Carts

 

This article a few weeks ago was about what the Russians are doing to keep their Aeroflot passenger aircraft flying.

Russia’s Aeroflot to dismantle cargo aircraft for spare parts

"Russia’s flag carrier, Aeroflot, is reportedly preparing to dismantle eight Boeing cargo aircraft to ensure the airworthiness of its passenger fleet, according to Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service. These aircraft are believed to come from Volga Dnepr Airlines, a Russian air charter provider, under a contract valued at approximately $130 million.

Before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, it was estimated that the country operated between 1,500 and 1,800 Western-made commercial aircraft. Following the imposition of sanctions by the United States and the European Union, Russian operators lost access to new aircraft, spare parts, and certified maintenance support. Because of that carriers have been forced to seek alternative and often unofficial solutions to keep their fleets operational."

It reminded me of this quote from the movie Patton (I haven't researched it to see if it is reported he actually said this; but it would not surprise me):

"You know how I know that they're finished out there? The carts. They're using carts to lug their supplies and wounded. In my dreams I saw the carts. They kept buzzing around in my head and I couldn't figure out why. Then I remembered: the nightmare in the snow -- the endless, agonizing retreat from Moscow. God the cold! The wounded, and what was left of the supplies, were thrown into carts. Napoleon was finished. No color left, not even the red of blood. Only snow."

General Patton believed he had lived earlier lives as a soldier in many different wars and conflicts, and so he attributed this vision to being a member of Napoleon's army in the Russian campaign.

This is the scene where the lines are spoken: