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☆ Some of Russia's 'prestigious' guided missiles may be malfunctioning and falling short of their targets: UK intelligence
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Some Russian missiles may be malfunctioning and missing their targets, per British intelligence. "Issues in its production" could lead to rushed production jobs, the UK MOD says. AdvertisementPremium Russian cruise missiles might be malfunctioning and missing their targets, according to new intelligence from the UK Ministry of Defence. The UK MOD said on Tuesday that it analyzed open-source images taken on March 31, 2024, which showed missile wreckage in a field in Saratov Oblast, southern Russia. The UK MOD said the debris was initially considered remnants of a "possible Ukrainian uncrewed aerial vehicle."

Persons: — Organizations: Russian, MOD, Service, UK Ministry of Defence Locations: Saratov Oblast, Russia, Russian

CNN —Ukraine launched a major drone attack on an airbase in Russia’s Rostov region, killing Russian servicemen and destroying fighter jets, according to a Ukrainian source with knowledge of the operation. According to the ministry, air defense systems intercepted 44 UAVs over the Rostov region, six UAVs over the Krasnodar region, and one each over the Saratov, Kursk and Belgorod regions. The region of Rostov, which borders Ukraine in Russia’s south, has previously been impacted by Kyiv’s strategic aerial strikes. In September 2023, a drone attack caused an explosion near Russia’s military headquarters in the city of Rostov-on-Don. Ukraine is showing increasing willingness to launch targeted strikes across the border, in an apparent attempt to slowly wear down domestic Russian support for the war and degrade Russian infrastructure.

Persons: Vasily Golubev, Roman Busargin, Vyacheslav Gladkov, Don, Wagner Organizations: CNN —, Security Service, CNN, Ministry of Defense, Russian Armed Forces, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Don Locations: CNN — Ukraine, Russia’s Rostov, Ukraine, Rostov, Russian, ”, Russia, Morozovsky, Krasnodar, Saratov, Kursk, Belgorod, Engels, Ukrainian, Russia’s

☆ Russia is painting decoy Tu-95 strategic bombers on the tarmac of its main bomber air base, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia is painting silhouettes of its valuable Tu-95 strategic bombers on the tarmac of an air base. The decoys could be an attempt to confuse possible Ukrainian strikes, The War Zone reported. AdvertisementAdvertisementRussia is painting the silhouettes of its prized Tu-95MS strategic bombers at its main bomber base as a decoy, a report says. Satellite imagery obtained by The War Zone shows the two-dimensional painted decoys on the tarmac of Engels-2, a strategic bomber base east of Saratov in Russia. However, The War Zone notes that they are unlikely to be effective, given that it is easy to spot as fake even in commercially available satellite imagery.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Planet Labs, 116th Mechanized Brigade, 110th Mechanized Brigade Locations: Russia, Engels, Saratov, Ukraine, Moscow, Russian

☆ This Tiny Parasitic Wasp Can Drill Through Plastic
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Darren Incorvaia | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

By the time Matvey Nikelshparg was 13, he was obsessed with parasitoid wasps, tiny insects that lay their eggs on or inside other bugs. Under a microscope in a lab he had assembled at home, he discovered that one species had a startling superpower: It could use an organ that protrudes from its abdomen to drill through a plastic petri dish. Eupelmus messene is a whisper of a wasp. The insect’s target is the larvae of other wasp species, which lay their eggs inside of galls in an effort to protect them from danger. In his experiments at home, Mr. Nikelshparg had set out to study what would happen if there were multiple E. messene wasps and only one host larva.

