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☆ A Russian helicopter fought an unusual Ukrainian drone armed with heat-seeking missiles, war watchers say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ukraine used exploding drone boats to attack Russian naval assets on Monday. AdvertisementUkraine appears to be arming its naval drones with heat-seeking missiles to defend against air attacks, an unusual innovation for Kyiv's growing arsenal of explosive unmanned systems. Equipping the Ukrainian drones with this kind of air-combat munition could help them defend against aerial attacks, war watchers suspect. In the Black Sea, Russian forces spotted a Ukrainian USV armed with a twin rail launcher for R-73 all-aspect IR homing air-to-air missiles. Monday's naval drone attack marked the latest strike on a Russian naval asset.

Persons: —, 🐈🇺 Organizations: Service, br Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Crimean, Moscow, Ukrainian, Crimea, Kherson

☆ Russia's hardliners are furious over its latest loss at sea, saying commanders would rather cover up mistakes than learn
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine has achieved a series of astonishing victories over Russia in the Black Sea. Ukrainian military intelligence said on Tuesday that it had scored another success in its campaign against Russia's much bigger Russian Black Sea fleet. The Institute for the Study of War, a US think tank, said Russian military bloggers, who are often ultranationalists with close military links, are "decrying the Russian military command's lack of response to the incident and mounting a wider critique against the bureaucratic inertia of the Russian military apparatus." Military blogger Two majors said that commanders often try to place the blame elsewhere to cover up their mistakes. Ukraine has used ingenuity and improvisation to offset its disadvantages in the Black Sea, which Russia's navy has historically dominated.

Persons: —, Sergei Kotov, Dva Maiyora Organizations: Service, Directorate of Intelligence, Ministry of Defense, Telegram, Foreign Policy Research Institute Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Kerch, US, Rybar, Sevastopol, Crimea

☆ Russian troops are said to be gathering in large groups, allowing them to be targeted by drones and taken out by missiles: ISW
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russian troops keep on gathering in groups, military bloggers said, according to a think tank. Ukraine is using drones and missiles for strikes amid intensifying Russian attacks. It's the latest in a series of similar strikes in which Ukraine has used precision-guided US-made HIMARS missiles to hit Russian troops gathering miles behind the front line. Ukraine has also used exploding drones to target groups of Russian troops and armored vehicles gathering to attempt to break through Ukrainian defensive lines. AdvertisementThe ISW said that Russian milbloggers, who have been an important source of independent information on the Russian military during the Ukraine war, believe that inept Russian commanders are to blame.

Persons: — Organizations: Ukrainian, Service Locations: Ukraine, Donetsk Oblast, Russian, Ukrainian, Donetsk, Kherson Oblast, Russia, Avdiikva

☆ Russian milbloggers slam Kremlin propagandists for ignoring huge Russian losses and 'blunders' in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewRussian military bloggers have hit out at Kremlin propagandists after they ignored recent "blunders" made by the Russian army, the think tank the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said. In the assault, Russian forces reportedly came under attack from Ukrainian drones and sustained heavy losses, losing a column of armored vehicles, including several T-72 tanks and infantry fighting vehicles. Russian military bloggers slammed the scenes, which were shared by Ukraine's Ministry of Defense on X, formerly Twitter. So that [senior Russian army commanders] can report they are taking decisive action, and so that they can earn medals by throwing away the lives of their own people?" AdvertisementBloggers also criticised Russian military commanders following the assault, with one accusing them of "complete stupidity and incompetence," the ISW said.

Persons: —, Vladimir Solovyov's, milblogger Maksim Kalashnikov, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Service, for, Ukraine's 72nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade, Business, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, 72nd Mechanized Brigade, —, Russia, US Institute of Peace Locations: Russian, Novomykhailivka, Donbas, Ukraine, Ukrainian, @DefenceU, Kyiv

☆ Ukraine made realistic decoys of radars and missile systems and may have even tricked the Russians into taking a shot at one
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Both sides have employed decoys throughout the war, attempting to waste enemy fire or force the enemy to expose itself. One of the realistic mock-ups may have tricked Russia into wasting a missile on it, highlighting the role decoys play in the war. According to a Telegram post from Insider UA, a Ukrainian news outlet, Russia had launched an Iskander ballistic missile at the IRIS-T system. Back in December, Ukraine got Russia to expend a munition on what looked like a fake Su-25 ground-attack aircraft. In September 2023, Ukraine's 116th Mechanized Brigade published a video of an inflatable Russian T-72 decoy.

