Russia blames its soldiers' mobile phone use for deadly missile strike

The opposite has happened, they are more determined than before to murder Ukrainians.

Fixed it for you

“A little known patriotic group that supports the widows of Russian soldiers called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to order a large-scale mobilisation of millions of men.”

Stupid. They’ll only be making more widows.

Do stupid things (like invade your neighbors) win stupid prizes.

Eh ?

Sorry, but Russian's have been doing what to Ukrainians, and don't expect a come-back upon them ?

Get Real.

Perhaps they should investigate why this has happened... properly, and if concerned about Western Influence, , i.e. themselves... should they be allowed to do so....

Perhaps Ukraine should Jam the Russian Media "airwaves" / "internet" and show the real side of the "WAR", and I don't mean News Stories... plant Live CAM streaming everywhere, literally show it as it is.

RuSSian ingenuity at its best again.

*"Russian critics said the soldiers were being housed alongside an ammunition dump at the site ...."*

Maybe it was just another one of those good-will-gestures? Taking care of their own?

Concerning the amount of those who got killed - most media (RuSSian) says several hundreds.

Of course official state (dictatorship) run channels won't confirm this.

Ukraine prevails!

Flood the internet with what WAR really is like, the blood the gore, the hell, show the live streaming of both sides dying - let the Mothers watch their Sons & Daughters die in a Battle Orchestrated by a "Leader" they support, under the pretenses they believe in, and then, ask... was it really worth it ?

WAR is terrible. It's not a Computer Game.

Putin finally acknowledged that his so called "special" operation is a "WAR", and the Russian Nationals need to now, decide for themselves - not through the State Media, but for themselves, whether what is happening is right or not. I guess, Families of Servicemen/Recruits receive information... or lack of, and can make up their own minds...

Bronco - interesting, your use of the word 'people' here. Of course they were people, but they were also combatants and an appropriate target, were they not?

If the New Year's eve attack on the people in the building was meant to intimidate the Russian people it has failed.

I don't think the attack was meant to intimidate the Russian people, but rather to neutralize threats to the Ukrainian people, which it did.

The only thing Russia will be getting out of this war will be more widows. There will be no victory parades. It's time for them to go home and begin to make things right.

PUTIN and his OLIGARCHS should be tried like the NAZI's were, and HUNG at NUREMBERG.

Stupid. They’ll only be making more widows.

And leaving Russia open for the Chinese. They’re just biding their time.

"Whenever you dig up a boy, you live through his nightmare and the horror he went through in his last moment, when he understood this is the end,"

Vivid description. Maybe some of the Russian 'boys' that make it alive back across the border to Russia can meet with some of the family members of those killed fighting Putin's vanity war and tell them about scenes they saw and about having to pick up pieces of fallen 'boys', because that was all that was left of them. And share with the families the reality of war. But given Putin has had Russian troops killing and killed in Georgia, Chechnya, Syria, Libya, and elsewhere, I have to assume by now Russians understand how ugly war is, especially when there is no reason for Russians to be involved fighting wars in those places, beyond the ego needs of a madman like Putin, who has shown throughout his life that he has zero regard for the lives of anyone other than himself. Russia having another brain drain in which many of its better educated are leaving the country means the country will be left with mostly just the more poorly educated, those that are easiest to manipulate, those who might believe the Kremlin's ongoing lies and be willing to keep fighting and dying in wars so one man and his closest friends can continue to take billions in revenue from gas and oil for themselves.

"I haven't slept for three days, Samara hasn't slept. We are constantly in touch with the wives of our guys. It's very hard and scary," RIA quoted Yekaterina Kolotovkina, a representative of a women's council at an army unit, as telling one rally.

It’s all very sad, but your guys were somewhere they shouldn’t have been. There are still a lot of your guys somewhere they shouldn’t be, and your guys should return to where they should be or you’re going to see a lot of action with your own eyes as Putin’s war comes home. Certain people keep talking about “protecting Russia” but the best way to do that is to leave other countries alone.

Russian widows are asking for more men to be mobilised to defend the nation.

Do they want their sons to die along with their husbands?

