DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Russia's fearsome S-400 air-defense system isn't quite living up to the hype in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Russian S-400 surface-to-missile systems in the Victory Day parade in Moscow's Red Square on i in May 2023. Ukraine in September said it destroyed two Russian S-400 batteries in Crimea, a region annexed by Russia in 2014. Rajan Menon, the director of the Grand Strategy program at the US think tank Defense Priorities, described the S-400 as Russia's "top-of-the-line air defense system." A rocket launches from a S-400 missile system at the Ashuluk military base in Southern Russia in September 2020. A Patriot air defense system test-fired during a training in Chania, Greece, on November 8, 2017.

Persons: —, Fredrik Mertens, John Hoehn, it's, Hoehn, AP Mertens, Mertens, Ian Williams, Mattias Eken, Rajan Menon, Vitaly Nevar, Mick Ryan, you've, DIMITAR DILKOFF, Ryan, haven't, hasn't, KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV, might've, Eken, Anthony Sweeney, Army Menon Organizations: Service, Business, Hague, Strategic Studies, NATO, SA, International Institute for Strategic Studies, US Patriot, Reuters, RAND Corporation, Ukrainian Air Force, Forbes, Directorate of Intelligence, Ministry of Defence, South Korea Defense Ministry, AP, Patriots, Storm, Missile Defense, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Defense, REUTERS, Australian Army, Getty, Victory Day, Patriot, Army Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russia, Moscow, Crimea, Screengrab, Soviet, US, Russia's, Ukraine's Luhansk, South Korea, Kaliningrad, Southern Russia, AFP, Chania, Greece, United States, West, NATO

☆ American drones are glitching and getting lost in Ukraine, giving way to a flood of Chinese drones
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

American drones aren't performing as well as those from other countries, like China's, in Ukraine. AdvertisementThe drone war in Ukraine is constantly evolving and forcing both sides to innovate quickly. American-made drones haven't excelled on the battlefield, prompting Ukraine to turn to buying Chinese-made drones. Chinese DJI drones have long played a role in the war, with Ukraine buying many of the retail models. Many said that details on the program were unclear, especially with Chinese dominance in the small drone industry.

Persons: —, haven't, Adam Bry, that's, Replicator Organizations: Wall Street Journal, Service, Wall Street, Getty, Pentagon, Defense Locations: Ukraine, American, Russia, Ukrainian, Zaporizhzhia, Russian

☆ Russia's military is 'almost completely reconstituted' as it goes into overdrive to shore up losses in Ukraine: US official
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Reports differ on how well Russia is faring in revitalizing its bleeding military after heavy losses in Ukraine. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementRussia has "almost completely" reformed its military capabilities after taking heavy losses in Ukraine, a top US official said on Wednesday. He said Moscow suffered initial setbacks during the Ukraine war but has "retooled and now poses a threat to Ukraine." Related storiesIn the wake of those losses, Russian leader Vladimir Putin has sent his nation's military-industrial complex into overdrive, focusing its economy on producing shells, weapons, and equipment.

Persons: Kurt Campbell, —, Campbell, Moscow, It's, Vladimir Putin, ILYA PITALEV, Boris Pistorius, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mike Johnson, CNAS Organizations: Service, Center, New, NATO, Russian, SPUTNIK, Getty, German, Royal United Services Institute, Kyiv, US State Department, Business Locations: Russia, Ukraine, New American, Washington, Europe, China, Saint Petersburg, Lithuania, London, Moscow, Russian

☆ 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

☆ Russia's drawn-out efforts to capture Avdiivka show it still can't conduct encirclement, war analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewRussia's monthslong effort to capture a Ukrainian town shows it still hasn't learned how to successfully encircle Ukraine's troops, war analysts said. Avdiivka, a town in eastern Ukraine, has been part of the fighting since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. A bird's-eye view of the destroyed buildings of the city of Avdiivka on October 26, 2023 in Avdiivka, Ukraine. "Russian forces have achieved neither in Avdiivka," the ISW said, adding that they have repeatedly failed to envelop or encircle Ukrainian forces throughout the war. AdvertisementA Ukrainian soldier who was hit by shrapnel while fighting in Avdiivka told the BBC this week: "It's difficult.

