Militär teknik och Ukrainakriget

[dr Cassandra Nojdh]

Några ukrainska bilder som verkar föreställa (åtminstone en fullskalemodell av) UAV-n "Beaver"




I bakgrund skymtar också vad som kan vara en UJ-22 UAV

Canardvingen (alltså nosvingen) ger inte intryck av att vara så bakåtsvept som jag först trodde, baserat på de tidigare kända bilderna. Däremot ger en nosvinge ett positivt bidrag till farkostens lyftkraft, vilket kan förklara den förhållandevis klena arean för huvudvingen. Även manövrerbarheten i låga farter ökar, vilket var anledningen till att AJ-37 Viggen på sin tid försågs med nosvinge.

Vid långa. smala vingar som på ett segelflygplan, ökar alltså det sk. sidoförhållandet, vilket ger lägre luftmotstånd.

Om detta är en autentisk bild från en av attackerna mot Moskva (vilket jag alltså inte vet) så skulle siluetten vara konsistent med bilderna ovan, givet att farkosten rör sig från höger till vänster i bild (skjutande propeller).

[dr Cassandra Nojdh]

Iran helping Russia build drone stockpile that is expected to be ‘orders of magnitude larger’ than previous arsenal, US says

Analysts from the Defense Intelligence Agency told a small group of reporters during a briefing on Friday that the drone-manufacturing facility now under construction is expected to provide Russia with a new drone stockpile that is “orders of magnitude larger” than what it has been able to procure from Iran to date.

When the facility is completed, likely by early next year, the new drones could have a significant impact on the conflict, the analysts warned. In April, the US released a satellite image of the planned location of the purported drone manufacturing plant, inside Russia’s Alabuga Special Economic Zone about 600 miles east of Moscow. The analysts said Iran has regularly been ferrying equipment to Russia to help with the facility’s construction.

They added that to date, it is believed that Iran has provided Russia with over 400 Shahed 131, 136 and Mohajer drones – a stockpile that Russia has almost completely depleted, they said.

Kan det verkligen stämma att Ryssland endast har fått 400 drönare från Iran? Här är en mycket intressant artikel om den tragiska utvecklingen i Alabuga.

Även SvT tar upp detta, med hänvisning till bl.a. samma artikel i Protokol som ovan.
Här ligger den ryska drönarfabriken

Ryska ungdomar får tydligen som "sommarjobb" att sätta samman Shahed-136/Geran-2 UAV-er. Det verkar som om en hel del av tillverkningen ligger kvar i Iran, medan slutmonteringen sker i Ryssland, vilket verkar tillverkningsekonomiskt sunt. Iran har troligen rätt väl fungerande tillverkningslinjer för att bygga komponenter, medan monteringen är mer arbetskraftskrävande. De Iran-producerade komponenterna transporteras sedan sjövägen över Kaspiska Havet till Ryssland. Denna arbetsfördelning antyddes redan föra året, då planerna först blev kända:
Iran will help Russia build drones for Ukraine war, Western officials say

En del av elektroniken är sannolikt annorlunda också, eftersom ryssarna vill använda sitt eget satellitnavigeringssystem GLONASS istf. GPS.

Motorn i farkosten, Mado MD-550, sägs vara en iransk piratkopia av den tyska Limbach L550E, men tillverkaren av den senare motortypen kontrolleras numera av den kinesiska kommunistdiktaturen, i form av Xiamen Limbach Aircraft Engine Co., Ltd. så iranierna kan mycket väl ha fått ritningarna till denna direkt från kineserna.

[Enceladus]

Man kan ju ställa sig frågan om denna information är autentisk, och i förekommande fall varför den "läcks" just nu och vad som är syftet? I varje fall
plockar givetvis den brittiska högerpressen genast upp detta och lika genast utbryter ett slafsigt brittisk - tyskt fingerpekande. Nästan 80 år efter slutet på WW2.

British defence minister insists Ukraine’s counter-offensive is not failing

The leaked German military assessment claimed that Kyiv was failing to implement Nato-standard tactics by attacking in units composed of too few men - and not simultaneously engaging infantry, artillery and tanks in “combined arms warfare”.

It blamed Ukraine for promoting combat veterans over unproven soldiers who had been trained at Western boot camps.

Mr Heappey, who is a front-runner to replace Ben Wallace as defence secretary, defended the Ukrainian advance, saying it had to be acknowledged that Kyiv was up against defences that had been prepared for six months.

Den tyska läckan får kritik från brittiskt håll. Nu börjar Ukrainas motoffensiv dessutom ta fart. Motståndarsidan verkar däremot ha strukturella problem:

Here is a summary from this guy’s text. Key reasons why, according to him, RU forces are unsuccessful in Bakhmut:

- Overcrowding of units on the frontline - too many units crammed into a small area made organizing a proper defense difficult. The more units command pushed in, the worse the chances of stable defense became.

- Lack of rotation and rest for units - some units had been stationed there for months, losing 2/3 of their personnel and equipment. New arriving units had no time to dig in or build defenses before coming under fire.

- Poor morale and lack of will to fight - many units are simply morally suppressed and waiting for their turn to retreat. Panic sets in easily and many flee at the first sign of heavy shelling rather than stand their ground.

- Poor middle management - some commanders act inadequately, failing to inspect positions or lead their men. When crisis hits, junior officers have to take charge.

- Lack of coordination and communication - units with different communication systems crammed together, artillery support not coordinated properly, commanders out of touch with situations on the ground.

- Failure to utilize resources - heaps of unused equipment left lying around, units unwilling to dig trenches or set up defenses even when means are available.

- Poor training and preparation of mobilized troops - some mobilized reservists did not even have basic first aid training or kits after months of supposed training.

Gräset är inte grönare på andra sidan...

Observera att frasen i det sista stycket "Den här typen av vapen har Ryssland provat ut i flera av sina krig, och de fungerar bäst i öppen terräng och mot större fiendeformationer. Nu opererar ju inte Ukrainas försvarsmakt på detta sätt, man vill undvika stora frontala sammanstötningar där ryssarna kan utnyttja sin större eldkraft. " inte längre är giltig eftersom det nu blir fråga om denna typ av krigföring. Det betyder att Ukraina måste (bl.a.) inrikta sig på att förstöra så många TOS-system som möjligt.

Ryssland har precis förlorat ännu ett TOS-system:

The spectacular destruction of a Russian TOS-1A thermobaric multiple rocket launcher by an FPV loitering munition of the Ukrainian SBU "Alpha".

Hur många finns det kvar vid det här laget?

