Robot with Ukrainian flamethrower: Ukraine's Defence Ministry codifies ground drone with RPV-16
Ukraine's Defence Ministry has codified and approved the Ukrainian-made KRAMPUS mobile flamethrower strike system for use in the Armed Forces.
Source: Main Directorate for Support of the Life Cycle of Weapons and Military Equipment
Details: The complex is designed to perform assault and defence tasks, has compact dimensions and weight, and can be placed in the back of a pickup truck, minibus or trailer.
KRAMPUS is equipped with two silent electric motors and a tracked chassis. It can move off-road through forest thickets, sand, and mud and overcome steep slopes.
"The system is equipped with jamming-resistant control channels and operates in cold, heat, snow, and rain. The platform's battery capacity is sufficient for several hours of continuous movement. Thanks to this, it can operate at a position in standby mode for a long time," the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.
The ground robotic system is equipped with video cameras and a combat module with RPV-16 rocket-propelled infantry flamethrowers capable of destroying enemy manpower and lightly armoured vehicles.
Background: Earlier, the 118th Mechanised Brigade demonstrated the operation of the Ukrainian RPV-16 flamethrower for close combat: defeating manpower, destroying enemy vehicles and structures. In October 2018, this weapon was put into service with the Ukrainian army.
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Confirmed Losses Of Russian Aircraft Mount After Ukrainian Drone Assault
New satellite imagery and an official video have revealed more about the scale of destruction and damage inflicted on Russian airfields in Ukraine's unprecedented drone attacks last weekend. Today, the Security Service of Ukraine, or SBU, which carried out the drone attacks, published previously unreleased drone footage showing the raid underway. At the same time as the SBU video was released, Ukraine also announced more details of the drone attacks, which were carried out under Operation Spiderweb. You can catch up with our previous reporting about the operation and its aftermath here. СБУ показала унікальні кадри спецоперації «Павутина», у результаті якої уражено 41 військовий літак стратегічної авіації рф — СБ України (@ServiceSsu) June 4, 2025 The SBU claims that its drones used artificial intelligence (AI) during at least some aspects of the operation. 'During the operation, modern UAV control technology was used, which combines autonomous artificial intelligence algorithms and manual operator intervention,' the SBU said. 'In particular, some UAVs, due to signal loss, switched to performing the mission using artificial intelligence along a pre-planned route. After approaching and contacting a specifically designated target, the warhead was automatically triggered.' While we cannot confirm this, TWZ has, in the past, detailed exactly how AI can be harnessed for lower-end drones. Ukraine's SBU says its drones used AI during Operation Spiderweb: "During the operation, modern UAV control technology was used, which combines autonomous artificial intelligence algorithms and manual operator intervention."In particular, some UAVs, due to signal loss, switched… — Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) June 4, 2025 Initially, Ukrainian authorities claimed to have hit 41 aircraft, in total, including Tu-95MS Bear-H and Tu-22M3 Backfire-C bombers, as well as A-50 Mainstay airborne early warning and control aircraft. However, these were clearly not all destroyed or even damaged. Subsequently, Andriy Kovalenko, an official with Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, said that 'at least 13 Russian aircraft were destroyed.' Among those aircraft, the new video confirms that several of the Tu-95MS bombers were already loaded with Kh-101 conventionally armed cruise missiles, ready for launch against Ukraine, as seen in the image below. This fact underlines how big a threat these aircraft are to Ukraine and reinforces the fact that they are legitimate targets. Now, with the new satellite imagery, verification of at least some of these previous claims is becoming somewhat easier. Here's what we know so far for each of the airfields targeted: Soon after the drone strikes, ground-level videos of Belaya, which is situated in Russia's eastern Irkutsk region, began to appear online, showing smoke rising from the base, confirming that at least something was hit. Footage of a Ukrainian FPV strike drone flying towards Russia's Belaya Airbase, already heavily base, home to a number of bombers, was hit this afternoon. — OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 1, 2025 Thereafter, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite imagery obtained by TWZ from the U.S.