1/ Russian Black Sea Fleet submarines based in Novorossiysk are reportedly suffering from constant mechanical breakdowns, which are being blamed on sabotage. The suspected culprits, however, are not Ukrainians but the fleet's own personnel. ⬇️
2/ The VChK-OGPU Telegram channel reports that according to a source, "since the beginning of 2024, constant breakdowns have been occurring on submarines of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation."
3/ "Because of this, all ships of the Black Sea Fleet were sent for inspection. More interesting is the reason for what happened. It is not [Ukrainian] saboteurs who are under suspicion, but the personnel of the fleet.
4/ "According to the source, over 50 minor incidents occurred on the submarines Kolpino and Krasnodar over the year, which slowed down their scheduled and combat work. The most common is a leak in the fuel cylinder.
5/ "In order to check the accident rate of the boats, unscheduled repairs were scheduled for all boats of the Novorossiysk base, based on the results, navigational repairs of the submarines Velikiy Novgorod and Krasnodar were extended.
6/ "At the same time, the fleet command, with the participation of divisional mechanical engineers and the commander of military unit 80515 [the 4th Separate Submarine Brigade], Captain 1st Rank Skarga, are focused on constantly fixing the breakdowns.
7/ "They prefer not to talk about the reasons for what is happening. According to the source, all the breakdowns have obvious signs of interference: a loose lubricator drive, a gearbox failure, etc.
8/ "The main suspects are the junior officers who arrived to continue their service. During the replacement or repair of any part, the crew can rest easy." /end
1/ Russian warbloggers are continuing to provide examples of how Telegram is used for frontline battlefield communications, to refute the claim of presidential spokesman Dmitri Peskov that such a thing is "not possible to imagine". ⬇️
2/ Platon Mamadov provides two detailed examples:
"Example number one:
Aerial reconnaissance of Unit N spotted a Ukrainian self-propelled gun in a shelter in the middle of town N."
3/ "Five minutes after the discovery, the target's coordinates and a detailed video were uploaded to a special secret chat group read by all drone operators, scouts, and artillerymen in that sector of the front.
1/ Russian soldiers overwhelmingly prefer to use Telegram for tactical communications despite the Russian army having its own dedicated military messengers. The reason isn't complex – the military's own alternatives are unreliable and difficult to use. ⬇️
2/ 'Vault No. 8' explains the problem:
"The Telegram slowdown is particularly nasty because Telegram is used for communication on the front lines.
Military messengers have been around since I wrote about this, but... Guess what you have to do to get a firmware-ready smartphone?
3/ "That's right! Buy it [with your own money] and send it in for a firmware update. On top of that, one of the military messengers periodically crashes like crazy, and the phone has to be sent in for a [periodic] firmware update, which takes at least a couple of weeks.
1/ The Russian government's throttling of Telegram has deprived the Russian army of a huge repository of information for its soldiers' professional development and a key source of essential technical advice and instruction, as Russian warbloggers explain. ⬇️
2/ 'Kiba's Signalman's Diary' explains:
3/ "Telegram alone has been the only place where self-organised closed chats and knowledge bases on communications, in demand by the military at the moment, were quickly created and developed, independent of decisions and initiatives from above.
1/ Russian warbloggers are outraged at the Russian government's view that blocking Telegram is no big deal for frontline troops. They say it's a catastrophe heaped on the disaster of losing Starlink and that anyone who says Telegram isn't needed is talking "complete bullshit". ⬇️
2/ Dmitri Peskov, Vladimir Putin's spokesman, says: "I don't think it's possible to imagine frontline communications being provided via Telegram or some other messenger. It's difficult and impossible to imagine such a thing."
3/ However, it is very much a thing, as warbloggers have been pointing out furiously. 'Callsign Bruce' provides an example of how it is used to avoid friendly fire incidents:
"I'll give you a real-life example from one of the directions."
1/ Life after Starlink is proving to be difficult and frustrating for the Russian army. Russian warbloggers appear to be going through the stages of grief, expressing anger and alarm at the crisis and concern that Ukraine will exploit it. One anticipates "24/7 fucking". ⬇️
2/ Further instances of price-gouging are being reported, with the cost of US-made Ubiquiti WiFi bridges – illegally imported into Russia – doubling overnight. 'Strong Word' complains:
3/ "Elon is certainly a real jerk. But we have some real assholes in the rear who decided to ride the wave and make money off their own soldiers. Wi-Fi bridges instantly doubled in price. It's maddening, some are spilling blood, and others are making a living off of it."
1/ What can Russian soldiers do with thousands of useless Starlink terminals? One Russian warblogger has some humorous suggestions. ⬇️
2/ 'BKGB Casuar' writes:
"Here are 10 ways to use a broken terminal in the Special Military Operation zone:
3/ "1. Butt Kick.
The ground in the trench is cold and damp, and Elon Musk's plastic is warm and high-tech. Use it as an elite seat. Now you're not just a soldier in the mud, but a cyberpunk on a throne, whose butt is protected from moisture by American technology.