Helicopter carrying tourists crashes in Russia, leaving 6 killed

Russian emergency services reported that a Mi-8 helicopter was carrying a group of tourists. It crashed near the village of Tungur after getting snagged on wires during the landing.

Klarar Ryssland att underhålla sina luftfarkoster - civila eller militära - under rådande förhållanden?

[dr Cassandra Nojdh]

Man kan ju ställa sig frågan om denna information är autentisk, och i förekommande fall varför den "läcks" just nu och vad som är syftet? I varje fall
plockar givetvis den brittiska högerpressen genast upp detta och lika genast utbryter ett slafsigt brittisk - tyskt fingerpekande. Nästan 80 år efter slutet på WW2.

British defence minister insists Ukraine’s counter-offensive is not failing

The leaked German military assessment claimed that Kyiv was failing to implement Nato-standard tactics by attacking in units composed of too few men - and not simultaneously engaging infantry, artillery and tanks in “combined arms warfare”.

It blamed Ukraine for promoting combat veterans over unproven soldiers who had been trained at Western boot camps.

Mr Heappey, who is a front-runner to replace Ben Wallace as defence secretary, defended the Ukrainian advance, saying it had to be acknowledged that Kyiv was up against defences that had been prepared for six months.

Den tyska läckan får kritik från brittiskt håll.

Exakt vad jag sade: Ett slafsigt fingerpekande. Varje land har rätt att göra sina egna underrättelsebedömningar, men det fyller inget vettigt syfte att göra dem offentliga, oavsett hur.

[Enceladus]

Enligt Kofman har Ukraina ett övertag i eldrörsartilleri. Vem är mest trovärdig? I den senaste podden nämns dock att ukrainska trupper efterfrågar APOBS.

APOBS står alltså för anti-personnel obstacle breaching system. I brist på APOBS har Ukraina hittat en annan lösning:

Possibly Ukrainians testing the Russian trenches just outside Verbove. To me it looks like someone is sending an unmanned vehicle ifv/tank/whatever to test the approach.

Def Mon har kartor över de ryska befästningslinjerna vid Robotyne och Verbove samt Staromaiors'ke och Urozhaine. Ukraina avancerar på båda fronterna.

Antalet visuellt bekräftade ryska förluster utgör 11 434 enheter, varav 982 artilleripjäser (264 dragna, 467 självgående samt 251 raketiska). Stadig ökning. Ryssland har nu förlorat minst sju TOS-system. Hur många har Ryssland totalt? Den tidigare länkade sammanställningen saknar uppgifter om detta system.

U.S. expects to begin delivering Abrams tanks to Ukraine in September

The plan is to send a handful of Abrams tanks to Germany in August, where they will undergo final refurbishments. Once that process is complete, the first batch of Abrams will be shipped to Ukraine the following month.

The potential August and September deliveries mark the most specific time frame provided for when America’s main battle tank is expected to roll onto the battlefield. Pentagon officials have previously said the Abrams would be in Ukrainian hands sometime in the fall.

[...]

Before Ukrainian forces can begin operating the tanks, they have to wrap up a roughly 10-week course on 31 trainer tanks at the Grafenwoehr Army base in Germany. The Ukrainians are slated to finish that training in August, according to a separate DOD official.

The first DOD official and another person familiar with Kyiv’s thinking said the tanks could even arrive in Ukraine as early as August, but that timeline may be overly optimistic. The tanks are not new; instead, the older vehicles are being stripped of their most sensitive technology, including in some cases secret depleted uranium armor, before they can be sent to Ukraine.

Ukraina får de utlovade 31 amerikanska stridsvagnarna om en eller två månader. För lite och för sent? Fast det blir väl ytterligare en motoffensiv nästa år.

[dr Cassandra Nojdh]

Enligt Kofman har Ukraina ett övertag i eldrörsartilleri. Vem är mest trovärdig? I den senaste podden nämns dock att ukrainska trupper efterfrågar APOBS.

APOBS står alltså för anti-personnel obstacle breaching system. I brist på APOBS har Ukraina hittat en annan lösning:

Possibly Ukrainians testing the Russian trenches just outside Verbove. To me it looks like someone is sending an unmanned vehicle ifv/tank/whatever to test the approach.

På videon som refereras ser man bara någon typ av bandgående stridsfordon som rycker fram, för att sedan fastna i en stridsvagnsgrav. Dvs. den ryska befästningslinjen fungerar som den är tänkt. Och fordonet går möjligen förlorat. En kostsam taktik, i förekommande fall.

APOBS är en personburet minröjningssystem, som fungerar på samma sätt som ryska Meteor och amerikanska M58 MICLIC. De sistnämnda är avsedda att röja väg genom minfält för mekaniserade enheter, vilket jag skrev om här: viewtopic.php?p=412837#p412837

APOBS är alltså ett lättare system, som är tänkt att röja väg genom minerad mark för infanteri:



APOBS-system är förstås mindre komplexa än större, fordonsburna röjningssystem och tillverkas av flera vapenfabrikanter, ex.vis Nammo: https://www.nammo.com/product/our-produ ... ics/apobs/

Om det stämmer som Franz-Stefan Gady nämnde i intervjun i The Warzone så förs kriget just nu på infanterinivå

1.) By and large this is an infantryman’s fight (squad, platoon and company level) supported by artillery along most of the frontline. This has several implications.

1st: Progress is measured by yards/meters and not km/miles given reduced mobility.

2nd: Mechanized formations are rarely deployed due to lack of enablers for maneuver. This includes insufficient quantities of de-mining equipment, air defenses, ATGMs etc.

I detta läge är det ju förståeligt om system av ovanstående typ efterfrågas. Gady varnar dock, som tidigare nämnts för "silver bullet"-tänkande:

4.) Minefields are a problem as most observers know. They confine maneuver space and slow advances. But much more impactful than the minefields per se on Ukraine’s ability to break through Russian defenses is Ukraine's inability to conduct complex combined arms operations at scale. Lack of a comprehensive combined arms approach at scale makes Ukrainian forces more vulnerable to Russian ATGMs, artillery etc. while advancing. So it's not just about equipment.

[dr Cassandra Nojdh]

Ukraina får de utlovade 31 amerikanska stridsvagnarna om en eller två månader. För lite och för sent? Fast det blir väl ytterligare en motoffensiv nästa år.

Det är ju bra att Enceladus-kollektivet uttrycker sig i frågande form, i varje fall.

