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☆ Top tanks worth millions and other expensive heavy armor are being hunted in Ukraine by cheap exploding drones worth only a few hundred bucks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Ukrainian and Russian heavy armor, including their better tanks, are facing a growing threat: FPV drones. Wojciech Grzedzinski/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesWhat are FPV drones? Instead, individual units are putting in orders for FPV drones, and these outfits are doing what they can to meet the demand. It is unclear if or how the FPV drones factored into this figure. Electronic warfare can have an effect on FPV drones, as can the rough cope cages some armored-vehicle crews have welded on their tanks and fighting vehicles to shield it from the exploding FPV drones, though not always.

Persons: Samuel Bendett, Wojciech Grzedzinski, David Hambling, Bendett, Steve Wright, Yuriy Mate, Jack Watling, Nick Reynolds, it's Organizations: Service, Center for Naval, Mechanized Brigade, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Army, Drones, Newsweek, Ukraine, Royal United Services, PBS Locations: Russian, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Russia, Ukrainian, Donetsk Oblast, China

☆ How U.S. microchips are fueling Russia's military — despite sanctions
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Murky supply chainsNot all advanced technologies are subject to Western sanctions on Russia. So, a Russian military, as well as its civilian economy, have become dependent," Sam Bendett, advisor at the Center for Naval Analyses, said. Meanwhile, sanctions on Russia are largely limited to Ukraine's Western allies, meaning that many countries continue to trade with Russia. And this is what the Russian industry as well as the Russian military and its intelligence services are taking advantage of," Bendett said. Sanctions clampdownThe burgeoning trade flows have prompted calls from Western allies to either get more countries on board with sanctions, or slap secondary sanctions on certain entities operating within those countries in a bid to stifle Russia's military strength.

Persons: Elina Ribakova, KSE, Sam Bendett, spokespeople, Bendett, Sellers Organizations: CNBC, Semiconductors, Peterson Institute for International Economics, KSE Institute, Kyiv School, Economics, United Arab, Moscow, Royal United Services Institute, U.S ., Center for Naval, Russian, Economic Security, of, CNBC Exports, Union, Russian Federation, European Union, Peterson Institute for International Locations: Russia, Moscow, China, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, Russia's, U.S, Japan, Germany, Russian, microchips, Hong Kong, of Ukraine, Caucasus, Central Asia, Georgia, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan

☆ Ukrainian assault commander reveals horrific encounter with one of Russia's fake trench traps
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Among them are fake trenches, exploding death traps, that a commander described to The New York Times. A commander shared details of an assault team's encounter with these deadly traps in a discussion this week with The New York Times. The Ukrainian commander, who goes by the call sign Voskres, told The Times about an offensive operation conducted last month by forces with special operations training. When they reached the Russian lines after clearing part of a minefield along a tree line, Ukrainian forces dropped into a trench, ready for a fight. "They build out fake trenches.

Persons: Gian Marco Benedetto, Michael Kofman, Kofman Organizations: The New York Times, Service, New York Times, Times, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Center for Naval Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Ukraine, Moshchun, Kyiv, Russian

☆ Video shows a Ukrainian drone slam into a Russian thermobaric rocket launcher, triggering a massive explosion
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A new video shows a Ukrainian drone hitting a Russian thermobaric rocket launcher. Zaitseve, Donetsk Oblast, a Ukrainian FPV loitering munition hits the launcher of a Russian TOS-1 MRL. The consequence of an RPG-sized warhead hitting roughly 24 MO.1.01.04 220mm thermobaric rockets isn't surprising. Host photo agency/Ramil Sitdikov via REUTERSIt's not the first time Ukraine has touted the destruction of a TOS-1 rocket launcher. Back in February, Kyiv shared a video of an reported destruction of a Russian thermobaric rocket launcher in the Donetsk region of Ukraine.

