Scraping the bottom of the barrel? – TTG

Russia’s KH-55 cruise missile

Russia is launching cruise missiles with dummy nuclear warheads at Ukraine – evidence that the enemy’s stockpile of cruise missiles is running so low that it is dipping into its strategic reserves, Ukrainian military analysts Defense Express wrote on November 17.

Defense Express, citing its own sources, reported that one of these two enemy missiles was of the Kh-55 type, which had no warhead at all. Instead of a warhead, a block was “screwed” into this missile, which acted as an imitator of a nuclear warhead. “Simply put, for this strike, the orcs (Russians) took at least one Kh-55 from their ‘nuclear arsenal’, ‘unscrewed’ the nuclear warhead from this missile and replaced it with an empty ‘block’, and then fired it at Ukraine,” the experts said.

Such actions by the Russians may have several explanations, Defense Express said. The Russian military involved in the preparation and execution of the next attack simply took the orders “from above” to ensure the massive use of cruise missiles on November 17. That’s why the X-55 with a dummy nuclear warhead was used. But even this option indicates that the stockpile of cruise missiles in the Russian Federation is being depleted to a level critical for the Kremlin, since they have started using missiles from the “nuclear arsenal.” Another possible explanation is that the Russians deliberately used the Kh-55 with a dummy nuclear warhead to add to the mass attack in order to overwhelm Ukraine air defenses.

“Indeed, this really fits the Rashists’ (Russian fascists) style – to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut. But even this option shows even more vividly that the Russian missile stockpile is running out,” the experts said. The Russian invaders were forced to use the Kh-55 for the strike, because the stocks of the newer winged Kh-101, specifically for the conventional warhead (the option for delivering nuclear weapons has the designation Kh-102) are running out.

Defense Express, citing its own sources, reported that during the attack on Nov 15, a Russian Kh-101 that was manufactured in the third quarter of 2022 was shot down. Given that usually older missiles are fired before newer ones, this may also indicate Russian stocks of missiles are extremely low.

https://english.nv.ua/nation/russia-fired-cruise-missile-with-dummy-nuclear-warhead-indicating-shortage-of-weapons-50285029.html

Comment: Given what I’ve seen of Ukraine’s capacity for regeneration, Russia’s cruise and ballistic missiles are not going to fulfill Putin’s dreams of a renewed greater Russia. We may soon see if the mullahs’ missiles will come to Putin’s aid. The Iranian missiles are good, but will the developing Ukrainian A2/AD capability be enough to keep them at bay?

TTG 

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68 Responses to Scraping the bottom of the barrel? – TTG

  1. cobo says:

    Dude, if I were a high school kid in Russia taking shop classes I’d be like: teacher, teacher, in Wood Shop, I’m gonna Carve a wooden block for the fake nuclear warheads you’ll need to terrorize Ukraine, then, in Metal Shop I’ll be all teacher, teacher I’m gonna Sandcast the fake nuclear warheads you’ll need to terrorize Ukraine, and then, in Auto Shop, I’ll be all like, teacher, teacher I’m gonna grab those spare gears and things that we couldn’t figure out where they went when we rebuilt that Chevy, you can use them for the fake nuclear warheads you’ll need to terrorize Ukraine.

    • Fourth and Long says:

      Dear Cobo,

      Kindly forgive me for capitalizing your anonymity preserving cognomen, for I am (not my real name) a being who refers, when I condescend to donning manifestations which allow me to frequent cafeterias, to the example generously provided for me when I managed to overhear the conversation between a galley servant and one of our nation’s most eminent philosophers when he refused to allow the terminology “sloppy joe” to be postulated by means of speaking and courteously advised “Madame, thank you ever so kindly, but allow me then if you will to confirm that I prefer to be served an Untidy Joseph.” Ever since that day the misuse of language in a way that assaults the dignity or hurts the feelings of residents suffering in my creator’s impossible to improve paradise with so much as an offhand derogatory reference to the haute cuisines of my nation’s people’s have become torturously impossible to tolerate. Therefore in the future, if you must try to communicate your improvisational thoughts on a noble subject, kindly consider the terminology “Certified Instructional Facility for the Advancement of Industrial Arts Education” rather than the retired, and in the opinion of my mentor though I cannot any longer acsertain it with certainty term “Shop,” which is also so frequently used as a verb and and to indicate an activity found immensely enjoyable, and profitable, and is commented upon in the archives to which I have access, as very demeaning to a wide variety of individuals, and in fact therefore even a bit confusing to our younger generations. With philanthropic high regard as always,

      ——-

      And then the deciphered message broke off. But our forensic digital engineers were not so confused as to keep themselves from hinting that it may have been signed by a man who refers to himself in other incompletely yet understood fragments of this missive as “Old Nick.”

