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☆ Photos capture the crude cages Russian and Ukrainian crews are welding on their tanks and armor as a last-ditch defense
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russian and Ukrainian troops are outfitting their tanks and fighting vehicles with crude cages. Facing growing explosive threats, often from above, Russian and Ukrainian vehicle crews are constructing their own extra layer of defense. Collectively, both sides have lost thousands of tanks, infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), and armored personnel carriers (APCs). But videos and photos of the Russian cages tell and different story, as they appear to look more temporary and perhaps not as well planned. Other images of Russian MT-LB armored fighting vehicles show the cages appearing to look more flimsy and without much structural integrity.

Persons: Mary, Gian Gentile, RAND's, Gentile Organizations: US, Service, Troops, RAND's Arroyo Center Locations: Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Iraq, RAND's Arroyo, Ukraine, quadcopters, Russian

☆ U.S. to announce $1.3 bln in military aid for Ukraine -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, July 18 (Reuters) - The United States will announce a new pledge to buy $1.3 billion worth of military aid for Kyiv in its conflict with Russia in the coming days, two U.S. officials said. The previously unreported weapons package includes air defenses, counter-drone systems, exploding drones and ammunition, one of the U.S. officials said. The United States is using funds in its Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) program, which allow President Joe Biden's administration to buy weapons from industry rather than pull from U.S. weapons stocks. The Pentagon has provided more than $10.8 billion in security assistance for Ukraine under the USAI in fiscal 2023, in seven separate tranches. Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington Editing by Don Durfee and Angus MacSwanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden's, AVEVEX, Australia's DroneShield, Washington, Mike Stone, Don Durfee, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Kyiv, Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, L3Harris Technologies, AeroVironment Inc, U.S . Department, Ukraine Defense Contact, Pentagon, Thomson Locations: United, Russia, United States, Ukraine, U.S, Kyiv, California, Washington

☆ Bad weather and Russian jammers prevent Ukraine from using its precious drones to retake area around the ruins of Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Bad weather and Russian jammers are preventing Ukraine from using precious drones around Bakhmut. Ukraine's counteroffensive is heavily relying on drones for air power, The Washington Post reported. Kyiv's forces remain posted around the outskirts and villages outside of the ruined city of Bakhmut. Experts say part of the problem is Ukraine's lack of advanced air support, such as Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Gray Eagle drones. Ukraine's biggest air asset right now is its UK-provided Storm Shadow missiles, which have seen major battlefield success in recent weeks.

Persons: they're Organizations: Washington Post, Service, Army Tactical Missile Systems, Shadow Locations: Ukraine, Bakhmut, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Russia

☆ Philippines raises alarm over increase in Chinese boats in disputed sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MANILA, July 7 (Reuters) - The Philippine military on Friday reported an "alarming" increase in the number of Chinese fishing vessels in disputed waters in the South China Sea, which it said threatens the security of the oil and gas-rich Reed Bank. "China must cease its swarming of vessels to respect our sovereign rights," Ariel Coloma, spokesperson for the Western Command, said in a statement. The Philippines won a landmark arbitration case in 2016 that invalidated China's expansive claims in the South China Sea, where about $3 trillion worth of sea-borne goods pass every year. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told his Philippine counterpart, Gilbert Teodoro, on Thursday that the U.S. commitment to the defense of its ally was "ironclad," including in the South China Sea, according to a U.S. summary of the call. The Philippines on Wednesday accused the China Coast Guard of harassment, obstruction and "dangerous manoeuvres" against its vessels, after another incident near a strategic feature of the South China Sea.

Persons: Ariel Coloma, WESCOM, Lloyd Austin, Gilbert Teodoro, Karen Lema, Robert Birsel Organizations: Philippine, Reed Bank, Western Command, The Philippines, PXP Energy Corp, China Coast Guard, U.S . Defense, Thomson Locations: MANILA, South China, China, Manila, States, Philippine, Sabina, Philippines

☆ The US Army is looking for help from AI to predict what its enemies will do minutes or even hours before they do it
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The US Army wants help with "continuous, real-time predictive visualization" of enemy actions. The project is spurred by fears that human analysts won't be able to keep up with complex warfare. The Army wants the project to "take advantage" of emerging AI and/or machine-learning technologies. Military intelligence can't "assume an enemy whose behavior can be modeled via a doctrinal template," the Army RFI says. US Army military intelligence soldiers train at Camp Bullis in Texas in March 2019.

