DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Gripen fighters built to battle Russian jets are on the table for Ukraine, but only if Sweden gets to join NATO, Stockholm says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Sweden is asking its military to explore the prospects of sending Ukraine its Gripen fighter jets. But there won't be any transfer until Stockholm joins NATO, its defense minister said. Citing Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Sweden and neighboring Finland first announced their intentions to join NATO over a year ago, breaking away from decades of neutrality. The Gripen was designed to take on Russian fighter jets and features electronic-warfare capabilities built to counter the radars in Moscow's aircraft and ground-based air-defense systems. Even if Sweden decides to send Gripens to Ukraine, it would be many months before they actually reach the battlefield.

Persons: —, Pål Jonson, — Gen, Micael, Jonson, JAS, Saab JAS, PATRICK TRAGARDH, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Sukhois, Gripens Organizations: Gripen, NATO, Service, Swedish Armed Forces, Swedish Defense, Sweden, Saab, Getty, Kyiv, Swedish Air Force, Ukrainian Air Force, Royal United Services Institute Locations: Sweden, Ukraine, Russia, Stockholm, Swedish, Finland, Turkey, Hungary, Lulea, AFP, Kyiv, Russian

☆ 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

☆ Ukrainian commander says he'd be dead if he fought exactly how the US and its allies taught him
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have received NATO training to help them face Russia. One commander told the Financial Times that if he followed NATO advice to the letter, he'd be dead. "If I only did what [western militaries] taught me, I'd be dead," said a special-forces commander in Ukraine's 78th regiment who spoke to the FT. In some cases, Ukrainian soldiers have decided to ditch their training completely because it proved ineffective on during their slow-moving counteroffensive, The New York Times reported earlier this year. NATO forces also train Ukrainian soldiers to overwhelm their enemies with the type of firepower that it does not possess.

Persons: he'd, I'd, Suleman, openDemocracy, RUSI Organizations: NATO, Financial Times, Service, US, 41st Mechanized Brigade, New York Times, Royal United Services Institute Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Ukraine's, Iraq, Afghanistan, Germany

☆ Ukraine may be cracking Russia's frontlines, but now it has to get Russian troops to crack as well
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But Russian troops have been fighting fiercely trenches behind extensive obstacles and minefields. Ukrainian troops have managed to penetrate the first of three Russian fortified belts in southern Ukraine, but for now, the Russian military hasn't cracked. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu exits a trench as he inspects troops in Ukraine in a photo released in December 2022. Russian troops are dug into elaborate trench systems shielded by millions of mines and supported by artillery and attack helicopters. Ukrainian troops work on a US-made Bradley armored vehicle at a secret workshop in the Zaporizhzhia region in July.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, George Patton —, Bradley, Ed Ram, France —, Alexey Malgavko, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Kyiv, Russian, Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, Royal United Services Institute, Washington, Getty, Sedan, REUTERS, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Nazi Germany, British, France, economize, Zaporizhzhia, American, Russia, Omsk, Forbes

☆ ‘We knew ahead of time’: A decade of turmoil left Libya unprepared for natural disasters
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Split between two rival administrations since 2014 and having failed to hold presidential elections, Libya faces an uphill battle when it comes to severe natural disasters. Planet Labs PBC/AP Planet Labs PBC/AP Satellite images show Derna, Libya on September 2, before the flooding, left, and after the dams collapsed, right. Responding to criticism regarding lack of preparedness by the LNA, Al-Mismari said that in such situations, 50% of the responsibility falls on authorities (LNA) and 50% falls on citizens. Turkey, which backs the Tripoli government, also said it is mobilizing personnel and supplies to assist authorities in eastern Libya. Tamer Ramadan, head of international Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Libya, told CNN Tuesday that the issue of rival governments in Libya does not affect their operation.

