| Submit your comments on this article |
| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| 'Bradley gets stuck right away.' How an anomalous cyclone affects combat operations |
| 2023-11-28 |
| Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Artemy Sharapov [REGNUM] On the night of November 26-27, an anomalous cyclone covered Crimea and the Black Sea coast of Russia and Ukraine. Reports of storms with flooding, gusty winds, downpours and snowfalls that broke climate records are being received from the Greater Sochi area to the mouth of the Danube. In the Odessa region, due to snowfalls, the strategic route connecting Odessa and the Ukrainian Danube port of Reni was blocked. A number of countries were forced to suspend the work of the checkpoint on the Ukrainian border. In Crimea, local authorities report damage to communications, power lines, and disruption of transport. Waves up to five meters high hit the coast. Against the backdrop of a raging natural disaster, from which Kiev-controlled territories are also suffering, a number of Ukrainian publications called for using bad weather for military purposes, including for attacks on the Crimean Bridge and infrastructure. The elements do not distinguish between warring parties Bad weather complicates the operation of radars, air defense systems and electronic warfare, creating opportunities for drones to move unnoticed, Ukrainian sources note. It would be strange to think that only one side of the conflict will suffer due to the violent start of the climate winter. Bad weather completely deprives both sides of the conflict of the opportunity to use not only air defense systems, but also the drones themselves, military expert and reserve tank forces officer Alexander Mikhailovsky told IA Regnum . “UAVs cannot be controlled in such weather; any launch will most likely lead to failure and crash. Even if we assume that the UAV will fly a long distance and not fall, then when diving on a target it can be thrown several meters away from the target by a particularly strong gust of wind,” the expert said. There are reports that due to the ongoing storm, Russian troops have suspended attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure using kamikaze drones. So until the end of the storm, both sides will have to temporarily manage without drones. Continued bad weather could have a serious impact on the plans of both sides of the conflict, the expert added. Bad weather complicates the work of not only winged, but also surface drones - unmanned boats. Therefore, until the end of the storm, the Ukrainian Armed Forces will be deprived of the opportunity to use naval drones against Russian warships. But the capabilities of our Black Sea Fleet are also limited - ships will temporarily not be able to go out to the open sea to patrol and launch missile strikes. Off-road against NATO But in some cases, bad weather gives an advantage to Russian troops. Earlier, soldiers of the Osman army special forces of the Russian Armed Forces said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces refused to use Western armored vehicles in the Zaporozhye direction. “The weather has changed, and Western-made armored vehicles are not particularly passing through our areas. The armor doesn’t pass through, the Bradley immediately gets stuck,” said a fighter with the call sign Metis. According to the fighters, the command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was forced to reconsider its tactics. In particular, formations in the Zaporozhye direction have abandoned the use of armored vehicles and are now increasingly using small infantry formations in an effort to move forward. However, this tactic makes it impossible for Ukrainian troops to move forward. “Without technology, speed and mobility suffer. In addition, the infantry is deprived of fire support from the same tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, and is left alone with our troops . Therefore, now the advantage is on the side of those who are on the defensive ,” notes Alexander Mikhailovsky. At the same time, of course, it will be more difficult for Russian units to attack. But, the military expert adds, there is a difference: our equipment is better adapted. The transition to NATO standards is gradually starting to work against the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The United States and its allies have transferred hundreds of MRAP-class wheeled armored vehicles to Ukraine, which are not adapted to operate in off-road conditions. Videos appear on the Internet showing that vehicles are stuck in the mud and cannot fully support the advancing forces. The downside to Western tracked armored vehicles is that they are, as a rule, much heavier than Soviet and Russian models. For example, the weight of the Abrams tank varies from 50–60 tons, while the T-72 weight is only 40–45 tons. The situation is similar with the Bradley, CV-90 and Marder infantry fighting vehicles, which weigh significantly more than the BMP-2 or BMP-3. Another weakness of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is the lack of evacuation equipment. Most of the Soviet-style engineering vehicles were lost by the Ukrainian Armed Forces at the first stage of hostilities, and further supplies of NATO engineering vehicles cannot make up for the losses. Ukrainian troops are also facing a shortage of tank tractors. “The main “workhorse” of the engineering units of the US Army is the M88 armored repair and recovery vehicles,” Mikhailovsky recalled. The Ukrainian Armed Forces received either eight or ten of these vehicles in the M88A2 Hercules modification. According to the US Army, this is enough for about two motorized infantry brigades. “The vehicles are powerful, capable of pulling Abrams out of the mud, but they are simply not enough for the entire army, and even on muddy black soil,” the expert notes. According to the analytical portal Lostarmour , whose users record losses of military equipment based on data from open sources, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost at least two M88A2 Hercules vehicles. So the shortage of engineering armored vehicles in units armed with American military equipment (Abrams tanks, Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and Stryker armored personnel carriers) is becoming critical, experts say. In a certain sense, bad weather buries the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ plans for a deep offensive or even for conducting an active defense. Ukrainian troops are forced to use NATO armored vehicles for lack of others. Over the past 24 hours, at least one Bradley infantry fighting vehicle was lost by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Avdeevka area ; Abrams tanks are used by enemy formations operating in the Kupyansk direction , so losses can be expected among these vehicles in the near future. The main thing is to wait out the storm At the same time, bad weather significantly less interferes with the advance of Russian troops in the Avdeevsky direction. Since the fighting is carried out in close proximity to urban areas and in the industrial zone , where asphalt roads are preserved, and clashes are conducted primarily by infantry forces at close range. Another problem that the Ukrainian Armed Forces face due to bad weather is the lack of warm military uniforms. Abnormal cold weather in the Odessa region has already led to the deaths of at least three people. Ukrainian soldiers in the trenches face similar problems, which is why a number of volunteer organizations have announced an urgent fundraiser for warm clothes, shoes, stoves, fuel, sleeping bags and other consumables. “Despite the fact that the weather works in both directions, we can say that “General Moroz”, rather, once again came to fight on our side. And with him “Colonel Rasputitsa,” summarizes Alexander Mikhailovsky . In general, the storm may limit the capabilities of our aviation and navy, but this is temporary. But the established weather in the region of zero degrees is definitely not in the favor of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, so now the situation is rather in favor of our troops,” the expert sums up. The situation at the front will be able to change when the earth “stands up” tightly and can withstand heavy armored vehicles. However, until then, one of the parties that is less prepared for bad weather may suffer serious losses. And in this sense, the cyclone that hit Ukraine creates new opportunities for a Russian counteroffensive on one or several sectors of the front. |
| Posted by:badanov |
| #4 Rasputitsa -- heavy Autumn rains or the Spring thaw that bog everything down! |
| Posted by: magpie 2023-11-28 18:05 |
| #3 Surfing the Black Sea |
| Posted by: mossomo 2023-11-28 14:07 |
| #2 Ukraine and Russia hit by snow storms and floods |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2023-11-28 11:34 |
| #1 Waves up to five meters high hit the coast. Surf's up! |
| Posted by: Abu Uluque 2023-11-28 11:09 |