How A British-Made Missile Launcher Helped Keep Vladimir Putin’s Army At Bay
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Telegraph.
This is the sub-title.
The Anglo-Swedish next-generation light anti-tank weapon (NLAW) has achieved cult status in Ukraine.
But not perhaps in Russia! Unless they worship the devil!
Seriously, though, we may be watching the war, which marks the beginning of the end of the tank.
- A general of my acquaintance told me about ten years ago, that tanks were a nightmare for army commanders, unless the terrain was very tank-friendly. He should have known, as he’d once run the Army Survey, which gives geographical information to the British Army.
- Defenders like the jolly Ukrainian in the video in the Telegraph article, will get better missiles and do more damage to tanks.
- Satellites and drones will get more watchful and intelligent and will direct the firepower of defenders to the inch.
- Tanks could get bigger, but then they would be more likely to get stuck.
My only worry, is will the death of the tank, make chemical, biological or nuclear war more likely?
Imagine Peace
This poster has appeared opposite Dalston Junction station.
If you can’t read the two small words underneath, it just says “love, yoko 2022”
Germany Weighs Norway Hydrogen Pipeline To Avoid Russian Energy
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Hydrogen Central.
This the introductory paragraphs.
Germany and Norway are considering building a hydrogen pipeline linking the two nations to reduce Europe’s dependence on Russian energy supplies.
The countries plan to soon conduct a feasibility study on the project that would eventually transport green hydrogen from Norway to Germany, they said after a meeting between German Economy Minister Robert Habeck and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store.
There is a joint statement that gives more details.
Developments like this and lots of wind power in the North Sea and around the UK, are the sort of actions, that could seriously reduce the size of Russia’s oil and gas industry and the money it pays to that group of war criminals like Vlad the Mad and his friends.
Another Song For Ukraine
This one is I think Ukrainian.
Note that Ukrainians tend to pronounce W’s as V’s, so NLAW sounds a bit like love.
Apparently, Volodymyr Zelenskyy serenaded Boris with a version of All You Need Is NLAW.
I asked Google, if the Beatles were popular in Russia and found this article on the BBC, which is entitled Beatles For Sale: The Vinyl Underground In The USSR.
The NLAW is an Anglo-Swedish anti-tank weapon, which is being used successfully by the Ukrainians.
Russians Board International Space Station In Ukrainian Colours
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Russian cosmonauts have arrived at the International Space Station wearing Ukrainian colours, in what appears to be a statement opposing the invasion.
Who do you think, you are kidding, Mr Putin!
A Song For Ukraine
My father was a Cockney, who had a way with poetry.
Sadly, I have none of it to keep me amused in these dark times.
But here’s my simple reworking of the Dad’s Army song.
Who Do You Think You Are Kidding Mr Putin
If You Think We’re On The Run?
We Are The Boys Who Will Stop Your Little Game
We Are The Boys Who Will Make You Think Again
‘Cause Who Do You Think You Are Kidding Mr Putin
If You Think Ukraine’s Done?
Mr Brown Goes Off To Town
On The Eight Twenty-One
But He Comes Home Each Evening
And He’s Ready With His Gun
So Watch Out Mr Putin
You Have Met Your Match In Us
If You Think You Can Crush Us
We’re Afraid You’ve Missed The Bus
‘Cause Who Do You Think You Are Kidding Mr Putin
If You Think Ukraine’s Done?
Others out there can do much better.
The Fruits Of Victory Would Be Ashes In Our Mouth
These words from from President Kennedy’s speech on the Cuban Missile Crisis, seem to be the Russian aim, as they continue to lay waste to Ukraine.
Kennedy was talking about nuclear war, but pictures from Ukraine remind me more of the damage of atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima or from an all-destroying earthquake.
Vlad the Mad will certainly be remembered by history in the same way as Hitler, Pol Pot and Stalin.
I don’t believe in the death penalty, but he is surely the one case, where anybody would make an exception.
I wonder how he would like Hitler’s most feared punishment. Hitler apparently, worried most about being exhibited in a zoo.
Putin And The School
This has just been published by a reader on The Times web site.
To get on the good side of voters, Vladimir Putin goes to visit a school in Moscow to have a chat with the local children. He talks to them about how Russia is a powerful nation and how he wants the best for the people. At the end of the talk there is a Question and Answer session.
Little Sasha puts up her hand and says ”I have 2 questions. “Why did Russia invade the Crimea and why are we amassing troops at the the Ukraine border?”
Putin says ” Very good questions ” but just then the bell goes for lunch break.
When they come back to finish the Q&A section another girl, Misha, puts up her hand and says ”I have 4 questions for you. Why did Russia invade the Crimea and why are we amassing troops at the the Ukraine border? Why did the lunch bell ring 20 minutes early and where the hell is Sasha?”
Someone thought it was a Finnish joke from the time of the Winter War.
