Struggling to cross a small river north of Myrnohrad, Russian forces may be deploying a new kind of bridgelayer: an up-armored Russian turtle tank with a short metal span attached to its front. The kind of span that, hastily dropped over the narrowest stretch of a small river, could helpContinue Reading
The Ukrainian air force’s F-16 fighters are now carrying Sniper sensor pods The camera- and laser-equipped pods open up new capabilities Sniper-equipped F-16s can use laser-guided rockets and bombs The British Paveway IV laser-guided bomb, pledged to Ukraine in 2024, can accurately strike moving targets Ukrainian forces shot down 34Continue Reading
The fighting north of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad in Donetsk Oblast is evolving as the contested terrain moves out of the ruined towns That has freed up Ukrainian assault units to hurry south toward Pokrovske and Huliaipole Russian forces have exploited gaps in Ukrainian defenses to advance in Dnipropetrovsk and ZaporizhzhiaContinue Reading
Twice in three days, Ukrainian drones struck Belbek air base in Crimea The drones hit three Russian warplanes—two right before takeoff Attacks on the busy air base are increasing in pace and impact At stake: Russia’s control of the air over occupied Crimea On Friday night or early Saturday morning,Continue Reading
After suffering heavy casualties capturing most of Pokrovsk and neighboring Myrnohrad in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast last month, the Russian Center Group of Forces called in its reserve—the powerful 76th Guard Air Assault Division. But despite being outgunned, outnumbered, and compelled to pull back in Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad, the UkrainianContinue Reading
Russian air defenses were pretty shoddy early in the wider war They’ve improved since then, one think tank concluded Concentrating radars, missiles and guns around certain key targets, the Russians can shoot down the cast majority of Ukraine’s deep-strike drones Russia can’t defend everywhere, but it can prioritize its defenseContinue Reading
A thermal blanket can help a soldier hide from night-flying drones But the best Western blankets are too expensive: as much as $2,000 apiece So a Ukrainian firm has developed a cheaper but high-quality local alternative Ukrainian troops still clinging to Myrnohrad would benefit from thermal camouflage as they slipContinue Reading
More Russian vehicles are getting anti-drone “hedgehog” armor But the metal armor is heavy, so lighter vehicles can’t carry very much Incomplete protection exposes vehicles to drone attack If there’s a downside to the new hedgehog armor Russian troops are adding to their armored vehicles to block Ukraine’s drones, it’sContinue Reading