Persons: Nikelshparg, messene Organizations: Saratov State University, Research Locations: Russia

☆ The war in Ukraine is pushing Russia away from its WWII-style artillery strategy, and experts say it's 'a concerning trend'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Russia and Ukraine have relied heavily on artillery to batter each other's forces. AdvertisementAdvertisement"This is a concerning trend, as over time it will likely significantly improve Russian artillery," write the report's authors, Jack Watling and Nick Reynolds. Russian artillery doctrine is still largely based on extensive analysis of World War II data to determine how many shells were needed to achieve a specific effect. REUTERS/Maxim Zmeyev"First, Russian forces lack the ammunition to sustain this volume of fire," the RUSI report said. According to the RUSI report, Russia continues "to rely heavily" on multiple-launch rockets, 120-mm mortars, and "other imprecise systems," and "corner-cutting in the production of its munitions is becoming apparent."

Persons: Jack Watling, Nick Reynolds, ANDREY KRONBERG, —, Stalin, Operation Bagration, Maxim Zmeyev, Andrey Rusov, Katyusha, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Britain's Royal United Services Institute, Getty, REUTERS, Russian Defense Ministry, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Western, Moscow, Volgograd, AFP, Berlin, Russian, Saratov, US, Soviet, Forbes

☆ Russia's attempt to shield its bombers from Ukrainian attacks with car tires is just the latest in a string of makeshift defenses
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

New photos show Russia shielding its Tu-95 bomber jets from missiles with rows of car tires. It's the latest entry in a long list of jury-rigged Russian defenses and force protection measures. Russia recently put cages on its tanks and sunk ships along a key bridge as last-ditch defenses. Close-up analysis concluded that the patches were individual car tires, The Drive first reported, likely meant to confuse incoming Ukrainian missiles, such as the R-360 Neptune anti-ship cruise missiles that Ukraine has modified to hit land targets. That random assortment of defenses for Kerch Bridge speaks less to a cohesive strategy and more to Russia scrambling to protect against the growing threat of Ukrainian drone boat attacks.

Persons: Engels, it's, logistically, Mary, Russia's Organizations: Service, LB Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Saratov, Russian, Ukraine, Kerch, Crimea, Ukrainian

☆ Russia is piling tires on top of its prized bombers, images show — a possible crude attempt to trick Ukraine's missiles
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Black coverings resembling tires have appeared on planes at a Russian air base. It may be an attempt to confuse Ukraine's newly-adapted R-360 Neptune cruise missiles. The tires were seen partially covering the fuselages and some of the wings on Tu-95 bombers and Tu-160 heavy bombers, the outlet reported. It's unclear if the measure will work, but it coincides with Ukraine's announcement that it has modified its R-360 Neptune anti-ship cruise missiles to strike targets on land. AdvertisementAdvertisementPer the Drive, the tire covering could be intended to break up the planes' infrared signature, which is used by cruise missiles to recognize targets.

Organizations: Service, UK's Ministry of Defense Locations: Russian, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Saratov, Ukraine, Crimea

☆ A Backfire bomber being blown apart deep inside Russia's territory is the latest in a string of glaring failures to protect its strategic bases
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Last weekend, an apparent drone strike destroyed a prized Russian Tu-22M3 Backfire bomber. The attack occurred far from the front lines of the war and may have been launched from inside Russia. The strike on a vulnerable Tupolev Tu-22M3 Backfire bomber is part of a growing list of Russian failures to protect its critical bases and vital aerial assets. If that's the case, it may speak to both Ukraine's expanding ability to threaten domestic Russian air bases and Russia's inability to protect them. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn the aftermath of the Tu-22M3 attack, there's a question of how Russia might adapt.

Persons: — Engels, Samuel Bendett, they're, Bendett, ALEXANDER NEMENOV, It's, Ukraine Anton Gerashchenko Organizations: Service, Russian Defense Ministry, Aviation, Center for Naval Analyses, Russia, Russian Aerospace Forces, NATO, Russian Defence Ministry, Kremlin, Nazi, Getty, Internal Affairs, Mobility Artillery, Systems Locations: Russian, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, St . Petersburg, Saratov, Ryazan, Moscow, Novgorod Oblast, Russia's, Nazi Germany, AFP, Murmansk, Finland

Wagner fighters took control of the southern port and logistical hub for Russia's war in Ukraine on Saturday morning. Facial recognition software linked him to an account on VKontakte, Russia’s Facebook equivalent, created in the name of Dmitry Chekov. Russian media reported last September that Prigozhin had visited prisones in Rostov region, recruiting more than 1,000 convicts for Wagner. The man was identified by facial recognition software as 33-year-old Sergei Shirshov, a native of the Volga River city of Saratov. A third Wagner fighter pictured in Rostov was identified by facial recognition software as Roman Yamalutdinov, a native of Krasnoyarsk in Siberia.

