Originally Posted By RockNwood:

France rolls up large network of 193 Russian websites full of fake news.

French government agency VIGINUM, which specializes in protection against foreign digital interference, has identified a network of Russian websites aimed at spreading Kremlin propaganda in the West. A… pic.twitter.com/4CWqZaXwMe

Yasmina  (@yasminalombaert) February 13, 2024

A message published on the agency's website notes that this network, codenamed "Portal Kombat," is a "structured and coordinated" grouping aimed at audiences in Europe and the United States.

According to VIGINUM, the network consists of 193 websites that look very similar and present pro-Russian content aimed at Western audiences, especially in countries supporting Ukraine. Some of these sites use the word "pravda" in their domain names, with different extensions depending on the language, such as pravda.en.com for English or pravda.fr.com for French.

Between June 23 and September 19, 2023, more than 150 thousand materials and posts were published on these sites, mostly reposts of content from Russian and pro-Russian media. According to an AFP source from French diplomatic circles, the main goal of the network, codenamed Portal Kombat, was to justify Russia's war in Ukraine. The source also noted that the content of the publications featured "strong ideological bias" and "obviously false or misleading stories."

Originally Posted By RockNwood:
A near forgotten capability voluntarily abandoned unilaterally. We disarm ourselves even while we watch Russia ignore or violate every negotiation for peace. Yet we keep pretending they are a civilized country to be engaged with diplomacy.

One of the great tragedies of the 21st Century is that NATO lost the capability to saturate an area with millions of DPICM bomblets.

In 1989 NATO forces in Germany alone could launch 4,404,960 DPICM bomblets at the russians within 10 seconds of them attacking NATO.
1/4

In total NATO had 326+ millions DPICM bomblets in M26 rockets ready to rain down on the russians.
Today not only have most European countries signed up to the stupid cluster munitions treaty (which was meant to rein in the russians, which then didn't sign it), Western Europe
2/3

Thomas C. Theiner  (@noclador) February 13, 2024

doesn't even produce DPICM ammo anymore... nor do we have the ability to fire it.

We need that capability back!

And duds are no problem nowadays. Modern designs cut the dud rate to 0. So: ditch the treaty & lets get back to having millions of bomblets ready for the russians
3/3

Thomas C. Theiner  (@noclador) February 13, 2024

Originally Posted By AlmightyTallest:
Got another Russian drone operation team.

Reports of passing of an experienced russian FPV operator with call sign "Astap" in Zaporizhzhia direction. He left behind 3,3k followers on his Telegram where he used to post footage of his strikes and long discussions about bad h*h*ls. His companion operator was also taken out. pic.twitter.com/jexiywpJZO

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated) February 13, 2024

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GGP6ktKWYAE6vTx?format=jpg&name=small

Originally Posted By _disconnector_:
God damn.  Now that REALLY brings it home.  Rifle fire everywhere, drones buzzing in, and apparently mortar fire right in the beginning.  

That's some of the most amazing footage I've ever seen . . .

Originally Posted By AlmightyTallest:
Footage of the helicopter hitting the ground.

A Ukrainian Mil Mi-8 (or possibly Mil Mi-24) shot down north of Robotyne by Kornet ATGM fire. pic.twitter.com/QUR2sfndb1

— NOELREPORTS \uD83C\uDDEA\uD83C\uDDFA \uD83C\uDDFA\uD83C\uDDE6 (@NOELreports) February 13, 2024

Discharge petition! What is it?

Normally, House bills have to go through their respective standing committees (House Ways and Means, for example, for taxes), then go through the Rules Committee (RC). The RC is a key committee where House leadership controls what goes to the floor, and how it goes to the floor for a full vote. Every major bill requires a rule that’s set by the RC.

A rule is a resolution governing how bills are brought to the floor (for example, setting how long debate time is, whether amendments can be proposed, etc.). The Special Rule Discharge Petition bypasses almost all of this.

A member of the House introduces a Special Rule Petition to the RC. It sits for 7 legislative days with the RC, and then it can begin to gather member signatures. If the petition reaches a majority — 216 signatures are required instead of the usual 218; there are 4 vacancies — then it sits with the RC for another 7 legislative days.

Once the days have passed, any member who signed the petition can demand a vote on the Special Rule on the House floor. The Speaker must then schedule the vote within 2 legislative days.

Once the Special Rule passes, it’s “discharged” from the Rules Committee. Hence the name “Discharge Petition.”

Upon approval by a majority of the House — 216 or 217 votes depending on when the winner of the NY-3 special election is seated — the underlying bill is automatically brought up for a debate and vote.

Under the Special Rule Discharge Petition, the House will likely pass the Senate bill as-is. That way, it can be immediately sent to the President for signature.

Based on recent polling and the snowstorm, I think Dems flip the NY-3 seat, bringing the Republican majority from 219-212 to 219-213. With House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) frequently absent for cancer treatment, the Republican majority shrinks to 218-213. Ukraine would only need 3 or 4 “defections” if Democrats are united. And there are many more House Republicans than that who support the legislation. Andy Biggs said so himself.

It will pass. Of this, I’m 95% confident.

Originally Posted By lorazepam:

I was talking to some folks that are in a small investment club about the future of drones in warfare, and how much it has/will change warfare, and every one of them was clueless on how drones were being used. It only took a few videos to show them what the score was, and one guy admitted he thought the whole war was just a money laundering scheme, and not actually trench combat, and had no clue russia has lost almost 400,000 troops.
People have the greatest access to information in history, and have less knowledge and awareness than ever.