      Cobo, I hope you are not in arrears as to the methods by which we constantly refamiliarize ourselves with the innumerable names and aliases of the infernal Sorcerer and Demonic Corruptor of all Creation as to need to be reminded that although the message above may in fact prove to be a result of improperly scrutinized etheric signals for which we as is always our practice opened an investigation, it is likely not an entirely unworthy supposition to expect that it may in fact be genuine.

      • LeaNder says:

        F&L, Cobo may be trying to figure out what the orcs, the Rashists could possibly have used instead of the real appropriately screwed ‘nuclear warhead’.

        In other words, what exactly is the “empty block” or “dummy nuclear warhead” or the “block” screwed into the missile in place of the “unscrewed” nuclear warhead?

        Empty? It cannot explode? Cannot be, since it’s meant to be used to substitute at least one of the missing conventional missiles? Or they know Putin only keeps checks of the launches, not of the hits? He would have noticed if one was/y were missing.

        See my scenario below:

        Putin ordered the army to launch, let’s say, x missiles into Ukraine, but the people thus ordered only have one missile less to use. All they have left are nuclear headed ones. Thus, obeying orders, they unscrew the nuclear head and screw a dummy/block head in.

        Or would the authors allow for a slightly different scenario. Actually, about 25 of those x missiles used were re-engineered kh-55’s. They simply have found only one of those dummy/block headed ones yet.

        Or Cobo already found a way to deal with the shortage, kids can create the dummy-block-heads.

        • Fourth and Long says:

          Leander,,

          Cobo is a master of impish deception, and a consistently devious consulting conspirator unable to grace existence with apologies to me worthy of the infernal causes to which I have devoted my considerable immortal life energies to opposing with the unmentionably large apparatuses I retain easily within my grasp till this day.

          Nevertheless we now have at least to thank a graciously enough remaining shard of his research efforts, which in fact didn’t forget to overlook that in his obsessive determination to ridicule and assault the feelings of specialists in the instruction of Industrial Arts, he managed not to conceal from your powers of discovering evidence that the word “empty” was what he was using to alert us all along to the daunting threat concealed within it’s first three letters. For this I thank you, and in fact have decided to cancel for now his appointment with our departments of Inquisition, though by that name they did alas aquire a forlorn mood due to its scandalous treatment by revisionist men of letters.

          That you have underlined his sketchy amatuerish foray into reasoning in this way, speaks very highly of you, in my opinion.

          • cobo says:

            Fourth and Long,

            I learned long ago not to fear my Metal CIFftAoIA Teacher. He was a very big man, and I was dating his daughter, and she was very pretty. “…a master of impish deception, and a consistently devious consulting conspirator…” Thank you for this.

          • Bill Roche says:

            FnL; your first three sentences say so much.

  2. Peter Hug says:

    Frankly, I think in the end this will turn into a race between Western manufacturing capacity and Russian stocks of military consumables. I suspect consumption rates on both sides are far higher than anyone expected or planned for.

    • TTG says:

      Peter Hug,

      You’re right. Logistics manuals are due for an updating in all militaries.

      • Peter Hug says:

        I think we all need to start making fewer of the cool nifty toys, and a lot more of the nuts-and-bolts stuff. We don’t need 363 M142s if we only have 50,000 total GMLRS total (that probably is a global total), and a manufacturing capacity of 9,000 a year (they’re ramping that up, but still…). That’s pretty much just a PR stunt.

  3. d74 says:

    KH55, old (1971-1976), slow, obsolete, outdated, largely amortized and not expensive: a good decoy to fool the defense.

    Maybe Russian humor. Simulated armament for simulated victories.

    • TTG says:

      d74,

      The KH-55 entered active service in 1983. The SM model entered in 1987 and is still in service. It was used in Syria along with more modern missiles. Using decoy missiles is not a bad idea, but using only is ineffective. The Iskander-M has decoys integrated into the design. A good idea, but they don’t seem to be that effective in Ukraine.

      Soviet control of their nuclear arsenal was tight as it should be. The Ukrainians tried like hell to break the codes before they finally gave them back to Russia. This little switcheroo incident doesn’t speak well for that tight control.

      • LeaNder says:

        This little switcheroo incident doesn’t speak well for that tight control.

        Haven’t read the whole article you link to, but the third paragraph of the passages you cite start promising,
        Such actions by the Russians may have several explanations, Defense Express said.
        but ends disappointing.

        D74’s response thankfully adds some missing explanations. I could add one or the other too. 😉

        Not saying your and the Defense Express’ hopes are unjustified.

        Should Russia have given the nuclear codes to the Ukrainians, leave them their share of nukes, like some ships in Sevastopol? Would it have helped them to keep Russia at bay today? Possibly.

  4. Bill Roche says:

    TTG: a deal for Iranian missiles is “Faustian”. Our Mother Russia of the Holy Orthodox and one true Faith can not expect Muslim Iranians to sell missiles for just the price off the shelf? Iran thinks locally. What around a 700 mile perimeter of Iran can the Mullahs want from Putin. Both countries went into this w/eyes wide open.