Persons: —, Daniel Schroeder, Melissa N, Lessard, ChatGPT, Michael Peck Organizations: US Army, Army, Service, Lewis, McChord, Army RFI, Britain's Royal United Services Institute, US Defense Department, RFI, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Washington, Nagorno, Karabakh, Ukraine, Russia, Bullis, Texas, Forbes

☆ Cheap Russian drone a menace to Ukrainian troops and equipment
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Max Hunder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/5] View of what appears to be a Lancet drone, in this handout still image released on January 22, 2023. Bendett said that, according to publicly available Russian sources, a Lancet drone costs approximately 3 million roubles (around $35,000). DRONE WARSUkraine has also developed strong capabilities in drones - also known as UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) - as a cost-effective way to hit Russian targets. Having fired on a Russian target, Voron said his Grad was immediately targeted by a Russian S-300 missile, which missed by about 150 metres. However, a Lancet drone then appeared in the sky and chased the Ukrainian rocket system.

Persons: Caesar, Bohdan, Samuel Bendett, Bendett, Yuriy Sak, Lancets, it's, Sak, Voron, Grad, Max Hunder, Mike Collett, White, Alex Richardson Organizations: Defence, REUTERS, Reuters, Center, New, New American Security, MISS, Drones, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Handout, DONETSK, Moscow, Ukrainian, Russian, Avdiivka, Donetsk, frontlines, New American, Russia, Iran, Soviet

☆ Russian attack helicopters showed up in force on the front lines and have been putting dents in Ukraine's armored assaults
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

These activities are a detriment to the Ukrainian counteroffensive, but Kyiv's forces appear to be adapting. In this situation, "Russian forces deployed aviation in a way they haven't recently, to front-line positions, and were able to use it more successfully than they have in the past," he said. Russian Air Force Mil Mi-8 and Kamov Ka-52 "Alligator" attack helicopter Leonid Faerberg/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images"We haven't seen Russian forces really use aviation super extensively on the front line," Bailey said, adding "they have been concerned about having aviation losses." "Ukrainian forces are having to adapt to how Russian forces are employing these in southern Ukraine," he said, noting that they are seeing signs of that as the Ukrainians set the stage for their main attack. Ukraine hasn't committed the bulk of its dedicated counteroffensive forces to a major assault operation, and, as ISW's George Barros said recently, "big fireworks are still to come."

Persons: —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Riley Bailey, Bailey, Kamov, Leonid Faerberg, it's, VITALY TIMKIV, Wagner, Karolina Hird, It's, Ukraine hasn't, George Barros Organizations: Service, Senior Ukrainian, BBC Wednesday, Institute for, Russian Air Force, Getty, Operations, Ukraine, Bakhmut, CNN, Fox News Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russian, Russia's Krasnodar, AFP, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Oblast

☆ New video captures the mess a Ukrainian T-72 tank made weirdly backing over and crushing a friendly armored fighting vehicle
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Videos circulating on social media show a Ukrainian tank back over and crush a friendly combat vehicle. In clips of the aftermath, the T-72 tank is positioned at a steep angle on top of the International M1224 MaxxPro. Ukrainian soldiers train on a US-supplied MaxxPro MRAP Navistar mine resistant armored fighting vehicle on October 17, 2022 in Nyzhche Solone, Kharkiv oblast, Ukraine. The US has outfitted Ukraine with several hundred MaxxPro vehicles. According to the open-source intelligence site Oryx, which tracks Russian and Ukrainian equipment and weaponry losses, Kyiv's troops have seen 41 MaxxPro vehicles either destroyed, damaged, captured, or abandoned.