Persons: —, hasn't, ISW, Kostya, John Kirby, it's, Avdiivka Organizations: Service, Washington DC, for, Business, Russia, White, Getty Images, Ukraine, National Security, BBC Locations: Ukrainian, Ukraine's, Ukraine, Russia, Avdiivka, Getty Images Russia

☆ Pro-Kremlin supporters are fuming after footage appears to show Ukrainian drones decimating an entire Russian armored column
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewUkrainian forces deployed FPV attack drones to help obliterate an entire column of Russian armored vehicles, Metro reports. Video appears to show Ukraine exploding drones, finishing off 11 tanks and armored vehicles. Russian military bloggers have become increasingly frustrated by the Russian military's tactics. Russian forces continue self-sabotage by gathering in large groups to attack Ukrainian positions, making them an easy target for Ukrainian drones. Another Kremlin-affiliated milblogger argued that the Russian military command needs to stop attacking in mechanized columns due to repeated high equipment losses.

Persons: —, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Putin, milblogger, Gleb Molchanov Organizations: Service, Business, Metro, CNN News, Putin's, Russian, Ukraine, Guardian Locations: Ukraine, Novomykhailivka, Donetsk, Russia, Russian, US, Ukrainian, Moscow, Saint Petersburg

☆ Russia's huge Air Force is still mostly intact, but it hasn't been building the jets it needs to win on the ground in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

After nearly two years of combat in Ukraine, Russia's air force is still largely intact. If Russia's air force can't perform that mission, Russian ground forces will continue to struggle. AdvertisementDespite its losses in the Ukraine, Russia's air force is still quite robust. What Russia doesn't have is the support aircraft needed to find and attack enemies on the ground. AdvertisementAs long as Ukraine's air defenses aren't suppressed, the Russian Air Force can't provide meaningful support to ground troops.

Persons: —, Cmdr, Matthew Galamison, Michael Petersen, Galamison, Petersen, Sukhoi Su, Mihail Tokmakov, Sefa, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Kremlin, Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, AP, NATO, US, US Naval War College, US Air Force's Air, Space Operations, Getty, Russian Air Force, EA, Kyiv, Russia's, Russian Army, REUTERS, British Defence Ministry, Anadolu Agency, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Russian, Ukrainian, Kyiv, Kyiv City, Chernihiv, Forbes

☆ Turkey's Bayraktar TB2 drones have lost their edge in Ukraine, but the company behind them is still making a big bet there
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones were a valuable weapon for Ukraine after Russia invaded last year. The TB2 drone has lost much of its utility as Russia's military has adapted to its use, however. AdvertisementA Bayraktar TB2 at a military base in Ukraine in March 2019. Press Office of the President of Ukraine / Mykola Lararenko / Handout/Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesBaykar has supplied at least 50 TB2 drones to Ukraine to date. Baykar's Bayraktar Akinci drone on display at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport in April.

Persons: —, Haluk Bayraktar, Mykola Lararenko, Col, Volodymyr Valiukh, Ali Bakir, Haluk, Bakir, James Rogers, Rogers, Oguz Yeter, Paul Iddon Organizations: Service, Press, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Ukrainian, Ukraine's Main Intelligence, Business, Baykar, Cornell Brooks School Tech Policy Institute, Istanbul's, Airport Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Turkish, Russian, Kyiv, Ukraine's, Turkey, Ukrainian, Ankara, Syria, Libya, Nagorno, Karabakh, Ethiopia

☆ Russian naval ships struck by exploding drone boats in the night sank to the bottom of the Black Sea, Ukraine says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Jake Epstein | Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ukraine says its sea drones hit and sank two Russian Black Sea Fleet landing ships. Ukraine has relied on its fleet of explosive drone boats to trouble Russian ships in the Black Sea. AdvertisementAdvertisementUkraine's explosive sea drones have struck again, and this time, Kyiv says they struck and sank two ships belonging to Russia's Black Sea Fleet (BSF). The hit has again raised questions about Russia's ability to protect its Black Sea Fleet from Ukraine. Elsewhere in the Black Sea this week, a Russian anti-radar missile slammed into a Liberian-flagged cargo ship, killing one person and injuring four more.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Fleet, Defense Ministry, Sig, Security Service, Ukraine Telegram, Russian, Institute for, Liberian Locations: Ukraine, Crimea, Kyiv, Russian, Crimean, Novorossiysk, Kerch, Russia, Ukrainian, Washington, Moscow