Persons: —, SLM, Milbloggers, MICHAL CIZEK Organizations: Service, Sentinel, IRIS, Telegram, UA, Getty, Ukraine's 116th Mechanized Brigade Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Lisne, Kharkiv, Ukrainian, Czech, Decin, AFP, Ukraine's

☆ Russian commanders are being accused of 'complete stupidity and incompetence' for failing to plan for drone attacks: ISW
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russian military bloggers criticized Russian tactics in Ukraine, a US think tank said. They said Russian troops continue to gather in large groups, enabling drones to target them. The Institute for the Study of War, a US think tank, said that influential Russian milbloggers were expressing frustration at tactical blunders by the Russian military. The think tank cited one Russian milblogger who it said questioned how commanders could fail to account for Ukrainian drones and afford to lose so much manpower, accusing them of "complete stupidity and incompetence." It matters because it provides insight into the tactical mistakes that have repeatedly impacted Russia's Ukraine invasion, causing huge casualties and equipment losses.

Persons: —, milbloggers, they've, Russia's Organizations: Service, CNN Locations: Ukraine, US, Russian, Russia

☆ Russian military blogger Igor Girkin sentenced to four years in prison on extremism charges
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Igor Girkin, a prominent Russian pro-war blogger who criticized President Vladimir Putin’s handling of the war on Ukraine, has been found guilty on extremism charges and sentenced to four years in prison by a Moscow court. Moscow City Court convicted Girkin, also known under his pseudonym, Strelkov, of inciting extremism – a charge he denied. Girkin was an influential blogger and critic of Putin. The court in 2022 found Girkin guilty of mass murder for his role in the incident and he was sentenced in absentia to life in prison. According to the court, Girkin participated in the conflicts in Chechnya, Transnistria and Bosnia.

Persons: Igor Girkin, Vladimir Putin’s, Girkin, Strelkov, Putin, Wagner, Natalia Kolesnikova, ” Organizations: CNN, Court, Federal Security Service, Malaysia Airlines Flight, Getty, Angry Patriots Club, Reuters, Donetsk People’s, DPR Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Moscow, Crimea, Donbas, Russia, AFP, Donetsk, Donetsk People’s Republic, Netherlands, Chechnya, Transnistria, Bosnia

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Moscow claims Ukraine is seeing 'colossal losses' after crossing river into Russian-occupied territory
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Ukrainian and Russian forces continue to conduct offensive operations in the east and south of the country despite rainy and snowy weather conditions, analysts at the Institute for the Study of War noted Tuesday. The ISW also noted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the need to strengthen Ukrainian capabilities before winter during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Monday. So-called "milbloggers" have also been commenting on deteriorating weather conditions. Milbloggers have become a key feature of the Russian pro-war information space, although some have been critical of the defense ministry and its war strategy. "Russian milbloggers also claimed that muddy conditions are complicating vehicle movements but that both Ukrainian and Russian forces continue to maneuver and operate in all directions," it said.

Persons: Lyman, Serhiy Khlan, Nadiya Zamryha, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Defense Lloyd Austin, Russian milbloggers, Holly Ellyatt Organizations: 21st Mechanized Brigade, Institute for, Ukrainian 14th Mechanized Brigade, U.S, Defense Locations: Ukrainian, Donetsk, Russian, Kherson Oblast, Kherson, Kharkiv, Ukraine

☆ Ukraine's new ATACMS shook Russia's attack helicopter fleet, but experts say Russian Ka-52 'Alligators' are still a threat to the front lines
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ukraine's first ATACMS strike hit Russia's attack helicopter fleet, destroying several Ka-52 "Alligators." Experts and milbloggers suggest that the attack helicopters are still a threat to the front lines. AdvertisementUkraine's first strike using its MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, dealt a harsh blow to the Russian attack helicopter fleet. AdvertisementRob Lee, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute think tank, backed up the assessment that the attack helicopters are very much in use. Russia's Ka-52 helicopters proved to be a headache for Ukrainian forces during the much-anticipated summer counteroffensive in southern Ukraine.

