The War in the Ukraine

Heliox said:

No different from slinging a Satchel Charge? In which case it's a tale as old as time.

For perspective ...

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View attachment 132520

Comparitive size to other hand chucked explosives ...
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Yes, I think it's different.

First, the website you linked to -- which is quite interesting btw, so thank you for that -- says that the Finnish factory-made satchel charge (FFMSC) in your attached photos came in three sizes/weights: approximately 2 kg (with 2 kg of TNT), approx. 3 kg (3 kg TNT), and approx. 4 kg (4 kg TNT). By contrast, according to the info I found online, TM-62 mines weigh around 9-11 kg and have 7.5-8+ kg of TNT or other explosive, depending on variant. In other words, *twice* the overall and explosive weights of the heaviest FFMSC.

To be fair, the TM-62 improvisation is a jury rig thing.

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Second, as you correctly note, chucking a TM-62 into a building is an "off-label" use. The FFMSCs were designed for carrying, handling, and throwing, having a substantial wooden handle for those purposes. As for the TM-62, it would be like schlepping and tossing a 10-kg barbell plate.

So yes, I believe there is a meaningful difference in user experience between the TM-62 and a FFMSC. The TM-62 is twice the weight of the heaviest such charge, and considerably more awkward to handle. And after the emplacement or throw, the TM-62 user must get away from an explosion twice as energetic as that generated by the heaviest FFMSC.

The plate trigger pressure on an AT mine is usually beyond that of a human weight so throwing an armed AT mine is not likely to cause it to go off. Per one of the posts, the TM-62 is modded with a hand-grenade fuse which acts as the time-delay det to set off the hi-ex in the TM-62. But hey, if you have a crapload of AT mines and your enemy is short of tanks ...

[pedant] I've overwatched mine laying before. You emplace, you arm - you don't run away, you walk calmly away [/pedant]

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Yes, I understand all that. That's why in my previous post I referred to "pulling the pin" of these modified TM-62s.

Iskander with cluster munitions struck the training ground of the 13th National Guard Brigade of the AFU. The ground was discovered by tracking buses. Continued monitoring reveals the arrival of many ambulances in the area after the strike to retrieve the dead and the wounded.


Kalinovka now enters the cleanup phase by the 200th Brigade.


Didn't take long for the Russians to capture much of Novoselka Persha after the battle for it started.


Russians have broken into Lozovastokoe and has captured most of it. Pokrovsk sector.


2S7M Malka takes down a Ukrainian artillery position, aided by a ZALA drone.


Su-34 drops FABs that arrive on Ukrainian positions in the area of responsibility by the West Group of Forces.


Ukrainian PVD in Kherson hit by artillery fire.


Russian drone delivering water spotted a Ukrainian drone trying to drop grenades on Russian positions. The Russian drone managed to drop and hit the Ukrainian drone with a water bottle and knocked it out.


FAB-1500 arrives at Borova.


FABs arrive at Ukrainian positions in Vilcha.


FABs arrive at Neskuchne.


LMUR strikes a Ukrainian PVD at Burhunka in Kherson.

Destruction of the Konstantinovka railway station after arrivals.


ODAB-1500 hits a Ukrainian position.


Correction to previous post. This looks like either an Iskander or Tornado-S strike on two Ukrainian hangers that were visibly spotted unloading ammunition, not Gerans.


Also on YouTube, the Iskander strike on the Odessa airfield that contains Bayraktars, Tekevers and kamekaze drones as well as the UAV shooting Yak-52.


X-38ML striking a Ukrainian PVD in a building, which is completely destroyed. Doubt anyone inside would have survived.


2S7M Malka with the help of a ZALA drone takes out a Ukrainian artillery position in one shot. Even with a 203mm shell, that's a much bigger explosion I would expect, the shell must have hit and detonated the ammunition supply for the Ukrainian gun. Credit goes to the Siberian Association.


Also now in YouTube, the Iskander with cluster munitions strikes on a Ukrainian training ground. The site was located by a UAV following a bus.


Russian drones from the Phoenix Battalion is dropping mines on Ukrainian routes. These are not your typical land mines, but look like remote jumping antipersonnel or antitank mines.


The Ukrainians rebuild them the Russians destroy them again. Ukrainian bridge south of Volchansk destroyed again by air strike, possibly with an X-38ML.


FAB-3000 dropped from Su-34.


Plastun EW complex knocked out by Lancet.


Another Plastun complex taken out this time by artillery.


Another M109 taken out by Lancet.


Another Ukrainian artillery system gets taken out by the Siberian Association.


Ukrainian PVD gets hit by FPV drones. Group of North forces.

