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☆ Here's why an influential US wargame was so wrong about Ukraine's chances against Russian invaders
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Or at least that was the expectation conveyed by pre-war US wargames that simulated a Russian invasion of Eastern Europe. The think tank convened an internal workshop to assess why its wargames had so overestimated Russian military prowess. Most of them examined a Russian invasion of the Baltic States (one also covered a Ukraine invasion), and how NATO might respond. In those games, Russian forces were able to quickly overrun Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania before NATO could stop them. A destroyed Russian tank is seen as Ukrainian serviceman rides a tractor and tows a Russian military vehicle near the village of Dolyna in Ukraine's Kharkiv region in September 2023.

Persons: —, Putin basks, Gian Gentile, Gleb Garanich, Ukraine's, Gentile, RAND's, Michael Peck Organizations: NATO, RAND, Service, RAND Corp, Baltic States, Russian, US, REUTERS, Baltic, US Army, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Russia, Baltic, Kyiv, Russian, Moscow, Ukraine, Eastern Europe, Riga, Tallinn, Baltic States, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Baltics, Dolyna, Ukraine's Kharkiv, Forbes

☆ Ukraine got the top tanks it wanted from the West, but they're not yet changing the game
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Ukraine got the Leopard, Challenger, and Abrams tanks it asked its Western partners for. It's up to Ukraine to either use the tanks to defend against Russian offensives or preserve them for next spring, experts told Business Insider. AdvertisementNow, almost two years into the war, Ukraine has a force of advanced Western tanks at its disposal. Advertisement"These Western type of tanks are qualitatively superior to even the best Russian tanks that the Russians are using in Ukraine," Gentile told Business Insider. There are also questions of whether or not these will be the only Western tanks Ukraine gets, or if there are more in the pipeline.

Persons: Abrams, —, Seth G, Jones, Harold Brown, There's, Gian Gentile, RAND's, Austin Berner Ukraine, M1 Abrams, Gentile, Iraq's, DANIEL LEAL, hasn't, it's, Philipp Schulze, there's, they're Organizations: Russian, Service, Leopards, Transnational, Center for Strategic, International Studies, RAND's Arroyo Center, US Army, Army Staff, Challenger, M1, Soviet, Defense, Ministry of Defence, Getty, Business, Bundeswehr, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Fort Benning, Ga, Soviet, Russia, Soviet Union, England, Zaporizhzhia, Azov, Crimea, Avdiivka, Russian, Lower Saxony, Bergen

☆ Russia is scaling back its use of the feared Ka-52 attack helicopter after Ukraine got good at taking them out: ISW
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine is getting better at taking down Russia's Ka-52 helicopters, the ISW said. AdvertisementAdvertisementUkraine has gotten better at destroying the Russian Ka-52 attack helicopters that had plagued its counteroffensive, a US think tank said. AdvertisementAdvertisementDespite recent Ukrainian advances, so far Russia has prevented Ukraine from making a decisive breakthrough. The ISW said that Ukraine's improved ability against the Ka-52 had not seriously undermined Russian defenses. "Russian forces appear to have increased their use of strike drones against advancing Ukrainian forces, and Russian artillery units continue to play a significant role in repelling Ukrainian assaults," said the ISW.

Persons: Russia's, —, Gian Gentile, Nico Lange Organizations: Ukraine's, Service, RAND Corporation, Munich Security Conference, Defense Express Locations: Ukraine, Russia, US, Russian, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Kherson, Luhansk, Melitopol, Ukrainian

☆ Abrams tanks were 'built to kill' Russian armor, but Ukraine has its work cut out for it keeping them in the fight
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Chris Panella | Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Ukraine has received a first batch of US-provided M1A1 Abrams tanks. It's heavy-duty, combat-proven armor that was built with a very specific mission in mind: killing Russian tanks. The promise to deliver American-made Abrams tanks to Ukraine followed plans from the UK, Germany, and other European partners to provide Ukraine with Challenger and Leopard tanks. AdvertisementAdvertisement"The Abrams was built, A1 and A2 alike, knowing we had to kill many more Russian tanks. AdvertisementAdvertisementUS M1A1 Abrams tanks needed for training the Armed Forces of Ukraine arrive by rail at Grafenwoehr, Germany, May 14, 2023.