Jag hänvisar som tidigare, till denna ISW-artikel:
UKRAINE’S SUSTAINED COUNTEROFFENSIVE: DENYING RUSSIA’S PROLONGATION OF THE WAR

[Enceladus]

North Korea Unveils Look-Alike Global Hawk, Reaper Drones

North Korea has unveiled two new drones that appear to be almost exact visual copies of the well-known U.S.-made RQ-4 Global Hawk and MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Its state media has also provided brief videos showing both of them in flight. While the precise capabilities of these North Korean drones remain very much unclear — they are certain to fall well short of their U.S. lookalikes — the fact that Pyongyang has been plowing resources into developing them does at least point to an increasing interest in advanced UAV designs for both surveillance and attack, as well as the ability to actually realize those interests.

[...]

Examples of both the “Global Hawk-type” and “Reaper-type” drones performed flyovers of Pyongyang last night, as part of the country’s latest military parade, commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War.

[...]

Meanwhile, the official designations of the two drones have also been released. These are the Morning Star-4 (샛별-4, or Saetbyol-4 in Korean) for the Global Hawk-type and Morning Star-9 (샛별-9, or Saetbyol-9) for the Reaper-type. Notably, the designations follow the same numerical format as the U.S. drones that the copy, the RQ-4 and MQ-9, respectively.

Nordkorea visar upp kopior av de amerikanska drönarna RQ-4 Global Hawk and MQ-9 Reaper som dessutom är namngivna efter de ikoniska drönarna!

Kim Jong Un Oversees North Korean Military Parade, Showcasing New Drones and ICBMs

The parade also showcased some of the North’s most advanced weapons, including its nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), which are banned under UN sanctions. The North has tested several ICBMs in recent years, claiming they can reach the US mainland.

Among the new weapons on display were unmanned military drones that were first unveiled at a Pyongyang defence expo on Wednesday. One of them was the “Haeil”, an underwater nuclear attack drone that Pyongyang claims can travel underwater at high speed and strike enemy targets.

The parade was a show of force and defiance by the North, which has been locked in a stalemate with the US over its nuclear and missile programs. The talks between Kim and former US President Donald Trump collapsed in 2019, and the current administration of Joe Biden has not resumed direct dialogue with Pyongyang.

Nordkorea presenterar även den nya undervattensdrönaren Haeil. Sjökrigsexperten Sutton jämför den med ryska Poseidon, men noterar några skillnader:

However it’s not an exact match for Poseidon.

And I very much doubt it’s nuclear powered. That’s just unrealistic given North Korean projects and priorities. Instead I expect electric. So it’s mostly batteries.

Nordkorea demonstrerar också stridsvagnen M2020 under den storslagna paraden. Den är tänkt att vara av nästa generation, men många är skeptiska.

Russia Fears Pro-Ukrainian Drone Attack On Major Navy Parade

Clear evidence has emerged showing that Russia takes this threat to the annual Navy Day parade in Saint Petersburg seriously. Special antenna, identified as part of the ‘Pole 21’ electronic warfare system, have been spotted on one of the participating warships.

R-340RP ‘Pole-21’ is associated with GPS jamming. According to Russian sources, it is capable of protecting strategically important sites from cruise missiles, guided bombs, and drones . The radio suppression system is designed to jam a variety of satellite navigation systems. These reputedly include the American GPS, European Galileo and Chinese Beidou channels. It is less clear whether it jams the Russian Glonass equivalent. It is also rumored to have some effect against Starlink, which is widely used by Ukraine. The Ukrainian military indicates that the system has a range of at least 25 km.

[...]

Nuclear submarines have already been pulled from the St. Petersburg parade, likely due to security fears. Analysts will be observing the parade closely, looking not just at the ships, but at the subtle hints of extra defenses.

Ryssland har flera drönare att frukta från Ukraina, inte minst andra generationens USV-er som Magura V5!

[Enceladus]

Det var det knappast. Minor är ju i huvudsak defensiva vapen, och nu ska ju Ukraina försöka återta de områden som ockuperats. Olika typer av anti-fordonsminor har ju Ukraina redan använt, både raketburna som SCATMIN och i form av artillerigranater som M718/M741 RAAMS.

Russian land mines pose a persistent and deadly threat in Ukraine

Ukraine is a signatory to the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction, and had been destroying its anti-personnel mines when the war began. Human Rights Watch reported in January that it had found evidence that rocket-scattered PFM-1 mines had been used against Russian forces in Izium; Ukraine's foreign ministry said at the time that the country’s forces strictly adhered to the convention and that the report would be “properly analyzed by the relevant institutions”. Ukraine’s foreign ministry did not respond to a recent request for comment.

Russia, which is not a signatory, has widely used anti-personnel mines. Russia’s defence ministry did not respond to a written request for comment.

Militarily, Ukraine’s counteroffensive is trying to punch through Russian minefields. On the humanitarian side, non-technical surveying has begun, but working near the front is impossible. For now, demining organisations are trying to help civilians avoid danger and restore normalcy to everyday life.

Ryssland tycks däremot dra fördel av att inte ha ratificerat Ottawa-avtalet, speciellt vid Robotyne och Verbove där Ukraina sägs ha lidit stora förluster.

Gady varnar dock, som tidigare nämnts för "silver bullet"-tänkande:

Franz-Stefan Gady and Michael Kofman on what Ukraine must do to break through Russian defences

Ukraine is struggling to conduct effective combined-arms operations largely because of deficiencies in two areas: training and experience.

[...]

Even if Ukraine were able to fix all these tactical issues, it would still struggle to overcome Russian defences without more mine-clearing equipment, short-range air defence, air power and a significant advantage over Russia in stocks of artillery ammunition. Ukraine’s forces are highly motivated but face a daunting task against minefields, entrenchments and competent Russian defenders.

[...]

Ukraine’s offensive is far from over and attrition has served it well in the past. A new wave of attacks by second-echelon forces is now testing the Russian defence to see if attrition has had the desired effects. The West is best served by backing Ukraine’s way of war, by exploiting its advantages in defence-industrial capacity (including ammunition production) and the quality of its weapons. Help Ukraine to fight the way it fights best.

Gady och Kofman rekommenderar i ovanstående artikel att stödja Ukrainas sätt att föra krig och ge resurser till den krigföringen istället för att förvänta sig att Ukraina strider som väst hade gjort - på kort tid och utan flygvapen. Inte minst sägs att västs industriella överlägsenhet borde utnyttjas i den kampen.

Ukraine fires North Korean rockets to blast Russian positions

Ruslan, a Ukrainian artillery commander, said the North Korean munitions were not favoured by his troops because of their relatively high dud rate, with many known to misfire or fail to explode. Most were manufactured in the 1980s and 1990s, according to their markings.