Persons: Storm Daniel, Khalifa Haftar –, ”, Anas El Gomati, Moammar Gadhafi, Abdulhamid Dbeibeh, Haftar, Jalel Harchaoui, ‘, ’, Harchaoui, Gomati, Osama Hamad, Osama Aly, ” Aly, “, Al Hurra, Jamal Alkomaty, ” Harchaoui, Ahmed al, Mismari, Al, ” Gomati, there’s, Ramadan, ” Ramadan Organizations: CNN, Planet Labs PBC, AP Planet Labs PBC, AP, ISIS, Libya –, Sadeq Institute, NATO, Libyan National Army, Royal United Services Institute, Emergency, Ambulance Service, Twitter, Analysts, United Nations, United, United Arab Emirates, Civil Protection Department, Federation of Red, Red Crescent Societies Locations: Libya, Split, Libyan, Derna, Greece, Morocco, “, Tripoli, Benghazi, “ Libya, London, Cyrenaica, tatters, Derna’s, Al, Italy, Egypt, Russia, United Arab, Algeria, Turkey

☆ Sweden is exploring giving Ukraine its Gripens, fighters said to be by far the 'most suitable' of the available Western jets for battling Russia: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Sweden is considering sending Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine, according to a new report. Even if Stockholm agrees to send Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine, because it would first take time to consider the transfer and then train Ukrainian pilots, the fighter jets likely wouldn't see combat experience until mid-2024 at the earliest, the report said. Advertisement Advertisement Watch: VIDEO: Why Russia's military is failing so far in UkraineA Saab JAS-39C Gripen at RAF Fairford during the Royal Military Air Tattoo on July 15, 2023. Saab JAS 39 Gripens taxi during the NATO exercise Loyal Arrow outside Lulea in northern Sweden on June 10, 2009. Although Sweden has poured cold water on the idea of sending Gripens to Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last month that his country's service members were already starting to test out the fighter jets.

Persons: Gripens, Sweden's, Saab JAS, Matthew Horwood, PATRICK TRAGARDH, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, there's Organizations: Gripen, Lawmakers, Service, Saab, RAF Fairford, Royal Military Air, Getty, Swedish Saab Gripen, Royal United Services Institute, Swedish Air Force, Ukrainian Air Force, NATO Locations: Sweden, Ukraine, Stockholm, Kyiv, Wall, Silicon, Europe, Russian, Swedish, Ukrainian, Lulea, AFP, NATO, Czech Republic

☆ A shortage of land mines forced Russian troops to put down irregular minefields, creating new problems for Ukraine: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia began laying minefields deeper than normal to make them harder for Ukraine to cross. The inconsistent and often improvised approach that followed, however, still created headaches for advancing Ukrainian forces. The result was that Russian minefields became irregular, which isn't necessarily out of the ordinary to begin with given terrain and time considerations. Citing conversations with Ukrainian forces, he also revealed that Russia sometimes built fake trench traps rigged with explosives. AdvertisementAdvertisementAnd the inconsistency and irregularity of the Russian minefields has only further complicated matters.

Persons: Jack Watling, Nick Reynolds, Watling, Reynolds, Michael Kofman Organizations: Service, Royal United Service Institute, Russian, 35th Marine Brigade, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Ukraine Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Donetsk

☆ 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

☆ Ukrainian intercepts show Russian soldiers’ anger at losses, disarray
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Story contains strong languageUkraine’s counteroffensive was in its second month when Andrey, a Russian soldier, called his wife to say his unit was taking heavy casualties. The expletive-laden intercepts, shared with Reuters by a Ukrainian intelligence source, provide a rare - albeit partial - glimpse into the conditions of some Russian soldiers as Kyiv prosecuted a major counteroffensive, which started in early June, two military analysts told Reuters. Ukraine has acknowledged that its efforts to recapture territory have been hindered by vast Russian minefields and well-prepared defensive lines. The Ukrainian intelligence source said they illustrated the challenges facing Russian soldiers but did not elaborate on how the recordings were selected. In the excerpts, several soldiers used profane language to describe Russian units that had taken heavy casualties and had been unable to retrieve their wounded.

Persons: Andrey, ” Andrey, “, Neil Melvin, Vladimir Putin, SBU, ” Maxim, Anna, Kupiansk, Maxim, Putin, ”, Elena, Alexei, “ Everyone’s, Dmitry Medvedev, Tom Balmforth, Filipp Lebedev, Eve Watling, Daniel Flynn Organizations: Security Service of Ukraine, Reuters, International Security, Royal United Services Institute, Russia’s Defence Ministry, Ukrainian General Staff, Lyman, Russia’s 52nd Regiment, U.S . Defence Intelligence Agency, “, ” Reuters, Russian Security Council Locations: Russian, Soviet, Soviet Union, Ukraine, Russia, London, Irkutsk, Russia’s, Afghanistan, Rubizhne, Ukraine’s, Luhansk

☆ The US is growing increasingly frustrated with Ukraine's tactics. It could put the counteroffensive in jeopardy.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

US officials are growing frustrated with how Ukraine is fighting the war, The New York Times said. If Ukraine wants to speed up its counteroffensive, it will need to change tactics, they said. However, experts are worried that such unrealistic expectations could mean Ukraine gets less support from Western countries going forward, putting the counteroffensive in jeopardy. "Ukraine's Western partners have every reason to expect a return on the considerable military aid they have provided over the past year-and-a-half. AdvertisementAdvertisement"Instead, Ukraine's lack of progress over the past two months should serve as a wake-up call for Western leaders.