  5. blue peacock says:

    A desperate Vladimir Putin will seek to massively boost mobilisation by sending more troops to fight in Ukraine, and impose martial law in many Russian cities, it was forecast today. Yet the draconian moves could trigger a coup from within the elite even before his ‘poor health’ incapacitates him, says one expert. And he is now using body doubles who are so like him, it is impossible to tell the difference, it is claimed. The 70-year-old Kremlin leader – who is believed to be suffering from cancer and possibly other ailments – is actively discussing a new forced enlistment to swell yet further the size of the Russian army fighting in Ukraine. Putin’s new scheme comes as Russian troops were forced to pull back from the strategic stronghold of Kherson last week as Ukrainian forces reentered to liberate the city. The Russian president has already drafted 360,000 on top of his one million strong regular army, yet the results have remained poor.

    But the New Year is likely to see another massive call-up as he raids offices and factories for what critics see as cannon fodder. One theory is that he will want to persuade Russians they are fighting a ‘popular war’ to protect their country’s existence against a threat from the West. Putin-watcher Valery Solovey, a former professor at Moscow’s prestigious Institute of International Relations [MGIMO], a training school for spies and diplomats, said: ‘With a high degree of probability, the second stage of mobilisation will be announced after the New Year celebrations…’ It will be ‘more comprehensive than the first.’ Martial law is also set to be imposed more widely than the areas of Ukraine annexed by Putin where it currently applies. General SVR Telegram channel stated a ‘second wave’ of mobilisation may be imposed ‘simultaneously with the declaration of martial law in Moscow, that is, the second half of January or February.’

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11446749/Putin-announce-massive-new-mobilisation-martial-law-desperate-move.html

    While this is an opinion piece and there’s no way of knowing if this is just speculation or based on some facts, the reality is that the Russian “superpower grade” military can’t seem to beat back the Ukrainian army. This is not what Putin expected, when he ordered the invasion of Ukraine. The Ukrainian army from the defeat of the Russian invasion force attempting to topple Kiev to Kharkiv and now Kherson, has shown not only grit and fighting spirit but also battlefield innovations. Hopefully, the US military nerds are studying all this so they don’t get into a similar jam in the future.

    What is the end game for Putin? Zelensky & the West appear to keep at it, focused on the actual performance on the battlefield.

    • LeaNder says:

      As there will be no end of weaker enemies to fight ‘in the future’?
      Hopefully, the US military nerds are studying all this so they don’t get into a similar jam in the future.

  6. Yeah, Right says:

    You know, a photo of the wreckage showing the dummy warhead would have been nice, rather than a stock photo of a missile on a trolley.

    Because as it is their falls into the “trust me, would I lie to you” category.

    Simple question: has the volume of cruise missile attacks dropped off?

    I believe the answer is “No”, which rather suggests this article is drawing an erroneous conclusion from dubious information.

    • TTG says:

      Yeah, Right,

      These missile attacks come in fits and spasms, never a continuous campaign to achieve a definitive goal. This ineptness and/or inability to follow through gives Ukraine time to recover. Weeks ago, when the first massive attack was launched, I noted that if this pace was continued nightly for several weeks, Ukraine would be in serious trouble. Russia either can’t or won’t engage in a competent air campaign.

      • Yeah, Right says:

        Sorry, but your retort is a non-sequitor.

        I asked if the volume of cruise missile attacks dropped off, and I am quite correct to point out that they have not.

        There is no sign of them running out of missiles.

        That they aren’t **using** those missiles in the way that you would use them is another issue altogether.

        That may or may not be an interesting issue (to be honest, it is not) but it is nonetheless a completely DIFFERENT issue that has absolutely no bearing whatsoever on the issue of whether or not the Russians are running short of missiles.

      • Jake says:

        In my opinion you are mistaken. These attacks come in waves exactly to allow the Ukrainians to repair nodes previously destroyed. Destroying them again will eventually leave Ukraine without the parts they need, while providing valuable insight into the resilience of the network itself, to destroy it entirely without the need to bomb nuclear plants and dams, which would have far reaching consequences beyond the scope of what Russia appears to be after. Moreover, time is on their side.

        To state that Ukraine is not in serious trouble right now, makes me wonder if you have the full picture? With the electricity nodes in tatters, service degraded, and about to break down completely, with winter approaching, Russia is now going after the natural gas distribution stations, and it destroyed the factory producing turbines for that purpose, as well as engines for aircraft, drones and helicopters, after Ukraine nationalized the plant, kicking out Chinese investors, inadvertently ‘green lighting’ an attack on that part of the military industrial complex, ironically.