Persons: OSINTtechnical, Oliver Alexander, Sitdikov, REUTERS It's Organizations: Service, Center for Naval, REUTERS Locations: Ukrainian, Russian, Wall, Silicon, Zaitseve, Donetsk Oblast, Red, Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Donetsk, Soviet

☆ Ukraine had to execute its offensive 'flawlessly' to break Russia's defenses, but mistakes cost it in the opening round, war experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ukraine's opening move in the counteroffensive was unsuccessful, experts just back from a trip there assert. Part of the problem is that it relied on newer, less experienced units that made mistakes at a critical moment. That does not "mean that the offensive has failed," he said, adding important context to his assessment of the first round. And that assessment is supported by Lee's account of Ukrainian assault forces advancing against Russian defenses without suppressing artillery fire. Combined arms warfare is not something most countries do effectively, and Ukraine lacks both equipment and experience with this kind of fighting.

Persons: Rob Lee, Lee, Dmytro Smolienko, Michael Kofman, Franz, Stefan Gady Organizations: Service, Foreign Policy Research Institute, NATO, Publishing, Getty, Artillery, Center for Naval, Center for New American Security Locations: Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Russia

☆ Photo captures Ukrainian troops using grunt robots to plant deadly anti-personnel mines
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A new photo shows Ukraine using an unmanned ground vehicle to plant a deadly anti-personnel mine. The photo, posted by OSINTtechnical, shows a MON-200 directional mine. The MON-200 is a thick, Soviet-made anti-personnel mine with a smooth concave front — as seen in the picture — that faces the target. It's a directional explosive, meaning the explosive force and the destructive fragments are propelled in a single direction when triggered. A video, also posted by OSINTtechnical, shows a minelaying vehicle remotely deploying TM-62 anti-tank mines.

Persons: OSINTtechnical Organizations: Service, Center for Naval Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian

☆ Russia built fake trenches along the front lines to lure Ukrainian soldiers into deadly explosive traps, researchers found
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Among them are fake trenches designed to lure Ukrainians into a death trap, researchers found on a recent Ukraine trip. And while many of the trenches are actual Russian combat positions, others have been traps, researchers learned from front-line Ukrainian forces. They have mine trenches," Kofman said, explaining that they attempt to "lure Ukrainian forces into trenches that have been mined" with remote-activated mines "and then blow up the mines." The possibility that the trench Ukrainian infantry are rushing into might be an explosive trap makes things immensely more difficult. Hendrickson said they have come across extremely complex minefields in which anti-tank mines are protected by anti-personnel mines and other explosives surrounded by booby traps.

Persons: we've, Michael Kofman, Kofman, Laurent van der, Ryan Hendrickson, Hendrickson, Franz, Stefan Gady Organizations: Service, Center for Naval, 81st Airmobile Battalion, Le Monde, US Army Special Forces Engineer, Toronto Television, Paratroopers, Center for New American Security, Ukrainian Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Wall, Silicon, Seversk, Russian, Afghanistan

☆ Drone boats give Ukraine a cheap, 'asymmetric' edge against Russia and may have just damaged a key bridge
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Waterborne drones are an inexpensive asset, giving Ukraine an "asymmetric" naval edge against Russia. Russia blamed Ukraine for using the drones to attack the Kerch Strait Bridge in Crimea on Monday. Waterborne drones are also inexpensive and devastating, and there are indications they were used to damage a key Russian bridge into Crimea. An anonymous source from Ukraine's Security Service also confirmed to CNN that Ukraine's naval drones carried out the attack, as did a state official. "Ukraine exploited its [the Kerch Strait Bridge] vulnerability by launching relatively cheap and inexpensive USVs in what turned out to be a successful attack," Bendett said.

Persons: There's, Samuel Bendett, —, Bendett Organizations: Service, Ukraine, Security Service, Ukraine's Security Service, CNN, Center for Naval Analyses, Russia, Kyiv, Getty Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Kerch, Crimea, Wall, Silicon, China, AFP, Moscow, Kyiv

☆ This 12-mile-bridge in Crimea is a lifeline for Russia's occupation, but attacks and damages are making it a headache for Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Kerch Bridge connecting Russia and Crimea was damaged by explosions on Monday morning. An attack on the Kerch Bridge is far from "an extraordinary event," as Sergey Aksyonov, the Russian-installed governor of Crimea, said, according to The Kyiv Post. The damage was so severe, Kerch Bridge was closed for normal vehicle traffic until February 2023 and railway traffic until May 2023. "There's been a huge push on the part of Russian authorities to really sustain and even increase tourism in occupied Crimea for economic reasons, and for an integration of occupied Crimea into the larger Russian system." But defending the Kerch Bridge is a logistical nightmare for Russia, prompting a hoard of questions.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Karolina Hird, Evans Hanson, Sergey Aksyonov, Putin's, Samuel Bendett, ISW's Hird, There's, " Hird, who's, it's, Bendett, we've, Hird, that's Organizations: Service, Institute for, AP, Ukrainian Security, CNN, Center for Naval, International Affairs Group, Russia, Black, Fleet, Putin Locations: Kerch, Russia, Crimea, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Ukraine, Kyiv

