ConquestsMaster
Warlord
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The "right side" bringing peace, freedom and prosperity to the inhabitants of the Donbass:
[RD] Russia Invades Ukraine: Eight
- Thread starter Birdjaguar
- Start date
Snowygerry
Deity
Resisting foreign occupation is always worth it.
It is the Russian motivation that is hard to understand, what do you get out of it ?
I’m guessing it has to do with frustration..
Why else would you invade your neighbors land and try to take it for yourself ?
We best make an effort to limit Russian influence in Europe to a strict minimum.
Belgium opens probe into Russian ‘interference’ in European Parliament
Belgian prosecutors have opened a probe into Russian “interference” in the European Parliament following allegations lawmakers were paid to spread Kremlin propaganda, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander…
www.france24.com
The only reason to support such policies is indeed because you’re paid for it, there is no other excuse imho.
Austria rocked by massive Russian spying scandal
For years, an ex-intelligence agent provided Moscow with sensitive information, including the private Vienna address of the investigator behind numerous revelations that embarrassed the Kremlin.
www.lemonde.fr
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Inside Russia's latest video on the Orsk flooding disaster is well worth a watch:
Incompetence, arrogance, blame shifting, corruption, no help from authorities, the responsible minister blaming the people and rodents. This story has it all.
Incompetence, arrogance, blame shifting, corruption, no help from authorities, the responsible minister blaming the people and rodents. This story has it all.
saamohod
Deity
Belgium declares war on MEPs who took Russian 'cash'
Belgian spies have evidence Members of the European Parliament took Russian money, Belgium's prime minister has said, while announcing a potentially explosive judicial inquiry.
"Moscow approached MEPs, but also paid, to promote Russian propaganda here," said Belgian prime minister Alexander De Croo in Brussels on Friday (12 April).
"The cash payments did not take place in Belgium, but the [illegal foreign] interference does," he added.
"On the national level, our judicial authorities have now confirmed this interference is subject to prosecution," he also said.
Belgium's domestic spy agency, the VSSE, obtained the evidence in a joint sting with Czech and Polish intelligence services.
"Belgian intelligence services have confirmed the existence of a pro-Russian interference network with activities in several European countries and in Belgium," De Croo said.
Belgium declares war on MEPs who took Russian 'cash'
Belgian spies have evidence MEPs took Russian money, Belgium's prime minister has said, while announcing a potentially explosive judicial inquiry.
How American Drones Failed to Turn the Tide in Ukraine
Drones from American startups have been deemed glitchy and expensive, prompting Ukraine to turn to alternatives from ChinaThe Silicon Valley company Skydio sent hundreds of its best drones to Ukraine to help fight the Russians. Things didn’t go well. Skydio’s drones flew off course and were lost, victims of Russia’s electronic warfare. The company has since gone back to the drawing board to build a new fleet.
Most small drones from U.S. startups have failed to perform in combat, dashing companies’ hopes that a badge of being battle-tested would bring the startups sales and attention. It is also bad news for the Pentagon, which needs a reliable supply of thousands of small, unmanned aircraft.
“The general reputation for every class of U.S. drone in Ukraine is that they don’t work as well as other systems,” Skydio Chief Executive Adam Bry said, calling his own drone “not a very successful platform on the front lines.”
Ukrainian officials have found U.S.-made drones fragile and unable to overcome Russian jamming and GPS blackout technology. At times, they couldn’t take off, complete missions or return home. American drones often fail to fly at the distances advertised or carry substantial payloads.
...
Verbose
Deity
This was never really about the US. To the extent the US was still involved, it is decreasingly about the US. Just notice the Russian commitment to how-it-should-all-be-about-the-US.
Articles in English language tend to be about US, regardless of their topic. Not to mention good portion of them are from US media.
But I guess it's evil "Russian commitment" at fault here anyway.
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Kupe Navigator
Deity
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Ukraine could face defeat in 2024. Here's how that might look
With ammo critically low and Western aid stalled, what might Russia attempt in Ukraine this year?
www.bbc.com
Verbose
Deity
What do you mean "truthful"? Don't you mean something more like "realistic" or "well-informed"?