Persons: Abrams, it's, —, Robert Greenway, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Biden, M1A1 Abrams, Lance Cpl, Scott Jenkins, Joe Biden, M1A1s, Pat Ryder, Gian Gentile, RAND's, Gentile, Leo, Challenger, Allan Tannenbaum, Greenway, Charlie Company ,, Brendan Mullin, there's, It's, Tylon Chapman, Douglas R, Bush, we've Organizations: US Army, Service, Ukraine, Soviet, Hudson Institute, Army, New York Times, M1A1, Iraq's, Special Forces, Marine Corps M1A1, 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, Marine Expeditionary Force, US Marine Corps, Kyiv, Pentagon, Challenger, Leopard, Leopards, RAND's Arroyo Center, US, Charlie, Charlie Company , 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division, United Arab Emirates, Armed Forces, US Air National Guard, Honeywell, Abrams, Acquisition, Logistics, Technology, M1 Abrams Locations: Ukraine, Soviet, Pohjankangas, Niinisalo, Finland, Scott Jenkins Ukraine, Germany, RAND's Arroyo, Russian, Iraq, Soviet Union, U.S, Kuwait, Grafenwoehr

☆ Russia's defensive line is 'bending but not breaking' after Ukraine breached it, analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

But a Finnish military analyst said that so far Russia's defenses had not been broken. The push from Ukraine is part of a gruelling attempt to defeat Russia's formidable "Surovikin line" of defences and disrupt its access to occupied Crimea. That was the case in late 2022 when Ukraine was able to recapture vast amounts of northeastern Ukraine after routing Russian forces around Kharkiv. AdvertisementAdvertisementThere is debate among military analysts about whether Russia would be able to mount a fightback if Ukraine does achieve a decisive breakthrough. However, he said that "incompetence is a big factor which can have significant effects, at least locally" referring to the missteps and miscalculations that have been a recurrent problem for Russia's military during the invasion.

Persons: Emil Kastehelmi, Kastehelmi, Gian Gentile Organizations: Service, Ukraine's, Black Bird Group, Rand Corporation Locations: Finnish, Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Zaporizhzhia, Robotyne, Crimea, Kharkiv

☆ The Russian weapons Ukrainian soldiers most fear, according to an expert
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russian artillery launches missiles during military exercises on September 27, 2011 in Chebarkul, Chelyabinks region, Russia. AdvertisementAdvertisementRussian artillery gunners have played a crucial role in destroying or pinning down Ukrainian units seeking to advance through Russian defenses. AdvertisementAdvertisementDubbed "Putin's vultures" by Ukraine's military, the Ka-52 is highly maneuverable, fitted with tough armor, and can fire tank-busting missiles. The UK's military said that the helicopters give Russia a key battlefield advantage, and have imposed a "heavy cost" on Ukraine. "Ka-52 crews have been quick to exploit opportunities to launch these weapons beyond the range of Ukrainian air defenses," Britain's Ministry of Defence said.

Persons: Gian Gentile, Rand, Sasha Mordovets, Gentile, DJI, SERGEI SUPINSKY, Matt Dimmick, Kamov, Leonid Faerberg, Ukraine's Organizations: Service, US Army, Getty, US National Security Council, of, NGO, BBC . Russian Air Force, Ministry of Defence Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Russian, Chebarkul, Chelyabinks, Kyiv, AFP

☆ Photos capture the crude cages Russian and Ukrainian crews are welding on their tanks and armor as a last-ditch defense
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russian and Ukrainian troops are outfitting their tanks and fighting vehicles with crude cages. Facing growing explosive threats, often from above, Russian and Ukrainian vehicle crews are constructing their own extra layer of defense. Collectively, both sides have lost thousands of tanks, infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), and armored personnel carriers (APCs). But videos and photos of the Russian cages tell and different story, as they appear to look more temporary and perhaps not as well planned. Other images of Russian MT-LB armored fighting vehicles show the cages appearing to look more flimsy and without much structural integrity.

Persons: Mary, Gian Gentile, RAND's, Gentile Organizations: US, Service, Troops, RAND's Arroyo Center Locations: Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Iraq, RAND's Arroyo, Ukraine, quadcopters, Russian

☆ Putin is running low on long-range precision weapons, and he's wasting his dwindling supply terrorizing Ukrainians in cities far from the front lines, war experts say
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Russian forces unleashed a barrage of long-range precision weapons on Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure this week. Russian forces, he said, do not have the capability to do this "three or four days a week for the next two years. Bombing civilians is 'unlikely' to break Ukraine's will to fightIt's unclear exactly how many long-range munitions Russian forces have left in the arsenal. Getty ImagesInsider was unable to independently verify the total number of long-range munitions left in the hands of the Russian forces. Gentile said that if Russian forces want to strike targets deeper in Ukraine, they don't really have a choice beyond long-range munitions.

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