☆ Russia has 'lost nearly half' of its combat effectiveness since invading Ukraine, UK defense official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia has "lost nearly half" its combat power since invading Ukraine, a top UK defense official said. Admiral Sir Tony Radakin claimed Russia is now "so weak" it cannot wage a counter-offensive. "Russia has lost nearly half the combat effectiveness of its army," Radakin said, according to the Financial Times. Radakin's claims about Russia's combat losses in Ukraine are roughly in line with previous reporting. In February, Oryx, an open-source intelligence group, said that at least 1,000 Russian tanks had been destroyed in Ukraine — and another 500 captured.

Persons: Sir Tony Radakin, —, Sir Tony Radakin —, Rishi Sunak —, Radakin, Ukraine's, They've, Jeffrey Edmonds, Insider's Jake Epstein Organizations: Service, British, United, Financial Times, Ukraine —, PBS, Center for Naval, CIA Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian

☆ Shocking images show the wreckage of a Russian Il-22 airborne command plane shot down during the Wagner revolt
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Shocking images and videos show a destroyed Russian Il-22 command plane. Wagner Group forces are said to have shot down the plane during their revolt, killing the crew. Prigozhin said he regrets destroying Russian aircraft, but he argued they were attacking Wagner forces. The Ilyushin Il-22M aircraft — a valuable airborne command post operated by Russia's air force — was apparently shot down by Wagner Group forces during their revolt against Russian military leadership. Along with the Il-22 aircraft, Wagner shot down six Russian helicopters, killing 13 pilots in total, according to Ukraine, as well as expert observers, like Michael Kofman, the director of Russia Studies at CNA.

Persons: Prigozhin, Wagner, —, Russia's, Franz, Stefan Gady, OSINTdefender, Michael Kofman, Prigozhin — Organizations: Wagner Group, Service, Ilyushin, Russian, Center for Naval, Defense, Russian ] Aerospace Forces, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Russia Studies, CNA Locations: Russian, Ukraine

☆ Video shows Russian workers tearing up highways to block Prigozhin's advance on Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Videos show what appears to be Russian workers tearing up highways outside Moscow. Wagner Group fighters have been advancing on Moscow since early Saturday. Tensions between Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin and Russian military leaders have mounted for months. It's unclear who is operating the construction equipment seen in the images. Russian security forces set up traffic checkpoints with armed guards on Russia's M4 highway, which leads to Moscow, on Saturday, according to Reuters.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, —, Samuel Bendett, Putin, Don, Prigozhin, Sergei Shoigu, Prigozhin —, Sergey Sobyanin, Sobyanin Organizations: Wagner Group, Service, Center for Naval Analyses, Russian Telegram, Russian Defense, Reuters, Moscow Locations: Moscow, Lipetsk, Rostov, Ukraine, Russia

☆ Top Russian generals beg Wagner to 'stop' the apparent mutiny led by Prigozhin, saying 'God forbid we have a civil war'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russian generals are calling out Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, asking for troops to remain calm. The testimonial videos from the generals come after Prigozhin called for "payback" on Russian forces. On Friday, two top Russian generals appeared solemnly in front of similar beige walls, urging Wagner forces to focus their energy on combating Ukrainian forces, instead of Russia's army. The videos were published hours after Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin called for "payback" against Russia, accusing the Kremlin of launching missile attacks against his troops. The latest escalation in the feud, stemming from March, comes after Prigozhin claimed that Russian troops attacked Wagner group positions with missile strikes.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, —, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Sergei Surovikin, Vladimir Alekseyev, Alekseyev, Samuel Bendett, Prigozhin — Organizations: Service, Wagner Group, Russia, Kremlin, Times, Center for Naval Analyses, Wagner, Russia's, Reuters, Russia's Defense Ministry Locations: Russia, Russian

