Day 637
Ukraine Defense Contact Group
Last week, at a shop in an impenetrable neighbourhood of Kyiv’s impenetrable Podil district – described perhaps as a rococo filigree of one-way streets which change names every other revolution and which allow the pressed-for-time expat bumpkin a generous couple centimetres on both sides of the street with which to navigate steel pylons and scowling scene kids, and where there are Never. Any. U-racks, – it went like this:
—Okay, today’s the day. Where is it?
—They promised to bring it at eight o’clock sharp.
—How’s that?
(to be continued)
In related news, I learned why it’s not a good idea to vacation in Polyana, a small town 30 kilometers due east from Uzhhorod in Zakarpattia region. At least, during this time of year. There is nothing to do, except walk and feed stray dogs and cats.
This week, before it snowed, it went like this. I re-cycled down the same crappy one-way street, penetrated the impenetrable neighbourhood, found a miraculous U-rack, whipped around the corner to see that the most secret no-name military surplus hub in the city had closed three hours for lunch.
So I rode up to the Polytechnical University and priced it at an optics store for less. Much less.
Tracking down thermal imaging systems in Kyiv is tricky. It’s, er, been a hobby since early 20221.
Which brings me to Sabrina at the Pentagon:
DoD has supplied Ukraine with tens of thousands of night vision devices, thermal imagery systems, optics, and laser rangefinders. More are in the pipeline, but they need Congress to approve the supplemental funding request.
In other news, Chervinsky is still in pre-trial confinement (the judge recused himself yesterday) and there are hair-raising new clues in the Kulynich case, c/o Тетяна Ніколаєнко.
American ATN delivers thermal optics to AFU for $13.2 mln in crypto deal – expert (Interfax-Ukraine, July 12, 2022)