All hypotheticals are inherently possible according to their own premises. Things that have not yet come to pass are hard to be more or less "truthful" about. They have yet to happen. They are not reality. Yet.
If Ukraine receives no aid, and stops fighting. Yes, it will obviously be defeated, probably this year if they are quick about it.
All hypotheticals are inherently possible according to their own premises. Things that have not yet come to pass are hard to be more or less "truthful" about. They have yet to happen. They are not reality. Yet.
If Ukraine receives no aid, and stops fighting. Yes, it will obviously be defeated, probably this year if they are quick about it.
Kupe Navigator
Deity
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So.... they are likely to lose by this Christmas?
Verbose
Deity
I'd say no, not really. Beginning with how, given the options (all awful anyway), Ukraine is still going to fight. They might end up in a worse position, and Russia in a relatively better one – if left more or less unaided.
First we'll see how the new Ukranian mobilization works out, and then if the initiatives to do something about the "shell-hunger" works.
The thing that would upset this would be if Russia can generate offensive power on a scale where it actually manages to just over-power Ukraine in one go. But we haven't seen that – despite strategic initiative being with Russia right now, just local superiorities and incremental stuff so far.
Kupe Navigator
Deity
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As long as they keep on fighting till dawn of new year in 2025. I am sure Dems will win this election and gain control of Senate and the house. Hopefully Biden can support them from 2025 and onward. 2024 will be hell for Ukraine but 2025 will be better. they NEED to take sucky year of 2024 and survive and keep on fighting- no matter the cost.
If you are going to quote US news sources, at least be honest and quote the entire article and not just cherry pick a few "useful sentences". Here is the full article you linked to.
How American Drones Failed to Turn the Tide in Ukraine
Drones from American startups have been deemed glitchy and expensive, prompting Ukraine to turn to alternatives from China
The Silicon Valley company Skydio sent hundreds of its best drones to Ukraine to help fight the Russians. Things didn’t go well.
Skydio’s drones flew off course and were lost, victims of Russia’s electronic warfare. The company has since gone back to the drawing board to build a new fleet. Most small drones from U.S. startups have failed to perform in combat, dashing companies’ hopes that a badge of being battle-tested would bring the startups sales and attention. It is also bad news for the Pentagon, which needs a reliable supply of thousands of small, unmanned aircraft. In the first war to feature small drones prominently, American companies still have no meaningful presence. Made-in-America drones tend to be expensive, glitchy and hard to repair, said drone company executives, Ukrainians on the front lines, Ukrainian government officials and former U.S. defense officials.
Absent solutions from the West, Ukraine has turned to cheaper Chinese products to fill its drone arsenal. “The general reputation for every class of U.S. drone in Ukraine is that they don’t work as well as other systems,” Skydio Chief Executive Adam Bry said, calling his own drone “not a very successful platform on the front lines.” There has been a deluge of venture capital invested in startups trying to build small, AI-powered aircraft, hoping to sell them to the U.S. government. Startups have focused on commercial drones that can be built faster and cheaper than the large military drones made by traditional defense contractors. Nearly 300 U.S.-based drone-technology companies raised a total of around $2.5 billion in venture-capital funding in the past two years, according to the data firm PitchBook.
Ukrainian officials have found U.S.-made drones fragile and unable to overcome Russian jamming and GPS blackout technology. At times, they couldn’t take off, complete missions or return home. American drones often fail to fly at the distances advertised or carry substantial payloads. Small American drones for the battlefield “have been underdeveloped,” said Mykola Bielieskov, a senior analyst at Ukraine’s Come Back Alive, a charity that has supplied more than 30,000 drones to the military.
American drone company executives say they didn’t anticipate the electronic warfare in Ukraine. In Skydio’s case, its drone was designed in 2019 to meet communications standards set by the U.S. military. Several startup executives said U.S. restrictions on drone parts and testing limit what they can build and how fast they can build it. Those restrictions have proven a problem in the drone battles that sometimes require daily updates and upgrades, said Georgii Dubynskyi, Ukraine’s deputy minister of digital transformation, the agency that oversees the country’s drone program. “What is flying today won’t be able to fly tomorrow,” he said. “We have to adapt to the emerging technologies quickly. The innovation cycle in this war is very short.”