I've also read that the Ukrainians have monitored where large numbers of calls are being made to Russia to pinpoint Russia soldier locations, which they then attack.

It's brilliant.

It would be more accurate to blame Putin. He’s the culprit.

Sergei Mironov, a legislator and former chairman of Russia's upper house of parliament, demanded criminal liability for officials who had "allowed the concentration of military personnel in an unprotected building" and "all the higher authorities who did not provide the proper level of security".

Yeah that’d be nice but taking down the government I guess is not what you mean.

I haven't slept for three days, Samara hasn't slept. We are constantly in touch with the wives of our guys. It's very hard and scary," RIA quoted Yekaterina Kolotovkina, a representative of a women's council at an army unit, as telling one rally.

All easily fixed if your "guys" would just go back home.

The opposite has happened, they are more determined than before to protect Russia.

By doubling down on an invasion that has destroyed the Russian army, sent the Russian economy back decades, killed tens of thousands of Russians, turbo-charged Russia’s demographic decline, and made Russia a vassal state totally dependent on China?

Good luck protecting Russia with more of that.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine will go down as with the Vietnam, Afghanistan (x2), and Iraq wars as examples of complete and utter failure in leadership.

Yrral

US is targeting these Russian,by providing Ukraine with GPS Coordinates,a dangerous game of chicken

More likely to be Ukrainians in the area found the target.

History is the key word here. It's fine to live in the past, but don't expect to bring the rest of the world along for the trip.

In Russian law, on Russian maps, in Russian history books and in the Russian mind, Donetsk is home.

2020, Ukrainain do not have real satellite data like the US military,with GPS Coordinates of Russia target ,they also supplying the Ukrainain with GPS guidance artillery shell, Ukrainain are getting credit for something Russian and US know the US is behind Google US Military Satellite Ukraine Data Sharing

Ukrainians in occupied areas confirm targets for Ukrainian forces to attack. They tell what building to hit and the lat-long is available on Google Maps. Their communications are often restricted to person to person so there are no cell phone transmissions or internet talk to give them away. But knowing a building or site on Google Maps you have lat and long, and with that you can program a HIMARS or a drone to attack a target. Often the Ukrainians have drones in the air confirming the right target is attacked in real time. The Ukrainians under occupation know more than can be gleaned by satellite about where Russian headquarters are, or if there are civilians too close to the Russian operation to risk a missile attack.

Here is one example of how it is accomplished.

https://news.yahoo.com/gym-owner-double-life-helped-015401815.html

It’s just only biased there, because they have by all decade long doctrines only offensive weapons and systems in operation and therefore less or none sophisticated defensive capabilities. They’ve ‘proudly’ never thought or planned to be in need of defending.

Compared to the west the Russians invest a great deal more in ground based air defenses. The west is the one that believes the best way to defend one airspace and territory from attack is with a great air force. The west is less reliant on ground based defensive missile systems, preferring to rely on dominating air power. But the flight time required to train up great pilots and then maintain that high proficiency is very expensive. The Russian pilots have much less flight time than their NATO counterparts and are probably far less proficient. That was true when it was the USSR too. USAF and Navy pilots monthly flight time was often as much or greater than the annual flight time of their Soviet counterpart.

Lacking resources for the kinds of flight hours western combat pilots enjoy and with airplanes that need engine changes every few hundred flight hours vs the 1500 hours common to western aircraft the Russians have instead invested heavily in layer upon layer of ground based air defense systems. Many "experts" will say they are the best in the world. Regardless of this notional prowess the Ukrainians manage to get past these defenses pretty regularly and with some pretty slow and low tech platforms like Bayraktar drones and old Soviet era recce drones converted into cruise missiles.

So far neither Ukraine or Russia enjoy air superiority over Ukraine. As such Ukraine cannot employ the full range of NATO style tactics that require close coordination with overwhelming air power and fast mechanized ground forces to blow a hole in an enemy line and then break out into their rear. It is a slow grind of dueling artillery and infantry.

*Russian widows are asking for more men to be mobilised to *defend the nation.

by attacking a neighbour ?

one of the consequences of having an corrupt government

and how do you think Putin & his cronies became so filthy rich ? And their citizens so poor.