        If I’m not mistaken you are focussed way too much on territorial gains as a measure of deciding who is winning, and who is losing. After the Russians declare victory, if Ukraine and NATO refuse to talk things over and find a diplomatic solution, there will still be a country called Ukraine. It will be buried under a truckload of debt, as a liability for the banking-system in the NATO-countries, if it still exists by then. FTX is not the last domino to fall in the financial services sector, and it is dragging the buying power of individuals and funds with it. Pretty soon entire nations will go bankrupt since a ‘lender of last resort’ is no longer available. Replacing the Dollar and the Euro with a system based on ‘social credit’ is not my idea of winning.

        Which begs the question how much of your personal wealth and income are you prepared to donate to this cause of enlarging NATO and ‘Davos’? Or do you fail to see the connection?

        • TTG says:

          Jake,

          “If I’m not mistaken you are focussed way too much on territorial gains as a measure of deciding who is winning, and who is losing. ”

          Territorial gains are how Ukraine defines her goal in this war… to remove all Russian troops from all Ukrainian territory. The goal is not to destroy Russia, invade Russia, depose Putin or even destroy the Russian armed forces. However, they are focusing on destroying Russian capability to wage war on Ukrainian territory and they’re going about this task professionally and successfully.

          • Jake says:

            Alright, I understand what you are saying. But this narrow perspective does exclude the desired outcome of other parties involved. Not only the Russians, and the people in the DPR and LPR, which held out for eight years after this blatant anti-democratic coup, or those on the Crimea peninsula who voted in favor of joining the Russian Federation back in 2014, but most prominently the NATO-countries backing this Ukrainian effort. Not because they give a hoot about Ukraine, or the Ukrainian people. And I’m not talking about the ‘Average Joe’, or myself, but those designing the strategy of this organization after its defensive purpose morphed into a desire to become the police-force of a globalist Hegemon, after the ‘End of History’ was declared.

            Unlike most people on these pages, by the looks of it, I came to understand that Ukraine is being used, and as I look at the military developments, and how NATO-aligned commentators are struggling with the cold, hard facts, needing tons of ‘spin’ to keep the narrative from falling apart, and as NATO’s strategy, as I came to understand it from before the outbreak of war, ran aground when their well prepared economic warfare failed miserably, and Russia refused to conquer all of Ukraine, which would have exposed the Russians to ‘Stay Behind’ operatives, my conclusion was, and is, that Ukraine was thrown under the bus. They’ve been used as a pawn on a geo-strategic chessboard, and are now totally dependent on NATO to just keep going. Russia, supported by what some commentators call the ‘Global South’, has set its goal at stopping NATO expansion, and reconstructing a multipolar world, where people, not ‘Think Tanks’ have the final say, and culturally diverse countries work together towards prosperity, however they wish to define that for themselves. The western NATO-countries insist on advancing Globalist Rule of a ‘Financial’ elite, using ‘Climate Religion’, ‘Gender Madness’ and ‘Identity Politics’ as a diversion, honestly believing that the people will be happy when they own nothing, but will receive what they need when they behave. And Ukraine is ‘lost in translation’ somewhere in the Middle Ages, dreaming of resurrecting former might fed by some horrendous nationalistic dogma which considers humans as tools to be used in order to achieve ‘Greatness’ based on heroism most people identify with computer games and soccer matches these days.

            In short: NATO miscalculated, and Ukraine never had a chance to begin with, or so it seems to me. And soon Ukrainians will find out for themselves that they were played like a fiddle, and they will turn around and bite the hand that fed it. I’m seeing desperate moves to force NATO’s hand, with NATO crammed between a rock and a hard place. If they commit, they will have to go nuclear, end terminate human life. And if they withdraw they will have to face furious extremists they trained themselves. Does that sound familiar?

          • cobo says:

            Jake,

            I would like to deliver a more detailed response, but it seems to run, again, over terrain long covered. Please go to a mirror and watch yourself read and reread what you’ve written. Or just recite, blah, blah, blah… same ole propaganda, same ole, same ole…

  7. Bill Roche says:

    Can’t say the guy has no balls, well that is, as long as he is playing with someone else’s.
    Full mobilization and possibly another 300M or even 500M troops into Ukraine will be the signal to involve Slavs from neighboring states to send in fighters. Expect a division or so of troops from Poland to Bulgaria into Ukraine against Russia. Swedes, Finns, and Austrians (too) will send material. To do less admits to Russian superiority and hegemony over Europe’s east. I don’t think that will be acceptable in 2023. I’ve told anyone who would listen that the Russian objective is to restore the Russian Empire.

    • borko says:

      You keep calling for “Balts and Slavs and Finns” to intervene directly. Strangely, you don’t mention US troops.

      There are already thousands of volunteers from all over the world, including many from Poland and even Belarus and Russia. With the steady supply of material and training from the West the Ukrainians are beating the Russians back.

      Why give Russia what it wants by sending NATO troops in and escalate this into WWIII ?

      • Pat Lang says:

        Russia wants WW3? I don’t think so.

