Russia invades Ukraine {2022-02-24} (Part 2)

[Askance]

France and Norway will meet their commitments on schedule to deliver jet fighters to Ukraine, the two countries’ defence ministers said on Thursday in Oslo. Norway has promised Ukraine six US-made F-16s with deliveries spread out across 2024 and 2025, while France has said it will provide an unspecified number of Mirage 2000-5s during the first quarter of 2025.

[Johnny_L.A]

ISW reports:

The entire North Korean contingent of roughly 12,000 personnel currently in Kursk Oblast may be killed or wounded in action by mid-April 2025 should North Korean forces continue to suffer from their current high loss rate in the future. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated in early January 2025 that 3,800 North Korean personnel had been killed or wounded in Kursk Oblast.[6]Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov stated on November 5, 2024 that North Korean forces were engaged in “small-scale” clashes in Kursk Oblast, but Russian milbloggers began claiming on December 6 that North Korean forces were participating in more significant combat operations.[7]North Korean have therefore likely suffered roughly 92 casualties per day since starting to participate in significant fighting in early December 2024. North Korea reportedly transferred roughly 12,000 North Korean personnel to Kursk Oblast, and the entirety of this North Korean contingent in Kursk Oblast may be killed or wounded in roughly 12 weeks (about mid-April 2025) should North Korean forces continue to suffer similarly high casualty rates in the future.[8] South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) stated on January 13 that so far 300 North Koreans have been killed in action and 2,700 have been wounded in action in Kursk Oblast.[9] North Korean forces will likely continue to suffer a larger ratio of wounded to killed in action - as is typical for armed conflict - and it is unclear if or when injured North Korean soldiers return to combat.

[Magiver]

If it’s true that the NK’s aren’t getting food then it certainly doesn’t sound like they’re expected to last long.

[aceplace57]

More technical information for the Gravehawk. Pretty impressive short range weapon. It supports the AIM-132 ASRAAM and the Wympel R-73. Ukraine already has stocks of the Russian R-73.

The Gravehawk should be very useful because it can use either Russian or Western supplied missiles.

Link https://www.armyrecognition.com/focus-analysis-conflicts/army/conflicts-in-the-world/russia-ukraine-war-2022/united-kingdom-and-denmark-to-deliver-15-gravehawk-air-defense-systems-to-ukraine-for-2025

The Gravehawk is mounted on an all-terrain vehicle chassis, allowing for rapid deployment and mobility on the ground. It is equipped with infrared-guided missiles, including the AIM-132 ASRAAM and the Wympel R-73, providing an effective range of approximately 15 kilometers. This system is designed to address short-range threats, particularly those posed by fast-moving airborne objects, thanks to its ability to deploy high-performance missiles already used by Ukrainian forces, facilitating integration into their existing defense systems.

////cut////
The Wympel R-73, on the other hand, is a short-range missile developed by Russia and primarily used by the Russian Air Force, but also by other countries worldwide. This missile is known for its exceptional ability to engage targets at high angles of attack, a significant advantage in air combat where the enemy may attempt complex maneuvers to avoid a shot. The R-73’s sophisticated infrared guidance system allows it to track and engage targets from multiple angles, including those moving rapidly or attempting to evade. This system enables it to maintain a lock on the target even when performing extreme evasive maneuvers. The R-73 is particularly effective in close-range air combat, where it can be more responsive and accurate than other missiles. Its low cost and high reliability have made it widely exported, and many countries, including Ukraine, have integrated it into their arsenals. This ability to use missiles already deployed in Ukrainian forces allows for rapid integration and increased operational flexibility

[DesertDog]

I keep reading that as Greyhawk. Probably echoes of too many D&D sessions long ago.

[What_Exit]

Same, but belongs in a different thread.

[Magiver]

How is Ukraine getting The Wympel R-73 missile?

[Tamerlane]

@Magiver

How is Ukraine getting The Wympel R-73 missile?

Large pre-existing stocks both there and abroad (they were the standard cheap, short-range air-to-air missile of the late USSR, produced in large numbers) and probably manufacture. Though Artem was better known for the production of the R-77, they had started the R-73 modernization program prior to the Russian invasion and re-tooling to producing them seems highly likely by now.

[Magiver]

Thanks Tamerlane

[aceplace57]

Kursk continues to draw Russian resources and troops. I’m surprised N Korea hasn’t been more heavily sanctioned for their participation.

