access from adjacent public roads and no observable gatehouses. There are a series of disused hard-stands with protective berms to the east of the main runway with traces of a taxi way connecting these locations to the East end of main runway 22 L. There exists a second set of dispersed hard-stands with protective berms connecting to a semi-circular taxi way to the Northwest. A number of these hard-stands appear used to store junk.

    A search of Saky imagery did not reveal any ammunition storage bunkers such as may be observed at Aeroport Imeni A.koltunovoy. The Saky facility does not give the impression of being an active military airbase; it looks to be a secondary facility lacking upkeep. The expected military security such as gatehouses and full perimeter fencing is not found. The Google imagery is dated 2022 date but gives no indication of the month.

    To the Northwest of the flight line is another semi-circular taxi way. This appears to have its own perimeter fence. It also has a series of dispersal hard-stands protected by earth berms. The damage is concentrated in this area.

    Google imagery shows base immediately adjacent to a civilian residential area. While this suggests ease of covert access, the reverse is true. The presence of civilians, long term residents presumably known to each other, and who know the normal patterns of neighbourhood activity, presents a threat to any sabotage group.

    Historical records of SAS activity in North Africa (WWII) and at Pebble Island (Falkland Island conflict) suggests a team of between 12 and 45 men would have been needed. A sabotage group approaching by vehicle would stop and disembark the vehicle and then proceed on foot (If Paddy Mayne had been present he would have simply driven onto the airfield, destroying all aircraft from his moving vehicle before driving off). A group of men walking single file while carrying weapons and bulky packs would be suspicious. The same group moving in bounds down the street while maintaining an over-watch position and making maximum use of natural cover would be even more suspicious. Since Crimea hosts a pro-Russia population it is believed any suspicious behaviour would be immediately reported.

    The explosions occurred at 3:20pm local time (12:20 GMT) but the placement of sabotage materials would likely have occurred at night. Darkness facilitates covert activity and a delay timer on the explosive device affords an opportunity to ex-filtrate before mayhem ensues. A 12 hour delay is excessive and gives the enemy an opportunity to locate and defuse the explosive devices.

    The moon phase on the date of the attack was two days before full moon i.e. maximum illumination. A sabotage party would prefer to operate in the dark new moon period to permit maintaining concealment while the use of night vision equipment permits identification of opposing forces.
    SOURCE:
    https://www.timeanddate.com/moon/phases/@45.0852,33.5962

    Video and still images show the local beach to be heavily populated by people on vacation. Someone needs to explain how a sabotage group could possibly arrive on a crowded beach while evading detection. The same imagery shows long rows of beach cabanas. These cabanas are sizeable structures large enough to contain sleeping arrangements but unlikely to contain toilet facilities. This implies a significant night time population on the beach some of whom would make a late night walk to the nearest toilet. This random movement creates a threat of discovery to any sabotage group arriving from the water.

    The New York Times has reviewed satellite imagery of the Saki Air Base, collected by Planet Labs hours before and a day after the explosions. The pictures show what appear to be three large craters and at least eight destroyed aircraft, both Su-24 and Su-30 warplanes
    SOURCE:
    https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/08/10/world/ukraine-russia-news-war#explosions-at-a-base-in-crimea-destroyed-about-a-dozen-russian-jets-satellite-photos-indicate

    Russian losses at Saky airbase updated with:

    - 4 Su-30SM multirole aircraft (destroyed)
    - 6 Su-24M/MR strike/tactical reconnaissance aircraft (5, destroyed, 1x damaged)
    SOURCE:
    https://twitter.com/oryxspioenkop/status/1557469739835969541

    The SU-24 is an all weather attack aircraft produced until 1993. The latest aircraft are therefore 30 years old. The first production aircraft are today 55 years old. The aircraft reported destroyed are Su-24M(R), a dedicated tactical reconnaissance variant.
    SOURCE:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukhoi_Su-24#2022_Russian_invasion_of_Ukraine

    Tactical reconnaissance is also conducted by drones; drones are less likely to be detected by the enemy and have the capacity to loiter overhead for an extended period. It is therefore unclear why the UAF would risk military resources to destroy aircraft already being supplanted in the reconnaissance role by drones.