        • borko says:

          It doesn’t want a nuclear exchange, but at this point NATO troops inside Ukraine, directly fighting Russians would give them the opportunity to tell their people and the rest of the World: “You see, it is not Ukraine we are fighting, but NATO”. It would use this to justify its recent losses and further mobilize its population and economy. China and Iran would certainly take notice.

          WW3 does not necessarily mean a nuclear armageddon, although I would not like to test this theory at all.

          What we have now is an alliance of some 30+ countries engaged in an economic war with Russia. In addition, we are sending money and weaponry, providing military training, allowing thousands of its citizens to go to Ukraine to fight Russia, possibly even elements of their regular armies, etc.

          Maybe someone smarter can provide a definition for a world war, but I’d say we have come pretty close.

      • Bill Roche says:

        The US has already fought in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, has spec opns in the Philippines, and East Africa, and pays most of the cost for NATO. Don’t you think the Europeans should be able to have some fun too? Or do you think the US should hog it all? Sharing is caring.

        • borko says:

          Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan ? Seriously ?

          No, Europe doesn’t need that kind of fun. We did take a few million refugees that were the result of that “fun”.

          We are taking millions of refugees again, not to mention financial cost, because Viki Nuland had some fun back in 2014. But, hey… F the EU she said.

          • Bill Roche says:

            Nuland, a modern provacateur, wasn’t born when the Russo/Ukr War began. Ukrainian freedom, the last European independence movement, has been a European problem since 1914. I admit for some it is difficult to remember but Ukraine d/n invade Russia. Russia invaded Ukraine.

          • borko says:

            BR

            Iraq didn’t invade the US either. Neither did Syria.
            Syria would really like its oil fields back, along with half its territory.

            As for Ukraine, again, I object to your repeated calls for “Balts and Slavs and Finns” to initiate a direct military conflict with a country with 6000 nukes.

          • Bill Roche says:

            Borko if Ukraine’s neighbors (Finns, Balts, and Slavs) should not help her stay free of Russia who do you propose? As to Syria and Iraq, u r rite, they d/n invade the US and I was opposed to US invasion of both those countries. What does that have to do w/Russia’s invasion of Ukraine?

          • borko says:

            Bill Roche

            you’re the one that brought up Iraq and Syria as something the US did and Europe should follow and have similar fun.

            IMO, Russia needs to be resisted in this invasion and Ukraine’s neighbors have been helping from the start in many ways. And we will continue to do so.

            But for you this is not enough. You wish us to start sending divisions into Ukraine to fight the Russians. I’ll be polite and won’t use Nuland’s words to tell you what most of us here in the central/eastern parts of Europe think about that fascinating idea.

          • Bill Roche says:

            Nuland’s opinion of the UN may be similar to Russia’s opinion of her neighbors. When the Russians come for the rest of eastern Europe, there will be no one left to help them. Maybe Putin has well assessed the eastern European mind. Pity some one didn’t tell the Ukrainians they were still serfs.

          • borko says:

            BR

            It is pretty evident that Putin and his clique assessed very few things correctly.
            European countries that emerged from the communism are wary of outside forces imposing destructive policies on them.
            They will resist Russia’s bulls**t as well as Brussel’s. Judging by what you wrote here, you’re not our friend either.

  8. Grimgrin says:

    https://turcopolier.com/russian-guided-weapons-miss-the-mark-us-defense-officials-say-ttg/

    “They’re scrounging for stuff to throw at Ukraine. A couple more months of this and they’ll be breaking out the catapults and trebuchets. ” – May 10, 2022

    It’s a hell of a barrel the Russians have apparently. Now, I don’t believe catapults and trebuchets was meant literally, but you will forgive me for some skepticism. Why are the Russians running out now, when based on what seems to be similar evidence, they didn’t run out in June/July?

  9. jim ticehurst.. says:

    I Just read a News Story about Elon Musk Starlink His latest Back of Satellite’s
    after Thier Lauch and Orbit..China :Launched a Long March Rocket with a So Called Sattelite to monitor oceans..The Rocket then Blew Up Above Starlink and is descending in about 40 Pieces..They are real Concerns they will Going Through and Take Out The Star link Sats..Which may Effect Ukraine ability to Get GP Data,,
    JT

    • Peter Hug says:

      Starlink’s system currently has over 3000 satellites. I’m not sure that 40 Chinese rocket bits (even they all were somehow targeted to and hit a Starlink satellite – and they’re not) would make much of a difference.
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starlink

      • TTG says:

        Peter Hug,

        The danger lies in a possible chain reaction. One or two satellites are hit causing more debris in the Starlink LEO which may then hit more satellites causing more debris. The danger is that eventually that orbit is crowded with satellite killing debris. The good news is that even with 3,000 satellites, there’s still a lot of empty space in that orbit.