One Ukrainian Grad unit member warned the FT not to get too close to the rocket launcher when the crew fired the North Korean munitions because “they are very unreliable and do crazy things sometimes”.

[...]

The Ukrainian soldiers said the rockets had been “seized” from a ship by a “friendly” country before being delivered to Ukraine. They declined to provide further details.

Nu är det bekräftat att nordkoreansk ammunition används i Ukraina, men kanske inte av den sida som förväntades. Jämför Rysslands 60-talsutrusning:

Before people start reposting this as “Russia pulling out BTR-60PBs out of storage,” these are in fact 1V18 Klyon-1 artillery forward observing and command vehicles, which Russian military never phased out completely.

[Enceladus]

Ukrainian Armed Forces announces successful strike on Chonhar Bridge

The defence forces of Ukraine successfully struck the Chonhar Bridge on Saturday morning.

Förmodligen användes Storm Shadow igen. Samtidigt fortsätter utnötningen av ryska artilleritrupper i Ukraina:

Russian blogger Ross Marsov says Russians have lost around 20 artillery guns, which equals to one artillery battalion, just in "Vremevsky ledge" (Staromlynivka axis) in the past two months.

Antalet visuellt bekräftade ryska förluster uppgår nu till 11 445 enheter, varav 983 artilleripjäser (264 dragna, 468 självgående samt 251 raketiska).

Ukraine Is Lobbing Eight-Ton Air-Defense Missiles At Russian Cities

Sometime before this month, the air force pulled obsolete S-200 surface-to-air missile systems out of long-term storage, apparently replaced the command-guidance units in their V-860/880 missiles with GPS seekers—thus converting them into surface-to-surface missiles—and began firing them at targets inside Russia.

[...]

The S-200 strike in Taganrog comes 19 days after the first confirmed strike by the same missile type. That attack damaged an industrial site in Bryansk, in Russia around 110 miles from the Ukrainian border.

Donations of purpose-made deep-strike weapons by Ukraine’s allies tend to come with provisos—most commonly: don’t use them on targets inside Russia.

Ukraina har byggt om gamla luftvärnsrobotar av typen S-200 till långräckviddiga markmålsrobotar som till skillnad från Storm Shadow får brukas utomlands!

Video Shows Major Explosion As Missile Strikes Southern Russian Port City

The Russian Defense Ministry has said its air defenses intercepted and downed a Ukrainian missile over the central square of the city of Taganrog in Russia's Rostov region, close to the border with Ukraine, with authorities calling the strike a terrorist attack. The ministry said debris from the downed rocket damaged a museum courtyard and a café in the city center.

But dash-cam footage first published by the Russian news Telegram channel Mash appears to show the rocket striking a building in the city, seemingly escaping air defense systems and causing a major explosion. According to Mash, the video shows the head of a Ukrainian S-200 rocket.

[...]

Russian authorities also said it downed a second missile over the Rostov region shortly afterward. Kyiv hasn't claimed responsibility for the attacks, in line with its policy of not commenting on attacks inside Russia.

Ryssland påstår att två ukrainska markmålsrobotar har genskjutits, trots att det finns ett videoklipp som visar motsatsen. Vad gjorde Rysslands luftförsvar?

Explosions Rock Moscow in Brazen Early-Morning Drone Attack

The Moscow City business center took a direct hit in the attack, with footage from the scene showing debris and smoke apparently pouring out of the building. Local outlet 112 reported that a security guard was injured in the strike, though Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said no injuries had been reported.

[...]

Airspace over and around the city was shut down as a result of the attack, and Vnukovo International Airport temporarily halted incoming and outgoing flights.

Dessutom ännu en omgång av drönarattacker mot Moskva! Direkt från Twitter-flödet:

The Russian Ministry of Defense has announced that early this morning Ukraine attempted to Attack the Capital of Moscow with at least 3 “Kamikaze” Attack Drones, with 1 Drone being Shot Down by Air Defenses in the Odintsovo District to the Southwest of the City, while the other 2 Drones were “Suppressed” by Electronic-Warfare Systems causing them to Lose Control and Crash into a Non-Residential Complex.

[Enceladus]

Russians See Ukrainian Progress Where Others Don’t

“Enemy artillery crews do not change position for hours, shelling our front line with impunity,” moaned Alexander Khodakovsky, the commander of the Vostok Battalion of the “Donetsk People’s Republic,” the Russian puppet regime in eastern Ukraine. “Our gun artillery does not meet modern requirements for a number of reasons, primarily in terms of range.”

Another disorienting weapon for the Russians is the U.K.-supplied Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missile. Ukraine has been using the Storm Shadow to hit Russian logistics bases it would have previously hit with GMLRS but for the fact that Russia adapted to that tactic by relocating its materiel outside the 56-mile range of the artillery rockets. These cruise missiles, however, can reach any Russian target in any part of occupied Ukraine, depending upon where they are fired from the Su-24 bombers that carry them.

Again, we defer to Russian sources.

“I remember the summer when Ukrainians received HIMARS, and the warehouse began to burn like matches,” one Russian military blogger, “ALIVE Z,” lamented in response to a successful Storm Shadow strike on Novooleksiivka, on the border with Crimea in Kherson oblast, on July 11. “The appearance of the Storm Shadow missiles forces us to move the warehouses even farther [away from the front line] or to look for another solution. … In general we will have to be very scrupulous about the protection and placement of ammunition.”

De ryska ockupanterna har inte längre någonstans att gömma sig. Storm Shadow når i princip överallt. Vidare har ukrainskt artilleri längre skottvidd. Dessutom har Ukraina precisionsstyrd ammunition som GMLRS och Excalibur. Var är de ryska motsvarigheterna Tornado-S samt 2S35 Koalitsiya-SV?

Ukraina fortsätter att avancera söder om Backmut. Där finner ukrainska trupper resterna av ett ryskt bombflygplan:

Ukrainian forces progressed in the vicinity of Klishchiivka and found the remains of a Russian Su-24M bomber which was shot down near Bakhmut on 28 March this year.

Men VKS skulle ju vara intakt! Dessutom behöver Ryssland värna världens längsta landgränser:

/8 After analyzing many photos from social networks and other sources, it becomes evident that Russian forces still maintain a considerable number of tanks in operational condition. Consequently, statements insinuating that they are almost depleted of equipment are not accurate

9/ It is true that russians have been employing outdated tanks like the T55/54 predominantly in the South for the past year. Despite their age, these tanks pose a significant threat as they engage through indirect fire, corrected by drones, making them unreachable for AT means.

