Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Vic Van Meter]

Those are D-74s, the barrel is too small to be an 85mm. Of course, it's probably surplus which means that ammo is practically unavailable, training will be minimal (even considering national service) and they are useless in a city environment. Frankly, they'd be better off using grapeshot. All in all, more a visible threat than an actual one, and the BTR barricades are better at doing what needs to be done than a couple of howitzers.

e/ Apparently they are decorative pieces pulled from display outside a barracks. Unless the barrel has been poured shut they could technically be made into 122mm shotguns, although I wouldn't want to crew one.

They'd probably be better off getting a sewer pipe, anchoring it to the ground, and packing it full of gunpowder and screws.  Homemade mortar tubes and grapeshot straight out of the anarchist's cookbook.

[Iwan Terpalen]

They'd probably be better off not actually escalating what's already a violent riot into wholesale slaughter.

[Vic Van Meter]

They'd probably be better off not actually escalating what's already a violent riot into wholesale slaughter.

Looks like they took your advice.  I wonder if/how long this will last...

BBC:  Ukrainian president and opposition sign early poll deal

[Esna Pitoojee]

Those are D-74s, the barrel is too small to be an 85mm. Of course, it's probably surplus which means that ammo is practically unavailable, training will be minimal (even considering national service) and they are useless in a city environment. Frankly, they'd be better off using grapeshot. All in all, more a visible threat than an actual one, and the BTR barricades are better at doing what needs to be done than a couple of howitzers.

I considered the D-74 as well, but it's a large 122mm piece with over-barrel recoil compensation pistons that these lack and a considerably wider muzzle brake.

e/ Apparently they are decorative pieces pulled from display outside a barracks. Unless the barrel has been poured shut they could technically be made into 122mm shotguns, although I wouldn't want to crew one.

Well, "seized from government forces" in the broadest possible sense of the term, I guess.

[Gaven Lok ri]

I don't think the opposition leaders are actually leaders of the maidan movement. So not exactly optimistic.

[Sofia Roseburn]

I considered the D-74 as well, but it's a large 122mm piece with over-barrel recoil compensation pistons that these lack and a considerably wider muzzle brake.

There's another photograph of them with the tyres off and recoil compensators present.

[Morwen Lagann]

Seeing this before and after of Independence Square makes me feel ill.

[Aldrith Shutaq]

Eh, it's the march of human history. Good times, bad times, rebuild, fall again. I personally think it has some beauty in it.

[Nmaro Makari]

News from my copy of todays "The Times".

- 60 Demonstrators have been shot and killed in Independence Square, allegedly by rooftop marksmen from security services. The largest single loss of life in Europe since the Madrid bombing.

- 70 Police Officers taken hostage by protesters.

- A truce declared on Wednesday seems to have totally melted with this new violence.

- EU officially freezes accounts of government leaders, among other sanctions.

- Ukranian Parliament approves a resolution condemning the violence and urging the police and armed forces to return to barracks. Most ruling party MPs boycott the session, though 30 vote in favor.

- Russia will not hand over any part of a $16 billion aid package until the President restores order. Russian prime minister Medvedev says they will not give money to a leadership that lets it's opposition walk over it "like a doormat"

- The city of Lviv officially declares itself independent of the central government.

- Also rumors abound among protesters of Russian-led "snatch squads" targeting protest leaders.

Also from the BBC (Some updates that were obviously not in the daily newspapers here, will likely feature in tomorrow's editions)

Ukrainian president and opposition sign early poll deal

Ukraine President Yanukovych agrees to early election

European, Russian press split on Ukraine events

Russian ambassador: Protests 'resemble attempted coup'

Ukraine, as viewed from Moscow

Ukraine crisis: EU's Ashton welcomes presidential election deal

Ukraine crisis: MP on parliament's 'historic day' (NOTE: Change in the law from this session may lead to the release of Yulia Tymoshenko)

[Morwen Lagann]

Eh, it's the march of human history. Good times, bad times, rebuild, fall again. I personally think it has some beauty in it.

Not necessarily ill in the sense you probably thought I meant, Aldrith.

Seeing the burning tires is making me literally feel ill because I know what it smells like. :\

[Vic Van Meter]

Eh, it's the march of human history. Good times, bad times, rebuild, fall again. I personally think it has some beauty in it.

Not necessarily ill in the sense you probably thought I meant, Aldrith.

Seeing the burning tires is making me literally feel ill because I know what it smells like. :\

Been behind some smokescreens?

Most of that is just the soot residue from the smoke, so I'm sure a little spit-shine will scrub it off.  It'll probably be a little more difficult to get the sheen back on their (I'm assuming) gold leaf on their rotunda.  It's a pretty effective strategy, though, using tire fire, at least to stop the authorities.  Water won't put it out if you can't cool the rubber down enough, the smoke is thick and acrid so you can't see through it, and it pretty much makes operating anywhere near it nigh unendurable.

And considering the estimated billion cars all wearing their tires out slowly in a miniature version of that, it's invisibly hanging around all your major cities.  Also makes you wonder what kind of chemicals are released into the water supply when people do that.  The sulfur content of the water alone must have more than doubled because of those fires.  I guess it's not routine to drink tap water these days anyway.

I think I'm off topic a bit.

[Gaven Lok ri]

Totally unsurprised that signs are pointing to protesters not accepting the deal that the politicians came up with.

The vigil at the square last night: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BhBd5WEIEAArXmJ.jpg

[Nmaro Makari]

Tymoshenko has been released and addressed crowds in Kiev earlier, most pundits seem to think this fundamentally changes the equation.

For the moment, the blood seems to have stopped flowing, and Yakunovich has flown like a bird, presently it is not known where.

[Gaven Lok ri]

Yeah, its increasingly looking like its moved into successful revolution territory.

[orange]

Yeah, its increasingly looking like its moved into successful revolution territory.

Next question is what is the status of the 20th Guards Army and 1st Air and Air Defense Command.   I am really curious what the Western Military Districts units are currently doing.