  10. jim ticehurst.. says:

    I found the story again about Starlink..It was in The South China Morning Post o
    Tuesday November 15th.. Interesting that they claim this has Recently happened Twice While The Rocket was Dumping Fuel..and Reports They is Strong Pressure in China to take Out Starlink,,For Self Defense Concerns..
    JT

  11. jim ticehurst.. says:

    Perhaps Its Meant to Be Intimidation..Clear Signal..Nukes..The Threat is always There..

    Showdown..Waterloo…or More of the Rider on The Black Horse,,??
    JT

  12. Yeah, Right says:

    I’ve just wasted 20 minutes of my life reading the article that TTG linked to, and as ever the sting is always to be found right at the very end of the article.

    Here, read this:
    “The Russian invaders were forced to use the Kh-55 for the strike, because the stocks of the newer winged Kh-101, specifically for the conventional warhead (the option for delivering nuclear weapons has the designation Kh-102) are running out.”

    Got that? The presence of a Kh-55 indicates that the Russians have running low on missiles.

    Obviously so, because if given a choice the Russians would use the new missiles in preference to the old missiles.

    Then, in the very next paragraph:
    “Defense Express, citing its own sources, reported that during the attack on Nov. 15, a Russian Kh-101 that was manufactured in the third quarter of 2022 was shot down. Given that usually older missiles are fired before newer ones, this may also indicate Russian stocks of missiles are extremely low.”

    Got that? The presence of a Kh-101 indicates that the Russians are running low on missiles.

    Obviously so, because if given a choice the Russians would fire the old missiles first, and only then turn to the newer missiles.

    Damned if they do, damned if they don’t.

    The article you are relying on is worthless. Not only does it conspicuously fail to substantiate its core claim that a “normally-nuclear” Kh-55 was fired into Ukraine, but it concludes by contradicting its own “logic” in the space of two paragraphs.

    • jimmy says:

      not really, but you believe what you want.

      the article states that stocks of one type of missiles are running low, hence the eaely manufacturing date, so they are using older rypes of mussiles, hence the older missile type being fired.

      • Yeah, Right says:

        I’ve actually quoted that same article ALSO saying the exact opposite. It’s there in my previous post.

        The article attempts to have its cake and eat it too.

        You still haven’t noticed that?

        Bizarre. It’s there in black and white.

        Some people truly only see what they want to see.

  13. A. Pols says:

    This story makes no sense. Why would they put an inert “dummy warhead” on a missile instead of a conventional HE warhead? If it actually happened (and I doubt it did), it might have been a prank intended to point out the possibility of the missile carrying a nuke. As you all have been pointing out for 9 months now, Russia is running out of stand off munitions and 75% of the ones they fire at Ukraine are getting shot down by Ukrainian AD, so why do they keep launching them if they achieve nothing? This story is standard wartime boilerplate propaganda and if they can get you to believe 10% of it, 10% beats nothing.

    • TTG says:

      A Pols,

      The missile technicians were told to put a certain number of missiles on the aircraft. They don’t give a shit if they have warheads or not. Most of them will get shot down anyways. Stick some dummy warheads on the missiles and the bosses will never know the difference… until the Ukrainians let the cat out of the bag.

      As for Russian strategy, 75% or more get shot down but that leaves up to 25% getting through. If they launch 200 or so a day, every day for a week straight, they can do some real damage that the Ukrainians can’t recover from in a day or so. This probably occurred to the Russian MOD, but I doubt they have the capability to do so.

    • Fourth and Long says:

      “Empty” has been quite publicly interpreted interpreted as a reference to “Emp” in some quarters. I’m not joking, as preposterous as it is to imagine that the Russians would use English language wordplay for purposes of military psychological intimidation, it’s out there. That’s the new post-heroic era we find ourselves in.
      ———-
      Not Conventional Nukes, Putin’s Russia To Launch An Electromagnetic Pulse Attack Against Ukraine?

      https://youtu.be/fuWMIrFTvM8

    • Mark Logan says:

      A Pols,

      As with all aircraft and missiles, the weight and balance have to be right for them to fly as intended. Some sort of nose is needed for aerodynamics.

      I’ll guess they couldn’t find a conventional warhead for those old things so stripped out the nuclear nose cones of their nuclear stuff and placed something of about the same weight inside it. Anything would do, even a bag of water. Much quicker to cobble that together than creating an explosive warhead.

      • Fourth and Long says:

        I’m not convinced that the explosive components are actually located in the nosecones. I’ve seen diagrams suggesting otherwise but I am generally rather in the dark about these things. The diagrams might have been released in the interests of misinformation. In the big ballistic missiles I use to threaten the man down the street who drives his motorcycle on Our Lord’s Day of Rest, it is in fact true that I maintain a finely maintained set of independently targetable hugely powerful hydrogen bombs inserted into the large nosecones which I like to decorate with colorful decals honoring the favorite cartoon characters of the children frequenting these vicinities. And I suspect that my behavior in this regard is not overly unusual. But those are in fact very different from cruise missiles which for my strategic purposes I maintain only for driving wasps and mosquitoes from my front porch.

  14. mcohen says:

    She said pass me my missile and it was at that moment that the realization hit me,where it hurt most.
    I had been replaced.

  15. jim ticehurst.. says:

    Why Cant they use the Available Explosives from Iranian Drones …………………….modified ..for K55 or or
    other Russian Missles ..instead of Dummys 2.0 …Russia and Iran have announced Joint Production.. As long as Russia can continue into Freeing Winter..Its bad for the Ukrainian People..And conditions all over Europe..Speaking of Electricity…hydro type..On of Spains Largest in The Argon Region of NE Spain..The Mequinena Dam Pland has Dryed up..Stopped production For the First Time in 50 Years…

    Droughta all over including The Hoover Dam..its a Global Pattern..And Not Isolated to Ukraine…Food..Water..Power..Commerce..Conflict..and..
    A New World Order…According to The Politicians in The Pulpit..
    JT

    • Fourth and Long says:

      The Mississippi river drying up due to drought is ongoing last I looked. These occurrences are obviously divine punishment, in my opinion. The Washington Post reported over 600 mass shootings this year. I have made preparations to reopen an enormous Alpine mountine retreat which I once used for purposes of enlightening the devious reptilian Illuminati who hired and corrupted for their fantastic schemes the young author Bram Stoker who thereby slandered me by way of a minor literary masterpiece which implied that I am a cruel vampire who feasts on the life sustaining essences of the circulatory systems of human beings. I am not. I can however change my shape at will and fly intercontinental distances through any weather without fuel or propulsion, and I am at lesst grateful for his inclusion of that pertinent accuracy. I am also invulnerable, and impeccably well mannered.

      • cobo says:

        A history of world mythologies titled “Great Mythologies of the World” that I got from The Great Courses has one professor, Professor Kathryn McClymond, who did the most important analysis of the Book of Job for me, ever. One case that she makes from the reading is that God does NOT inflict misery for misconduct or imbalance, it is just the “human condition.” I have always been …… scared of Job, but not anymore. Why be sacred of God… No, really – but yeah, I get it….

        • Fourth and Long says:

          If, Cobo, you will open the pages of the most sacred Holy Bible to the pages on which are inscribed that poetic epic of instruction and inspiration which is thought … . Very well, you are a heretic, no doubt or belong to the race of those victims of the good Count’s rumored but untrue techniques of nourishing himself and can’t abide owning one because the image of the Cross is unfailingly likely to turn them quickly into a paralyzed frightening to apprehend jelly before vaporizing them into a fine poweder which can be used profitably for mixture with certain numbing narcotic elements which a person of your high likelihood to have misbehaved is familiar with, it is easier and safer in that alternative scenario for you to type “Book of Job KJV” into a search engine dialog box text entry appurtenance. There you will find that The Creator’s humble servant Job was in fact made into a torture victim for his examine and easily deniable pleasure by means of sending an individual referred to as “The Adversary” down to his earthly realms the better to severely punish Job for being such a fine, charitable, devoutly pious and successful exemplar of how a human entity could come to flourish as Job did.

          Cobo, by means of this citation of yours you are unmasked. I am a being who does not allow itself to be deceived. You are guilty of listening to a twentieth or worse, twenty first century College Professor who gainfully employed herself on an American university campus, a liberal undoubtedly if not a communist conspirator, who leads astray the promising individuals of our nation at ages which make them susceptible? And a female entity to boot?

          Cobo, “The Adversary” referred to so criminally deceptively in most translations and reputable exegeses which are allowed on our nation’s bookshelves due to communist interference in our affairs is in fact Satan .. the Devil himself, close friends since the creation of everything out of nothing by Almighty God with, yes I find it a worthy opportunity to say, the Antichrist and beast of The Book of Revelation. You have been treacherously deceived as I have long suspected.

          Become aware very soon that God indeed does, I repeat Does, inflict punishment for misconduct. Imbalance? Are you also an insane person who consults Eastern tomes of mysticism? I almost feel a small quantity of pity for you. But you a violater. The punishment for misconduct inflicted by the force I mentioned above can in fact be mercilessly severe, so stand on your guard. Deny Satan in all his manifestations, turn away and join the devout in pronouncing anathema forever on the ways of the father of all lies and unworthiness.

