(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . More Russian stuff blowing up: ATACMS missiles arrive, take out Russian helicopter airfield [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2023-10-17 The ATACMS have arrived. And they have made quite an entrance. x Zelenskyy сonfirms use of ATACMS missiles by Ukraine’s forces "My special gratitude today goes to the US. Our agreements with President Biden are being fulfilled. They are being fulfilled very accurately – ATACMS have proven themselves," Zelenskyy saidhttps://t.co/DefbvtfnYl — Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) October 17, 2023 The Russians have already found out about ATACMS. Here is what one of the Russian "military bloggers" wrote: "The morning is not good. Ukrainians stroke (struck?) with ATACMS missiles on our airfield last night where the Army Aviation was based. One of the most serious strikes in all of the duration of SMO. If not the most serious. There are losses in people and equipment. It is pointless to write about "needing to draw conclusions so this doesn't repeat". This will repeat while the war goes on. We need to be ready for it." x Ukrainian General Staff reports strikes on airfields near temporarily occupied Berdiansk and Luhansk. Russian Telegram channels commented that the attack on Luhansk was one of the most serious since the start of the "SMO". They suppose that ATACMS missiles were used, and report… pic.twitter.com/QSTA9r8wXt — Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) October 17, 2023 x ⚡ OFFICIAL: Operation "DRAGONFLY" 🎉 Successful operation of the SSO of Ukraine to attack airfields in Berdyansk and Luhansk: 👀 9 helicopters of various modifications 👀 special equipment 👀 Air defense missile launcher 👀 ammunition warehouse 👀 airfield runways were damaged — MAKS 23 👀🇺🇦 (@Maks_NAFO_FELLA) October 17, 2023 The Berdyansk airfield is where a lot of Russia’s KA-52 Alligator attack helicopters were based. These helicopters had been especially effective for Russia in the south. Not any more. x Longer version of the video from the attacked airport of Berdyansk. At the end, Russians even run away to exploding ammunition. pic.twitter.com/i3u6DAQJQc — NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) October 17, 2023 x That’s an unexploded M74 APAM submunition at the Russian-occupied Berdyansk Airfield. Only found in an MGM-140 ATACMS BLK 1. pic.twitter.com/gKh2y7v36C — OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) October 17, 2023 A reminder that there were never a lot of ATACMS produced, so Ukraine is not getting a huge supply. They will have to be used sparingly. x 🇺🇸 ATACMS inventory 2022: 802 type: produced / used / available • M39: 1,650 / 411 / 0 (retired) • M39A1: 610 / 74 / 0 (retired) • M48: 176 / 58 / 118 • M57: 513 / 47 / 466 • M57E1 (refurbished M39/M39A1): 220 / 2 / 218 1st batch of M57E1 production ended in 2020. https://t.co/NaZYszJF9O — Thomas C. Theiner (@noclador) August 10, 2022 Nonetheless, even the “expired” munitions are getting the job done. BTW, that content below that says sensitive isn’t sensitive. x Among other things, Ukraine has been a proving ground for decades-old U.S. kit untested against the adversary they were designed to be used against. And in almost every instance, U.S. kit has either met or outperformed expectation. — Michael Weiss (@michaeldweiss) October 17, 2023 From Politico: It was mid-July, and national security adviser Jake Sullivan was worried. Ukrainian forces were struggling to penetrate Russian front lines in a slow-moving counteroffensive, and time was running out to retake significant territory before a renewed Russian offensive in the fall. Sullivan told his team to come up with options for additional weapons the U.S. could send to Kyiv that could help Ukrainian forces hit vulnerable targets deep inside Russia’s defensive lines. Working together, the Pentagon, the State Department and the National Security Council staff came up with an idea. While the U.S. military’s existing stocks of the long-range Army Tactical Missile System were in short supply, the U.S. could send the medium-range version, carrying warheads containing hundreds of cluster bomblets that could hit targets 100 miles away. The administration’s move to send the Anti-Personnel/Anti-Materiel, or APAM, an older