But we should certainly unleash the Dogs of Comedy!
Now That’s What I Call A Mission Statement!
This is a paragraph from the Comment in the Business section of today’s times, with the heading of Mission Statement.
Rousing stuff from Astarta, a Ukrainian agri-group listed in Warsaw spanning sugar, milk and soya beans. Having secured extra financing for the “spring planting” season, its latest update underlines a commitment to “maintaining food security and rebuilding the national economy”. The sign-off? Well, not your typical corporate speak: “We believe in the army of Ukraine! We believe in Ukraine! We believe in our Victory!”
Companies love mission statements. Surely, this is one of the best.
Slava Ukraini!
It’s Time We Used Cyber Dark Arts To Foil Putin
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Times, which was written by Edward Lucas.
This is the first paragraph.
Breaking the Kremlin’s grip on the Russian people is the greatest national security priority of our lives. We cannot (or rather, will not) fight the Russian invaders in Ukraine. But we can fight inside Russia, using disruption and subversion to disable the war machine, ideally to the point that the country becomes ungovernable.
He suggests the following.
- Russian speakers could sow doubt about the regime’s lies and brutalities.
- Use the Russian diaspora to contact friends and relatives back home.
- Build and unleash a psychological warfare arsenal against Putin’s cocktail of crimes, lies and secrecy.
- Send condolences to family members for their losses in the war.
- Prepare Nuremberg for war crimes trials.
- Highlight the friendly treatment that Ukrainians give Russian deserters.
- Use wit as a weapon.
Edward Lucas then talks about the antics of Sefton Delmer in World War II. Wikipeda says this about him.
During the war, he led a black propaganda campaign against Hitler by radio from England. It was so successful that Delmer was named in the Nazis’ Black Book for immediate arrest after their planned invasion of Britain.
I suspect he was very good at his job. Two of his weapons were.
Aspidistra, which was a 500 kW radio station.
A daily “grey” German-language newspaper titled Nachrichten für die Truppe (“News for the Troops”). These leaflets were delivered by the USAF.
Edward Lucas says that we should all read Delmer’s autobiography, which is called Black Boomerang, which is now out of print and difficult to find.
Wikipedia gives this explanation of Black Boomerang.
When fighting entered Germany itself, black propaganda was used to create an impression of an anti-Nazi resistance movement.
At the end of the war in Europe, Delmer advised his colleagues not to publicise the work they had been involved in, lest unrepentant Nazis claim (as had been the case after the First World War), that they had been defeated by unconscionable methods, rather than on the battlefield. Consequently, former Nazis were able to claim, without contradiction, that they had assisted the fictitious resistance movement; Delmer described this unintended consequence as a “black boomerang”
Edward Lucas suggests reprinting Black Boomerang.
If someone has a good clear copy, I could possibly arrange it.
Demoralising The Russians
Edward Lucas believes, we can use similar techniques to Delmer to attack the Russians.
But instead of using a massive radio, he proposes using the Internet and its various messaging apps.
I suspect with a bit of arm-twisting Facebook, Twitter, Google, Microsoft et al, could produce a very good list of Russian Internet users.
It might be against the law, but who cares? It’s a war out there, we’re not using the information to physically hurt anybody or steal anything of value.
News For The Troops
I believe we can go one better than Sefton Delmer.
We are dealing with Russians invading and occupying Ukrainian territory, where many of the inhabitants can certainly read Russian.
So could we develop a truthful leaflet, that is delivered across Ukraine to both Russian Troops and the Ukrainian population?
Delivery would be primarily by the Internet, but why not deliver it by drone?
Delivery from say 5000 feet would distribute the leaflets over a wide area.
Could We Go Candy Bombing?
Gail Halvorsen, who died recently was known as the Candy Bomber.
This is the introduction to his Wikipedia entry.
Gail Seymour Halvorsen (October 10, 1920 – February 16, 2022) was a senior officer and command pilot in the United States Air Force. He is best known as the “Berlin Candy Bomber” or “Uncle Wiggly Wings” and gained fame for dropping candy to German children during the Berlin Airlift from 1948 to 1949.
I think, his actions could be copied in Ukraine.
Consider.
- The Ukrainian people are starving in the occupied territories.
- The Russian soldiers aren’t doing much better.
- These days, we can supply nutrition bars instead of sweets.
- Automated drones could deliver them safely from 5000 feet.
- They could be flown on behalf of the Red Cross from over the border in Hungary, Moldova, Poland and Slovakia.
Organised properly, the Russians would have a problem.
- If they let the drones through, the siege will be broken in a small way.
- If they shoot them down, their soldiers won’t get the smallest snack and the Russians will be attacking the Red Cross.
We might lose a lot of drones, but eventually we’ll get the nutrition through, each wrapped in a large dollop of propaganda.
The Anonymous Widower 