Get an interesting inside look inside a Ukrainian workshop where they are working on some of the Captured Russian Vehicles. Ukrainian mechanics servicing and repairing vehicles to send them back out to fight.

As of 3/26 Estimates put the number of captured Russian armored vehicles at approx 370 Russian armored vehicles, including 122 tanks, according to the Oryx monitoring site, which only lists equipment losses for which photo or videographic evidence is available. That’s a pretty bad look for the Russian Military. Having your own mech used against you is even worse.

Furthermore as per the Ukrainian Government these are Russia’s estimated losses as of 4/11/22

Below you can see a Abandoned Russian TOS-1 MRL recovered by an Ukrainian tractor

Also Ukrainian SOF reports capturing a Russian Buk-M1 & Buk-M2 SAM systems

Ukraine is converting salvaged Russian PKT machine guns for ground use. There appears to be a car repair shop in Kyiv which is taking in captured and salvaged Russian tank machine guns and adapting them for ground use with an ad-hoc stock and pistol grip assembly. Fascinating ingenuity, but not without historical precedence. 

The Kalashnikov designed PK machine gun is one of the most ubiquitous general purpose machine guns in the world. It was designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov and his team in the late 1950s. We’ve seen a number of PKMs in Ukraine already but another variant, the PKT, has popped up in a couple of interesting pieces of press footage.

The first piece of footage of the workshop surfaced on the 9 March and a France24 report was published on the 16 March. The PKT itself was developed in 1968 to replace the SG-43-derived SGMT. The PKT is primarily used as a coaxial gun on armoured vehicles including the MT-LB, BTR, BMD and BMP series and Russia’s T-72, T-89 and T-90 series of tanks. One thing the Ukrainians have not been short of is captured and abandoned Russian armoured vehicles. The adapted PKTs will probably be used to help equip the Territorial Defence Force battalions which have been raised across Ukraine.

The PKT is solenoid fired, with the gunner pushing a button to fire the gun. This means that it obviously has no pistol grip or trigger assembly but it also lacks sights and a bipod. So when the Ukrainians are salvaging these guns, they are essentially useless for immediate ground use. The footage from the workshops shows that they have developed a simple stock and pistol grip assembly. The stock slides into the trunnion at the rear of the receiver, where the solenoid firing unit normally fits. The pistol grip and trigger mechanism assembly are then pivoted up and secured by a cross pin. There appears to be a simple hook projecting up from the trigger mechanism assembly which trips the sear inside the PKT.

The stock appears to be from a standard PK and the pistol grip is a widely available aftermarket AK-pattern grip which seems to be held in place by a large nut and bolt. To get around the PKT’s lack of sights, the workshop have fitted a scope mount, welded to the left side of the stock assembly. The gun is seen here with what appears to be a thermal optic.

The PKT has a slightly longer barrel at 28.4in (compared to the PKM’s 25.3in), a slightly redesigned gas system and is also heavier at 23lbs. The PKT has a thicker barrel profile. The PKTM has a slightly reinforced receiver but few other differences compared to the PKT.

In the second piece of footage, we see some adapted PKTs with classic AK pistol grips attached to stock assemblies. The pistol grip no longer hangs free but is attached to the stock. The trigger mechanism also appears to have been redesigned. Now when the trigger is pulled an arm protrudes from the stock, it pivots from the top – rather than from the bottom as in the example we saw in the first video. This might suggest that the gun featured in the 9 March footage is the workshop’s initial prototype. If so, they have moved from a relatively crude design to a more sophisticated one in about a week. From the France24 report, it seems the engineers and mechanics had the benefit of some military experience and some technical drawings.

In terms of historical precedent – there is plenty. As long as tanks have had machine guns infantry have been salvaging their guns for ground use. Seen during both world wars and in conflicts around the world. In terms of ad-hoc weapons for home defence forces like the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Force, the British Home Guard during the Second World War were partially equipped with aerial Lewis Guns which were retrofitted with bipods and stocks. The adaptation of PKTs specifically was seen during the Chechen Wars and in 1992 the Nagorno-Karabakh War. Further adaptation have even been seen in Ukraine since 2014.