-based ICEYE US pointed to at least four Tu-95MS bombers having been destroyed or at least damaged at Belaya. However, the resolution and the nature of SAR, which does not show the same kinds of details that would be available in visual spectrum imagery, made it difficult to definitively determine the state of any of the aircraft. That has since changed. Now, with new satellite imagery from Maxar, we can clearly see the remains of three destroyed Tu-95MS and four destroyed Tu-22M3 bombers at Belaya. While we cannot be certain of the operational status of the aircraft that were destroyed, most were arranged along the flight line or in blast pens among active aircraft, so there's a high possibility that these were frontline assets. Additional satellite images of the Russian Belaya Air Base by Planet Labs. — Special Kherson Cat (@bayraktar_1love) June 4, 2025 Belaya: — OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 4, 2025 5/ Additional high-resolution images from @AirbusDefence taken on 4 June over the Belaya airbase show an even clearer picture of destroyed Tu-95 and Tu-22 aircraft. — Open Source Centre (@osc_london) June 4, 2025 On June 1, video footage emerged showing Olenya, located in far northwestern Russia near the Barents Sea, from the perspective of cameras on first-person-view (FPV) type drones. This earlier footage suggested that Olenya was among the hardest-hit bases, with the drone videos showing that Tu-95MS bombers and an An-12 Cub cargo aircraft had been targeted. A satellite image of Olenya taken on June 3 from Planet Labs appeared to show three Tu-95MS and one An-12 damaged and/or destroyed, but was too low-resolution to be conclusive. Now, additional satellite imagery from Airbus Defense and Space, Maxar, and Planet Labs provides a better understanding of the destruction at Olenya, with telltale burn marks on the tarmac consistent with the destruction of five aircraft, at least three of which can be confirmed as Tu-95MS bombers. At opposite ends of the same flight line are further scorch marks, as seen in the oblique image in the embedded tweet below. Here, the nearest aircraft destroyed was likely the An-12, supported by a comparison with previous satellite imagery showing the transport intact in this location. It's not clear what aircraft might have been targeted at the other end of the flight line from the An-12 (the area seen at the very top of the frame in the oblique image). The most likely candidate is another Tu-95MS, which would appear to be consistent with some of the original video footage from the attack. 4/ Imagery taken on 23 May by @Satellogic of the Olenya airbase shows that two Tu-95 were at this location. A possible transport aircraft An-12 also appears to have been destroyed and another unidentified aircraft – both visible on the 3 June @AirbusDefence image posted above. — Open Source Centre (@osc_london) June 4, 2025 New raw footage of Russia's Olenya airbase burning today, filmed by a Ukrainian FPV strike Tu-95 bombers and an An-22 transport plane can be seen ablaze. — OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 1, 2025 Clear satellite imagery that might definitely show damage to aircraft at Ivanovo has yet to emerge, although a video released today by the SBU shows two A-50 being targeted. The location was presumably Ivanovo, where these radar planes are home-based. Based on lower-resolution satellite imagery, there have been claims that two A-50s were at least hit at Ivanovo, although it's by no means certain that this is the case. If the aircraft were hit, there is currently no evidence that they were destroyed outright. From new satellite imagesfrom Ivanovo's Severny air base, one A-50 AEW is confirmed to be destroyed and second one is hit, not sure if one was propably not in operational condition and was only parked in the airfield. — Tomi (@TallbarFIN) June 3, 2025 At the same time, it's worth bearing in mind that Russia's fleet of A-50s — two examples of which have already been destroyed in the air by Ukraine — normally conducts its wartime operations from forward bases closer to Ukraine. While A-50s rotate in and out of Ivanovo periodically, examples