Ni muda sasa sijaonekana humu. Nilisubiri winter iishe, counteroffensive ianze na battlefield iwe tense ila naona bado. Winter iliisha around 28th of February nikatarajia katikati mwezi March kutakuwa na mapigano makali ila ni kama mambo hayabadiliki sana. Russia imeweza kuchukua 70km2 ya Ukraine kwa mwezi March. Nachokiona vita itakuwa kali Ukraine wakianza counteroffensive maana walitulia kufanya training ya zana walizopokea. Russia imekomaa Bakhmut ambako pro Russians waliamini itachukuliwa mapema na pro Ukrainians baadhi waliamini Ukraine itafanya retreat lakini haikufanyika. Kuna siku niliandika nikapost ikafutika hapa narudia.
Russia imepoteza sana zana kwa mines pale Bakhmut na Vuhledar. Artillery strikes unaweza usizikimbie kirahisi mpaka uwe na fast response ya counterbattery radars, precision na range, Russia ana range ila precision sio sana na CB radars sio nyingi. Kwa upande wa mines, sio za kutisha kama una training, mbinu na vifaa. Russia alifanya clearance ya mines kule Syria kwa mafanikio makubwa ila Ukraine mambo sio rahisi. Kwanza mines zilizopo Ukraine ni advanced nitagusia chache, unakutana na kama PARM-22 directional anti tank mine za Ujerumani hizi wamepewa kidogo na zinapendeza pembeni mwa barabara sio eneo wazi kama Vuhledar na Bakhmut
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Ukraine inatumia Soviet made TM-62 hizi ni common kama unafuatilia landmines, inaweka ulinzi mkali sehemu fulani labda ni trench lines karibu na eneo muhimu au barabara kwingineko inapaacha inapanda mabomu ya ardhini.
Ili kupata breakthrough unatakiwa utafute weak points, zinapatikana kwenye minefields. Engineers wa Russia wanakuja kufanya clearance ya minefield wanaziondoa ardhini na kuziharibu, Ukraine inawaacha kutokana na intelligence inakuja kujua movement ya Russia inaanza lini, hapo inatumia US-supplied Remote Anti-Armor Mine system (RAAM) hizi zinafyatuliwa kwenye artillery shell ikifika eneo husika inapasuka na kuzisambaza. Zinakaa 9 kwenye shell moja. Warusi wanakuja wakijua wamefanya mine clearance wanakutana na hizi ambazo zinakuwa juu kama hivi vidude vilivyotapakaa hapa
View attachment 2573266Ukiwa kwenye kifaru uoni wako ni hafifu lazima tu utazikanyaga, ili kuzikwepa inabidi washuke wafanye clearance kwa mikono au waite sappers. Wakishuka nje wanakuwa unprotected Ukraine inatumia artillery kuwashambulia. Changamoto hapo.
Ili kukwepa kadhia hii Urusi inatumia mine clearing vehicle kama BMR-3M yenye drums hizi zinabidi zilipue mines kutengeneza njia ila inafeli mara nyingi
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Unakuta drum inaharibika, au mine haikuwa activated kutokana na sensor na fuse yake ilivyo hivyo mine inalipuka baadae
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Matokeo yake vifaru vya Urusi vinafuatana na vinaharibika
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Njia ya gharama zaidi ni kutumia UR-77 Meteorit inayotumia mine clearing line charge. Hii ina waya wa milipuko unaolipua eneo na kuharibu mabomu ya ardhini. Hizi sio nyingi na ni za kizamani
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Marekani hapa angekuwa na M1150 assault breacher a.k.a Shredded ambayo ina line charge na plough
View attachment 2573274 Wana experience na landmines za Iraq na Afghanistan.
Training na doctrines za Russia kwenye minefields (ni zilezile za Soviet Union ambazo Ukraine inazijua), mbinu za Ukraine, mines za kisasa zinazotolewa na NATO vimefanya Russia iwe na performance mbaya ikikutana na mines na itumie muda mwingi kupata gains.