Persons: Ukraine's, —, Moscow's, milblogger, Tatarigami, Rob Lee, Sergey Pivovarov, Lee, Russia's Organizations: Service, MGM, Tactical Missile Systems, Tatarigami UA, Foreign Policy Research Institute, REUTERS, NATO Locations: Moscow, Ukrainian, Russia, Russia’s Rostov, FARPs, Ukraine, Russian, Kyiv, American

☆ Russia's military is about to experience a 'renaissance of infantry combat,' milblogger says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

One Russian milblogger said there was about to be a "real renaissance of infantry combat." One milblogger claimed that Russia's military was about to experience a "real renaissance of infantry combat" as there were fewer infantry fighting vehicles, tanks, and armored personnel carriers near the front line. However, another milblogger responded that Russia's reliance on these assault tactics reflected the heavy losses of Russian equipment and poor coordination on the front lines. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn just a few weeks of fighting in the east of Ukraine, Russian forces lost as many vehicles as Ukraine did over months of brutal fighting in the south. Earlier this month Russian forces also began advancing on foot in the heavily-contested eastern city of Avdiivka following major vehicle losses, UK intelligence said.

Persons: milblogger, milbloggers, —, Valerii Zaluzhny Organizations: Service, for, Telegram, Economist Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Avdiivka, Donbas

☆ Ukraine is expanding its bridgehead along the Dnipro River and have taken across armored vehicles for the first time, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine is expanding its bridgehead along the left bank of the Dnipro river. AdvertisementAdvertisementUkraine is expanding its bridgehead along the left bank of the Dnipro river, putting Russian defense forces under pressure. Earlier this week, it was reported that Ukrainian armored vehicles had crossed the river for the first time. The bridgeheads are not believed to be connected, but Ukrainian forces are expanding them, British newspaper The Telegraph reported. AdvertisementAdvertisementUkraine's forces are attempting to push forwardElite Ukrainian naval forces raiding a Russian-occupied island in the Dnipro river.

Persons: —, Forbes, Krynky, Konstyantyn Mashovets Organizations: Ukrainian Marines, Service, Kyiv Post, British, The Telegraph, for, Russian, Elite Ukrainian, Command, Special Operations Forces of, Armed Forces of, Facebook Locations: Ukraine, Dnipro, Ukrainian, Kyiv, Krynky, Kherson, Russian, Armed Forces of Ukraine, Poyma, Oleshky, Kherson Oblast

☆ Russia's bloody fight for a ruined Ukrainian town has been a mess, and its forces are getting slaughtered, milbloggers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

They have made progress, largely surrounding Ukrainian defenses, but at a high cost of troops and resources. And while conventional Russian forces in the Army have reinforced since the fighting began, that has not decisively improved the situation. A bird's-eye view of the destroyed buildings of the city of Avdiivka on October 26, 2023 in Avdiivka, Ukraine. The map showed Russian forces surrounding Avdiivka on three fronts, threatening to eventually surround a pocket of Ukrainian forces in the area. Although Ukrainian troops have dug deep defenses, they've also taken heavy losses in the fighting.

Persons: —, George Barros, Kostya, Russia hasn't, ISW, they've, Avdiivka, Barros Organizations: Service, Russia, Reuters, Institute for, Donetsk Peoples Republic, 1st Army Corps, Army Locations: Ukraine, Avdiivka, Russia, Ukrainian, Donetsk, Russian, Washington ,, Zaporizhzhia, Moscow, Bakhmut

☆ Russian milblogger admits Ukraine may have executed its 'most serious' hit yet after targeting airfields, likely with US-made ATACMS missiles
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Russian milblogger said it may have been the biggest blow since the invasion began. AdvertisementAdvertisementA Russian military blogger said Ukraine's strikes, which likely used new ATACMS long-range missiles from the US, may have been the biggest hit on Russia's forces since the invasion began. Russian milblogger Fighterbomber said on Tuesday that the strike was "one of the most serious blows . Fighterbomber said the strikes used ATACMS, and a Russian official said ATACMS fragments were found at the site. —Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) October 18, 2023A person familiar with the matter told Insider's Jake Epstein that Ukraine used the M39 variant in the strikes.