          • cobo says:

            Thank you Fourth and Long,

            “…certain numbing narcotic elements …” no, I never wanted the go fast or the “numbing” elements. I did take a range of psychedelics, but that is not where I get my experience of Jesus and his father. On March 30, 1975, Easter Sunday, I was attacked with machetes in a clearing in the jungles of the Lacandon Forest of Chiapas, Mexico. I was nineteen. When I found myself, I was walking upright, naked except for a cross my friend Kristy gave me the day I left San Diego. My head was on fire. I had meant to get to Palenque for an Easter magic mushroom hunt. Waking up, as I was, my first thought was that “those must have been some good mushrooms.” With all the blood loss and dehydration, that thought served me well while I spent four days on/in a corn storage hut before Indios, an Englishman, a truck driver and two Jesuit priests and an Ursuline nun got me, finally, into the Clinica Juan Graham in Villahermosa. So, do I belong to Jesus or do I belong to Oestre. I’ve dealt with that my entire life, and after returning to where I was attacked seven years later, I began exploring my questions in art. Fuck yeah I’m a heretic. And, I got no problem with God, do you? I know you think all professors are commies, I do too. That is why her detailed analysis of Job was interesting to me – I’d heard the standard take before, again and again…

          • mcohen says:

            Talking about the book of Job.

            I used to travel every odd weekend from a small town to the big city on a 200 km highway.
            Friday there,back Sunday.To visit my truly beloved.Back in my truly hedonistic days.

            One Sunday night halfway on my journey I decide to take a pitstop.
            So there I am peeing at 1am on a moonlit night next to car and I look around at the veldt besides the highway and I see scattered all around these little white things.
            I zip up and walk to the nearest one and pick it up.It is a piece of paper.
            I go back to the car and look closely at it in the light and it was a page from the bible.Book of Job 22
            Someone had thrown the bible out the window of a car sometime ago and it had scattered all over the side of the road.
            I learnt long time ago that in all the chaos and randomness of life there will be messages and insights just for you.

          • Fourth and Long says:

            Cobo,
            I can’t get a straight answer out of my magic 8 ball, neither from Professor Oui Zhi Boyardee. So I tried the whirrled why’d Webster. No luck again.
            Biblical Names Meaning:

            1-In Biblical Names the meaning of the name Job is: He that weeps or cries.

            2-Persecuted
            In Hebrew Baby Names the meaning of the name Job is: Persecuted. In the Old Testament, Job was remembered for his great patience (‘the patience of Job’).

            Return of Shrewd Inger’s Catalogue?

            Mcohen,
            I will overlook the co in cobo and co in mcohen and assume for purposes of discussion that you are separate individuals, though you are likely a very complex superposition of quantum states. Thus:
            Got it. JFK. Dallas. Job 22. Weeping. Persecution. Check. Posted on that fateful anniversary.
            Eliphaz the Temanite.
            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliphaz_(Job)
            Pure gold. Edom. Teman is possibly Yemen.
            I see Yemen begins with Ye.
            Copy.
            -/———–
            The first of the three visitors to Job (Job 2:11), he was said to have come from Teman, an important city of Edom (Amos 1:12; Obadiah 9. Thus Eliphaz appears as the representative of the wisdom of the Edomites, which, according to Obadiah 8, Jeremiah 49:7, and Baruch 3:22, was famous in antiquity.

            The name “Eliphaz” for the spokesman of Edomite wisdom may have been suggested to the author of Job by the tradition which gave the name Eliphaz to Esau’s eldest son, the father of Teman (Genesis 36:11; 1 Chronicles 1:35–36).

            As an alternative to the interpretation “El is pure gold”, or “My God is pure gold”, it has also been suggested that the name might mean something along the lines of “My God is separate” or “My God is remote”.[1]

            —————-

            A Rabbi Luria developed a kabbalistic idea during the pleasant midieval times whereby Jod, Bog, Hod or God abandoned his creation. It was considered heresy in mainstream Hocus pocus. But it helped explain the large quantity of suffering and addressed the problem of theodicy (how come evil if gee oh Dee is all powerful and good).

            A good day to you two gentlemen. Note that Mister God speaks in Chapter 39. An eventful year by pure coincidence.

  16. KjHeart says:

    This cobbled together missile could really be the combination of a messed up inventory (due to incompetence or kleptocracy) and a lower ranking person(el) who simply wants to avoid getting undue attention.

    just my thoughts

    kj

  17. mcohen says:

    I am going to make a deduction I have to all here.for personal reasons,it pains me

    What if Epstein was a Russian spy.
    From that deduction who is compromised

  18. Razumov says:

    The “Russia is running out of missiles” meme is BS.

    Russia makes missiles.

    Russia has a huge military-industrial complex that is now running 3 shifts 7 days a week.

    Russia has been launching massive airstrikes once a week since “general Armageddon” took over. Last one was the largest ever.

  19. Lars says:

    Not even their troll factories are putting out quality goods. A class mate of mine did a lot of consulting work in Russia in the 1990’s and the biggest problem then was general drunkenness and it is questionable that problem has been solved. They may pretend to work all that time, but I would like to see some productivity figures.

    Your contention just looks like standard propaganda, with a low standard which seems to be a nation wide problem. The only thing that General now is known for is retreating and getting a lot of soldiers killed while doing it.

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