☆ Brand-new Russian warship hit by Ukraine is so badly damaged that it is likely out of the action for the foreseeable future, war analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ukraine struck a brand new Russian warship in Crimea, and experts say the ship likely won't be operable any time soon. AdvertisementAdvertisementUkraine struck a brand new Russian warship far behind enemy lines, analysts say, likely rendering it inoperable for the foreseeable future. They have damaged or destroyed several Black Sea Fleet ships, and in this case, they took a Russian ship out of action before it could even be commissioned. Like many of its previous attacks in and around occupied Crimea, Ukraine's strikes on the Askold were likely conducted by Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG missiles, observers said. The missiles were likely also used in a recent bombardment of Sevastopol that damaged two warships and surrounding shipyard facilities in September.

Persons: —, Storm, Ukraine's USVs, ISW Organizations: Service, Russian, The Institute, Ukraine, Black, Fleet Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Crimea, Kerch, Ukrainian, France, Sevastopol, Russia

☆ Ukraine's successful ATACMS strike shows Russia's willingness to 'take it on the chin' when Kyiv gets new weapons
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The US was widely expected to transfer ATACMS missiles to Ukraine sometime this fall. But the Russians still appeared surprised when Ukraine fired ATACMS at air bases in October. Repeated failures to anticipate the arrival of new weapons has cost Russia heavily during the war. This has put the burden of air support on Russian attack helicopters. Maxar Technologies via Getty ImagesTo Kofman and other observers, those helicopter bases were "one of the most obvious targets" for Ukrainian ATACMS strikes.

Persons: —, choppers, Michael Kofman, Kofman, Serhii Mykhalchuk, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Ukrainian, Associated Press, Carnegie Endowment, Maxar, Getty, Kyiv, Israel Defense Forces, IDF, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Russia's Far, Crimea, Ukrainian, Berdyansk, Luhansk, revetments, Swedish, Yom Kippur, Forbes

☆ Ukraine has taken 17,000 Russians off the battlefield without firing a shot, US Army special-ops general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia has taken hundreds of thousands of casualties since attacking Ukraine last year. Thanks to its information operations, Kyiv has helped take 17,000 Russians off the battlefield without even firing a shot, according to the head of US Army Special Operations Command. "Messaging has played a huge role just in the tactical and operational sense" in Ukraine, Braga said at the Association of the US Army's annual conference in October. During the Cold War, the KGB used information operations as part of a larger "active measures" campaign to subvert the West and undermine NATO. In the US special-operations community, the Army's Psychological Operations Groups and the Civil Affairs Brigade do most of the work when it comes to information operations and shaping the narrative.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Valya, Jonathan Braga, Braga, We've, You've, Arkady Budnitsky, " Braga, it's, Kyiv's Organizations: Service, Russian, US Army Special Operations Command, Navy, Getty, Association of, Anadolu Agency, Kremlin, NATO, Keyboard, US Army, Psychological, Groups, Civil Affairs Brigade, Army Special Forces Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Europe, Kyiv, St . Petersburg, Rostov, Mackall, North Carolina, China

☆ Three charged with sending Russia over $7 million in electronics to aid war on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Three people were arrested in New York City on Tuesday on charges of illegally smuggling millions of dollars' worth of electronics to Russia in order to aid the country's invasion of Ukraine. Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn accused Nikolay Goltsev, Salimdzhon Nasriddinov and Kristina Puzyreva of evading sanctions in order to send Russia equipment used in their precision-guided missile systems. The defendants allegedly dispatched hundreds of shipments of restricted items, worth nearly $7.2 million, to Russia over the course of a year. The complaint alleges that the defendants used two corporate entities to source and purchase dual-use electronics from U.S. manufacturers and distributors, and then secretly export them to Russia. Some of the same types of components were found in Russian weapons platforms and signals intelligence equipment that were seized in Ukraine, prosecutors alleged.