A kit was reportedly designed by Tula which allowed a PK stock with a rear sight and a pivoting pistol grip to slot into the rear trunnion of the gun. This provided a mechanism to fire the gun and a bipod with a front sight could be fitted. It is unclear if this has ever been fielded.

From the footage, it appears the workshop is also working on adapting NSVTs, the vehicle mounted variant of the 12.7×109mm NSV heavy machine gun. The mechanic lifts an NSVT without its barrel to show a workshop-made pistol grip assembly with some box steel projecting out the rear, perhaps for a stock to be fixed to.

Via Mathew Moss theFirearmsblog

There are just somethings that make you scratch your head say holy “cow”, how did that happen. This is definitely one of those things. One of the most shocking, we did not expect to see that Ukraine War videos we’ve seen so far. Take a look

A Rough translation has been provided, hopefully it’s correct

We’re not sure about the accuracy of the speakers assessment of the situation, but it’s helpful.

See Ukraine Live Streams Here

• How to Store your C-A-T®
• BIG NEWS!!! A NEW CHAPTER BEGINS
• Access Options (IV vs IO)
• The Anatomy of the C-A-T® #bethedifference #beprepared #cattourniquet
• Ray Mears, Bushcraft Fest, Netherlands

Ukraine is seeking security guarantees that are stronger than NATO’s Article 5, David Arakhamia, the leader of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s faction in the parliament and head of the Ukrainian delegation during the ongoing peace negotiations with Russia, said on March 29. Arakhamia was speaking following a round of peace talks with Russia held in Istanbul earlier on that day.

NATO’s Article 5 commits each member state to consider an armed attack against one member state to be an armed attack against them all.

“We insist that this should be an agreement on security guarantees signed and ratified (by parliaments) to avoid repeating the mistake of the Budapest Memorandum,” Arakhamia said.

Under the non-binding 1994 Budapest Memorandum, Russia, the U.S. and the U.K. pledged not to use military force against Ukraine in exchange for it renouncing the nuclear weapons it had obtained from the Soviet Union. Russia violated the memorandum by invading Ukraine in 2014-2022 but the guarantor countries failed to protect Ukraine.

Under the guarantees proposed by Ukraine on March 29, guarantor countries must consult each other within three days after the beginning of military aggression or hybrid war, Arakhamia said. After that, these countries must provide aid to Ukraine by sending troops, supplying weapons and protecting the sky, he added.

Such guarantor countries may include the U.S., the U.K., China, Russia, France, Turkey, Germany, Canada, Italy, Poland, and Israel. Other countries will also be able to join, Arakhamia said. These guarantees should also help Ukraine join the European Union.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an aide to Zelensky’s chief of staff, said the Ukrainian government will sign an agreement on security guarantees only if it’s ratified by a nationwide referendum. A referendum can only be held after Russian troops withdraw from the country, said Fedir Venislavsky, Zelensky’s representative at the Constitutional Court.

According to Podolyak, Ukraine had also proposed holding negotiations with Russia within 15 years on the status of Crimea, which has been occupied by Russia since 2014. The status of Russian-occupied territories in Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts is proposed to be determined during direct negotiations between Zelensky and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, Podolyak added.

Meanwhile, Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation and an aide to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, called the negotiations with Ukraine “constructive.” He said that Russia had decided to reduce its military activities in the direction of Kyiv and Cherhnihiv in northern Ukraine as a result of the talks. However, the announcement came as Ukraine’s forces continue to successfully push Russian troops back in the north.

Medinsky also said that Russia doesn’t object to Ukraine’s potential accession to the European Union.

It is not yet clear when the next round of talks will be held. Podolyak said that the date will be set after Russia reacts to Ukraine’s proposals.