Persons: —, milblogger Fighterbomber, Fighterbomber, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Jake Epstein Organizations: Service, Financial Times, Ukraine's Armed Forces, —, Kyiv, ABC, US, Washington DC, Institute for Locations: Ukraine, Russia

☆ Russian commander could have been fired after outrage from military bloggers who said he was incompetent, ISW said
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Russian commander was removed after outraged military bloggers amplified his failed leadership. AdvertisementAdvertisementA Russian commander was ousted following a wave of outrage at his poor leadership from military bloggers, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports. Russian military bloggers amplified the "significant losses due to inadequate artillery support and poor leadership in the Kherson direction," triggering the removal of the disgraced commander claimed the bloggers, per the ISW. A Russian brigade officially has at least 2,000 soldiers, and the commander holds the rank of colonel. The ISW wrote that the removal of the commander suggests that Russian ultranationalist outrage may still have influence over Russian military command despite an overall decline following the rebellion by Wagner mercenaries in June.

Persons: —, Wagner, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Russian 205th Motorized Rifle Brigade, Service, Institute for, Russian Armed Forces, 205th Brigade, General Staff of, Armed Forces of, Russian Locations: Russian, Kherson Oblast, Ukraine, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Armed Forces of Ukraine, Chechnya, Dagestan, Russia, Donetsk, Luhansk

☆ Recent arrests suggest Putin is quietly trying to rein in some of his most effective promoters of the war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Putin regime has leaned heavily on propaganda to rally support for its war in Ukraine. In doing so, it has come to rely on military bloggers to spread its message and back its efforts. Milbloggers also have become an indispensable tool for Western governments, think tanks, and media to track the Russian war effort. But the relationship between Putin and milbloggers illustrates the complexities of social media in an authoritarian state. Many milbloggers are ultra-nationalists with deep ties to the Russian military and intelligence agencies.

Persons: Putin, Vladimir Putin's, —, Donald Jensen, Angel Howard, Milblogs, aren't, Milbloggers, DOMINIQUE FAGET, It's, Ramzan Kadyrov, milbloggers, Jensen, Howard, Igor Girkin, Girkin, Andrey Kurshin, Maxim Shemetov, Russia's, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Kyiv Independent, Getty, REUTERS, Putin's, Kremlin, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Kyiv, Russian, Makiivka, Donetsk, AFP, British, Ukrainian, Mariupol, Moscow, Russia, Forbes

☆ Russian hardliners are fuming that the Kremlin wasn't able to top a string of embarrassing attacks on home soil
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's military bloggers are mad over escalating drone attacks on home soil. They have often highlighted problems within Russia's military which were not acknowledged by officials or Russia's closely-controlled mass media. Their anger was prompted by an increasing number of drone attacks, likely organized by Ukraine or Ukraine-affiliated groups. And some of these strikes have destroyed and damaged Russian military aircraft sitting on home soil. Military analysts told The Wall Street Journal that Ukraine has probably disabled more Russian aircraft sitting in Russian bases than it has aircraft involved in combat.

Persons: Russia's, milbloggers, Rybar, Alexander Kots Organizations: Service, Ministry of Defense, Wall Street Journal Locations: Western Russia, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Russia's Pskov, Crimea, Russian, Europe

☆ A busted Russian warship may not have seen an exploding Ukrainian drone boat coming, hinting at problems that have plagued Russia throughout its war
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

A Russian warship was struck by a Ukrainian drone boat that it doesn't appear to have seen coming. Just a few days before this attack, Russian vessels were fighting off drone boats in another incident. "It just seems very strange they didn't respond at all to the incoming drone boats," Clark added. The Russian ship may have assumed it was safe in Novorossiysk, given that the port is roughly 350 miles from the Ukrainian port city of Odessa, but it shouldn't have. The reach of Ukraine's drone boats was hardly a secret.

