We are so very grateful for all that you do for us. You provide insight into the conflict that we in the USA would not see. Stay safe brother and St Louis loves you.
Still more truly superb reporting Patrick - and thank you sincerely for it!
Your piece about the drone launching team made me think about my years as a technician for bands - these guys would be truly gold-standard roadies! - The quality of the aircraft design itself, to be able to be set-up in such harsh conditions and launch in such wind, is extraordinary - and the team even more so!
Your epiphany piece was outright beautiful - way to participate and share faith!
(Also the extraordinary beauty of the church was striking).
The recon/assault team was beyond impressive - in fact all of these crews you are showing reflect confidence which can only come from high-training and motivation. The reconnaissance team leader's satisfaction with the high expertise of his team (not their first contract) is such a stark contrast with amateur forces. "Just doing the work" thorough professional control and mastery - with no reckless nonsense.
Akhmat is clearly a high-excellence force - sent to hunt the most dangerous opponent. Even if the incursion forces are Ukraine's best, they must be terrified.
When you asked "anything you want to see?" on that post, I was actually going to write to you and ask "Can you please show how a modern artillery unit works?"
Thank you for responding, before I could even ask - excellent piece! In a way, this part of the battle is the most recognizable (I had a few pals in the artillery years ago, who would recognize the gun, aiming and loading rhythm perfectly). But even there, they used to have a few tubes sited together - not such extreme dispersal -- and they didn't used to have that level of fear of counter-baterry fire (I'm guessing the units they are hunting in Kursk are a lot faster and better at that, than the badly depleted forces in the Donbas - and drones make everything harder to hide).
Above all, thank you for bringing us those little human snippets in each story - loved that joke about the general in a golden tank - and all those small humane connections - learned English in Vancouver, dad lives in Kansas - remind all of us that it isn't just the battle between Russia and Ukraine which is a brother against brother tragedy - it is also the battle between Russia and NATO.
I wish all the silly kung-fu movies we've been consuming all these years would have sunk in. "I will only fight you if I must, I'd rather drink tea and make friends!"
(That is, wisdom and fraternity first - save the games for after work at the pub)
Thank you again for your extraordinary courage. Stay safe. Godspeed.
Stay safe and thank you..been following your reports since you started them.. Its so sad 10 years on brother killing brother still..
Peace will come..take care..
We are so very grateful for all that you do for us. You provide insight into the conflict that we in the USA would not see. Stay safe brother and St Louis loves you.
You're a legend Patrick, keep safe ffs man
Patrick, I think you are the greatest! Bravo!!!
Still more truly superb reporting Patrick - and thank you sincerely for it!
Your piece about the drone launching team made me think about my years as a technician for bands - these guys would be truly gold-standard roadies! - The quality of the aircraft design itself, to be able to be set-up in such harsh conditions and launch in such wind, is extraordinary - and the team even more so!
Your epiphany piece was outright beautiful - way to participate and share faith!
(Also the extraordinary beauty of the church was striking).
The recon/assault team was beyond impressive - in fact all of these crews you are showing reflect confidence which can only come from high-training and motivation. The reconnaissance team leader's satisfaction with the high expertise of his team (not their first contract) is such a stark contrast with amateur forces. "Just doing the work" thorough professional control and mastery - with no reckless nonsense.
Akhmat is clearly a high-excellence force - sent to hunt the most dangerous opponent. Even if the incursion forces are Ukraine's best, they must be terrified.
When you asked "anything you want to see?" on that post, I was actually going to write to you and ask "Can you please show how a modern artillery unit works?"
Thank you for responding, before I could even ask - excellent piece! In a way, this part of the battle is the most recognizable (I had a few pals in the artillery years ago, who would recognize the gun, aiming and loading rhythm perfectly). But even there, they used to have a few tubes sited together - not such extreme dispersal -- and they didn't used to have that level of fear of counter-baterry fire (I'm guessing the units they are hunting in Kursk are a lot faster and better at that, than the badly depleted forces in the Donbas - and drones make everything harder to hide).
Above all, thank you for bringing us those little human snippets in each story - loved that joke about the general in a golden tank - and all those small humane connections - learned English in Vancouver, dad lives in Kansas - remind all of us that it isn't just the battle between Russia and Ukraine which is a brother against brother tragedy - it is also the battle between Russia and NATO.
I wish all the silly kung-fu movies we've been consuming all these years would have sunk in. "I will only fight you if I must, I'd rather drink tea and make friends!"
(That is, wisdom and fraternity first - save the games for after work at the pub)
Thank you again for your extraordinary courage. Stay safe. Godspeed.
Stay safe and come home.
Thank you so much for the info.
Watching from Oklahoma