Link Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, January 23, 2025 | Institute for the Study of War

Russia is reportedly planning to deploy additional North Korean forces, missiles, artillery systems, and multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) to Kursk Oblast to support Russian long-range fire operations. Ukrainian Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) Head Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov told The War Zone in an article published on January 22 that North Korea will deploy an unspecified number of additional missile and artillery troops to Kursk Oblast at an unspecified future time.[1] Budanov reported that North Korea is unlikely to deploy a large number of additional ground combat troops, however. Budanov stated that North Korea has provided Russia with roughly 120 M-1989 Koksan 170mm self-propelled artillery systems and 120 M-1991 240mm MLRS since November 2024 and will likely send at least 120 more of each system in the future. The GUR previously reported in November 2024 that North Korea had provided Russia with roughly 100 of each of these systems as of October 2024.[2] Budanov stated that North Korea plans to provide Russia with 150 additional KN-23 short-range ballistic missiles in 2025 and sent Russia 148 KN-23 missiles in 2024. Budanov noted that North Korean troops typically operate North Korean-provided weapons in Kursk Oblast and are also training Russian forces on these systems. A US senior defense official recently told the New York Times (NYT) that additional North Korean forces will arrive in Russian "within the next two months (roughly mid-March 2025

[Gorsnak]

North Korea is the most isolated nation in the world. There’s not a lot of room to add additional sanctions to those already in place. They basically only trade with China and Russia to begin with.

[What_Exit]

Moderating:
And with that reply, please leave N. Korean Sanctions there. Any more should go to a new thread.

How to Reply as a linked Topic

Click Reply, in the upper left corner of the reply window is the reply type button, looks like a curving arrow point to the right.

Choose Reply as linked topic and it starts a new thread. As an example, you can choose GD, IMHO or The Pit for it.

That is actually the best method.

[Darren_Garrison]

Russia sending out groups of soldiers on crutches to fight:

8 comments | Russian soldiers | Russia doing so well in Ukraine that it sends...

[Magiver]

That link didn’t work.

From Forbes:

Russian ‘Crutch Battalions’ Full Of Limping Soldiers Are Easy Targets For Ukrainian Drones

• What may at first have seemed like an anomaly—a bizarre waste of lives potentially ordered by one cruel Russian commander—now seems more systemic. On or just before Tuesday, a Russian soldier from the 20th CAA recorded a video of walking wounded assembling for an assault in the forests apparently outside Pokrovsk. “Man is using crutches for a mission,” the soldier in the video, helpfully translated by Estonian analyst WarTranslated. “What the F@#$?”

Note internal links removed and language cleaned up for work safety.

[Jackmannii]

"A “bizarre waste of lives” was an integral part of the Sviet playbook in the Great Patriotic War.

It’s just a bit surprising that the cannon fodder mentality would be meekly tolerated by modern Russian citizens. Troops don’t have much choice.

Human wave tactics are demoralizing the Russian army in Ukraine

[Chronos]

I can see how zerging waves of sufficient numbers of troops can eventually wear down an enemy, even if they’re undertrained and underequipped. But when they’re literally going in to battle on crutches? How is that a part of any strategy?

[Northern_Piper]

That article is almost two years old. ?

[Ludovic]

@Chronos

I can see how zerging waves of sufficient numbers of troops can eventually wear down an enemy, even if they’re undertrained and underequipped. But when they’re literally going in to battle on crutches? How is that a part of any strategy?

When they inevitably get shot, they will reveal information about the enemy’s whereabouts from where the bullets are coming from. Not saying that this is better, even from a high level standpoint, than just letting them recover and enter the front lines when they’re whole, or even giving them a desk job, but never interrupt an enemy when they’re making a mistake.

[Jackmannii]

So low troop morale hasn’t had much impact yet?

[aceplace57]

Now it’s clear why only 2 N Koreans have been taken prisoner.

The extraordinary lengths North Korean soldiers will go to avoid capture in...

“When this guy was transported to Kyiv and someone from the special forces searched him, they found a small blade sewn into his pants. He was hoping to cut himself as soon as he was left alone,” he added.

“We have seen video from our own drones of these North Korean soldiers killing themselves rather than face being captured. They do it by using one of their own grenades or shooting themselves mostly. We don’t know why they do it but we’ve never taken a [North] Korean alive who hasn’t tried to kill himself.”