Using Chinese drones
Ukraine has found ways to get tens of thousands of drones as well as drone parts from China. The military is using off-the-shelf Chinese drones, primarily from SZ DJI Technology. Ukraine has also developed a domestic drone industry that relies on Chinese components. Ukrainian factories are churning out hundreds of thousands of small, cheap drones that can carry explosives. It also produces larger drones that can strike deep into enemy territory and reach Russian ships on the Black Sea. Dubynskyi said Ukraine wants to test and use more U.S. drones. “Nevertheless, we are looking for cost-effective solutions,” he said.Ukrainian forces are burning through about 10,000 drones a month, which they couldn’t afford if they had to buy expensive U.S. drones. Many American commercial drones cost tens of thousands of dollars more each than a Chinese model. Less than a month after Russia’s expanded invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Pentagon approved the supply of Switchblade 300 drones from the Virginia-based defense contractor
AeroVironment. The Switchblades faced initial challenges with Russia’s electronic-warfare systems, according to a former U.S. soldier who worked with the drones in Ukraine. An AeroVironment spokeswoman said Russian jamming has affected everyone and the company’s drones are updated to deal with it.
The U.S.-Greek startup Velos Rotors said its V3 twin-engine helicopter drone experienced a test failure in a December demonstration outside Kyiv, according to a company spokeswoman. She said that Ukrainian forces are using the V3 and that the company hopes to ship more models this year if it can get orders from the U.S. government. Joining AeroVironment as one of the few U.S. drone manufacturers to win a Defense Department contract for Ukraine is
Cyberlux, a North Carolina-based manufacturer of movie-production drones modified to carry an explosive. In a written briefing to stakeholders, Cyberlux said it had failed to meet production and delivery goals for the drones. Chief Executive Mark Schmidt said the company hasn’t breached its contract with the Defense Department, worth up to $79 million.
There have been successes. Skydio drone footage has assisted the Ukrainian investigations of alleged Russian war crimes, including attacks on civilians and a nuclear facility, according to Ukraine’s Office of the Prosecutor General. About 60 drones from Seattle-based Brinc have been deployed for search and rescue and scouting for Russians inside buildings. But the drone startup isn’t certain it wants to be in the business of fighting wars. “Is this a huge opportunity for American drone companies in general?” asked Brinc Chief Executive Blake Resnick. “I’m not sure.” ‘We can’t miss on this’
China’s DJI has proven to be the go-to drone brand for Ukraine’s military. DJI said in a statement that it tries to restrict the use of its drones in the war but can’t control how the drones are used after they are purchased. “DJI absolutely deplores and condemns the use of its products to cause harm anywhere in the world,” the statement said. The U.S. has called DJI a Chinese military company and a surveillance tool for Beijing, which DJI denies. The Pentagon has banned DJI drones in the U.S. military, and congressional legislation would ban new DJI products in the U.S.
In its statement, DJI called the proposed ban politically motivated and the product of lobbying by American drone companies that are trying to eliminate competition. The shortcomings of U.S. drone makers are partly the result of the U.S. government’s policy response to China, according to drone executives and former defense officials. The Defense Department has imposed strict requirements on drone manufacturers, including a ban of Chinese components, which has made it more expensive and harder to build small drones, the executives and former officials said. A Defense Department spokesman said it is paramount to ensure that drones have a secure supply chain and meet military standards.
A Defense Department program launched in 2020 to help startup company drones sell to the U.S. military doesn’t allow drone makers to update their software without government approval. This requirement can leave the drones made according to U.S. regulations vulnerable to evolving methods of cyberattacks and electronic warfare. The Defense Innovation Unit, Silicon Valley’s outpost of the Defense Department, runs the drone startup program that supports Skydio and other startups. A spokeswoman for the unit said software changes on drones must be assessed for security. She said the unit is trying to improve the process to provide software approval within a few days.