Persons: Ukraine Ed Ram, Insider's Ryan Pickrell, it's, Marina Miron, David Lewis, Lewis, Maksym Skrypchenko Organizations: New York Times, Service, Washington, Getty, Department of, King's College London, Royal United Services Institute, NATO, Western Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Zaporizhzhia region, Kyiv

☆ Russia and Ukraine are filling the sky with drones. There are so many buzzing around over eastern Ukraine, they're actually crashing into one another: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russian and Ukrainian drones are causing traffic jams in the Donetsk airspace, a pilot said. "The area has turned into 'Frankfurt Airport:' a frenzied traffic of drones — both their own and those of others," Voroshnov told Unian. "We were absolute masters in the night sky," Voroshnov told Unian. AdvertisementAdvertisementAs a result, Ukrainian drone operators have to be strategic with how and when they use drones, Voroshnov said. "We are moving to smart war," Voroshnov told Unian.

Persons: Mykola Voroshnov, Forbes, Voroshnov, Unian, there's, Yuri Shchyhol Organizations: Service, Frankfurt, Ukrainian Telegram, CNN, Forbes, Royal United Services Institute Locations: Donetsk, Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, India, Ukraine, Robotyne, Russia

☆ 'Putin's vulture': Why the Ka-52 attack helicopter is one of Russia's most influential weapon systems
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Russia's Ka-52 attack helicopter has been imposing a high cost on Ukraine's counteroffensive this summer. AdvertisementAdvertisementIt can also serve as a surveillance platform and an aerial command center for a fleet of attack helicopters. While some military experts say the US Apache helicopter is superior to the Ka-52, the Russian helicopter gunship is highly rated. In its review of the top nine attack helicopters, Military-Today.com wrote: "The Ka-52 is one of the fastest and most maneuverable attack helicopters due to its two coaxial contra-rotating main rotors. A video appears to show one of the Ka-52 attack helicopters being downed, revealing Russia's weakness, a former US general told Insider.

Persons: Russia's Ka, Ukraine's, Today.com, ALEXANDER NEMENOV, Insider's Ryan Pickrell, Andriy Yermak, Maxym Organizations: Russian, Service, Kremlin, Kyiv Post, Kamov, Russian Helicopters, Airforce Technology, US Apache, Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, AP, Military Factory, Russia, Getty, UK Ministry of Defence, Twitter, Ukrainian, Russian Ministry of Defense, Royal United Services Institute, Forbes Locations: Ukrainian, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Ukraine, AFP, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, London, American, Russia

A woman visits a makeshift memorial near the former PMC Wagner Centre, associated with the founder of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, in Saint Petersburg, Russia August 24. "From the point of view of Putin, as well as many among the security forces and the military, Prigozhin's death should be a lesson to any potential followers." Putin, who has spoken in the past of his hatred of traitors, described it at the time as a "stab in the back". 'GAME OF THRONES'But the death of Prigozhin, if confirmed, is not without cost to Putin. If Putin was responsible for Prigozhin's death, he said, it demonstrated he was willing to engage in brutal repression of any kind of dissent.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Anastasia Barashkova, Putin, Wagner, Vladimir Putin, Prigozhin, Tatiana Stanovaya, Abbas Gallyamov, Gallyamov, Andrew Borene, Samuel Ramani, RUSI, Ramani, Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin, Robert Horvath, Mark Trevelyan, Gareth Jones, Andrew Heavens Organizations: PMC Wagner, Wagner Group, REUTERS, Reuters, Analysts, Kremlin, Central African, Putin, La Trobe University, Thomson Locations: Saint Petersburg, Russia, Kremlin, Ukraine, Africa, Moscow, United States, Belarus, Mali, Central African Republic, France, U.S, Melbourne