    SU-30 and its enhanced derivative, dubbed SU-30SM2, is primarily aimed at meeting Russian Naval Aviation requirements.
    SOURCE:
    https://www.key.aero/article/depth-look-russias-enhanced-sukhoi-su-30sm2


    The Su-30M2 is a long-range strike aircraft based on the Su-30 fighter design optimized for precision strikes on ground and naval targets.
    SOURCE:
    https://web.archive.org/web/20110724100244/http://sukhoi.org/eng/news/company/?id=3633">http://sukhoi.org/eng/news/company/?id=3633">https://web.archive.org/web/20110724100244/http://sukhoi.org/eng/news/company/?id=3633

    Saky Naval Air Base is reported to have engaged in ground attack strikes in support of the SMO. This implies the use of aircraft, and personnel, not normally employed in the ground strike role. It also implies the need to store ground attack armaments at a base which may lack appropriate storage facilities and whose ground personnel may be unfamiliar with ground attack armament. It is also likely RF is drawing down its armament stockpile and using weapons made unstable due to aging.
    SOURCE:
    https://www.rferl.org/a/crimea-russian-air-base-attacked-satellite-images/31982540.html

    Multiple news reports give significant photographic evidence of fire.
    SOURCE:
    https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/8/9/large-explosions-rock-russian-military-air-base-in-crimea

    BBC reporting presents civilian video of the event as seen from the crowded beach front.
    SOURCE:
    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62500560

    The BBC video gives evidence of the following:
    1) Long rows of beach cabanas fronting the beach and making covert access difficult.
    2) The size of the structures. Note the unit on the left of the frame. This structure sits ahead of a larger structure. The close caption translation has the little girl stating "the house will not protect us" confirming some "cabanas" are large house like structures.
    3) The presence of large numbers of people on the beach.
    4) The fact of an existing oil fed fire (the plume of black smoke moving to frame right) which is followed by an explosion plume of white smoke which rises vertically into the air to a height well above the black smoke. The colour and height of this plume suggest it is associated with an explosion not burning fuel.

    The suggested sequence of events is: 1) Ignition of a fuel store on the airbase 2) The fuel fire "cooked off" stored armaments which exploded creating the dramatic white explosion plume; 3)The explosion distributed other armaments at random. These also cooked off and resulted in the dispersed craters seen in satellite imagery.

    The damaged and destroyed aircraft are all naval variants. This serves to explain the fact of two closely situated airbases. The Aeroport Imeni A.koltunovoy is likely a VKS air defence airbase while Saky is a naval airbase. RF is a continental power and naval forces are not the foremost priority of continental powers. The decrepit appearance of the base, suggests this is a low priority underfunded facility. This interpretation is supported by the loss of the Moskva which, to a practised mariner's eye, appeared a decrepit derelict prior to its sinking.

    The final item of evidence is the layout of the Saky airbase itself. Runways are always positioned with regard to the prevailing winds to give the benefit of natural wind speed to landing or departing aircraft.

    Infra red imagery on Intel Slava shows the base before and after the explosions. The initial fire caused a grass fire that expanded to the Northeast in alignment with the Saky main runway. The same set of IR images also shows high heat in structures located both on the airfield and in the nearby residential area.
    SOURCE:
    https://t.me/intelslava/35299

    Assessment
    Saky is a Navy airfield hosting naval variants of the SU-24 and SU-30. It was in poor condition. Personnel and equipment unfamiliar with the ground attack role were pressed into service to support the SMO. It is likely they used expedient storage for ground attack armaments.

    A large sheet metal structure (located top extreme left in the BBC website imagery for August 9th and 10th) and its internal contents became extremely hot due to the current hot and dry conditions across Europe.

    The ambient heat, an errant spark, or careless machine operation, triggered a fuel fire. Armaments co-located adjacent to the fuel source, and already hot due to climactic conditions, then cooked off. These armaments may have been unstable due to long term storage. (In this respect the event is very similar to the 1967 Forrestal (CV-59) fire.) The initial explosion dispersed armaments across the base resulting in further cook off explosions and igniting a grass fire.

    The frame front moved to the Northeast and aircraft in the path of the flame front were destroyed or damaged. Aircraft located on the main ramp were damaged due to secondary explosions caused by ejecta from the initial explosion.

    The 404 government did not immediately claim credit for a sabotage attack.
    Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, also suggested Russian incompetence as a possible cause of the blasts. but blamed RF carelessness.
    SOURCE:
    https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/8/9/large-explosions-rock-russian-military-air-base-in-crimea

    The UK's Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, suggested that the fact there were two separate explosions points to an attack.
    SOURCE:
    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62500560

    Russia has blamed the blasts on a fuel leak, or ammunition exploding in one of the two storage sheds, and said fire safety rules were being flouted on the base.
    SOURCE:
    ibid

    The RF is assessed to be correct in its reporting of the incident while the UK and Z regime seek a PR victory.

    Posted by: Sushi | Aug 14 2022 18:15 utc | 45


    https://www.moonofalabama.org/2022/08/ukraine-open-thread-2022-130.html#comments

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