10/ Before concluding, it's crucial to highlight a few details: not all vehicles are stored outdoors; some are located indoors. Due to Russia's longest in the world border, the allocation of forces across various regions limits their deployment solely to Ukraine.

Det är en formidabel uppgift att försvara världens till ytan största land.

The first Zuzana 2 self-propelled howitzers from three European countries will be handed over to Ukraine on Tuesday

On Tuesday, August 1, Ukraine will receive two Zuzana 2 wheeled self-propelled howitzers of Slovak production.

These will be the first self-propelled howitzers, the purchase of which was funded by Denmark, Germany, and Norway as part of military aid.

[...]

In total, the Defense Forces of Ukraine will receive 16 Zuzana 2 155 mm self-propelled howitzers within this joint project.

Ukraina får ytterligare två artilleripjäser av typen Zuzana 2. Denna gång är det Danmark, Tyskland och Norge som betalar. Tiden är på Ukrainas sida.

[Enceladus]

Den enda bäver som bevisligen har med Ukrainas försvarsmakt att göra verkar vara detta stackars djur:

Ukraine’s Other Counteroffensive: Drone Attacks on Russian Soil

The three drones identified by The Times — the Bober, the UJ-22 Airborne and a third model with an undetermined name — have all been used to hit targets in Russia, including Moscow, and the attacks have been increasing, based on a tally by The Times of geolocated visuals and local reports. The number of kamikaze drones flown into Russia between May and July was double the total for all of 2022.

[...]

“The only way to stop this kind of thing,” said Mr. Yusov, the G.U.R. spokesman, “is the immediate withdrawal of Russian occupation troops from Ukraine and the restoration of our sovereignty.”

Här är en färsk artikel om Ukrainas expanderande arsenal av långräckviddiga militära drönare, inklusive den mystiska bävern.

CNN journalists visit secret base where Ukrainian sea drones are being tested

Surface drones were used in at least two recent attacks, including that on the Kerch Bridge in July and the Sevastopol port in Crimea in October, said Ukrainian defence sources who spoke to CNN.

"These drones are a completely Ukrainian production. They are designed, drawn and tested here. It’s our own production of hulls, electronics and software. More than 50% of the production of equipment is here (in Ukraine)." the drones’ developer says.

He adds it is difficult for the Russians to hit such a small drone and detect it.

Ukraina begränsar sig inte till drönare i luften. Här är ett videoklipp om utvecklingen till sjöss:



Ukraina sägs vara det första landet att storskaligt använda obemannade sjöfarkoster i offensiv roll. Iran har gjort detta tidigare i mindre skala.

Inside the Wagner Group’s Armed Uprising

I was there to meet Anton Lavryniuk, a Ukrainian battalion commander whose soldiers had been fighting Wagner in and around Bakhmut for six months. Combat had been exhausting. “Imagine today you killed twenty people. Yesterday it was twenty. The day before that it was thirty. Every day they come, and get mowed down in whole rows,” he told me. “What’s more, you see these rows of bodies, and no one is trying to pull them out. Today’s assault simply marches over the same ground where yesterday’s bodies are still lying.” In some cases, Lavryniuk saw that individual soldiers in his unit were struggling, psychologically as much as physically, and he sent them to the rear for a few days of rest. “They need to get their brains untwisted,” he said.

Lavryniuk noted that, as Wagner’s losses mounted, the number of storm troopers in each wave had become smaller—as few as six per group. One aspect of the group’s tactics remained constant, though: the practice of “zeroing out.” Lavryniuk and his men intercepted frequent radio traffic on the battlefield in which Wagner commanders gave the order: “Anyone who takes a step back, zero them out.” Lavryniuk told me, “We heard this over and over.”

I had received conflicting accounts about the decrease in Wagner artillery fire. Sources in both Ukraine and Russia noted dips in firing rates last spring, and cited a general rationing of munitions along the front. “Everything is regulated in the Army,” the former Russian military official said. “There are prescribed rates of ammunition consumption that dictate how much artillery you need for this or that operation.” Lavryniuk, for his part, doubted the sincerity of Prigozhin’s complaints about a lack of ammunition: “In many places, the intensity of fire was greater than before.” His men had adopted an ironclad rule. As soon as Wagner forces made contact, they hugged the ground or changed firing position, because an artillery barrage was imminent. “Wagner operates according to scorched-earth tactics,” Lavryniuk said. “They don’t storm a trench or a building until they’ve levelled it completely.”

Inte konstigt att Wagnergruppen kunde döda så många piloter från försvarsministeriet under sitt uppror. Brutaliteten är en central del av Prigozjins vandel.

Russians block traffic on Crimean bridge, media report evacuation from railway station

Traffic on the Crimean Bridge has been blocked off in occupied Crimea. The media report on evacuation from the railway station on the bridge.

[...]

Krym.Realii with reference to Russian and Crimean Telegram channels reports about the evacuation at the Kerch-Pivdenna railway station. According to anonymous Telegram-channels, a call about a mining threat was made.

Ukraina hittar ständigt nya sätt att hindra trafiken på Kertjbron. Denna gång påstås partisaner ha minerat en järnvägsstation.

Drones target Moscow, high-rise building hit

Two drones, the Ministry said, had been downed in suburbs west of the city centre.

"Yet another (drone) was hit by radio-electronic equipment and, having run out of control, crashed on the territory of the complex of non-residential buildings at Moskva Citi," the ministry said, referring to a business centre in the capital.

[...]

"One flew into the same tower at the Moskva Citi complex hit previously. The facade has been damaged on the 21st floor. Glazing was destroyed over 150 square metres."

Vilket märkligt sammanträffande att samma byggnad har träffats igen. Fungerade Moskvas elektroniska krigföring? Gömmer ryssarna något i denna byggnad?

Antalet visuellt bekräftade ryska förluster utgör 11 487 enheter, varav 2 188 stridsvagnar, 84 flygplan, 100 helikoptrar, 12 strids- och 266 spaningsdrönare.

[Enceladus]

Enligt denna artikel skickar USA klusterammunition till Ukraina som en nödåtgärd. Sydkorea lyckades helt enkelt inte köpa tillräckligt mycket tid.

US faces hurdles in ramping up munitions supplies for Ukraine war effort

“I personally sit in my office every morning and spend 30 minutes on 155[mm] ammunition,” US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said last month at the Aspen Security Forum.

[...]

The US has already struck deals with Bulgaria and South Korea to supply the shells to Ukraine and is in talks with Japan to do the same, officials said.