Persons: —, Carl Court Organizations: International, Service, Twitter, intel, Navistar Defense Locations: Ukrainian, Nyzhche Solone, Kharkiv oblast, Ukraine, Russian, Donetsk

☆ A failed US Navy experiment during World War II hinted at how exploding drones would change the battlefield 80 years later
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Loitering munitions have become a staple on modern battlefields, especially in Ukraine. The technology is not new, and a US Navy experiment during World War II hinted at its utility. Loitering munitions and armed UAVs in general are often regarded as a 21st-century development, but they have a long history. During World War II, the US Navy was behind some of the first such drone strikes during an experiment that was ultimately scrapped but hinted at what was to come. Russian forces have used domestically made Lancet loitering munitions against Ukraine's military and employed Iranian-made Shahed-136 and 131 loitering munitions in attacks on military and civilian targets.

Persons: —, it's, Oleksii Organizations: US Navy, Service, Heritage Command, US, Interstate Aircraft, Company, Schwinn Bicycle Company, Navy, Interstate, Task Air, US Naval Heritage, Command, Getty Locations: Ukraine, Solomon Islands, Banika, Cape Esperance, Guadalcanal, Marcus, South Pacific, Bougainville, Solomons, Russian, Kyiv, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Soviet

☆ Russia's Lancet drone is hampering Ukraine's counteroffensive, smashing Western gear and exposing poor air defenses
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Kieran Corcoran | Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Footage of destroyed Ukrainian vehicles is spreading, often attributed to the Lancet drone. Russian officials have gleefully shared videos of piled-up wreckage, and often cited as the cause the Russian-made Lancet drone. A still image from a video claiming to show the moment just before Russia's Lancet drones hit a cluster of vehicles. obtf_kaskad/TelegramA still image from a video purporting to show the moment just before Russia's Lancet drones hit a cluster of vehicles. "We should also note that we don't know how many of these new Lancet drones Russia has," he added.

Persons: —, James Patton Rogers, Rogers, Olga Skabeyeva, Vladimir Solovyov, Axel Springer, Patton Rogers, Julian Röpcke, Lancets Organizations: Service, Cornell Tech Policy Institute, University of Southern, Donetsk People's, Russian, IRIS, Air, Ukraine — Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Russian, —, University of Southern Denmark, Donetsk People's Republic, Germany, Ukrainian

☆ Video shows Ukrainian artillery raking a Russian tank convoy near the front lines, destroying one of the T-72s
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A video shows Ukrainian artillery raking a Russian tank convoy and destroying a T-72. The video, posted on Twitter by a Ukrainian weapons tracker on Monday, appears to show a long convoy of Russian tanks moving through an area south of the small village of Robotyune. In the video, Ukrainian artillery begins targeting the convoy, barely missing the Soviet-made tanks. Another video shows a similar situation in Staromaiorske, Donetsk, where Ukrainian forces destroyed a T-80BVM using a suicide drone. —🇺🇦 Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) June 12, 2023A few seconds of the video show the drone's perspective as it closes in on the tank.

Persons: —, sid Organizations: Service, Twitter Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Ukrainian, Robotyune

☆ Russian Optimism Over Defeat of Western-Made Tanks May Be Premature
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Sam Fellman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A terrifying video captures a Russian drone's attack on a German-made Leopard tank below. Some believe they are signs Ukraine's counter-offensive is a failure. Ukraine's counter-offensive has just begun. One terrifying video captures a Russian loitering drone's attack on a German-made Leopard 2 tank below. The Leopard is among the more advanced weapons Ukraine has received from its Western backers to aid in retaking its land from Russian invaders.

Persons: Ukraine's, —, couldn't, Russian ultranationalists, Insider's Ryan Pickrell Organizations: Service, Ukraine, Institute for, Zaporizhia — Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Zaporizhia, Russia

☆ Russia has enough Iranian suicide drones to launch attacks every day to deplete Ukraine's air defenses
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Paul Squire | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia has enough Iranian-made suicide drones to launch attacks against Ukraine every day. Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said Russia is using drones to deplete their air defenses. Ukraine has been bombarded relentlessly by the explosive drones and missile attacks in recent weeks. "Shaheds are now launched so often that it is not clear whether they are (supposed to be) detecting or depleting our air defense," Ihnat said, according to NV. Havrylov also told reporters that Ukraine's air defense systems were "more than 90 percent effective" at stopping the attacks, according to Reuters.

