Really important question below: why would you even design a T-72 so that the crew literally has to sit on top of hundreds of kilos of highly explosive ammunition and propellant? /1
@clmazin answered this by analogy in his brilliant script for #Chernobyl. In the (fictional) courtroom scene in the final episode, Soviet nuclear scientist Valeriy Legasov explains why Chernobyl was effectively rigged to explode: /2
"It's cheaper". That's the answer to the T-72's design flaws. It's much smaller and lighter than the US M1A1 Abrams or similar British and German tanks. But it costs a fraction of their price, at the cost of crew safety. /3
I think we often forget how much poorer Russia (and the USSR before it) is than the West. Millions of Russians still live in abject poverty, without clean water, indoor sanitation or paved roads - much as their great-grandparents did 100 years ago./4
Russia and the USSR have sought to compete with the West by making cheaper and less safe weapons because they didn't have the means to compete on quality. Unfortunately for thousands of Russian soldiers, that philosophy is now costing them their lives. /end
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1/ A Russian soldier serving in Ukraine says that the situation is terrible and getting worse. "It’s absolute chaos over here with all the bodies right now ... the action is getting heavier and heavier every day. We're just a bunch of fucking losers." ⬇️
2/ Russian warbloggers are becoming increasingly outspoken in describing how the war is going badly for their side. 'When the cannons start singing' publishes an account from a reader who is with the Russian Army in Ukraine:
3/ "It’s absolute chaos over here with all the bodies right now, and even without the bodies, I could sneakily film the road we're bringing people in on, it's a complete mess.
1/ Russian warbloggers are reacting with shock and alarm at the Ukrainian attack today on the Russian Baltic Fleet corvette Boykiy near St Petersburg. In particular, they question the apparent lack of effective air defences or anti-drone protection. ⬇️
2/ 'Rybar' comments: "The threat to the fleet is everywhere."
"Judging by the video, at least two hits were recorded. The corvette was in dry dock undergoing repairs, despite the ship being new. And Ukrainian forces intercepted it there."
3/ "They had already done something similar during attacks on Sevastopol several years earlier.
The hit on the Boykiy once again exposes the problem of countering UAVs.
1/ Accused rapist and sex trafficker Andrew Tate is visiting Russia. The news has disturbed Russian warbloggers, who suggest that Russia, which has recruited literal cannibals into its army, should aspire to a higher standard. ⬇️
Popular English-speaking blogger Andrew Tate has published a post with an unambiguous hint of a visit to Russia."
3/ "Timing-wise, this coincides with the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, where Western influencers have been actively invited in recent years — as a demonstration that ‘not everyone in the West is against Russia’.
1/ The Russian-occupied city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine is under a 'drone siege', according to local inhabitants. Ukrainian drones are striking targets across the city and the surrounding region. A resident provides a vivid eyewitness account. ⬇️
2/ 'Donetsk MartynoVa', a pro-Russian resident of Donetsk who positions herself as an influencer and Telegram blogger, has been writing about the deteriorating situation over the past month. On 11 May, she wrote:
3/ "The news brings information that drones are already harassing the land corridor, but, judging by the number of cars from Crimea, this doesn't stop many [travellers]."
By 18 May, the drone campaign had been stepped up:
1/ Russia's captured and corrupted bureaucracy, which is under the thumb of powerful industrial concerns and complicit politicians, is strangling independent developers of military electronics. Several developers are complaining about the situation. ⬇️
2/ Gagaring Lab, a developer of drone detectors and other military electronics, highlights how the 'People's Military-Industrial Complex' is being throttled:
"China launched a new strategy in February. China wants to be not only the world's factory, but also its laboratory."
3/ "Programmes have been launched to attract R&D companies to China. In Russian: welcome, developers, we will create the conditions for you. And here, people are worried about developers running away, but not about entire companies running away.
1/ News that Russia's BMPT Terminator, famed for its wobbly autocannons, is to be renamed the Spirodon has attracted criticism from Russian warbloggers. Perhaps not coincidentally, Spirodon also was the first name of Vladimir Putin's paternal grandfather. ⬇️
2/ According to Uralvagonzavod's official channel, "The machine, which replaces an entire unit, no longer bears the nickname of the American destroyer robot. It is our shield and sword."
3/ The official announcement says that the change in name was made "at the request of Uralvagonzavod workers (part of Rostec) and combat vehicle crews ... in honour of courage, resilience, and strength of spirit."
"Why "Spiridon"? This is a rare but revered name in Russia."