But a US Army effort to increase monthly output of the crucial munitions to 90,000 will take until 2025, highlighting the challenge of ramping up such production quickly, particularly when the US had not previously been focused on it.

[...]

The dearth of US supplies of 155mn shells to support the current push was an important driver behind President Joe Biden’s controversial decision last month to authorise shipments of cluster munitions to Ukraine.

The decision “helped ensure that Ukraine has the ammunition it needs and that they would not run out”, one US official said.

Fler länder kommer till undsättning, utöver amerikansk klusterammunition. Detta innebär förhoppningsvis att den ukrainska motoffensiven inte kulminerar i förtid. Samtidigt växer den sydkoreanska försvarsindustrin så det knakar. Perun har naturligtvis en video om Sydkoreas försvarsindustri:



Det är en stor fördel att ha allierade över hela världen - inklusive Serbien:

The fighter in the photo carries a 120mm M62P10 HE mortar bomb; noteably produced in 2023 by #Serbia .

Polen bidrar också med 508 batterier - från Elon Musk!

Six ships break Russia’s Black Sea “blockade”

In the night of 30 July, three civilian ships — Ams1, Sahin 2, and Yilmaz Kaptan, coming from Israel, Greece, and Türkiye/Georgia — sailed direct routes over the Black Sea, openly advertising destination Ukraine over AIS.

[...]

The American P8 anti-ship aircraft ensures the safety of the vessel. It is refueled right in the Romanian sky. Additional reconaissance is provided by the Forte12 RQ-4 reconnaissance drone.

Three more ships, Sealock, Bosphorus Queen, and Afer, have also crossed the waters of the Black sea towards Ukraine’s ports on the Danube.

Flera civila fartyg uppges trotsa Rysslands blockad av trafik till Ukrainas hamnar. Perun har även en video om Ukrainakriget till sjöss:



Som tidigare nämnt är obemannade sjöfarkoster i offensiv roll ett relativt nytt fenomen i modern krigföring.

[Enceladus]

Ukrainian drones attack Russian warship

Meanwhile, video and images began appearing on social media showing one of the Russian warships in Novorossiysk that capsized on its side and is being towed ashore.

A Ukrainian naval drone reportedly attacks the Ropucha-class landing ship, Olenegorski Gornjak.

[...]

What’s more, Novorossiysk is one of the biggest ports in the Black Sea — home to a Russian naval base and a major hub for Russian exports.

Ukraina har attackerat en rysk marinbas med drönare i Novorossijsk, Rysslands största varmvattenhamn vid Svarta havet. Minst ett krigsfartyg förstördes.

Ukraine attacks Russian navy base near Novorossiysk

Russian social media users reported hearing explosions and gunfire near Novorossiysk on Friday morning. If confirmed it would be the first Ukrainian attack on one of Russia's main commercial ports.

The Caspian Pipeline Consortium which loads oil onto tankers in Novorossiysk said the port has temporarily barred all ship movement. It said its facilities had not been damaged and oil loadings continued onto tankers which were already moored.

[...]

Clashes in the Black Sea and adjacent ports have escalated since Russia refused last month to extend a deal allowing for the safe exports of grain from Ukrainian ports; Russian drones and missiles have struck several Ukrainian port facilities and grain silos on or near the Black Sea.

Ryssland har mer att förlora än Ukraina på att eskalera kriget i Svarta havet. Till skillnad från Ryssland backas Ukraina upp av världens största ekonomier.

Russia's economy has gone from bad to worse in a matter of months. Here's where the country is feeling pain the most.

Moscow's central bank posted a 93% year-on-year drop in its current-account surplus for the April-June quarter. It fell from a record $76.7 billion to $5.4 billion.

Russia plans to double 2023 defense spending, costs of war rocket

Russia has doubled its 2023 defense spending target to more than $100 billion - a third of all public expenditure - a government document reviewed by Reuters showed, as the costs of the war in Ukraine spiral and place growing strain on Moscow’s finances.

[...]

Rising war costs are supporting Russia’s modest economic recovery this year with higher industrial production, but have already pushed budget finances to a deficit of around $28 billion - a figure compounded by falling export revenues.

Higher spending on defense, as Moscow prosecutes what it calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine, could widen the deficit further, while the boost in output could cannibalize other sectors and crowd out private investment.

Ryssland fördubblar sin försvarsbudget medan landets gigantiska handelsöverskott i princip är utraderat. Dessutom begränsas handeln i Svarta havet.

Drones attacked occupied Crimea, explosions are reported in Feodosia. VIDEO

Temporarily occupied Crimea was attacked by drones. The network reports a hit on an oil depot.

Vidare har Ukraina träffat en oljedepå i ännu en drönarattack mot den ockuperade halvön. Däremot skulle Ukraina ha nytta av att snarast möjligt få GLSDB:

This thread analyzes the situation at Berdyans'k airport, focusing on russian helicopters. Amid the ongoing offensive, observers may find it puzzling that these helicopters remain unscathed at their base in Berdyans'k, enabling them to swiftly access the frontlines.

[...]

5/ Other options, like a massive missile launch combined with drones to overwhelm defenses, may seem viable, but cost-efficiency becomes a significant concern in such scenarios.

This is where GLSDB (Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb) can prove highly valuable

6/ The weapon's operational range, relatively low cost (compared to ATACMS or Stormshadow), and capability to evade specific countermeasures make it a potential game-changer in situations like this

Det finns alltså mål som inte kan nås av GMLRS och inte heller motiverar förbrukningen av en dyrbar långräckviddig missil som Storm Shadow eller ATACMS.

[Enceladus]

Det är naturligtvis fullt tänkbart. Men ryssarna har ju något större marina resurser i Svarta Havet, om man säger så.

Ukrainian Drone Boat Scores Direct Hit On Russian Warship (Updated)

As well as the apparent USV attack on the Russian Navy amphibious landing ship Olenegorsky Gornyak, there are reports that other Russian targets have come under recent attack.

There are reports that explosions occurred in the area of ​​Yuzhnaya Ozerievka, where the Caspian Pipeline Consortium’s marine terminal is located, close to the scene of the landing ship attack. Once again, drone boats are said to have been used, in this case, to attack oil infrastructure.

[...]

Initial satellite imagery of the Olenegorsky Gornyak, from Planet Labs, shows the landing ship now moored at the Novorossiysk naval base and still listing to port. At least one image also shows what appears to be an oil leak coming from the vessel.