version of the ATACMS that Ukraine had long sought, was kept secret for weeks after President Joe Biden made the final call, according to two U.S officials familiar with the discussions. Their delivery and use marks a major escalation in the administration’s defense of Ukraine, providing Kyiv’s forces with a new and destructive ability to strike Russian targets well behind the front lines. That’s exactly what happened early Tuesday, with Ukrainian outlets reporting that Kyiv had destroyed nine Russian helicopters in the eastern cities of Berdyansk and Luhansk. So what excuse will Scholkz come up with next for not sending Taurus cruise missiles? x It’s way beyond time for #Germany to send Taurus. Scholz continuing to block even after his US excuse is blown, clearly shows he doesn’t want #Ukraine to win. This is a massive geopolitical error - it hurts🇺🇦🇩🇪, Europe & the free 🌏 StormShadow, Scalp, ATACMS, now #FreeTaurus https://t.co/PSES9Dk9mq — Benjamin Tallis 🇺🇦 (@bctallis) October 17, 2023 The 31 Abrams tanks promised to Ukraine are there now. Let’s see when they show up at the front lines. x US officials: 31 American-made Abrams tanks now in Ukraine The promised delivery of all 31 Abrams tanks from the US was completed faster than expected, as winter nearshttps://t.co/ey3hIbDabq — Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) October 17, 2023 Meanwhile, in Avdiivka, Russians are still getting an ass whipping. x Avdiivka Russian losing the counter-battery fight They need to hide in foxhole and pray to Vladimir Putin pic.twitter.com/8lfSMTVKL7 — PStyleOne1 (@PStyle0ne1) October 17, 2023 Incoming! x Russian BMP crew got lucky - a Ukrainian ATGM missile missed flying just a few feet over the Russian's head. pic.twitter.com/IVx59eVdgO — Dmitri (@wartranslated) October 17, 2023 Add this to the high pile of Russian war crimes. x A Russian drone destroyed a children's sailing school in Odesa, where 150 students studied. Not just the school building was damaged, but also yachts, boats, and training equipment and manuals. Wreckage is lying even in the water in the yacht club's water area. "This was a… pic.twitter.com/AzG4zqd36a — Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) October 17, 2023 Why again is Hungary still in NATO? x ❗️@PM_ViktorOrban held bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing. The two leaders discussed Hungarian-Russian cooperation in the fields of gas and oil supplies and nuclear energy. During the meeting, PM Orbán stressed the importance of peace. He said that… pic.twitter.com/yld9z0memI — Zoltan Kovacs (@zoltanspox) October 17, 2023 Apparently Putin is a god. x Without Putin, the world would collapse, these Russian women say. Putin has worked hard all these years to convince people that all the good in his life is only thanks to him. They don't care how the economy really works. They know that they owe everything to Putin. pic.twitter.com/q7PVa0yyMz — Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) October 17, 2023 Did they also teach them how to leave their wounded comrades behind, loot the bodies of the dead and torture prisoners? x In Russian Krasnodar region, kindergarten children were taught to assemble and disassemble automatic rifles and sat in an improvised trench. These "activities" were approved by local authorities who said that "Everyone enjoyed the game without exception." pic.twitter.com/ZZppbt3Dch — Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) October 17, 2023 If you were flying low over a field of sunflowers that could be considered camp. Sort of. x This is Major Maksym with his incredible helicopter. The flowers on the side of his Mi-24 are Petrykivka paintings which is a traditional Ukrainian decorative painting. Rather than camouflage, the painting is intentional as Maksym is fearless in defending his people & land. ✊🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/gaYdVeyanM — Wingmen for Ukraine (@wingmen_for_UA) October 17, 2023 An oldie but a goodie. Guaranteed to not get all soft and soggy. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/10/17/2199955/-More-Russian-stuff-blowing-up-ATACMS-missiles-arrive-take-out-Russian-helicopter-airfield?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=trending&pm_medium=web Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/