A woman visits a makeshift memorial near former PMC Wagner Centre, associated with the founder of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, in Saint Petersburg, Russia August 24, 2023. Putin, who has spoken in the past of his hatred of traitors, described it as a "stab in the back". Prigozhin "assumed that Putin would not want to risk all this", Gallyamov said. 'GAME OF THRONES'But the death of Prigozhin, if confirmed, is not without cost to Putin. If Putin was responsible for Prigozhin's death, he said, it demonstrated he was willing to engage in brutal repression of any kind of dissent.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Anastasia Barashkova, Putin, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Utkin, Prigozhin, Tatiana Stanovaya, Wagner, Abbas Gallyamov, Gallyamov, Andrew Borene, Samuel Ramani, RUSI, Ramani, Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin, Mark Trevelyan, Gareth Jones, Andrew Heavens Organizations: PMC Wagner, Wagner Group, REUTERS, Kremlin, Putin, Central African, Analysts, Thomson Locations: Saint Petersburg, Russia, Kremlin, Ukraine, Africa, Moscow, Belarus, Mali, Central African Republic, France, United States, U.S

☆ How Russia is using US tech to build cruise missiles to devastate Ukraine, despite sanctions meant to stop it
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia has found new ways of obtaining US tech for its cruise missiles. Officials, experts, and media reports have laid out the routes Russia is using to import the banned or restricted technology. Ukrainian officials last Tuesday said that Russian K-100 cruise missiles used in recent attacks were built in 2023, using more than 30 foreign components, meaning that Western sanctions weren't working. The Kazakhstan back door for tech suppliesThe US sanctions include a ban on the sale of technology that could be used by Russia to build weapons. According to the Economist report, logic boards from California-made Altera Flex have been used in building the KH-100 cruise missiles Russia has used in attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.

Persons: Andriy Yermak, STRINGER, Gary Sommerville, we've, Sommerville, Mykola Danilyuk, Danilyuk Organizations: US, Service, Getty, Royal United Services Institute, Kazakhstan's, National, Russia, Kazakh, Russian, Silverado, New York Times, Free Russia Foundation, eBay, Amazon Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Russian, Kazakhstan, Kazakh, US, Armenia, Ukrainian, California

☆ Poland to hold biggest military parade in decades, as its clout in Europe grows
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Kacper Pempel/ReutersPolish military vehicles are seen during a Saturday rehearsal for this week's parade in Warsaw. “Nobody is going to say that military security is not an important issue and that we shouldn’t be strengthening the military. With the UK out of the European Union and Germany still hesitant to take on a leadership role on Ukraine, Poland has sensed its opportunity. In November, two people were killed in eastern Poland, about four miles (6.4 kilometers) west of the Ukrainian border, by a Ukrainian missile defending against incoming Russian fire. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko asked the group to help train his country’s military, and earlier this month the two forces held joint training exercises near the Polish border.

Persons: Russian Wagner, Kacper Pempel, Pawel Supernak, ” Edward Arnold, Arnold, Aleks, ”, Jamie Shea, Putin, ” Arnold, ” Shea, Abrams, “, Dominika, Wagner, Alexander Lukashenko, Mariusz Blaszczak, Lukashenko Organizations: CNN, NATO, Poland’s Defense Ministry, Polish, Russia’s, Abrams, University of Sussex, University of Exeter, Chatham House, Eastern Europe …, European Union, Ukraine, United Nations, “, Polish Army, Getty, Kremlin . Locations: Poland, Belarus, Korean, Crimea, Ukraine, Russian, Kaliningrad, Warsaw, Russia, Polish, Soviet, North Korea, Iran, Communist Poland, England, East, Afghanistan, Central, Eastern Europe, Germany, France, Washington, Ukraine Poland, South Korea, Italy, Polanka Wielka, Ukrainian, Minsk

☆ Ukrainian troops left 'underprepared' by NATO training as instructors don't understand the type of warfare or the enemy, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ukrainian troops trained by NATO say they are left underprepared for the war with Russia. They said their Western instructors don't have experience in fighting this kind of war. About 63,000 Ukrainian troops have been trained in the West — mostly in the UK and Germany, per the report. "Dutchman" said that while NATO training can be useful for things like shooting and learning to use equipment, most major combat training occurred in Ukraine. But due to time constraints, Ukrainian troops often don't reach those levels, Reynolds said.