☆ Russians are reminding troops the enemy is Ukraine amid fears of a Wagner coup attempt against the defense ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has prompted fears of an impending coup in Russia. Russian civilians and officials are imploring troops to keep their focus on Ukraine amid the panic. "Everyone who holds a weapon at the line of contact, remember: your enemy is across from you," a message shared repeatedly states. Founder of Wagner private mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin. Press service of "Concord"/Handout via REUTERSThe Russian defense ministry, meanwhile, also attempted to refocus attention on the fight in Ukraine in a Friday Telegram post.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, —, Russia's, Putin, Prigozhin, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Samuel Bendett, Simon Miles, Miles, Sergey Surovikin, Bendett Organizations: Service, Ukraine —, Russian, Staff, Federal Security Service, Center for Naval Analyses, Press, Armed Forces, Russian Federation, [ Armed Forces, Duke University's Sanford School of Public, Soviet Union Locations: Russia, Russian, Ukraine, Moscow, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, gunpoint, Concord, Soviet

☆ Bayraktar TB2 drones were hailed as Ukraine's savior and the future of warfare. A year later, they've practically disappeared.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In the early months of the Russia-Ukraine war, Bayraktar TB2 drones were hailed as Ukraine's savior. However, a year later, nearly all of them are believed to have been shot down by Russian forces. "Once the Russian military got its act together, it was able to down many TB2s," Bendett said. Electronic warfare is a "critical component" of Russia's tactics and contributing to the enormous losses of Ukrainian drones, a report released by the UK's Royal United Services Institute found. Ukraine still had the initiative, but "as the Russian military adapts, there can be no room for complacency," it said.

☆ Russia captured Bakhmut, but it cost thousands of troops and has likely exhausted its remaining soldiers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Chris Panella | Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia has essentially captured the city of Bakhmut, but it paid a heavy price, exhausting its forces. The win in Bakhmut, which remains contested, is its first battlefield victory in almost a year. The win is likely Pyrrhic, and analysts say there's little Russia can do but wait for Ukraine's next move. Libkos/APUkrainian and Russian troops have been engaged in intense combat over Bakhmut for nearly a year now, and both sides have seen countless soldiers killed and wounded. ISW noted around the time of Russia's claimed victory over Bakhmut that "Russian forces will likely need additional reinforcements to hold Bakhmut City and its flanks at the expense of operations in other directions."

☆ Ukraine's Western partners are short on weapons and can't churn them out fast enough to fuel a counterpunch for long, defense experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine's Western partners are short on weapons and can't make them fast enough to meet Kyiv's needs. Experts told The Washington Post that NATO countries have been too slow to manufacture munitions. Countries are facing dwindling stockpiles and can't manufacture weapons fast enough to support Kyiv's ambitions to launch a counteroffensive against Russian forces, according to the Washington Post. Defense experts told the Washington Post that many of Ukraine's NATO partners — especially European nations — haven't mobilized their defense industries to meet battlefield needs for artillery, tanks, air defense systems, and ammunition. Germany offered the fast and lethal Leopard tanks to Ukraine in January, followed by US Abrams tanks that have a record of shattering Soviet-era armor.

☆ Ukraine wants F-16s to shoot down Russian strike fighters dropping bombs it can't beat. Airpower experts say give them the jets.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Its defenses struggle to counter the bombs, so Ukraine wants tools to take out the Russian strike fighters. "Guided bombs are tricky for air defense because they have short flight times and usually very little infrared signature," he said. "The air defense system with the longest distance available to us is the S-300, but it's Soviet-era weapons." That is absolutely unrealistic," he said, challenging the arguments against sending fighter aircraft. There are significant training, supply chain, and operational hurdles to overcome, making essential ground-based air defense a priority in the meantime.

☆ Details in the drone incident the Kremlin says aimed to assassinate Putin 'don't quite add up.' Experts have 3 theories on what happened.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | Sophia Ankel | Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Russia claimed Wednesday that Ukraine tried to assassinate Putin with a drone attack at the Kremlin. James Patton Rogers, a military historian and adviser to NATO on drones and warfare, said that "there's a few things that don't quite add up in this situation." Its ability to fly comparatively low, and slowly, would potentially help it evade some radar, Patton Rogers said. Claiming that Ukraine tried to assassinate Putin would potentially "open up a new norm in the war," Patton Rogers said. Patton Rogers said he hasn't "seen any indication" that such groups have the capacity to use drones in their attacks.