Persons: Russia's, —, Sutton, it's, Cole, Bryan Clark, Clark, OZAN KOSE Organizations: Service, Ukraine, Russian, —, CNN, US Navy, Navy, Hudson Institute, Getty Locations: Russian, Ukrainian, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Novorossiysk, Moskva, Istanbul, AFP, Sevastopol, Odessa, Ukraine

☆ A video appears to show Ukrainian special forces raiding a Russian-occupied island using US speedboats firing heavy machine guns
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A video shows Ukrainian naval forces raiding a Russian-occupied island in the Dnipro River. The Ukrainian forces deployed troops from the 73rd Special Forces Maritime Center to attack in two speedboats. Footage taken from a camera on the boat as well as from a drone shows the Ukrainian boats speeding towards the outpost while firing on it with a heavy machine gun. Russian boats are then deployed to the area, and the Ukrainian forces attack them using drones. The area has faced continued shelling by Russian forces ever since, according to The Kyiv Post.

Organizations: Service, Kyiv Post, US Navy, 73rd Special Forces Maritime Center, Post, Willard Sea Force, Willard Sea, Ukrainian Navy, Russian Locations: Ukrainian, Russian, Dnipro, Wall, Silicon, Kherson, Kyiv, Ukraine, Russia, Kherson Oblast

☆ After Wagner's mutiny, Russia's military is now fighting with war bloggers because they won't celebrate its few wins the way they want
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russia's claims of a small battlefield victory have drawn criticism from military bloggers. The milbloggers won't celebrate with Moscow, causing the defense ministry to clash with the writers. Russian military bloggers, or milbloggers, have disputed some of the defense ministry's claims, according to a Sunday assessment by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a Washington-based think tank. The milbloggers, said Ukrainian forces had managed to establish positions and that fighting was ongoing. Ukrainian forces, meanwhile, continue to make use of their huge inventory of heavy Western armor — including advanced tanks and infantry fighting vehicles from the US and its NATO allies — to liberate territory in eastern and southern Ukraine.

Persons: Russia's, Putin, —, Wagner Group's, Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Sergei Shoigu, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin, Pat Ryder, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Organizations: Service, Institute for, Russian MoD, Russia's Defence Ministry, Military District, Russian Defence Ministry, REUTERS Wagner Group, Kremlin, Pentagon Press, Air Force, NATO, The General Staff of, Armed Forces, Facebook, Twitter Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Dnipro, Kherson, Russian, Washington, Russia, Rostov, Belarus, Ukrainian, —

☆ Russian flyers who disobeyed orders to attack Wagner forces may be caught up in Putin's dragnet
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Sam Fellman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Suspicions of disloyalty seemingly extend far beyond senior officials and generals who had direct ties to Prigozhin. Some pilots and airmen are said to face questions for refusing orders to fire on the Wagner columns during their coup. Some Russian bloggers felt it was hypocritical to punish the aviators when the mutineers were let off. Russian warplanes fired on Wagner Group mercenaries to try to stop their advance over the weekend, but some pilots and airmen face questions for refusing orders to fire. Putin is said to have discussed assassinating Prigozhin and has indicated the Wagner founder is under investigation for stealing from the Russian government.

Persons: Wagner, —, Romanov, Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Sergei Surovikin, Putin, Prigozhin Organizations: Service, Wagner Group, Prigozhin Locations: Prigozhin, Moscow, Ukraine, Russian, Russia, Belarus

☆ Prigozhin says he's sorry Wagner mercenaries shot down Russian aircraft, but the military might not forgive them for killing its service members
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Wagner fighters downed several Russian military aircraft during their short-lived rebellion. But it's unclear if the Russian military is going to readily forgive the mercenaries for the bloodshed. Wagner fighters also captured a Russian infantry mobility vehicle and a mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle. Video shows Russians cheering for Wagner and Prigozhin as they leave the key military hub of Rostov-on-Don. ReutersQuickly and without any resistance, Wagner fighters captured Rostov-on-Don before making their way toward Moscow.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, —, Prigozhin, ROMAN ROMOKHOV, Russia's ultranationalist, Russia's, Vladimir Putin's, they'd, Antony Blinken, they've, Blinken, Putin Organizations: Service, Group, Institute for, Southern Military District, Getty, Russia's, Reuters, CBS News Locations: Washington, Rostov, Moscow, AFP, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, russia, moscow, Kyiv