Ukraina träffade inte bara landstigningsfartyget Olenegorskyj Gornjak i sin drönarräd, utan även oljeinfrastrukturen i Novorossijsk. Utnötningen har börjat.

En dag senare träffade Ukraina tankfartyget Sig, ett av Rysslands största som också har varit föremål för amerikanska sanktioner sedan 2019, vid Kertjbron:

Russian channels report three naval drones attacked the Crimea bridge (official reports claim drones were destroyed), but another drone reported hitting an oil tanker approx 30 miles from the bridge...which may have been the real ?

Indeed, the Sig oil tanker that Russian channels report was hit, was in the right place near the bridge and appears to have shuttled oil between Crimea and Syria, worked for Russian armed forces and was thus a legitimate military target.

Ukrainian telegram channels publish alleged intercepts of conversation of the crew of the Sig tanker; they talk of a fully flooded engine room and an immobilized vessel.

Ryssland behöver arbeta på sitt försvar till sjöss! Någon måste förstås betala kalaset. Marknadens reaktion är tydlig: nu går det 96 rubel på en dollar.

How US Patriot defences are reducing ‘unstoppable’ Russian missiles to shrapnel

Ukraine now has more than two Patriot batteries which have revolutionised its air defences and breathed new life into the embattled capital, defeating a series of attacks designed to wipe them out with no losses. Ukraine has even been able to dispatch a roving battery north to the border, where it surprised the Kremlin by shooting down five aircraft over Russian airspace in a single day, then south to support the counteroffensive.

“Around Kyiv we now have the most powerful air defence system in the world. And in fact throughout history,” the colonel said, claiming 215 Russian missile and drone intercepts over Kyiv in May and June alone. “It’s Patriots, it’s Nasams, it’s German Iris, S-300, it’s French Crotale. The Russians have realised that banging your head into the wall where it’s thickest is pointless.”

British ingenuity is also playing a role in the city’s defences, the colonel revealed. The Ministry of Defence has supplied a handful of Supacat trucks rigged by British engineers to fire advanced short-range air-to-air missiles (Asraam). They are deployed primarily to intercept swarms of Russia’s Iranian-supplied Shahed suicide drones, but some of the systems are also supporting Ukraine’s counteroffensive.

[...]

He disclosed that in December Ukrainian authorities had been on the brink of ordering the complete evacuation of Kyiv due to the intensity of Russian airstrikes. “Not many people know this, but Kyiv was on the verge of evacuation,” he said. “There was one battle that, in my opinion, determined the fate of Kyiv and the Russian campaign to destroy our energy sector, when 49 cruise missiles were launched at Kyiv.”

In a desperate 15 minutes on December 16, Ukraine fired dozens of missiles from its Soviet-era S-300, American Nasams and German Iris-T systems to save the city from total blackout in freezing temperatures.

“If we had allowed this strike to succeed, Kyiv would have had to be evacuated. And it is very difficult to evacuate two and a half million people,” the colonel said.

En mycket intressant artikel om utvecklingen av Ukrainas luftförsvar. SAMP/T verkar dock fortfarande lysa med sin frånvaro.

Eight Ukrainian pilots ready to train on F-16s

According to both a U.S. official and a person familiar with Ukrainian planning, who weren’t authorized to speak on the record about the plans, eight Ukrainian pilots who are fluent in English are ready to begin training on the fighter jet as soon as a formal training plan is drawn up by a handful of European allies and approved by the United States. The exact timing of that instruction remains unclear.

The U.S. official further said 20 pilots that speak some English are available to start language courses in the United Kingdom as soon as this month. (That may be what Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY meant when he announced the start of F-16 training in August.) Altogether, 32 Ukrainian pilots — enough for two squadrons — have been identified to potentially take part in the training program, but English proficiency remains a sticking point.

Tydligen är språket en av de största utmaningarna med utbildningen av ukrainska piloter på det amerikanska stridsflygplanet F-16.

Antalet bekräftade ryska förluster utgör 11 562 enheter, varav 2 203 stridsvagnar och 997 artilleripjäser (269 dragna, 475 självgående samt 253 raketiska).

[dr Cassandra Nojdh]

Den enda bäver som bevisligen har med Ukrainas försvarsmakt att göra verkar vara detta stackars djur:

Ukraine’s Other Counteroffensive: Drone Attacks on Russian Soil

The three drones identified by The Times — the Bober, the UJ-22 Airborne and a third model with an undetermined name — have all been used to hit targets in Russia, including Moscow, and the attacks have been increasing, based on a tally by The Times of geolocated visuals and local reports. The number of kamikaze drones flown into Russia between May and July was double the total for all of 2022.

[...]

“The only way to stop this kind of thing,” said Mr. Yusov, the G.U.R. spokesman, “is the immediate withdrawal of Russian occupation troops from Ukraine and the restoration of our sovereignty.”

Här är en färsk artikel om Ukrainas expanderande arsenal av långräckviddiga militära drönare, inklusive den mystiska bävern.

Ja. namnet på denna UAV påstås komma från denna incident, då en ukrainsk bäver förirrat sig ned i en skyttegrav. Efter att de ukrainska soldaterna förflyttat djuret därifrån, smet bävern ner i skyttegraven igen. Det tolkar ukrainarna som att även landets bävrar vill vara med och försvara Ukrainas frihet.

[dr Cassandra Nojdh]

Drones attacked occupied Crimea, explosions are reported in Feodosia. VIDEO

Temporarily occupied Crimea was attacked by drones. The network reports a hit on an oil depot.

Vidare har Ukraina träffat en oljedepå i ännu en drönarattack mot den ockuperade halvön. Däremot skulle Ukraina ha nytta av att snarast möjligt få GLSDB:

This thread analyzes the situation at Berdyans'k airport, focusing on russian helicopters. Amid the ongoing offensive, observers may find it puzzling that these helicopters remain unscathed at their base in Berdyans'k, enabling them to swiftly access the frontlines.

[...]

5/ Other options, like a massive missile launch combined with drones to overwhelm defenses, may seem viable, but cost-efficiency becomes a significant concern in such scenarios.

This is where GLSDB (Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb) can prove highly valuable

6/ The weapon's operational range, relatively low cost (compared to ATACMS or Stormshadow), and capability to evade specific countermeasures make it a potential game-changer in situations like this

Det finns alltså mål som inte kan nås av GMLRS och inte heller motiverar förbrukningen av en dyrbar långräckviddig missil som Storm Shadow eller ATACMS.