Persons: Yurii Ihnat, —, Ihnat, Volodymyr Havrylov, Havrylov Organizations: Ukrainian Air Force, Service, Air Force, NV, Reuters, Russian Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian

[1/2] An ambulance and firefighting vehicles are parked outside a multi-storey apartment block following a reported drone attack in Moscow, Russia, May 30, 2023. Drone attacks deep inside Russia have intensified in recent weeks, with strikes on oil pipeline installations and even the Kremlin earlier this month that Moscow has blamed on Ukraine. Some filmed a drone being shot down and a plume of smoke rising over the Moscow skyline. MOSCOW UNDER ATTACKIt was unclear how President Vladimir Putin will react to the attack on Moscow, which brings the war in Ukraine to the capital of the world's biggest nuclear power. Andrei Vorobyov, governor of the Moscow region, said on the Telegram channel that several drones were shot down on their approach to Moscow.

☆ Kyiv Repels Its Largest Ever Drone Attack Launched by Russian Forces
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Marc Santora | Andrés R. Martínez | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Explosions echoed across Ukraine’s capital for hours before dawn on Sunday as air defense teams raced to combat the largest swarm of Russian attack drones targeting Kyiv since the war began more than 15 months ago. The Ukrainian Air Force said it had shot down 52 out of 54 Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones aimed at targets in central Ukraine, describing the number launched as a record. As Ukraine draws closer to launching a counteroffensive aimed at reclaiming land lost in the first months of the war, Moscow has stepped up its assaults on Kyiv. The capital has been attacked 14 times this month by waves of Russian drones, cruise missiles and sophisticated ballistic missiles. “This was the largest-ever drone attack on the capital since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, particularly using Shahed loitering munitions,” the Kyiv military administration said in a statement.

☆ Flying the F-16 in Ukraine is 'high risk,' and Kyiv's air forces can't just fly the fighter jet headlong into Russia's defenses
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

If Kyiv's air forces get the jet as expected, they won't be able to fly them directly at Russian defenses. "And nobody's advocating for that," an air power expert told Insider. Regardless of which jet Ukraine gets, putting fourth-generation air power like the F-16 into a high-intensity conflict is "high risk," Birkey said. A pair of US Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons US Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. In a recent opinion article for Air and Space Forces Magazine, Larry Stutzriem, a retired Air Force major general and former F-16 pilot, pointed to an Israeli Air Force operation against well-defended Syrian targets in Lebanon in 1982.

☆ Ukraine is losing 10,000 drones a month to Russian electronic-warfare systems that send fake signals and screw with their navigation, researchers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A new report estimates that Ukraine is losing roughly 10,000 drones every month. A sophisticated electronic warfare system is among Russia's biggest strengths, researchers said. Patton Rogers said that while the figures are "likely" overestimated, they underline just how effective Russia's electronic warfare has become at countering Ukraine's extensive use of drones. Sophisticated Russian systems such as the Shipovnik-Aero jamming station are hard to detect and can imitate other signals, the researchers said. But by the summer of 2022 it was clear that Russia's electronic warfare and air defense capabilities had ramped up, as Insider's Alia Shoaib reported.

☆ A US-made Patriot system was likely damaged in an 'intense' missile attack in Ukraine involving Russia's Kinzhal, US official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

But a US official says the attack likely resulted in damage to a Patriot air-defense system, CNN reported. The barrage of missiles and drones launched by the Russians overnight included three ground-launched missiles, six Kinzhal missiles, and nine Kalibr missiles. The Patriot system firing in Greece in November 2017 as part of a NATO exercise. "Today, our beautiful Ukrainian sky becomes more secure because Patriot air defense systems have arrived in Ukraine," he said. Just days later, in early May, Ukraine said it used its Patriots to shoot down a Russian Kinzhal missile.