☆ After Prigozhin's mutiny, another Russian ultranationalist said that Putin must 'transfer' his war powers if he can't win in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Sam Fellman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

If Putin can't secure victory in Ukraine, one of them argued, "he needs to legally transfer his powers." "The whole current system is built on the irresponsibility of the elites," wrote Igor Girkin at the Angry Patriots Club meeting planned weeks before the Wagner Group armed rebellion. "If the president is not ready to take responsibility for the war, he needs to legally transfer his powers." "The Kremlin's continued careful response to the armed rebellion will likely prompt other Russian nationalists to test Russian official reactions to more explicitly critical rhetoric." Girkin — a former FSB security operative who goes by the nom de guerre Strelkov, Russian for "shooter" — had warned that Prigozhin's Wagner Group could be a threat to Putin.

Persons: ultranationalists, Putin, —, Vladimir Putin, Igor Girkin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, SERGEI ILNITSKY, Wagner, Prigozhin, Girkin —, Strelkov, Prigozhin's Wagner Organizations: Service, Angry Patriots Club, Wagner Group, Kremlin, for Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Russia, milbloggers, Russian

☆ Russia can't really fight Ukraine at night because Moscow's military is so broke and degraded it can't afford night-vision gear for its troops, war expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia can't afford expensive night-vision technology to fight Ukrainian forces at night. An expert told Insider that, at the end of the day, Russia just can't afford to equip its forces with expensive night-vision capabilities. And it's not just these nighttime warfighting capabilities that Russian forces lack. In those campaigns, Barros said, he's rarely seen night-vision optics being funded. There are plenty of benefits to attacking Russian forces at night, especially if they're unprepared to fight back effectively.

Persons: —, George Barros, Barros, he's, Serhii, They've, Zaporizhzhia, ISW, There's Organizations: Service, The Institute, Russian Ministry of Defense, Getty, West ., Leopards Ukraine Locations: Russia, Ukrainian, Ukraine, Russian, Kyiv Oblast, Kyiv

☆ Russian soldiers really did stand still for 2 hours for their commander's speech, leaving them sitting ducks for a HIMARS strike, Ukrainian official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russian soldiers stood still for two hours, making them sitting ducks, a Ukrainian official said. Russian bloggers were angry after reports said the soldiers stood in the open waiting for a speech. The Ukrainian official said it was more than enough time to transport HIMARS and "hit them." Rybar said the attack, which he said involved HIMARS and Ukraine's artillery, happened in the city of Kreminna, in Luhansk. Another Russian blogger, who goes by the name Two Majors, wrote: "Stand in a column for two hours in one place!

Persons: —, Rybar, Insider's Sam Fellman, Russian milbloggers, Matthew Loh, Russia's, Sam Fellman Organizations: Service, Ukraine's High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, Kyiv, Arms Army, Moscow Times Locations: Kyiv, Russian, Kreminna, Luhansk, Ukraine

☆ Russian nationalists called for a general to be shot, arguing 'stupidity' exposed troops to deadly Ukrainian artillery
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Sam Fellman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russian nationalists blamed military leaders after a shocking report said a large number of troops was killed. "We are at war with our own stupidity and sloppiness," a Russian blogger wrote. It wasn't clear if the latest casualties also included troops from the naval infantry that Akhmedov had led before commanding a Russian field army. Russian generals and colonels have previously been accused of incompetence that led to military disasters. A Ukrainian New Year's strike led to as many as 400 deaths and fueled outrage that Russian officers had bivouacked troops within range of the GPS-guided HIMARS rockets.

Persons: —, Sergey Kolyasnikov, Rob Lee, Zurab Akhmedov, milbloggers, Akhmedov Organizations: Service, Armed Forces, Foreign Policy Research Institute, Ministry of Defense Locations: Russian, Kreminna, Ukraine, Luhansk, Ukrainian

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