Strikes and explosions hit Moscow infrastructure

{5th column or Russian people fed up with Putin? In any case, methinks Russian infrastructure isn’t up to the task Putin is asking of it.}

Strikes and explosions—some attributed to Ukrainian forces—have hit infrastructure vital to Moscow’s offensive in eastern Ukraine

A series of attacks inside Russian territory and unexplained explosions at Russian targets near the border with Ukraine have expanded the scope of the conflict in recent weeks, underscoring Russian vulnerabilities in regions that are crucial to Moscow’s renewed offensive in eastern Ukraine.

… and launched a missile attack on a fuel depot in Russia’s Belgorod region …

Since then, an explosion sparked a blaze at an ammunition depot near the city of Belgorod and blasts have been reported inside the city.

Last week, fires erupted at other oil depots, including one at a Russian military base.

Other explosions have damaged rail lines beyond Belgorod in the provinces of Kursk and Bryansk.

Ukraine has denied a role in the incidents.

https://www.livemint.com/politics/news/unexplained-attacks-i…

https://www.livemint.com

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Ukraine has denied a role in the incidents.

Very smart of them. Bragging is counterproductive. Keep the Russians guessing as to the cause.

I just read an article about drones available at retail being used to drop grenades on unsuspecting soldiers in the open. Silent and precise. It sure is a morale buster! You are not even safe in a nice deep trench or foxhole. The explosives are strong enough to take out fuel trucks, great for disrupting logistics. No fuel no movement. Sitting ducks!

So much better to capture a tank that ran out of fuel than the remains of a wrecked one.

The Captain

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Yes, and the leading supplier of drones in China has suspended sales to both sides to avoid the conflict.

We continue to hear of drones made in Turkey. How big are they? Made without Chinese parts?

A hand grenade weighs about a pound. Not much power vs a steel oil tank. The Predator carries an anti tank missile that weighs about 40 lb. Still tiny compared to missiles from a fighter jet or a cruise missile.

Most drones are more terror weapons than highly destructive. They must be directed at sensitive targets.

Morale is utterly underestimated by most modern armchair ignoramuses, and also, apparently, Putin and his staff.

see https://www.jstor.org/stable/2262466

Morale wins wars, solves crises, is an indispensable condition of a
vigorous national life and equally essential to the maximum achieve-
ment of the individual. Napoleon’s dictum that “in war morale forces are to physical as three to one” has been reaffirmed…victory and defeat rests not on arms and equipment, nor the way in which they are used, nor even on the principles
of strategy and tactics, but on the morale of the troops.

Knowing and using this fact has been key to victory for Greece vs. Persia, Hannibal almost destroying Rome, Joan of Arc resurrecting France, Cromwell and Gustavus Adolfus overwhelming mightier opponents, Washington surviving to Yorktown, and, oh hey, furiously angry drunk homosexuals battering and panicking New York City Police for days during the Stonewall Rebellion.

I think there has been no better use and embodiment of this knowledge than what we see from President Zelensky of Ukraine. Tank destroying hand carried missiles can be crucial (as he keeps reminding), and in the hands of emboldened patriots on a winning streak they are utterly devastating.

david fb

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Dave, a week or so ago I supplied METAR with a video of Russian troops - make that ex-Russian troops - flying the new blue-white-blue flags of solidarity with Ukraine. These same troops are still in Ukraine and fighting on the side of Ukraine against Russian troops they were once part of.

Since Mad Vlad has not declared this a war (there is much speculation he will do so on May 9th) veterans and enlistees are refusing to fight inside Ukraine by the tens of thousands. Deserting Russian troops are also a problem. At this moment, the majority of these refuseniks are out and about (if still inside Russia) and have yet to be locked up.

Imagine you’re a young Russian, 18, worrying that Putin will declare war on May 9th and a national emergency. You’re at home on or after Putin declares war and you hear pounding on your door and the military drags you out of the house and to the nearest Army base.

As you suggest, some of these youngsters might take matters into their own hands beforehand as did young men in Belarus who blew up rail lines and bridges to hamper Kadyrov, Russian, and some Belarussian troops from entering Ukraine from the North back in Week 1.

Next Monday might break Russian society if Vlad formally declares war. There has certainly been a wave of Russian exiles who left the Motherland in these past 10 weeks. We even had Russian immigrants try to sneak into America via the Florida Keys.

https://twitter.com/peregreine/status/1522316802629455873

537) #StandWithUkraine #DefeatPutin

Zhukov and other experts told Newsweek a war declaration would allow Putin to mobilize reserve troops into Ukraine and draft conscripts. The move would also allow him to wield more control over citizens within Russia.