Persons: Nick Reynolds, Reynolds, openDemocracy, Scott Peterson Organizations: NATO, Service, 41st Mechanised Brigade, Royal United Services Institute, Brigade Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Germany

☆ 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 — and when — Ukraine's war with Russia could end
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Wojciech Grzedzinski | Anadolu Agency | Getty ImagesThe war between Russia and Ukraine entered a new phase this summer when Kyiv launched its much-anticipated counteroffensive, and there were hopes Ukraine would regain the upper hand. "By the end of this year, both sides will think they still have more to gain by fighting. "Literally, they're [the Ukrainian forces] just running into the first line of defenses now, but that's a 30 kilometer deep belt of minefields and trenches and counter attacks. Meanwhile, any prospect of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine look slim despite efforts to bring both sides to the negotiating table. "One outcome is that this war is fought out because Ukraine gets the help to do it.

Persons: King Danylo, Wojciech Grzedzinski, It's, Richard Barrons, isn't, Barrons, Nick Reynolds, they've, you've, Jamie Shea, Shea, John Kirby Organizations: Mechanized Brigade, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Kyiv, Russian, Military, Joint Forces Command, CNBC, Ukrainian, Ukraine's Defense Ministry, Battalion, Territorial Defense, Ukrainian Air Force, NATO, Ukraine, U.S . National Security Locations: Ukrainian, Russia, Ukraine, Donetsk Oblast, Donetsk, Bakhmut, Berdyansk, Azov, London, Russian, Crimea, United States, Vilnius, Lithuania, China, India, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, U.S, Greece, Cyprus, North, South Korea

☆ Why Russia's defenses are so effective: Deep minefields, adaptable drones, and electronic warfare are proving formidable in Ukraine, experts say.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Russia's defenses are proving effective in frustrating the Ukrainian counteroffensive. Its use of mines, adaptable drones, and electronic warfare are particularly formidable, experts said. He said there were often more than four rows of minefields in front of the Russian defensive lines. A retired Australian general Mick Ryan appears to agree with Lewis, telling The Economist on Monday that Russia's defensive lines are "much more complex and deadly than anything experienced by any military in nearly 80 years." Justin Bronk, a senior research fellow with RUSI, told Newsweek that Ukraine's "Beaver" drones appear to be vulnerable to Russia's electronic defense systems.

Persons: Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, Maxar David Lewis, Mick Ryan, Lewis, it's, Steve Wright, Wright, ALEXANDER NEMENOV, Justin Bronk, RUSI, Russia doesn't, Mark Milley, Birmingham's Jaroslava Barbieri Organizations: Service, BBC, Royal United Services Institute, Storm, Ukrainian, Police, Moscow International Business, Getty Images, Newsweek, Moscow Sunday, Reuters, Associated Press, University, Birmingham's, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Russian, Kherson, Dnipro, Russia's, Australian, RUSI, AFP, Ukrainian, Kyiv

☆ Ukraine's offensive is bearing down on Russian forces, but Chinese artillery could still bail Moscow out
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Russian military relies on artillery to compensate for other battlefield shortcomings. But its heavy use of artillery in Ukraine could outstrip its ability to make new shells and cannons. The commander of Russia's 58th Army in Ukraine was recently relieved after complaining about the state of Russian artillery, including "the lack of counter-battery fire" and "lack of artillery reconnaissance stations." Chinese artillery troops during a live-fire test in Anhui Province in October 2021. Chinese support could mean the difference between victory and defeat for Russia, but salvation from Beijing may be a long time coming.

Persons: Mao, ANDREY KRONBERG, People's Liberation Army —, China's, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Dmitri Lovetsky, Xi, Beijing hasn't Organizations: Service, War, Artillery, Royal United Services Institute, Getty, Army, Russia, Publishing, People's Liberation Army, Foreign Ministry, Ukraine, Reuters, China's Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Kyiv, Iran, North Korea, China, British, Volgograd, AFP, Moscow, Anhui Province, St . Petersburg, Beijing, Western, Taiwan, Europe, cynically, Central Asia

☆ Ukraine has 14 kinds of howitzers to batter Russian forces, but each gun brings a new problem for Kyiv
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ukraine has 14," Patrick Hinton, a British Army captain, wrote in a recent article on Ukrainian artillery for the Royal United Services Institute, a British think tank. Ukraine's arsenal of towed 155 mm howitzers includes the US M777, British AS-90, France's TRF1, and the British-German-Italian FH-70. For armored self-propelled 155 mm howitzers, Ukraine has received three variants of the American-made M109, plus Germany's PzH 2000, Poland's Krab, and Slovakia's Zuzana 2. To add to the mix, there is France's truck-mounted 155 mm Caesar gun and Lithuania has sent old US-made M101 towed 105 mm howitzers that were designed in 1941. Crash coursesA Ukrainian serviceman in a PzH 2000 155 mm self-propelled howitzer near Bakhmut in June.