☆ A Ukrainian donation drive built an 'Army of Drones' and picked up an unusual system called a 'Shahed Hunter' for Kyiv's forces
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

It has used the funds to purchase thousands of UAVs, and systems to hunt Russian drones. The Shahed Hunter system is a network of radars and signal jammers that can detect Russian drones from around 25 miles away, Fedorov said. It's unclear where, exactly, the Shahed Hunter systems have been used or how many times they have been deployed. But Fedorov noted that Ukraine needs more of the systems to defend against continuous waves of Russian drone attacks. On Sunday night alone, Ukraine's air defense systems shot down 35 drones — 30 of which targeted Kyiv, according to the country's defense ministry.

☆ Were Will and Kate Late to the Coronation? The News Media Wonders.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Michael M. Grynbaum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the down-to-the-minute choreography of Saturday’s coronation, William and Catherine, the Prince and Princess of Wales, had been expected to arrive outside Westminster Abbey at roughly 10:45 a.m. They would be among the last guests to enter the church before the stars of the show, King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Instead, Charles and Camilla pulled up to the abbey in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach and then, rather awkwardly, did not alight. Were William and Kate running late? None of the hundreds of journalists loitering by the broadcast booths outside Buckingham Palace seemed to know for sure.

☆ Ukrainian air defences destroy 18 out of 24 Russian drones overnight
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 4 (Reuters) - Ukrainian air defences said they downed 18 out of 24 kamikaze drones that Russia launched in a pre-dawn attack on Thursday. In a statement, Kyiv city administration said that all missiles and drones targeting the Ukrainian capital for the third time in four days, have been destroyed. "The Russians have attacked Kyiv using Shahed loitering munitions and missiles, likely the ballistic type," the administration said. Out of 15 Shahed kamikaze drones fired at the Black Sea coastal city of Odesa, air defences destroyed 12, while three struck a university compound. The latest blasts were reported less than 24 hours after Kyiv said 21 people died in a Russian strike on the city of Kherson.

CNN —Ukrainian air defenses withstood Russia’s most intense air attack on Kyiv since the start of the year overnight into Thursday, the capital region’s military chief said. Last night, the aggressor launched another large-scale air strike on the capital,” Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv city military administration, wrote on Telegram. Russian air attacks have targeted Kyiv on three days out of the past four, Popko said. Russian oil refinery firesAlso early on Thursday, fires broke out in two oil refineries in southwestern Russia, following separate alleged drone strikes. It is unclear who is responsible for the drone attack.

☆ Moscow says US behind Kremlin drone attack, Russian forces target Kyiv
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov, without providing evidence, said Ukraine had acted on U.S. orders with the alleged drone attack on the Kremlin citadel in the early hours of Wednesday. "Attempts to disown this (attack on the Kremlin), both in Kyiv and in Washington, are, of course, absolutely ridiculous. Separately, Russia's foreign ministry said the alleged drone attack "must not go unanswered" and that it showed Kyiv had no desire to end the 15-month old war at the negotiating table. Russian emergency services quickly extinguished a fire at the Ilsky oil refinery, one of the largest in southern Russia, after a drone attack set product storage facilities ablaze, TASS news agency reported. Reporting by Kyiv, Moscow and Amsterdam buros Writing by Gareth Jones Editing by Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Morning Bid: Deja vu for Powell, as bank and debt fears revive
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Amid so much uncertainty, markets are hopeful that the Fed's current tightening cycle will soon be over. Shares of regional banks were pulverised on Tuesday and sentiment will likely be weak through the week. Also on the minds of investors is the looming deadline for U.S. debt ceiling, with Powell likely to be asked about his contingencies. But as the Reserve Bank of Australia showed us earlier this week, central banks are still capable of surprising the market. Earnings from chip designer Qualcomm later in the day will provide more clues about where the chip market is headed.

☆ Russia's military has been preparing for a drone-filled battlefield, and even its cooks are being trained to shoot them down
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Counter-drone training has also become common throughout the Russian military. Having used drones and seen drones used with increasing frequency, the Russian military has also expanded its counter-drone training. The threat is now considered so widespread that most Russian troops, regardless of military specialty, are getting instruction in spotting and dealing with drones. Ukraine's military has been bolstering its drone defenses throughout the war, as shown in the Western military aid being sent to Kyiv. Despite having kinetic and electronic-warfare countermeasures to take out Russian drones, Ukraine still faces a difficult challenge.

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