More from the Newsweek article I linked to on Twitter:

https://www.newsweek.com/vladimir-putin-war-declaration-russ…

“The Russian president will have the power to cancel elections and referenda; shut down the activities of political parties; ban all public gatherings, political demonstrations and labor strikes; restrict the ability of people to freely travel within the country; prohibit Russian citizens from leaving the country; prohibit people from moving to a new address; implement curfews; confiscate private property; implement total censorship; and halt the activities of any international and foreign organizations operating in Russia,” Zhukov said.

Simply put, Zhukov said a war declaration “would place Russia several giant steps up the totalitarian ladder.”

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Most drones are more terror weapons than highly destructive. They must be directed at sensitive targets.

Drones have sunk patrol boats, blown turrets off tanks and killed everyone inside, destroyed entire artillery batteries, etc. Most drones are more than “terror” weapons as you suggest. (I’m not adding surveillance drones which hobbyists are excelling with their use as grenade droppers.)

Drones of all sizes, be they suicide drones or drones firing ordinance, are the reason Ukraine has held off Russian advances from the East and South in the Battle of Donbas while new artillery and armor from NATO rushes its way East to take up positions across from Russian armor and artillery. Drones are the reason Russia helicopters and jets only control 10% (if that much now) of Russian airspace because the drones keep knocking out Russian anti-aircraft and rocket propulsion launchers.

I’ve put together dozens of videos of drones destroying Russian trucks, armor, artillery, and boats. Some of these drones didn’t even cross the $100,000 priceline and took out machinery which cost 70 to 100X more than the drone.

p.s. The Turkish drones are some of the biggest drones in this war. They cannot be carried in a soldiers backpack like the newest drones coming from the USA, the UK, Findland, etc. I don’t know who makes the parts for these Turkish drones, but they are deadly. I do know two of these Turkish drones sunk 2 Russian patrol boats this past week. I posted about this on Destiny Solutions board and the eagle-eyed captainccs reported about it here on METAR:

https://discussion.fool.com/with-no-navy-ukraine-just-sank-two-m…

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Not to mention the use of cheap drones for surveillance and then using artillery to attack the discovered positions.

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Correction: make that “Ukrainian airspace” instead of “Russian airspace.”

Not to mention the use of cheap drones for surveillance and then using artillery to attack the discovered positions.

Exactly. There are $1000 hobbyist drones which swarm the skies at night and find such positions with outfitted night vision lenses. These guys stay in the air, call in the co-ordinates to Ukrainian artillery batteries, and make sure the Russian tanks/rocket launchers/artillery are destroyed beyond use.

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Russia faces ‘sabotage’ epidemic after arms manufacturers, chemical plants and a military enlistment office are all destroyed

Several military or industrial facilities in Russia have mysteriously blown up

Among the buildings damaged or destroyed was a military enrolment office

There is growing speculation that Vladimir Putin will impose a mass mobilisation

A video shows how a Russian military enlistment office was hit by multiple Molotov cocktails as speculation intensifies that Vladimir Putin is to introduce mass army mobilisation.

And a series of fires - one of which officially killed 22 at a defence ministry missile design research institute, and another with three deaths at an explosives plant - are also seen as possible arson with Russian officials covering up or minimising some of the attacks.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10787965/War-Ukrain…

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I just gave you a shoutout on Twitter, Dave. Thanks for this link. That one video of the two hooded saboteurs throwing Molotovs shows us that which Putin wants no mention of inside his closed loop disinformation campaigns:

https://twitter.com/peregreine/status/1522498020645953536

540) #StandWithUkraine #RussianDissidence

Yeah, it’s not Ukrainians throwing Molotovs in Moscow, now is it? Be sure to watch these videos.

p.s. Hat tip to desertdaveaol on Motley Fool for bringing this to my attention:

and from your daily mail link:

Human rights group gulagu.net viewed this week’s attack on the military enlistment office in Nizhnevartovsk as an ‘anti-war protest’.

Pro-government sources said that two Molotov cocktails were thrown and a third failed to catch fire.

‘But the video shows how a man methodically sets fire to seven Molotov cocktails one after another, throws them and sets fire to the entrance of the military enlistment office,’ said the group.

'And this is even before the announcement of partial or full mobilisation.

Indeed.

The bravery shown inside Russia amazes me as much as the Ukrainian people.

As we say on the state flag of Virginia, “Sic Semper Tyrannis!”

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Thank you for recommending this post to our Best of feature.

I just gave you a shoutout on Twitter, Dave.

Thanks, but I don’t do twitter.

Any time you want to get in touch with me you can do it here.

“I think, therefore I am”
– René Descartes

“I stink, therefore I am”
– Pepé Le Pew

“I post, therefore I am”
– Desert Dave