Persons: Nikolay Goltsev, Salimdzhon Nasriddinov, Kristina Puzyreva, Nick Stevens, Matthew Olsen Organizations: Attorney, Eastern, of, Prosecutors, United Arab, Justice Department's National Security Division Locations: Brooklyn, New York City, Russia, Ukraine, U.S, of New York, Tajikistan, Goltsev, Montreal, Manhattan, Russian, Turkey, Hong Kong, India, China, United Arab Emirates, Vitebsk

☆ How the Putin family's 'blood sacrifice' may be driving the high Russian casualty rate in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | Julian Kossoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

People who study Russia say war and a glorious death are ingrained in the national psyche. The willingness of President Vladimir Putin and his generals to sacrifice thousands of soldiers in often-reckless assaults has become a blood-drenched hallmark of the war. "So in his own family, they've already paid that blood sacrifice, and he did his duty during the Cold War. "The official mantra of the Russian military is John 15:13, from the Bible," Carleton said. In Putin recruiting soldiers from villages in remote parts of Russia and among its non-Russian ethnic groups, Putin can avoid the perception of high casualty rates.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Gregory Carleton, Carleton, they've, Jaroslava Barbieri, Kremlin, Barbieri, Ben Soodavar, Kirill Organizations: Service, Avdiivka, UK Ministry of Defence, Tufts University, Birmingham University, Ukraine's Military Intelligence, King's College London, Nazi, Reuters, Russian Orthodox Church Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Germans, Kyiv, Nazi Germany, Ukrainian, Donetsk, Moscow, Donbas

☆ Major Russian losses in recent offensive around Avdiivka likely to be among the worst of 2023, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia has been carrying out a major offensive effort to capture the city of Avdiivka in east Ukraine. The UK Ministry of Defence said Russia's losses are some of the highest of the year. In mid-October, Russia began a major offensive effort to capture the city in Donetsk, which resulted in significant Russian losses both in terms of personnel and equipment. Russian military bloggers have been "harshly critical" of the tactics of the Avdiivka operation, according to UK intel. The Russian political establishment continues to push for more territory to be occupied, but Russia's military is struggling to carry out successful assaults, the department noted.

Persons: —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russian military's Organizations: MoD, UK Ministry of Defence, Service, intel, for Locations: Russia, Avdiivka, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Donetsk, Russian

☆ Russia's heavy losses of at least 109 armored vehicles in a recent battle will hurt future offensives: ISW
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia has suffered major military equipment losses in its latest offensive. The Russian military lost at least 109 armored vehicles and tanks near the region of Avdiivka, a think tank said. "Heavy Russian equipment losses around Avdiivka will likely undermine Russian offensive capabilities over the long term," war analysts said. AdvertisementAdvertisementRussia has recently suffered serious military equipment losses in its latest offensive surrounding the Ukrainian village of Avdiivka — and that'll likely hurt Moscow's future offensive capabilities, according to war analysts. "Heavy Russian equipment losses around Avdiivka will likely undermine Russian offensive capabilities over the long term," ISW researchers said in the assessment.

Persons: —, ISW, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy, Rishi Sunak Organizations: Service, The, Ukrainian, British, Reuters Locations: Russia, Avdiivka, Russian, Washington, DC, Ukraine, Donetsk

☆ Israel's military has tools to take down Hamas' new drone arsenal, but actually using them may not be easy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementIsrael has been a pioneer in drone warfare, producing an array of reconnaissance and strike drones. The assault began with a Hamas drone that dropped a bomb on an Israeli Merkava 4 tank, one of the most advanced in the world. Hamas members display a drone in a parade for the anniversary of Hamas' founding, in Gaza City in December 2014. NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesThe full breadth of Hamas' drone arsenal will not become evident until Israel attacks. AdvertisementAdvertisementKnocking out a Merkava tank indicates greater skill and boldness in Hamas' drone use, though it enjoyed the advantage of surprise against IDF troops.