A really solid and in-depth piece by the BBC as whether or not the Ukrainian Azov regiment are Nazis

Like any war, but perhaps more than most, the war in Ukraine has seen a bewildering barrage of claims and counter-claims made by the online supporters of each side. Truth, partial truths and outright lies compete for dominance in the media narrative. Vladimir Putin’s claim that Russia invaded Ukraine to “de-Nazify” the country is surely one of the clearest examples.

The Russian claim that the Maidan revolution of 2014 was a “fascist coup” and that Ukraine is a Nazi state has been used for years by Putin and his supporters to justify his occupation of Crimea and support for Russian-speaking separatists in the country’s east, winning many online adherents.

But the Russian claim is false: Ukraine is a genuine liberal-democratic state, though an imperfect one, with free elections that produce significant changes of power, including the election, in 2019, of the liberal-populist reformer, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Ukraine is, unequivocally, not a Nazi state: the Russian casus belli is a lie. And yet, there is a danger that the understandable desire by Ukrainian and Western commentators not to provide ammunition for Russian propaganda has led to an over-correction — and one that may not ultimately serve Ukraine’s best interests. 

As per Defense intelligence of Ukraine

Translated from their larger Facebook post

“Occupacíjní troops remove and destroy Ukrainian literature and history booksIn the libraries of the temporarily occupied territories of Luhansk, Donetsk, Chernihiv and Sumy regions, the removal of Ukrainian historical and artistic literature that does not match the Kremlin propaganda posts. Russian “military police” units are involved for this. Currently, besides repressive, they perform so-called “ideological functions”.The greatest interest of the police are caused by books on the history of Ukrainian Maidanív, ATO/OOS, the history of Ukrainian liberation competitions. School textbooks of Ukrainian history, scientific and popular historical literature are related to “extremist” literature.The occupants have a whole list of those forbidden to mention names. Among them: Mazepa, Petlyura, Bandera, Shukhevich, Chornovil. In the cities of Kreminna, Rubízhne (Lugansk region), Grodno (Chernihiv region) there are known cases of removal of the book “The Case of Vasyl Stus” by Vakhtanga Kipiani.Found books are either removed, destroyed on the spot or taken out in an unknown direction.In Starobílsk Lugansk Oblast, the Russian Occupation Administration holds measures to implement the circulation of Russian rubles to calculate in stores and in markets.Also Putin’s troops are trying to place the occupation administration. Patriots and participants of ATO/OOS are being searched.The local population was given a directive to collect documents, such as for the purpose of issuing pension insurance.”

Original post here: https://www.facebook.com/DefenceIntelligenceofUkraine/posts/277500277894733

Developing Story:

Remind you of Hitler Much?

Breaking: Being reported by the Kyiv Independent

“Russia uses white phosphorus bombs in Hostomel and Irpin. Russian forces targeted Kyiv’ suburbs with phosphorus bombs on the night of March 22, according to Irpin Mayor Oleksandr Markushin. The use of such weapons against civilians is banned by the Geneva Conventions.”

Israel opened a field hospital in Ukraine on Tuesday, flying in several tons of equipment as well as medical staff from major Israeli medical centers.

The hospital was officially opened in an elementary school campus the western Ukraine town of Mostyska as Israeli and Ukrainian anthems played and the flags of the two nations were raised.

The hospital was named “Kochav Meir” (“Shining Star”), after the Ukrainian-born Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir. Meir was also the founder of the Foreign Ministry’s Agency for International Development Cooperation aid program, which is leading the field hospital project together with the Health Ministry and Sheba Medical Center.

“We are certain that this ‘Shining Star’ will light the path during these difficult times in Ukraine,” embassy charge d’affaires Yoav Bistritsky said.

Over the past few days, 17 tons of equipment and medical teams from Israel have arrived at the site.

Israel has given more than 120 tons of humanitarian aid to Ukraine since the fighting began.

The field hospital cost more than $6.5 million and will remain active for at least a month. It has an emergency ward, a delivery ward and several other departments to treat fleeing Ukrainians.

via Deborah Brand – Breitbart

A collection of extraordinary, brutal and sad photos of the Invasion of Ukraine by Russia – Photos Via AP NEWS