@yrral Tokyo, Ukrainain won the lottery, letting US taxpayer pay Ukraine bills

Odd perspective on winning, Ukrainians are seeing their country leveled, huge numbers made houseless, male and female civilians of all ages raped and/or murdered. Some Russian soldiers might have 'won' by stealing things from Ukrainians then bringing them back to Russia. But I'd call that a pyrrhic victory, some Russians who've returned from Ukraine will be damaged goods: mentally, physically and emotionally. If 'western' rightists want to support Putin, they should know many of their fellow Caucasian, Christian Conservatives. CCCs, like Russian soldiers are paying an extreme price supporting authoritarian thugs like Putin and his Kremlin.

Russia's defense ministry on Wednesday blamed the illegal use of mobile phones for a deadly Ukrainian missile strike that killed 89 servicemen, raising the reported death toll significantly.

Trying to pass the buck.

Putin plans to talk to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Interfax, the latest in a series of conversations the two men have had since the start of the war.

To what end? When it comes down to it, Putin is solely responsible for everything that happens to his soldiers in Ukraine. Erdogan should be telling him that.

They have people on the ground that can observe movement. We know from stories after Kherson was liberated, that when it was occupied, many of the ammunition depots and barracks were called in by Ukrainian lay people using the GPS on their phone.

Not quite. Using a cell phone for that was too risky. Locals would scout out sites where there were concentrations of Russian military or their Quisling civil leaders. They generated maps and marked the spots where Ukraine forces should strike. The maps were hand delivered to Ukrainian forces.

You honestly think Russian officials would announce or admit to a full scale mobilization ?

They would have to. In any event it is not something that they could hide.

Yeah, Putin... it was smartphone use. Not the invasion of Ukraine, but smartphone use.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine will go down as with the Vietnam, Afghanistan (x2), and Iraq wars as examples of complete and utter failure in leadership.

Actually I don’t think the US has anything that can rival this, even Vietnam was nowhere near as big a screw up as Russia invading Ukraine.

We are getting more into “Napoleon invading Russia in winter” territory here.

US is targeting these Russian,by providing Ukraine with GPS Coordinates,a dangerous game of chicken

The Ukrainians have people on the ground confirming targets.

I've also read that the Ukrainians have monitored where large numbers of calls are being made to Russia to pinpoint Russia soldier locations, which they then attack.

A few months ago I remember we were told the Russians were doing that to Ukraine and the foreign people helping defend Ukrainian soil. I agree, their tactics being used against them is brilliant.

Yrral

US is targeting these Russian,by providing Ukraine with GPS Coordinates,a dangerous game of chicken

Huh? The Russian officials themselves say the Ukes traced the invaders cell phone signals.

I do understand that to justify Moscow's actions, one is forced to make things up, because facts are certainly not on your side.

Bronco

group that supports the widows of Russian soldiers called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to order a large-scale mobilisation of millions of men

Russian widows are asking for more men to be mobilised to defend the nation.

A little known patriotic group which supports the widows of Russian soldiers…

Nice spin.

But it actually say “A little known” group, as in very small and probably made up of a few crazies.

It also says “supports the widows” as NOT Russian widows but a small group of crazies that latched on to that premise and say they “support” the widows.

Hardly news worthy at this point.

Any active (or recently active) folk know if mobiles are allowed when on duty?

If you are deploying to a combat zone you are told to leave all personal communications devices, cell phone, tablet, laptop, etc. at home. At many forward bases and aboard ships there will be arrangements made to call or e-mail home.

Social media and the time/date stamp and gps coordinates on photos posted on social media are a big risk (oh look, the Iranians/Chinese/Russian had some intel that unit X might be at spot Y on a certain day but could not prove it, but oh look the nice Sargent Shmuckatelli from unit X- says so right there in his public profile - posts an image of the place on his Farcebook page complete with a time stamp, date and confirming gps coordinates, nice job Sarge you just confirmed the accuracy of their intel ) so the US military controls outside communications when deployed. Even on stateside bases there are many places you are not allowed to bring a cell phone. Leave them in your office, your car or put them in the locker outside the facility.