Persons: Israel, —, Gaza City's, Mustafa Hassona, John Spencer, Spencer, Jack Watling, JACK GUEZ, Watling, it's, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Israel Defense Forces, Israel, Hamas, Getty, IDF, Anadolu Agency, Modern, Institute, Britain's Royal United Services Institute, Wilson Center, Washington DC, Palestinian, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Gaza, Israel, Ukraine, Gaza City, Gaza City's Abu Nasr, West, Turkish, Russian, Iraq, Washington, Israeli, AFP, jammers, Forbes

☆ Russian failures in Ukraine are forcing Moscow to give up on one of the biggest Putin-era military reforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

As a result, Russia's military is ditching one of the main reforms lauched under Vladimir PutinNEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. The German Army in World War II routinely formed combined-arms battlegroups ("kampfgruppen"), as did the US Army's task forces. BTGs were composed of professional contract soldiers, who are generally more capable, competent, and motivated than the sullen conscripts that still hamper Russia's army today. A few high-readiness battalions can't compensate for the low-readiness conscripts that make up about one-third of Russia's army. ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP via Getty Images"The Russian military is well-suited to short, high-intensity campaigns defined by a heavy use of artillery," Michael Kofman and Rob Lee, both experts on Russia's military, wrote in June 2022.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, —, Vladimir Putin's, Josef Stalin, SERGEY VENYAVSKY, Olesya, Tkacheva, BTGs, SERGEI VENYAVSKY, ALEXANDER NEMENOV, Michael Kofman, Rob Lee, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Russian, Red Army, Tactical Groups, Getty, Ukraine —, Brussels School, Governance, Wilson Center, Washington DC, German Army, US, Foreign Military Studies Office, Britain's Royal United Services Institute, Troops, Soviet Army, British Army, Ministry of Defense, Russian Armed Forces, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Chechen, AFP, Washington, Russian, Georgia, Moscow, Syria, Russia's, Krasnodar, Soviet, BTGs, Germany, Forbes

☆ Russia's electronic warriors are switching to 'much more subtle' operations around the frontlines in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Electronic warfare has played an important if less visible role in the war in Ukraine. As the war has evolved, EW troops on both sides have had to adapt and innovate to remain effective. After nearly 300,000 casualties and many humiliating defeats, the Russian military is still struggling to adjust to Ukraine's willingness and ability to fight. Electronic warfare — the use of electronic signals to find, intercept, and jam enemy forces — has been an important element of daily combat. Russian EW has been a major area of investment" and its EW troops "tend to be technically competent," the RUSI report says.

Persons: —, Storm, Denis Abramov, Stavros Atlamazoglou Organizations: Service, Royal United Services Institute, REUTERS, GPS, EG, Rockets, Russian Defense Ministry, Russian, Hellenic Army, 575th Marine Battalion, Army, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins School, International Studies, Boston College Law School Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Ukrainian, British, Donetsk, Russian, Moscow, Kyiv

☆ Tank battles in Ukraine are putting several generations of 'crappy Russian armored vehicles' and their flaws on display
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementT-72s, T-80s, and T-90sUkrainians load a Russian T-72 onto a truck outside Izyum in September 2022. It also has a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun mounted in the hull and a 12.7mm heavy machine gun on the turret. AdvertisementAdvertisementUS soldiers examine a Ukrainian T-80 tank during an exercise in September 2014. AdvertisementAdvertisementA Danish instructor leads a Ukrainian tank crew and translators through training on a Leopard 1A5 in Germany in May. AdvertisementAdvertisementA Ukrainian Leopard 1 tank crew at a test site in Ukraine in September.

Persons: —, ANATOLII STEPANOV, ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO, Sean Gallup, Uralvagonzavod, Russia hasn't, Sven Creutzmann, Barry Posen, John Moore, Posen Organizations: Service, Getty, REUTERS, NATO, Soviet, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, LB, Leopard 2A5, Royal United Services Institute, 47th Mechanized Brigade Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Soviet, Russian, Izyum, AFP, Moscow, Ukrainian, Kharkiv, Syria, Poland, Soviet Union, Germany, Posen, Spain, Norway, Canada, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, British

☆ One of Russia's most prestigious airborne regiments has lost 3 commanders, UK Intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia's military is suffering from "extreme attrition and high turnover," the UK MoD says. This problem persists even in its most senior ranks, highlighted by frequent changes in an elite regiment. Russia has lost multiple senior commanders during the conflict in Ukraine. The department pointed to the high turnover of commanders of the Russian 247th Guards Air Assault Regiment, one of Russia's most prestigious airborne regiments. This particular regiment's high turnover highlights a a persistent problem across the Russian military, the UK department noted.