Originally Posted By Easterner:
Passed pistol qualifications today. Shot 10 rounds at 25 meters for part one. Squeaked by with a 76/100. The second part was "El Presidente" at 7 meters. I had to re-do the second part twice as I was at about 13.5 seconds with a Sig 320. That was only the second time shooting a Sig.

Someone loaned me a Glock 17 for the third attempt which was a 10.13. Passing was under 12 seconds. My Glock 17 is waiting for me in the armory once I get my ID stamped.

Originally Posted By AlmightyTallest:

Strike on Russian ammunition storage, Kreminna front. https://t.co/CKWAPb2x9r pic.twitter.com/IKtzaje9Zz

— Special Kherson Cat \uD83D\uDC08\uD83C\uDDFA\uD83C\uDDE6 (@bayraktar_1love) February 13, 2024

Originally Posted By Tiberius:


Nobody wants to talk about it, probably why you didn’t know. Not a Putin apologist, but the footage of Gaddafi’s messy death is reported to have freaked him out big time…..he thinks we want to do that to him. The Norks refer to it frequently. The most epically stupid act of the Obama Junta and the GOP was and is almost completely silent on it.

Originally Posted By Charging_Handle:


I'm not sure how many reinforcements the Ukrainians have sent/are sending, but it sounds pretty substantial , perhaps a brigade or two. That should be more than enough forces to push back the Russians forces that have seized that little finger of land along the highway.

I honestly wouldn't mind seeing the Ukrainians bring forward several brigades and launch a full-on counterattack into the Russians at Avdiivka. Considering this is the one area where the Russians are on the offensive themselves, it might be the one area of the front that isn't so heavily mined. The Russians in that area have been so whittled down and battered that they have to be ripe for the picking. If one Ukrainian brigade which has held out against the Russians in this area for a year or more could deliver an 11-1 loss ratio on the Orcs, image what a Ukrainian counterattack using multiple fresh brigades would do to them. I hope Syrsky piles on the reserves and stomps Russia's ass at Avdiivka.

Now if our fucking retards in the House will do their fucking job and get Ukraine the $60 billion in military aid they need, perhaps they can do just that!

Originally Posted By Easterner:


Thanks!

Well now I need to get a holster and some pistol mags. Good problem to have. I really didn't like the Sig, but it was ok. I had some familiarity issues with reloading quickly. Glad there are Glocks available.

And thanks again guys. Some recent donations are paying for a truck wheel hub, and getting our welder fixed soon. We spent about 4 hours at the range today plus travel time. It was back to work once we started checking messages. Time is flying here and we literally work 7 days a week. It's good to stay busy. Thanks for helping us keep the gears turning.

Ukrainian military observer Kostyantyn Mashovets reported that Russian forces are attempting to restore maneuver to the battlefield through Soviet deep battle theory but are struggling with implementing Soviet deep battle so far due to current Ukrainian capabilities. Mashovets stated that Russian forces are attempting to implement Soviet deep battle theory for operational planning to rapidly break through Ukrainian defenses but are failing to achieve the effects of Soviet deep battle operations.[3]

Deep battle theory is a product of Soviet operational art developed in the 1920s and 1930s that was designed to restore maneuver to battlefield after World War I by engaging the enemy on multiple fronts and in depth at the tactical and operational levels by attacking enemy assets at all echelons with artillery, airstrikes, and attacks against the enemy’s rear in concert with frontal attacks to penetrate the enemy’s defensive lines.[4] Deep battle theory also posits that successful operational design includes sequenced plans for successive operations to prevent the defender from re-establishing coherent defensive positions following a penetration and its exploitation.[5]

Deep battle theory’s key operational tenets are still valid in modern war, and the Russian military could restore maneuver to the battlefield and overcome Ukrainian defenses if it could successfully plan and execute operationally sound campaigns using deep battle theory. Ukrainian forces could also use deep battle theory to restore maneuver to the battlefield to their advantage if their Western supporters properly resourced them.

Mashovets, however, noted that Russian forces’ current limited capabilities, specifically in conducting effective counterbattery fire, striking targets at operational depth, concealing force concentrations from the enemy, and combating Ukrainian technological parity, are preventing Russian forces from achieving the operational level surprise necessary to break through Ukrainian lines and conduct deep battle operations.[6] Mashovets stated that the Russian military command is failing to implement certain technological innovations into operational planning, including remote mine laying; large scale drone operations; command-and-control; and communications using modern technology.[7]

The current Ukrainian battlefield capabilities that are denying Russian forces the ability to restore maneuver to the battlefield on Russian terms largely depend on the provision of Western military assistance in key systems, many of which only the US can provide at scale. Ukrainian forces currently have advantages in counterbattery technology and medium-to-long-range strike capabilities due to Western-provided military assistance. Western states have provided NATO 155mm artillery systems and ammunition capable of striking targets at longer ranges than Soviet equipment, and superior counterbattery radar systems that have provided Ukrainian forces with targeting advantages.[9]

Western-provided medium- and long-range systems including HIMARS, ATACMS, and Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles have enabled Ukrainian forces to achieve the significant impacts of liberating west bank Kherson Oblast and severely degrading the Russian Black Sea Fleet, among others.[10] Western provided air defense systems have denied Russian forces the air superiority necessary to safely operate aircraft to support Russian offensive operations, including hypothetical deep battle operations.[11]