Ukraine War Upd. EXTRA: Theiner on ATGMs, Changing Army Culture #4, & War Crimes
Table of Contents 📖
| Topic ID | Topic Title | Timestamp |
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"Drone warfare knowledge and training should also include counter drone warfare and technical support training and security measures. Currently the knowledge skills and equipment for using drones successfully in battle is still scattered around the army - this is suboptimal."
Hello Team!
Jonathan shares his personal experience of receiving stem cell treatment for primary progressive multiple sclerosis in Moscow in 2019. He explains how the treatment works to reboot the immune system. Jonathan acknowledges the excellent care he received but notes the sad impact of the war on others who can no longer access this treatment in Russia.
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Thomas Theiner thread on anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) guidance systems
Thomas explains the different types of ATGM guidance systems:
- Semi-automatic command to line of sight (SACLOS) missiles like TOW, Milan, Konkurs, Metis
- Overfly top attack missiles like TOW-2B and BILL
- Differences between direct attack and overfly top attack modes
- Fire-and-forget systems like Javelin and Spike
- Laser beam riding missiles like the Russian Kornet
When are attacks on civilian infrastructure war crimes?
Jonathan discusses the legal considerations around Russia's targeting of civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. The Geneva Conventions prohibit attacks on civilian objects, but some infrastructure can be considered a valid military objective if it makes an effective contribution to military action. However, the damage to civilians must not be excessive compared to the concrete military advantage. Russia's repeated strikes on energy infrastructure are increasingly hard to justify as military targets. Deliberately spreading terror among civilians is also a war crime.
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Changing Army Culture - Use of civilians and command selection
Continuing his serialization of Lt Col Glenn Grant's article, Jonathan covers:
- Replacing military personnel in non-combat roles with skilled civilians to free up soldiers for frontline duties
- Importance of selecting commanders based on performance and results, not nepotism or corruption
- Splitting responsibilities so army commanders focus either on training or fighting, not both
Procurement and use of drones
The article argues Ukraine needs to completely rethink its Soviet-style defense procurement and engage business leaders and civilian experts. Relying solely on the state conglomerate Ukroboronprom is too slow. Ukraine also needs to centralize its drone warfare capabilities which are currently scattered across the army. Jonathan notes Ukraine has started to implement some of these recommendations.
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Wrap up
Jonathan highlights two of his recent videos/articles:
- A video on his other channel A Tippling Philosopher about how Putin and Russia use religion as a tool
- An article on OnlySky media analyzing the ramifications of Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow and who really benefited
He thanks listeners for their support and engagement.
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