Persons: Patrick Hinton, Muhammed Enes Yildirim, France's TRF1, Poland's Krab, ANATOLII STEPANOV, Cannon, Mykhaylo Palinchak, Hinton, Diego Herrera Carcedo, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Artillery, Russia, British Army, Royal United Services Institute, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Anadolu Agency, Getty, British AS, NATO, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, British, US, Bakhmut, Italian, Lithuania, Czech, AFP, Soviet, Ukrainian, Donetsk, Europe, Forbes

Chicago wheat futures , a benchmark of global prices, have risen around 20% since Russia ended the deal on July 17. It's absolutely an important national security issue for a lot of these African countries," he said. Putin says Russia is expecting a record harvest this year and is ready to fill the gap for African countries by supplying grain both commercially and for free. Dizolele said, noting that Russia backed African countries at the U.N., had defence and security agreements with some of them and gave scholarships to their students. But Putin's response, when Ramaphosa and other African leaders presented the proposal to him last month, was to repeat a familiar list of accusations against Ukraine and the West.

Persons: Anton Vaganov, Putin, Wagner, Vladimir Putin, Mvemba Dizolele, Samuel Ramani, RUSI, Dizolele, WAGNER, Cyril Ramaphosa, Ramani, Mark Trevelyan, Joe Bavier, Carien du, Tom Balmforth, Michelle Nichols, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Saint, REUTERS, Putin, Kremlin, U.S, Africa, Washington -, Strategic, International Studies, International Criminal Court, Treasury, Central African, Ukraine, South, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Russia, Africa, Saint Isaac's, central Saint Petersburg, Black, Russian, St Petersburg, Ukraine, Chicago, Washington, Turkey, Qatar, Moscow, United States, Kenya, Somalia, Central African Republic, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, West, London, Johannesburg, Carien du Plessis

☆ Is Ukraine's counteroffensive failing? Defense experts say the risks facing Kyiv are growing
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Global Images Ukraine | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesFor Michael Clarke, a defense analyst and former director-general of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think tank, there's a risk that the first phase of the counteroffensive, designed to probe Russia's defenses, takes too long. Global Images Ukraine | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesKonrad Muzyka, a military intelligence specialist and president of Rochan Consulting, said "the weather has always been the factor" for Kyiv. But Kyiv says its forces are conducting counteroffensive actions in at least three areas and are operating against a backdrop of increased Russian offensive operations. Ukraine's defense ministry claims that its forces have liberated around 210 square kilometers (81 square miles) of occupied territory since June. Anatolii Stepanov | Afp | Getty Images

Persons: —, Michael Clarke, Clarke, Konrad Muzyka, Muzyka, Yuriy Sak, Sak, Anatolii Stepanov Organizations: 110th Brigade, Territorial Defense, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Military, Royal United Services Institute, CNBC, Rochan Consulting, Kyiv, Afp Locations: Novodarivka, Luhansk, Ukraine, Kharkiv, Kherson, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, Donetsk, Russian, Russia, Vuhledar, Yuriy, Siversk

☆ Cluster bombs could turn the war in Ukraine's favor — but Russia says it's ready to use them too
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

"But of course, if they [cluster munitions] are used against us, we reserve the right to tit-for-tat actions," the president said. Though not banned by the United States, Russia or Ukraine, cluster bombs are outlawed in over 100 countries under a global pact, the Convention on Cluster Munitions, because of the danger they pose to civilians. The United Nations called on the warring parties to immediately cease all use of cluster munitions. Up to 40% of cluster munitions fail to explode on impact, the U.N. said, which allows for "decades of intermittent detonations." They add that cluster munitions could be a critical factor in determining the outcome of the conflict.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, they're, Jack Watling, Justin Bronk, Anatolii Stepanov, Bronk Organizations: Getty Images, U.S, Tass, Ukrainian, Cluster Munitions, Washington Post, The Washington Post, Getty, United Nations, Defense, NATO, Royal United Services Institute, Armed Forces, Afp, Kyiv Locations: Russia, Moscow, Kremlin, Ukraine, U.S, Kyiv, Europe, United States, Russian, Lysychansk

Search resuls for: "RUSI"

25 mentions found