Yup; it's everybody else's FAULT, EXCEPT the "Brass".

Good thinking to house them next to your Ammo Dump.

Keep doing that. Excellent idea, the war will be over soon, with that kind of

thinking.

Usually, it's your mobile phone bills that kill you, but putting their barracks next to an ammunition dump is par for the course for the Russian military. When Ukraine won back its lost territory they showed how the Russians took.over a school, slept and lived on the main floor and filled the basement to the brim with artillery shells. They even punched holes in the floor for quick shortcuts to get the munitions in and out. That's not war that's crazy...

Mobile phones didn’t exist when I was in, but beepers were just showing up. Had a couple fresh booters check on board wearing beepers and they were promptly confiscated. Guess SigInt was still taken seriously back then. Any active (or recently active) folk know if mobiles are allowed when on duty?

Russians have to make their soldiers carry their phones, or else the Kremlin wouldn't have any way to contact the soldiers.

Yrral

2020, Ukrainain do not have real satellite data like the US military,with GPS Coordinates of Russia target

They have people on the ground that can observe movement. We know from stories after Kherson was liberated, that when it was occupied, many of the ammunition depots and barracks were called in by Ukrainian lay people using the GPS on their phone.

@2020

good point. Every single Ukrainian citizen with a mobile phone is a source of data for the Ukrainian military

The US can't afford to invade another Country, nor can NATO.

However their Ideology can.... and this is where the Real "WAR" is.

So, what is their Ideology and do the peoples of other Nations wish to accept it ?

Perhaps a real discussion needs to take place Globally... and were that to happen, I sadly think, a lot of us may end up Horrified to the Reality of the situation, but... it's a necessary discussion.

You honestly think Russian officials would announce or admit to a full scale mobilization ?

Not commenting on the veracity of the mobilization, but wouldn’t this be a rather tough thing to keep under wraps?

@bronq The opposite has happened, they are more determined than before to protect Russia.

If the Kremlin really wanted to protect Russia, they would pull all their military equipment and forces, including the murderous Wagner thugs back across the border into actual Russian territory. There would be fewer Russian deaths if that happens, fewer widows. Plus it would save Putin and the Kremlin money because they would not have to pay money to the families of soldiers killed in Putin's war, which I doubt they're actually doing. Trillions of rubles earned selling Russia's oil and gas, but little of that money passed down to ordinary citizens. Why Russians support Putin is a wonder, even more so are the 'westerners' who see him as their great White hope.

…having to pick up pieces of fallen 'boys', because that was all that was left of them.

Very often there are no “pieces” to pick up. Many MIAs have been atomized by direct hits. Nothing remains.

Ryber , a" pro Russian" blogger who often posts Russian soldiers complaints to power, wrote about this over a month ago. Allowing soldiers to have phones on the front line is a disaster waiting to happen.

Having 400 Russian phones all on roaming 15 km from the front line in or around the same building?

Well, they won't be making that mistake again!

PS Ryber has 140+ dead and counting.

The reason for the deadly missile strike was because putin attacked its neighbors and America did not like russian aggression at all. It's not because of a russian mobile phone. Thinking caps! Please put them on.

It’s just only biased there, because they have by all decade long doctrines only offensive weapons and systems in operation and therefore less or none sophisticated defensive capabilities. They’ve ‘proudly’ never thought or planned to be in need of defending.

Only thing Putin good at is killing individuals,not military strategy,the first business fail was a decapitation strike on the leadership , Zelensky was a sitting duck up until the first bomb was dropped,not believing the Russian was not gonna invade

2020, Ukrainain do not have real satellite data like the US military,with GPS Coordinates of Russia target ,they also supplying the Ukrainain with GPS guidance artillery shell, Ukrainain are getting credit for something Russian and US know the US is behind Google US Military Satellite Ukraine Data Sharing

Townsend,that one of the consequences of having an corrupt government

US is targeting these Russian,by providing Ukraine with GPS Coordinates,a dangerous game of chicken