Massive Russian Navy Armada Moves Into Place Off Ukraine (updated)
Slava-class CG Marshal Ustinov (Project 1164 055) sighted 2.5 hours ago to the SE of Crete bearing 97° at 15.8kn.
Option to bear north to the Bosphorous or continue eastbound to Cyprus or Syria.
I haven't heard anything about the Russians asking Turkey for permission for either of the Med located Slava class to enter the straights but that remains a possibility. Syria (Tartus) would be a refuel/resupply stop only.
Artillery of the 58th CAA in Crimea located about 25 miles from firing range of Ukraine.
They're not parked. They're in movement order. They can be in firing range in about 2hrs (military convoys/task forces on land and at sea move at the speed of their slowest units).
That's a lot of hell getting ready to rain down on the road to the lower Dnieper bridges.
The Big Red One is in the house.
Abrams tanks of 2nd Battalion, 34th Armored Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, with MAPS navigation system.
Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland.
That's what those C-17's were flying in. The transporter-trailers were probably already in Germany.
They're going to need a lot of white and dark green paint.
General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: mobilization of reservists of 18-60 y.o. starts today according to Presidential decree. (might be too late, but worth the effort anyway)
All Ukrainian citizens in Russia are warned to leave Russia (too late, those people are already hostages).
All Russian diplomats in Ukraine have burned their papers and left the country.
Time/date of this video is unconfirmed but reportedly today in the vicinity of Mariupol.
What can be confirmed is that these are not Russian regulars. This is a separatist armored battalion with elderly T-64's and BMP-1's. Neither vehicle is used by the Russian Army but large numbers are held in reserve stockpiles.
Apologies for the (cut-n-paste) all caps to follow.
NOTAM over Kharkiv, Ukraine up to 16,500 ft "POSSIBILITY OF INTERCEPTION FOR OFFENDERS."
E) TEMPO RESTRICTED AREA CENTERED ON 49580N 036243E
WITH RADIUS 10 KM ACTIVATED.
FLIGHTS OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFT ARE PROHIBITED.
FLIGHTS OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH MAXIMUM TAKE OFF WEIGHT
*That's above shoulder fired SAM and AA gun range. But well within all other SAM ranges.
There is now a 10 mile traffic jam on the E105 highway to Kharkiv from Russia. And it's all Russian Army vehicles.
In western military terms that's the MSR (Main Supply Route).
Video posted tonight from Crimea. Per video author, caption says, "Hundreds of vehicles go to the border with Ukraine."
In the video is a Russian Naval Infantry unit. Surprisingly the 2nd vehicle seen in the video is an elderly PT-76 amphibious tank. Supposedly the Russian Navy only has about 30 of those remaining in service.
Traffic jams are reported in Crimea on the only road leading north into the rest of Ukraine.
(for once the TicTok music is fitting the occasion)
Russia's Speznaz attack on Ukraine Crimea border posts, more missiles onto Mariupol, and lights out in major cities.
This, Mariupol, is not the main attack. It has objectives, but it is a diversion from the center of gravity. What the Germans called the schwerpunkt (main emphasis) is elsewhere.
It's designed to draw Ukrainian reserves away from that schwerpunkt.
Live stream from Kharkov, Ukraine.
Looks like the camera view is from west of the city looking east. Not sure.