Apparently we have another case of russian vehicle getting lost, this time driving around 3km behind ukrainian lines, only to be found near the road between Vuhledar and Kostiantynivka

Forbes magazine reported Russia's superiority in artillery in the war in Ukraine. As Forbes notes, Russia and Ukraine have different strategies, but there is one aspect that remains the same: both sides rely heavily on artillery. In this area, Russia has a clear advantage. According to Forbes, Russian troops fire approximately 10,000 rounds per day, while Ukrainian forces fire about 2,000. Russia uses a combination of Soviet-era self-propelled guns, such as the 2S19 Msta-S, and newer systems, notably the 2S33 Msta -SM2". In addition, Russia has established production of up to 250 thousand shells per month. Now on the battlefield, the Russian army uses not only artillery systems designed in the USSR, but also those already developed in Russia. Ukraine uses Soviet self-propelled guns, one of them is the 2S3 Akatsiya, and new self-propelled guns provided by NATO are the American M109 Paladin self-propelled guns, the British AS-90 and the French CAESAR. Forbes reported that such a large number of different equipment has become a problem for Ukraine. The Ukrainian army is heavily dependent on supplies of shells for Western equipment, which it does not produce itself.

Ukrainian forces are hiding in a mansion or cottage of a Ukrainian oligarch in the Kharkhiv front, and the mansion is getting Krasnopoled.


Two Ukrainian tanks hit by Lancets.


FABs hit the positions of the 92nd Brigade of the AFU near Glubokoe.


FABs hit Ukrainian strongholds near Ugledar.


Lancet hits Bogdan SPG of the 83rd Brigade of the AFU.


Ukrainian air target taken out by Tor-M2 in the Avdeyevka sector.


Ukrainian PVD hit in the Kharkhiv region.


Ukrainian warehouse with equipment at the right bank of the Dniepr gets Krasnopoled by the 70th Division of the 18th Army.


Ukrainian UAV control point gets hit by artillery, possibly Krasnopol, by the 70th Division.


Soldiers of Group North of forces show off Irbis counterbattery radar.


Ukrainian troops are hiding in this barn in the Kharkhiv region, but got visited by an FPV drone.


Southern Bridge to Volchansk gets FAB'ed, cutting it off.


M777 gets taken out by a MSTA-S of the 238th.


Ukrainian artillery hit by a Lancet from the 238th. The 238th is supporting the advance of the 150th Division into Kurakhovsky.


Some Russian of the 72nd Brigade dumped a TM-62 land mine with a retarding fuse into a Ukrainian stronghold of the 93rd Brigade.


FABs landing on Ukrainian positions in South Donetsk.


While interviewing, Buk-M2 takes out two Ukrainian missiles, possibly ATACMS.


Ukrainian mortar site taken out by artillery of the 200th Brigade. Should be near Kalinova.


Uragan strike on Ukrainian positions in Kakhovka.

Seems some ol' fashioned SEAD engagement happened. Ukr AD picked up on a battery firing on a Su-34, while the Su-34 was avoiding the attack another plane picked up either the same or another AD(it isn't clear in the translation nor by Lord Bebo's tweet) system and firing a Kh-31P at it, while other missiles fired at the Su-34 were intercepted?. There was some guidance provided to the Su-34 to avoid the missiles.

Probably a mission kill if the Su-34 was forced to dump the load given it seemed to be pulling some G's

Russia’s retreat from Crimea makes a mockery of the West’s escalation fears​

This week Russia withdrew its last warship from Crimea. When the Russian invasion began, the Russian Black Sea Fleet had 74 warships, most of which were based in ports and bases in Crimea, mainly Sevastopol. Since then, Ukraine has sunk or damaged 1/3 of them. By withdrawing all its warships from Crimea and sending them to bases further away in the Black Sea, Russia recognized its inability to close Ukrainian ports, even though Ukraine does not have a navy.

That reads like an NonCredibleDefense screed more than a serious analysis.

Love this kind of harebrained "conclusion", though.

The Russian Navy’s readiness to retreat from its supposedly sacred home ports in Crimea has made a mockery of Moscow’s so-called red lines and exposed the emptiness of Putin’s nuclear threats.

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Sinnavuuty said:

Russia recognized its inability to close Ukrainian ports, even though Ukraine does not have a navy.

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Russia can take out all power stations inside all of Ukraine and hit any target they please deep inside of Ukraine, but they can't take out ports that are right there on their border, static and fully exposed? I do not think so. Due to their small sizes, no ports are required to launch USVs, and they can be kept concealed until they are dropped in the water. They can also be launched day or night rain or shine, and they are very cheap and can be manufactured in large numbers inside hidden facilities, possibly underground. This makes them a perfect weapon for attrition. The Russians did the right thing by pulling all their fleet out till this special operation is sorted out. It saves them money and lives and shifts the balance of attrition in their favour.

sheogorath said:

That reads like an NonCredibleDefense screed more than a serious analysis.

Love this kind of harebrained "conclusion", though.

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The writer sounds like they are having a bad day.