[Cont.]
"I suspect that the explosives were under the bridge as it looks as if the two failed sections were lifted up by the blast. Maybe an autonomous sub?"

One section looked a little bit strange off memory, but then you also had the blast marks on the road, and the huge spray of gunpowder, so I'm not exactly sure.

- I'm just going on what the Russian military has stated, whether you think this is reliable or not, who's to say.

Looks like the US is chucking a big tantrum about those Iranian drones.
What does that tell you?

U.S warns Iran after Russia’s Kamikaze drone strike destroys Kyiv; Heat on Islamic Republic
http://youtu.be/S66kT9AeZiE

Officially, since January 2021, the United States has committed more than $13.5 billion in security assistance to Ukraine.

It sounds to me like an admission they can't shoot them down.
I've even heard already that troops are resorting to small arms fire to try and do so.

US has given 13.5bln in military aid, plus the military donations of 30 western countries and they cant defend against a $10,000 drone.
- And I've even heard some people say they can be built for $700.

Iran's Shahed-136 / Geranium-2 : a Nasty Enemy UAV That Terrorizes Enemies
http://youtu.be/MFbLxRpFUNE

Look at the lies the media is telling:

Iran breaching nuclear deal by providing Russia with armed drones, says UK
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/17/iran-breaching-nuclear-deal-by-providing-russia-with-armed-drones-says-uk

Anyone that goes and reads the JCPoA will know the media is lying.
The deal was removal of sanctions in return for non-enrichment of uranium, but Trump cancelled the deal and reimposed sanctions.
- So there is no deal, but the media thinks all you are idiots and never paid attention enough to actually read the terms of the JCPoA.

The deal was nullified when Trump pulled US out of the deal and reimposed the sanctions.
The media is lying on that, and they know it.

Hi AC,

I am always very impressed with the thought that you put into things. I agree with you that the drones are a problem, with the question being how many can be built? I think they might have a US made chip in them, so the manufacturer would have to get around the sanctions. I believe that the drones are vulnerable to small arms fire. Given that they are slow I think the the Ukrainians will get better at stopping them. Remember that the Bismarck was vulnerable to slow moving torpedo bombers because its anti-aircraft guns were calibrated to faster moving targets.

As for the bridge, of more interest to me is the question of whether the Ukrainians can hit it again.

Regarding wars crimes, targeting infrastructure critical for the survival of a civilian population seems to meet the standard.

AC,

The West clearly tries not to hit civilians while the Russians deliberately target civilians including residential buildings and playgrounds.

The drones were made in Iran and now Iran is facing additional sanctions. The base drone sells for US$20 000 which after payload, controls + transporting them to Russia probably cost closer to $40 000 each. Which is nearly 1/2 of what a HIMARS missile costs. The drones are slow flying and more than 1/2 of them are shot down.

Bahkmut has been about to fall for months. Russia has lost 100s of troops trying to take it and has gained a few dozen km2 while the Ukrainians have gained 1000s of km2 in both the north and south.

As for the 250 000 draftees sent to the front with zero training, they will do little and already are arriving back home in body bags. With zero winter supplies or clothing, many will simply freeze to death.

Russia is running out of missiles, tanks and soldiers, while the Ukraine army is swelling with NATO-trained soldiers and ever more NATO weapons.

The Russian army is close to collapse.

Shadowminister wrote:

"The West clearly tries not to hit civilians while the Russians deliberately target civilians including residential buildings and playgrounds."

As I remember the village of My Lai in Vietnam was destroyed and the people massacred by forces of the West. There were 'shock and awe' bombings of Iraq. The West sometimes deliberately slaughters civilians, but some people find it convenient to ignore our crimes. War is a dirty business, and supporters of one side find it convenient to focus on the crimes of the other side.

A biblical verse is apt. Matthew 7:5 Hypocrite! First cast out the beam from your eye, and then you will see clearly to cast out the splinter from the eye of your brother

David,

My Lai in Vietnam (1968) was an atrocity and probably not the only one, but what happened was an exception rather than the rule in a 20year war.

The Gulf war shock and awe strategy did not target civilians so is not valid.

The Russians however, are deliberately targeting civilian residential areas and buildings and are routinely torturing and executing civilians in the areas they have occupied.