Ukraine Strikes Back

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Russia Just Lost Its Most Advanced Operational Tank In Ukraine​


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The war in Ukraine has had its fair share of embarrassments for the Kremlin. From the sinking of the Slava class cruiser Moskva in April to the infamous 40-mile-long Russian military convoy holdup near Kyiv seen earlier in the conflict, Moscow has had little to cheer about in terms of projecting competent military strength. The latest hit comes via visual evidence that a Russian T-90M Proryv-3 (Breakthrough-3) — a modern and rare main battle tank — has been destroyed on the battlefield by Ukrainian forces.


Shared on Twitter by The Kyiv Independent’s defense reporter Illia Ponomarenko, the image, dated May 4, shows what appears to be the remnants of a T-90M tank, still smoldering after a direct hit somewhere within Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv Oblast. Andriy Tsaplienko is seen reporting in the foreground.


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News of what appears to be the first T-90M tank destroyed in Ukraine should lift the spirits of the Ukrainian forces, given its status as the most technologically advanced and capable tank within Russia’s frontline military arsenal. The initial batch of production T-90M tanks were only issued to the 2nd Guards M. I. Kalinin Taman Motor Rifle Division of the 1st Guards Tank Army in the spring of 2020, with recent estimates suggesting that only 100 or so models are currently in service in total. The much-hyped, but still not proven, T-14 Armata main battle tanks, aren't yet ready for frontline combat and are in very short supply. This is mainly due to the financial realities of producing a brand new tank and the development it takes to make it actually work as promised. So, the Uralvagonzavod-designed T-90M serves as an important update to the T-90 line of tanks, first introduced in the early 1990s as an outgrowth of the T-72. The T-90M follows the T-90MS Proryv-2 (Breakthrough 2), an upgrade of the export-centered T-90S variant, which was revealed in 2011.

The tank’s destruction reflects Moscow’s readiness to commit such high-end materiel in battle. This comes amid Russia’s wider concentration of its forces in the east of Ukraine, in a bid to further exert control over the eastern Donbas region. Early evidence that Russia may have committed some of its limited supply of T-90M tanks to the conflict began to surface in April. Video evidence released by the National Guard of Russia (Rosgvardia) on April 25, which has since circulated on social media, revealed a crudely concealed T-90M tank in Kharkiv Oblast.

While losing any of its prized T-90M tanks is obviously a blow, the Russian Army has had to deal with other issues related to its tank arsenal during the conflict. In particular, older Soviet-era tanks, including the T-72 and T-80 models, which have been used widely in the invasion, have suffered from a much-publicized ‘jack-in-the-box’ effect due to how rounds for the tank's main gun are stored internally in the hull. This often results in the turret violently separating from the rest of the vehicle hull if an attack causes that ammunition to cook off.
 

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Putin ‘facing a coup after his closest allies accept they’ve lost the war’​


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Putin ‘facing a coup after his closest allies accept they’ve lost the war’​

Vladimir Putin's top security officials think the war in Ukraine is 'lost', making the chances of a coup more likely, an analyst in Moscow says. The chances of the Russian tyrant launching a nuclear strike are receding as it is likely people would refuse to carry out his order.

That's according to expert and investigative journalist Christo Grozev, who suggests Putin is losing his grip on power. He says leading officials are unlikely to obey Putin's commands to launch nukes as they don't trust he will still be in power in three months time. 'I think that it is the informed elite within the security forces who understand that the war is lost,' Grozev told Radio Liberty

He said Putin's inner circle understand the president would need a full mass mobilisation to win the war, but this would cause a 'social explosion' in Russia. Some hardliners may pressure for use of nuclear or chemical weapons, Grozev warned. But others will say 'enough is enough' and 'it is better not to waste another 10,000 lives of our soldiers and officers'

Grozev, lead Russia investigator for investigative journalist group Bellingcat, said one or more of the 'five hands' needed to launch Russia's nukes could end up defying Putin. 'And this refusal will be the trigger, most likely, a coup d'état, because after the refusal to comply with the order of the king, everything will go down very quickly,' he added. 'If Putin decides to give an order to use nuclear weapons, he must be sure that everyone along the chain will carry out this order'. If one person does not comply, Grozev says this will be a 'signal of insubordination' which could lead to the 'death of Putin'. 'So until he is sure that everyone will comply, he will not give this order,' he added. It is known that defence minister Sergei Shoigu and chief of the defence staff Valery Gerasimov would both need to sanction a nuclear strike

The journalist said senior figures from the FSB security agency and the GRU military intelligence organisation are preparing for life after Putin. He said the 'FSB elite' knows exactly how many Russian troops have died in Ukraine and knows that the loved ones of the dead or missing 'do not stop asking questions'. 'They know that this situation will eventually get out of hand,' Grozev added. 'This is already a kind of betrayal by these people, because they do not follow the ideological orders of the Kremlin, but are preparing for an alternative reality'
 

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Russian troops invaded Ukraine on February 24 in what the Kremlin is still calling a "special military operation." Today marks the 86th day of the campaign.


From February 24 to May 20, the total combat losses of Russian troops stand at around 28,700 personnel, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.


The Ukrainian military also claims that Russia has lost 1,263 tanks, 3,090 armored fighting vehicles, 596 artillery systems, 200 multiple launch rocket systems, 93 anti-aircraft systems, 204 warplanes, 168 helicopters, 2,162 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, 13 vessels, 460 unmanned aerial vehicles, and 43 units of special equipment.
 

Oerdin

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The Putin is facing q coupe shit is mostly wishful thinking by westerners. There are two types of Oligarchs the first from the Yelsin Era who have zero government influence (those are who have mostly been hit by western sanctions). The second are Putin's men who are just bag men for Putin and who know they are dead if they cross him. Again, not likely to launch a coupe.
 

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Seems like they're getting their asses handed to them in this case.
 

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Still, every dead Russian is a good Russian. But I see your point. If we had all gone in, it would have been a different outcome, I think.
 
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