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From the article: “When you look at what weapons are on top of the Ukrainians’ wish list,” Moulton told me, “it isn’t towed howitzers. Top of their list are arm

From the article: “When you look at what weapons are on top of the Ukrainians’ wish list,” Moulton told me, “it isn’t towed howitzers. Top of their list are armed drones, anti-tank missiles, and anti-ship missiles.” Actually, no! Why is this still being rehashed?? Zelensky specifically requested: artillery, artillery shells, Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, armored vehicles, tanks, air defense systems, and military aircraft. He said: “When some leaders ask me what weapons I need, I need a moment to calm myself, because I already told them the week before. It’s Groundhog Day. I feel like Bill Murray.” (Liberation Without Victory, The Atlantic, https://archive.ph/nz2Da https://archive.ph/nz2Da) And while Javelins, and other missiles, have proven invaluable in taking out armored vehicles, the more effective weapon has been artillery (often targeted with the aid of drones).

greedo 4y ago
Artillery just isn't sexy enough to capture the media's attention. The King Of Battle has knocked out far more vehicles in Ukraine than any ATGMs.
paganel 4y ago
Thank you for this comment, I had to scroll all the way down to read some good-sense (I had made a comment basically identical to yours when it comes to artillery+drones a little earlier). I think it all comes down to the "educated" Western audiences only following this conflict through the eyes of the Western media, which Western media has its own incentives (about which this is not the place to write at length), suffice is to say that their reports don't accurately reflect the situation on the battleground. What does reflect the situation on the battleground is the videos coming from both side (Ukrainian and Russian) which clearly show that artillery (plus cheap commercial drones used as spotters) is bringing in most of the losses. The greatest military Russian defeat [1] in this war until now was the result of artillery and drones, not of javelins, not of any fancy and expensive Western-provided weapons. Later edit: This [2] is good, old artillery in use (in this case by the Russians). There's no javelins nor drones all by themselves that can take those artillery pieces out. [1] https://old.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/uqbam9/new_drone_footage_of_the_failed_russian_bridge/ https://old.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/uqbam9/new_drone_f... [2] https://twitter.com/GirkinGirkin/status/1528738177741201410 https://twitter.com/GirkinGirkin/status/1528738177741201410

greedo 4y ago

Artillery just isn't sexy enough to capture the media's attention. The King Of Battle has knocked out far more vehicles in Ukraine than any ATGMs.

paganel 4y ago

Thank you for this comment, I had to scroll all the way down to read some good-sense (I had made a comment basically identical to yours when it comes to artillery+drones a little earlier). I think it all comes down to the "educated" Western audiences only following this conflict through the eyes of the Western media, which Western media has its own incentives (about which this is not the place to write at length), suffice is to say that their reports don't accurately reflect the situation on the battleground. What does reflect the situation on the battleground is the videos coming from both side (Ukrainian and Russian) which clearly show that artillery (plus cheap commercial drones used as spotters) is bringing in most of the losses. The greatest military Russian defeat [1] in this war until now was the result of artillery and drones, not of javelins, not of any fancy and expensive Western-provided weapons. Later edit: This [2] is good, old artillery in use (in this case by the Russians). There's no javelins nor drones all by themselves that can take those artillery pieces out. [1] https://old.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/uqbam9/new_drone_footage_of_the_failed_russian_bridge/ https://old.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/uqbam9/new_drone_f... [2] https://twitter.com/GirkinGirkin/status/1528738177741201410 https://twitter.com/GirkinGirkin/status/1528738177741201410