Persons: Wagner, Prigozhin Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin's, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Sergei Shoigu, Prigozhin, Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, Dmitry Chekov, Chekov's, Sergei Shirshov, Shirshov, Yamalutdinov, Olga Romanova, Felix Light, Filipp Lebedev, Guy Faulconbridge, Mike Collett, White, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Wagner Group, Don, Reuters, Belarusian, Facebook, TASS, Local, Penal, Thomson Locations: TBILISI, Russian, Rostov, Ukraine, Moscow, Bakhmut, Belarus, Volga, Saratov, Saratov region's, Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, Tbilisi

☆ Three injured as Russia downs Ukrainian drone south of Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MOSCOW, March 26 (Reuters) - Russian air defences halted a Ukrainian drone attack on a Russian town on Sunday in which three people were hurt and apartment blocks were damaged, the Russian Defence Ministry said. The Defence Ministry statement said the attack on the town of Kireyevsk, in Tula region 220 km (140 miles) south of Moscow, involved a Ukrainian Tu-141 Strizh drone. "A Polye-21 electronic unit took action against the Ukrainian drone, and as a result its navigation system was taken out of action," the ministry statement said. "The drone lost its directional command and fell near the town of Kireyevsk in Tula region." Russia has previously reported drone attacks in several towns and cities, some of them hundreds of kilometres (miles) from its border with Ukraine.

☆ A Russian oil depot caught fire hundreds of miles from Ukraine, the possible result of a daring Ukrainian drone attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A fire broke out at a Russian oil facility on Tuesday night, far from the country's borders. Neither Ukrainian nor Russian authorities verified the incident as an attack, though Russian outlets said drones were seen near the oil facility, run by government-controlled oil giant Rosneft. Russia's Ministry of Defence said that there was a drone attack on a site in Krasnodar, though it claimed to have foiled it. "One where NATO is allegedly directly helping Ukraine to attack Russia." Ukraine has previously struck Russian territory with the same modified drones, unnamed Kyiv officials told Politico in December last year.

[1/3] Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his annual address to the Federal Assembly in Moscow, Russia February 21, 2023. In a major speech almost a year after his invasion of Ukraine, Putin said Russia was not abandoning the New START treaty - the agreement signed in 2010 that limits the number of Russian and U.S. deployed strategic nuclear warheads. But nuclear experts noted the treaty contains no provision for either side to "suspend" its participation, as he said Moscow was doing - they only have the option to withdraw. According to the Federation of American Scientists, Russia has an estimated 5,977 nuclear warheads in total, while the United States has 5,428. "HUGE INSTABILITY"Putin justified the Russian move by saying it was "absurd" for the United States to demand the right to inspect Russian nuclear sites, as the treaty allows, while NATO was helping Ukraine to attack them.

☆ Ukrainian Drone Attack on Russian Air Base Kills Three, Russia Says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( James Marson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A satellite image of a plane at the Engels air base in Saratov, Russia, earlier this month. LVIV, Ukraine—Three Russian service members were killed during a Ukrainian drone attack on a Russian military air base, officials there said, the latest apparent demonstration of Kyiv’s ability to strike military targets inside Russia. The strike at the Engels air base in Saratov region, a hub for Russia’s strategic bombers, is the second this month.

☆ Ukrainian Drone Attack on Russian Air Base Kills Three, Moscow Says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( James Marson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

LVIV, Ukraine—Three Russian service members were killed during a Ukrainian drone attack on a Russian military air base, Moscow said, the latest apparent demonstration of Kyiv’s ability to strike military targets inside Russia. The strike at the Engels air base in Saratov region, a hub for Russia’s strategic bombers, is the second this month. Although small, it still offered a reminder to Moscow that even forces deep inside its territory can be hit, forcing the Kremlin to redirect resources and leaders’ attention.

