[Goose]

Russia can't turn out the lights in Ukraine, they're still using Ukrainian cell networks and telecoms in part to communicate, no?  Also wouldn't be surprised to see Russian troops using the grid in Ukraine to save diesel from not having to run generators for electrical needs.

I thought the IL-76 shootdown happened around Hostomel...weren't there photos of the wreckage?

That is correct. One of the IL-76s what shot down near Hostomel, which is a suburb of Kiev. The other was shot down near Bila Tserkya, which is about 85km South of Kiev.

I also read that the VDV were generally overestimated due to their mythos and operationally ineffective.  Hindsight is great.

In fairness, the design of this whole operation was insane. The helicopter force that delivered the initial assault troops who were supposed to seize the airport initially was probably too small to begin with. It was certainly too small after it suffered aircraft losses getting to the objective. The force did capture the airport but the airport was still under fire/being contested. The assault force was too small/not motivated enough to clear (under fire) the runways of the obstacles placed there by the Ukrainians. These obstacles were things like buses. They could be moved. The follow-on assault couldn't/didn't land. Pretty much game over.

The force on the ground retreated into the woods to be rescued later by advancing ground forces. In that regards, they were for sure overrated. Contrast that with the German effort at Maleme, Crete in WW II. It was almost an exactly parallel situation. Ended differently. However, it for sure showed what could go wrong in such an operation. The Russians apparently didn't study that operation. Obviously, Russia did not expect serious opposition. You don't design an operation like this where you are going to fly a large number of troops through contested airspace and intend to deposit them on an LZ that has to be secured by air assault just prior to landing unless you are totally committed to fight it out no matter how bad the losses. Obviously, Russia wasn't and the troops weren't either.

[Goose]

Russia can't turn out the lights in Ukraine, they're still using Ukrainian cell networks and telecoms in part to communicate, no?  Also wouldn't be surprised to see Russian troops using the grid in Ukraine to save diesel from not having to run generators for electrical needs.

I thought the IL-76 shootdown happened around Hostomel...weren't there photos of the wreckage?

That is correct. One of the IL-76s what shot down near Hostomel, which is a suburb of Kiev. The other was shot down near Bila Tserkya, which is about 85km South of Kiev.

I also read that the VDV were generally overestimated due to their mythos and operationally ineffective.  Hindsight is great.

In fairness, the design of this whole operation was insane. The helicopter force that delivered the initial assault troops who were supposed to seize the airport initially was probably too small to begin with. It was certainly too small after it suffered aircraft losses getting to the objective. The force did capture the airport but the airport was still under fire/being contested. The assault force was too small/not motivated enough to clear (under fire) the runways of the obstacles placed there by the Ukrainians. These obstacles were things like buses. They could be moved. The follow-on assault couldn't/didn't land. Pretty much game over.

The force on the ground retreated into the woods to be rescued later by advancing ground forces. In that regards, they were for sure overrated. Contrast that with the German effort at Maleme, Crete in WW II. It was almost an exactly parallel situation. Ended differently. However, it for sure showed what could go wrong in such an operation. The Russians apparently didn't study that operation. Obviously, Russia did not expect serious opposition. You don't design an operation like this where you are going to fly a large number of troops through contested airspace and intend to deposit them on an LZ that has to be secured by air assault just prior to landing unless you are totally committed to fight it out no matter how bad the losses. Obviously, Russia wasn't and the troops weren't either.