☆ Former F-16 pilot says he would not want to fly missions over Ukraine right now, arguing 'there is no fighting chance'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ukraine has repeatedly asked the US for fourth-generation fighter jets like the F-16. A former F-16 pilot said these jets don't have a fighting chance given Russia's air defense systems. One former F-16 pilot told Insider he wouldn't want to attempt to fly missions over Ukraine right now, asserting that the aircraft can't outmatch Russia's air defense systems. Fourth-generation fighters "have no business in a modern-day battlefield," John Venable, a 25-year veteran of the US Air Force, told Insider in a recent interview. F-16 fighters would likely be outmatched by Russian air defense systemsThe airspace above Ukraine remains contested after 14 months of war.

☆ Ukraine's fight to fend off Russia's superior air force hinges on its surface-to-air missiles, expert says, but leaked top secret documents show it may be running out
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia's air force has an edge over Ukraine's aircraft, requiring Ukraine to rely on other capabilities. Fighting off Russia's air force is dependent on Ukraine's surface-to-air missiles, a new report says. One document in particular that was obtained and reviewed by Insider details Ukraine's air defense capabilities and the risks it faces. Soldiers of the German Armed Forces stand on a trailer with launching pads for guided missiles of the Patriot air defense system on a snow-covered field in southeastern Poland. "Our beautiful Ukrainian sky becomes more secure because Patriot air defense systems have arrived in Ukraine," Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said last week.

☆ Russian troops and Wagner mercenaries killed each other in a shootout after blaming each other for their war failures, Ukrainian government says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russian and Wagner troops opened fire on each other in Luhansk over an argument, Ukraine says. The soldiers and mercenaries had been blaming each other for their mistakes in the war, per Ukraine. "As a result, a fight between Russian Armed Forces and PMC Wagner mercenaries broke out in the settlement of Stanytsia Luhanska recently." It's thus unclear whether the alleged firefight represents wider conflict or discipline issues among Russian forces on the frontline. However, multiple reports have documented Russian troops being plagued by friendly fire in Ukraine, though the Kremlin rarely acknowledges any of these incidents.

☆ NATO's newest member means Russia's 'unsinkable aircraft carrier' will be even more isolated
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Finland also extends NATO's border along the Baltic Sea, which has been called a "NATO lake." That further isolates Russia's Kaliningrad region, which is surrounded by NATO member countries. Kaliningrad is a major military outpost, hosting Russia's Baltic Fleet and other forces, and has been called an "unsinkable aircraft carrier" that allows Moscow to project power deep into NATO and EU territory. However, some Baltic Fleet units were redeployed to Ukraine where they have reportedly suffered very high casualties. Russia's Baltic Fleet is based in Baltiysk and is composed of warships — mostly corvettes and a number of support ships — infantry and armored units, and aviation and air-defense forces.

☆ Russian jets, some flown by Wagner mercenaries, are making risky attacks to test Ukraine's defenses around Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russian aircraft, some operated by mercenaries, are also being used in fighting around the city. Yet the Russian Air Force is still conducting airstrikes with limited success, including around Bakhmut. Russian aircraft "are bombing in Bakhmut, particularly at night so that they can avoid most types of MANPADS. A retired Russian air force general named Kanamat Botashev may have been one of them. In addition to its other struggles, Russia's air force has been plagued by a shortage of fully trained pilots.

☆ Ukraine is forced to recycle unexploded bombs amid serious ammunition shortages
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukrainian troops are rationing their shells as they face ammunition shortages, The Washington Post reported. Western allies are struggling to keep up ammunition production to aid the country. "The current rate of Ukraine's ammunition expenditure is many times higher than our current rate of production," he added, saying allies should invest and expand in the ammunition production for Ukraine. While the Biden administration promised to send Ukraine over 200,000 rounds of artillery, rockets, and tank rounds, the US is facing extremely high production shortages, Insider reported. Similarly, the European Union has created a plan to send one million rounds of ammunition but is facing challenges in meeting Ukraine's needs.

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