☆ Ukrainian drone shot down deep within Russia kills 3, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Russia said on Monday it had shot down a Ukrainian drone close to one of its air bases for long-range bombers deep inside its own territory and that three Russian air force personnel had been killed in the incident. The drone was allegedly flying near Russia’s Engels air base where long-range strategic bombers that may have been used to target Ukrainian cities and infrastructure are based. An overview of Engels Airbase, which is home to a strategic bomber military base. The same base was attacked earlier this month by Ukrainian drones, Russia said at the time. “A Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) was shot down at low altitude while approaching the Engels military airfield in the Saratov region,” the defense ministry statement, published on Monday, said.

Summary Russia says air base targeted by Ukrainian droneSays it shot the drone down, no aircraft damagedSays three servicemen were killed by falling debrisNo immediate comment from UkraineDec 26 (Reuters) - Russia said on Monday it had shot down a Ukrainian drone close to one of its air bases for long-range bombers deep inside its own territory and that three Russian air force personnel had been killed in the incident. The drone was allegedly flying near Russia's Engels air base where long-range strategic bombers that may have been used to target Ukrainian cities and infrastructure are based. Unverified Russian and Ukrainian social media accounts reported that a number of planes had been destroyed however. The same base was attacked earlier this month by Ukrainian drones, Russia said at the time. The earlier Dec. 5 strike on the same base, along with another attack the same day on another base, raised questions about the effectiveness of Russian air defences and shocked Russian commentators.

☆ Blasts reported at Engels air base deep inside Russia - online media
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 26 (Reuters) - Blasts were heard at Russia's Engels air base, hundreds of kilometres (miles) from the frontlines in Ukraine, Ukrainian and Russian media outlets reported early on Monday. There was no immediate official confirmation of the blasts and Reuters was not able to independently verify the reports. The Russian news outlet Baza reported, citing local residents, that air raid sirens were wailing and an explosion was heard. The air base, near the city of Saratov, about 730 km (450 miles) southeast of Moscow, was hit on Dec. 5 in what Russia said was Ukrainian drone attacks on two Russian air bases that day. Ukraine has never publicly claimed responsibility for attacks inside Russia, but has said, however, that such incidents are "karma" for Russia's invasion.

☆ Explosions reported at military airbase deep inside Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A Russian soldier watches a bomber take off from Engels airbase in this file photo from 2008. Engels is home to strategic bombers that Russia uses to launch missiles into Ukrainian cities. Blasts were heard at Russia's Engels air base, hundreds of kilometers (miles) from the frontlines in Ukraine, Ukrainian and Russian media outlets reported early on Monday. The Russian news outlet Baza reported, citing local residents, that air raid sirens were wailing and an explosion was heard. Ukraine has never publicly claimed responsibility for attacks inside Russia, but has said, however, that such incidents are "karma" for Russia's invasion.

☆ The falling wreckage of a downed Ukrainian drone killed 3 people at a Russian military base, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia said that it shot down a Ukrainian drone near Engels airbase in Russia's Saratov region. Falling debris from the downed drone killed three Russian military personnel, authorities said. The drone, which was shot down near the Engels military airbase in Russia's Saratov region, hit and fatally wounded the staff members, a statement from the Defence Ministry, published by Russian news agencies, said. Although Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the drone, Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat told national television Monday that incidents like this are the "consequences of Russian aggression," ABC News reported. Ukraine has also not taken responsibility for other recent drone attacks on Russian airbases.