Persons: Vasily Popov, Pyotr Popov, Konstantin Zizevsky Organizations: MoD, Service, UK Ministry Defence, Russian 247th Guards Air Assault Regiment, Russian, Black, Fleet Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Crimea

☆ 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

☆ Opinion: Ukraine is fighting Russia and making progress. Don’t give up on Kyiv.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Hilary Krieger | Opinion Sébastien Roblin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

It’s true that the Ukrainian counteroffensive debuted with conspicuous setbacks and hasn’t advanced as much as hoped. Moreover, land seized by Russia earlier has been used to strike ever deeper into Ukraine, making restoring defensible borders an existential concern. But Kyiv got the ammunition needed to sustain the counteroffensive longer while awaiting expanded factory production of conventional shells in 2024. Putin miscalculated disastrously when he invaded in Ukraine, so he’s now hoping to outlast Western support for Ukraine to rescue what spoils he can. But failing to do so now could entail the US, Europe and Ukraine paying a much higher price later.

Persons: Sébastien Roblin, CNN —, Ukraine’s, Sebastien Roblin, wail, Vladimir Putin, hasn’t, Ukraine didn’t, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Biden, Bradley, Abrams, Putin miscalculated, he’s, Donald Trump, George McClellan, McClellan Organizations: Georgetown University, Peace Corps, CNN, Kremlin, GOP, Ukrainian, Engineers, British Royal United Services Institute, Defense, US, Lincoln Locations: China, Ukraine, Washington, Russia, Kherson, Ukrainian, Crimea, India, Robotyne, Verbove, Tokmak, Melitopol, NATO, British, Europe, Appomattox

☆ Ukraine's Bayraktar TB2 drones appear to be back in combat — and with devastating effect, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

"That TB-2s again are firing missiles at Russian troops is a strong indicator that Russian air defenses in the south are in trouble," wrote David Axe in Forbes. Indeed, the TB2 Bayraktar sorties revival came a week after a prized advanced S-400 Triumf was spectacularly destroyed in Crimea. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe rise and fall of the Bayraktar TB2A collage of four screenshots from what Ukrainian forces say was the viewfinder of Bayraktar TB2 drones targeting Russian-controlled assets in March 2022. Russia worked fast to improve its air and electronic defenses at the start of the war following Ukraine's early successes, becoming adept at jamming and destroying many of Ukraine's drones. AdvertisementAdvertisementIt adds that there are 257 Bayraktar drones in operation, serving Turkey, Qatar, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan.

Persons: David Axe, Samuel Bendett, Bendett Organizations: Service, Ukraine's Navy, Russian KS, Ukrainian Navy, American Patriot, Ukraine Armed Forces, Facebook, Navy, Center for Naval Locations: Wall, Silicon, Russian, Turkish, Ural, Kherson, Ukraine, Forbes, Crimea, Moscow, Russia, Libya, Nagorno, Karabakh, Turkey, Qatar, Azerbaijan

☆ Ukrainian snipers hunting top enemy commanders are exploiting one of the Russian military's biggest vulnerabilities
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ukrainian snipers told The Wall Street Journal they are hunting down high-profile Russian targets. Over the course of the war, Russia has lost a number of senior Russian commanders and generals who directed operations from the front line. John Moore/Getty ImagesAlthough they have a common enemy, not all Ukrainian sniper teams are engaged in the same mission. Russian snipers, likewise, carry out similar missions and are considered quite formidable. Other activities like reconnaissance fall within the traditional sniper mission set and can also take priority.

Persons: Carl Court, Mark Milley, Andrei Sukhovetsky, Russia's, John Moore Organizations: Wall Street, Service, Devils, Wall Street Journal, Pentagon, Department of Defense, Ukraine, US, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Russia's 7th Airborne, 28th Brigade, Ukrainian, CNN Locations: Wall, Silicon, Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, Kyiv

Search resuls for: "Russian military's"

25 mentions found