Ännu bättre vore om Ukraina hade tillgång till flygande plattformar som kunde avlossa GBU-39 glidflygbomben (bombdelen i GLSDB), för då skulle denna kunna avlossas i salvor. Men det är knappast möjligt utan F-16. Här ser vi en F-16 beväpnad med 8 st. GBU-39.


För den ryska sidan har det pratats en hel del om användningen glidflygbomber, vilket jag kommenterade här: viewtopic.php?p=412903#p412903

De vapentyper som beskrivs i inlägget är förmodligen inte "äkta" glidflygbomber, utan mera att jämföra med amerikanska JDAM (och vätebomben B61-12), dvs. frifallande bomber som, fastän de faller nedåt i en kastbana, kan styras mot bestämda målpunkter.

I övrigr har ryssarna, som tidigare beskrivits, jobbat på att expresstillverka ving-kit till sina gamla FAB-500-bomber (som man förefaller ha gott om)


för att få fram något som liknar amerikanska-australiensiska JDAM-ER, fastän förmodligen med sämre precision.

[dr Cassandra Nojdh]

De ryska ockupanterna har inte längre någonstans att gömma sig. Storm Shadow når i princip överallt. Vidare har ukrainskt artilleri längre skottvidd. Dessutom har Ukraina precisionsstyrd ammunition som GMLRS och Excalibur. Var är de ryska motsvarigheterna Tornado-S samt 2S35 Koalitsiya-SV?

Jämförelsen är felaktig. 2S35 Koalitsiya-SV är en haubits och inte en rysk motsvarighet till Excalibur, som är en granat. Möjligen avses den ryska granaten Krasnopol-M, som jag beskrev här: viewtopic.php?p=414566#p414566

[dr Cassandra Nojdh]

Det var det knappast. Minor är ju i huvudsak defensiva vapen, och nu ska ju Ukraina försöka återta de områden som ockuperats. Olika typer av anti-fordonsminor har ju Ukraina redan använt, både raketburna som SCATMIN och i form av artillerigranater som M718/M741 RAAMS.

Russian land mines pose a persistent and deadly threat in Ukraine

Ukraine is a signatory to the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction, and had been destroying its anti-personnel mines when the war began. Human Rights Watch reported in January that it had found evidence that rocket-scattered PFM-1 mines had been used against Russian forces in Izium; Ukraine's foreign ministry said at the time that the country’s forces strictly adhered to the convention and that the report would be “properly analyzed by the relevant institutions”. Ukraine’s foreign ministry did not respond to a recent request for comment.

Russia, which is not a signatory, has widely used anti-personnel mines. Russia’s defence ministry did not respond to a written request for comment.

Militarily, Ukraine’s counteroffensive is trying to punch through Russian minefields. On the humanitarian side, non-technical surveying has begun, but working near the front is impossible. For now, demining organisations are trying to help civilians avoid danger and restore normalcy to everyday life.

Ryssland tycks däremot dra fördel av att inte ha ratificerat Ottawa-avtalet, speciellt vid Robotyne och Verbove där Ukraina sägs ha lidit stora förluster.

Artikeln talar ju om "land mines" oavsett typ. Gränsen mellan fordonsminor och personminor (förbjudna enligt Ottawa-konventionen) är ju inte alla gånger alldeles glasklar, något som jag berörde här: viewtopic.php?p=412014#p412014

Att personminan "grön papegoja" är förbjuden råder det däremot ingen tvekan om: viewtopic.php?p=411563#p411563



Den kan inte desarmeras mekaniskt, utan måste sprängas bort.

[dr Cassandra Nojdh]

How US Patriot defences are reducing ‘unstoppable’ Russian missiles to shrapnel

Ukraine now has more than two Patriot batteries which have revolutionised its air defences and breathed new life into the embattled capital, defeating a series of attacks designed to wipe them out with no losses. Ukraine has even been able to dispatch a roving battery north to the border, where it surprised the Kremlin by shooting down five aircraft over Russian airspace in a single day, then south to support the counteroffensive.

“Around Kyiv we now have the most powerful air defence system in the world. And in fact throughout history,” the colonel said, claiming 215 Russian missile and drone intercepts over Kyiv in May and June alone. “It’s Patriots, it’s Nasams, it’s German Iris, S-300, it’s French Crotale. The Russians have realised that banging your head into the wall where it’s thickest is pointless.”

British ingenuity is also playing a role in the city’s defences, the colonel revealed. The Ministry of Defence has supplied a handful of Supacat trucks rigged by British engineers to fire advanced short-range air-to-air missiles (Asraam). They are deployed primarily to intercept swarms of Russia’s Iranian-supplied Shahed suicide drones, but some of the systems are also supporting Ukraine’s counteroffensive.

[...]

He disclosed that in December Ukrainian authorities had been on the brink of ordering the complete evacuation of Kyiv due to the intensity of Russian airstrikes. “Not many people know this, but Kyiv was on the verge of evacuation,” he said. “There was one battle that, in my opinion, determined the fate of Kyiv and the Russian campaign to destroy our energy sector, when 49 cruise missiles were launched at Kyiv.”

In a desperate 15 minutes on December 16, Ukraine fired dozens of missiles from its Soviet-era S-300, American Nasams and German Iris-T systems to save the city from total blackout in freezing temperatures.

“If we had allowed this strike to succeed, Kyiv would have had to be evacuated. And it is very difficult to evacuate two and a half million people,” the colonel said.

En mycket intressant artikel om utvecklingen av Ukrainas luftförsvar. SAMP/T verkar dock fortfarande lysa med sin frånvaro.

The WarZone beskriver mera ingående hur Ukraina, med brittisk hjälp, tydligen, riggat den mera korträckviddiga jaktmissilen AIM-132 ASRAAM (som ursprungligen var tänkt att ersätta jaktmissilen AIM-9 Sidewinder i Royal Airforce), som luftvärnsmissil:
Air-To-Air Missiles From UK Now Being Used By Ukraine As SAMs



Missilens skottvidd (>15 km) samt rörligheten hos eldenhetens fordonsplattform förefaller göra denna vapentyp lämplig att bekämpa ryska Ka-52 attackhelikoptrar på slagfältet. I brist på flygstöd är det nödvändigt för Ukraina att använda luftvärn i en mera offensiv roll (också).

Att Patriot i gynnsamma fall kan bekämpa även den ryska flyplansburna varianten av Iskander-M-missilen (Kh-47M2 Kinzhal) har vi redan kommenterat, så det är gamla nyheter. SAMP/T lyser möjligen med sin frånvaro i The Times. Att Ukraina använder det enda batteri de fått, i strid, får man förutsätta.