☆ Three killed from falling drone wreckage at Russian military base in Saratov -Defence Ministry
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Dec 26 (Reuters) - Three military personnel were killed as a result of wreckage from a Ukrainian drone falling on a military base in Russia's Saratov region, Russian agencies reported citing the country's defence ministry. "On December 26, at about 01:35 Moscow time, a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle was shot down at low altitude while approaching the Engels military airfield in the Saratov region," the Russian Defence Ministry said. "As a result of the fall of the wreckage of the drone, three Russian servicemen of the technical staff who were at the airfield were fatally wounded." The ministry added that aviation equipment was not damaged. Reporting in Melbourne by Lidia Kelly; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

REUTERS/Clodagh KilcoyneKVIV/MOSCOW, Dec 26 (Reuters) - Russian forces bombarded scores of towns in Ukraine on Christmas Day as Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was open to negotiations, a stance Washington has dismissed as posturing because of continued Russian attacks. Ukraine has traditionally not celebrated Christmas on Dec. 25, but Jan. 7, the same as Russia. That range reaches deep into neighbours of Belarus: Ukraine and NATO member Poland, which has very strained relations with Minsk. The S-400 system is a Russian mobile, surface-to-air missile (SAM) interception system capable of engaging aircraft, UAVs, cruise missiles, and has a terminal ballistic missile defence capability. Blasts were heard at Russia's Engels air base, hundreds of kilometres (miles) from the Ukraine frontlines, Ukrainian and Russian media reported on Monday.

☆ Pentagon now more likely to support Ukrainian long-range missile attacks on Russia, The Times reports
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Pentagon is now more likely to supply Kyiv with longer-range weapons, according to The Times. Putin has warned that the US would be "crossing a line" if they were to supply Ukraine with long-range missiles. It is now more likely to supply Kyiv with longer-range weapons to strike deep into Russia, according to The Times. The Times also suggested that the US could supply Ukraine with hi-tech long-range weapons, including missile launchers and heavily-armed drones. President Putin has warned that the US would be "crossing a line" if they were to supply Ukraine with long-range missiles.

A blast hit an airbase inside Russia on Tuesday, the latest in a series of apparent Ukrainian drone attacks that showcase an ability to strike at the heart of Russian territory and suggest a new boldness in Kyiv's fight against Moscow's war. An airfield at Kursk in southwest Russia, near the Ukrainian border, was ablaze on Tuesday morning, with regional governor Roman Starovoit saying the incident was the result of a drone attack. The Engels base houses Russia's strategic bombing fleet of tu-160 and tu-95 planes, which have been used on long-range bombing missions to Ukraine and can be adapted to carry nuclear weapons. "It’s important from a morale point of view that some Russian strategic resources are being targeted." Russia has the firepower to carry on bombing Ukraine, he added.

☆ Attacks on Russian air bases will have psychological impact- Western officials
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Michael Holden | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Attacks on airfields deep inside Russia will have struck a powerful psychological blow, senior Western officials said on Tuesday, saying it meant Moscow would have to think much more carefully about how to keep its long-range bombers safe. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the attacks but has celebrated them, and Russia retaliated with a "massive strike on Ukraine's military control system". The senior Western officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the strikes were the deepest inside Russia since its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. PARTNERSHIP WITH IRANRussia has used the bombers in its campaign since October to destroy Ukraine's energy grid, attacks that the Western officials said reflected Russian President Vladimir Putin's growing desperation. Military analysts see the drone strikes on Russia as a response to its attacks on Ukraine's critical infrastructure.

☆ Drone strikes in Russia seen as Ukrainian rebuff to missile barrages
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Tom Balmforth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Ukrainian officials revelled in the blasts but declined to acknowledge Kyiv's role, after Russia said Ukraine used unmanned Soviet-era aerial vehicles to attack two air force bases in the Ryazan and Saratov areas of south-central Russia. On Tuesday, a third Russian airfield in Kursk, which lies closer to Ukraine, was set ablaze in another drone strike. Military analysts saw the attacks as Kyiv's response to Russia on the same day that Moscow conducted another wave of missile strikes on critical infrastructure in Ukraine. wrote Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky. It was not the first time Russia accused Ukraine of using such drones for attacks inside its borders.

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