Ukraine's Military Bags Another Russian Ship
Russia's Air Force has Another Bad Day
Three for Sunday Newsletter #1
Hello,
I would like to welcome you to my initial Substack newsletter called “Three for Sunday” in which I will write about three items that interested me during the week.
As the title states I will be posting this newsletter every Sunday starting tonight.
Thank you for reading and if you like what I write I will respectively ask if you could subscribe to this newsletter or follow me over on my main writing platform over at Medium.
medium.com/@stephenwdavenport68
Again, thank you for reading and have a good one.
#1 - (Ukraine War) – Ukraine Adds Another Submersible to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet
They did it again you all.
Ukraine sent another Russian patrol ship to the bottom of the Black Sea.
This time it appears the Ukrainians sank a Project 205P Tarantal (NATO – Stenka) class patrol ship.
Reports suggest the ship was attacked towards the end of December of last year by a Ukrainian USV (Unmanned Surface Vessel) while patrolling Sevastopol's harbor entrance.
An online video shows a Stenka sunk by the pier in towards the back of Sevastopol’s harbor, suggesting that it was damaged in an attack then towed into the base where it sank next to a pier.
Stenka-class patrol boat – Wikipedia
The Tarantal is an older patrol vessel built back during the old Soviet Days and that are now used by Russia’s Coast Guard.
For a country without a functioning navy Ukraine sure does have a knack for sinking Russian ships in the Black Sea.
Bravo Ukraine.
#2 – (Ukraine War) - Ukraine’s Air Defense are Good at Setting Traps for Russian Aircraft
Ukraine’s military setup up another SAM trap for Russian aircraft this week.
On January 14th, reports suggest Ukraine shot down a Russian A-50 Mainstay over the Sea of Azov using a Patriot Surface to Air Missile (SAM).
The A-50 Mainstay is an Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft similar to NATO’s E3 Sentry aircraft.
I have seen some reports suggesting that Ukraine may have set a trap to lure the A-50 into the Patriot’s SAM envelope.
The plane was reportedly shot down over the Sea Azov near the occupied Ukrainian city of Berdiansk.
There is also a picture circulating on the inter-webs showing a damaged Russian IL-22M with a heavily holed tail section.
This plane was reportedly damaged near the Kerch bridge on the same day as the A-50.
The IL-22M is a command-and-control aircraft used as an airborne command post for the Russian military.
Ukraine is not known to have a Surface to Air Missile that can reach that far so it is believed this may have been a friendly fire incident related to the A-50 shootdown incident.
This follows up a similar trap Ukraine set for the Russians on December 22nd of last year when Ukraine shot down three SU-34’s with Patriot SAMs around Ukraine’s Kherson oblast.
Ukraine has been successful in setting up SAM traps for the Russians, they pulled another SAM trap on May 23rd of last year when they shot down several helicopters, an SU-34 and a SU-35 over Bryansk oblast in Russia also by Patriot SAM’s.
Russia has not been able to avoid these traps as of yet.
Ukraine’s advanced air defense system scares the piss out of Russia due to the fact their air force never passes the battlefront.
They use missiles and drone to strike deep into Ukraine.
#3 (Books) – Patrick O'Brian's Jack Aubrey\Stephen Maturin Naval Book Series.
I love to read.
If you are a writer like me you read, it is what you do.
The current book I am reading is British author Patrick O’Brians “Treason’s Harbor”.
It is book nine out of a series of twenty-one books O’Brian wrote telling us the story of a British Royal Navy post-captain by the name of Jack Aubrey and his surgeon friend Stephen Maturin during the Napoleonic wars.
I first started reading this series after watching the excellent 2003 movie called “Master and Commander: Far Side of the World” starring Russell Crowe.
One of my favorite war movies.
Of the twenty-one books I have read twelve of them. A few months ago, I started the series again from Book one and hope to finish them all by the summer.
They are well written books but can be hard to follow in that they are written as if they were written in 1800 when the events of these books take place.
The books were written during the 1900’s.
The detailed battle and naval scenes in the books are riveting and action packed.
The stories are a combination of life in the Royal Navy and off periods when they are on shore living civilian lives with their families.
There is a strong relationship between Aubrey and Maturin starting from when they first meet prior to Aubrey's first command at Port Mahon in Spain.
The books are great but at times can read slow due to the tedious descriptions of certain situations and scientific texts on Maturin’s and Aubrey's part.
If you like military fiction these books are for you.
Enjoy.
Aubrey–Maturin series - Wikipedia
Quote of the Day #1
“Remember, no matter where you go there you are” – Pig-killer – Mad Max Beyond Thunder Dome
I have seen this quote in several movies but the one I remember it most from is from the post-apocalyptic movie “Mad Max Beyond Thunder Dome”.
My favorite quote of all time.