Skydio employees went back to Ukraine 17 times to get feedback, Bry said. Its new drone is built around Ukraine’s military needs and feedback from public-safety agencies and other customers, he said, rather than U.S. Defense Department requirements that are sometimes divorced from battlefield realities. Ukraine has requested thousands of the new Skydio X10, which has a radio that can switch frequencies on its own as soon as its signal is jammed by electronic interference. It also has better navigation capabilities so it can fly at high altitudes without GPS, Skydio said. “It is critical for Skydio, and I think the U.S. drone industry at large, that we make X10 succeed at scale on the battlefield in Ukraine,” Bry said. “There’s no alternative. As a country, we can’t miss on this.”
I gave a link to the full article and quoted parts which I consider the most relevant. Is it now obligatory by thread rules, to quote every article in full?
And you seriously blame me in dishonesty for skipping things bolded by you, such as “The general reputation for every class of U.S. drone in Ukraine is that they don’t work as well as other systems”?
The WSJ is a paywalled source and most people do not have access to the full article. Only quoting the parts you like is disingenuous and can be misleading about the full story told in the article. Here is the full paragraph of the line you quote above. It tells a fuller story behind the lack of success of US drones.
"Absent solutions from the West, Ukraine has turned to cheaper Chinese products to fill its drone arsenal. “The general reputation for every class of U.S. drone in Ukraine is that they don’t work as well as other systems,” Skydio Chief Executive Adam Bry said, calling his own drone “not a very successful platform on the front lines.” There has been a deluge of venture capital invested in startups trying to build small, AI-powered aircraft, hoping to sell them to the U.S. government. Startups have focused on commercial drones that can be built faster and cheaper than the large military drones made by traditional defense contractors. Nearly 300 U.S.-based drone-technology companies raised a total of around $2.5 billion in venture-capital funding in the past two years, according to the data firm PitchBook."
In the same way the entire article gives a truer version of the situation than just the headline.
"Absent solutions from the West, Ukraine has turned to cheaper Chinese products to fill its drone arsenal. “The general reputation for every class of U.S. drone in Ukraine is that they don’t work as well as other systems,” Skydio Chief Executive Adam Bry said, calling his own drone “not a very successful platform on the front lines.” There has been a deluge of venture capital invested in startups trying to build small, AI-powered aircraft, hoping to sell them to the U.S. government. Startups have focused on commercial drones that can be built faster and cheaper than the large military drones made by traditional defense contractors. Nearly 300 U.S.-based drone-technology companies raised a total of around $2.5 billion in venture-capital funding in the past two years, according to the data firm PitchBook."
In the same way the entire article gives a truer version of the situation than just the headline.
EnglishEdward
Deity
@ Birdjaguar
I am bound to say that the full article does not supply me with any more confidence in US drones than the earlier cherry picked extracts.
Not that the UK is doing any better. DTF news reports are that expensive UK drones stop working in the rain.
Chinese must be falling over laughing, making a fortune selling drone tech to both sides in this conflict.
I am bound to say that the full article does not supply me with any more confidence in US drones than the earlier cherry picked extracts.
Not that the UK is doing any better. DTF news reports are that expensive UK drones stop working in the rain.
Chinese must be falling over laughing, making a fortune selling drone tech to both sides in this conflict.
Quoting parts of the article can be misleading only in case the full article's story is substantially different, which is not the case here.
I cut the quote not because the rest of the article contains something I dislike, but because most people won't read overquoted walls of text.
And everyone can see it for themselves, thanks to your full quote.
Speaking of which, you may want to make it shorter too:
Is it a violation of copyright to copy the text of a pay-walled article and paste it into a comment section so people can actually read it?
Answer (1 of 6): Yes, it is. Copyright includes being able to control the distribution of one’s works. In this specific example, theft occurs, as it bypasses the fee.
Quora is not a legal source and the author of that snippet is not an attorney. He seems to have a MSc degree and may be Canadian. Besides, you live in Russia and cannot be extradited for quoting the WSJ. You are quite safe. Putin will protect you.
Moderator Action: Back to news please
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