that might have been hit there could also be inactive aircraft, which are known to be stored at the base. the question is what ac they actually are a lot of inoperable A-50 at Ivanovo AB…we need evidence and no guessing — ben-reuter (@benreuter_IMINT) June 3, 2025 Indeed, the aircraft seen in the SBU video may well have been non-operational, with highly weathered radomes, while at least one aircraft doesn't have a full set of engines fitted. Prior to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia was estimated to have nine A-50s, including a number of modernized A-50Us, in active service. As well as the two combat losses since then, one of these aircraft was damaged in a drone attack while on the ground at a base in Belarus, and its current status is unknown. Any further losses to the A-50 fleet will be very keenly felt. A high-resolution satellite image of Dyagilevo from Planet Labs, taken on June 2 and reviewed by TWZ, showed no obvious signs of damage to any aircraft there. Still, some aircraft may have been damaged by shrapnel, against which relatively thin-skinned aircraft are notably vulnerable, and this would not necessarily be visible even in higher-resolution imagery. Satellite images of Dyagilevo Airbase as of June 2, 8:55 UTCThe airbase housed 3 Tu-95MS (Bear-H), 5 Tu-22M3 (Backfire-C), 14 Il-78M or Il-76MD (Midas or Candid) and 2 Su-30SM (Flanker-C).There was no serious damage after the Ukrainian special operation. In the right… — AviVector (@avivector) June 2, 2025 Clear satellite imagery showing potential damage to aircraft at Ukrainka is yet to emerge. What little visual evidence we have of this airfield after the drone strikes is inconclusive, although there are claims, at least, of a single Tu-95MS having been hit. For now, these claims need to be treated with caution. #UkraineRussiaWar #Pokrovsk #Kupyansk #ChasovYar #Toretsk #Kursk #Belgorod #DniproA Tu-95MS was hit at the Ukrainka air is more than 6,000 kilometers away from the Russian border — Koba (@Roberto05246129) June 3, 2025 It's also worth noting that the tires, frequently scattered over the wings and upper fuselages of Russian bombers and other combat aircraft, and which are employed in this manner to confuse image-matching seekers on incoming munitions, appear to have been misidentified by some observers as evidence of damage or scorch marks. While cloud cover has hindered the opportunity for more rapid and verifiable analysis of the results of Operation Spiderweb, we can now say, with certainty, that at least six (and more likely seven) Tu-95MS and four Tu-22M3 bombers were destroyed. While far short of some of the earlier Ukrainian claims, this still represents a significant loss to Russia, not least because it's impossible to replace the Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3, both of which have been out of production for decades, as you can read more about here. While the new SBU video shows multiple drones landing on their targets before presumably exploding, it is possible that some made it to their final destinations and failed to detonate. Additional satellite imagery could well reveal more aircraft destroyed or damaged, although, with each passing day, Russia is better able to conceal the results of the raid, disposing of wreckage and moving aircraft around to make it that much harder to create an accurate tally. Russians quickly replaced some of the destroyed aircraft with undamaged aircraft/decoys on their airfields, placing them in the exact same spots. — MilitaryNewsUA (@front_ukrainian) June 4, 2025 At the same time, Russian aircrews are already making clear their reaction to the drone strikes, referencing the destroyed aircraft in the form of slogans on glide bombs launched by tactical combat aircraft, as seen below: This is what Russian servicemen are now writing on FAB-500 UMPK guided aerial bombs installed under the wings of a Sukhoi Su-34 bomber:"For Tu-22M3""For Tu-95MS""For Long-Range Aviation""For the train" — Status-6 (Military & Conflict News) (BlueSky too) (@Archer83Able) June 4, 2025 Whatever the final losses to the Russian Aerospace Forces, the Ukrainian drone strike will also have sent a shockwave all the way to the top of the Russian leadership, as well as military planners around the globe. The carefully planned operation visibly exposed the vulnerability of some of Russia's prime strategic assets. For now, at least, there appears to be no quick-fix solution to protecting these high-value aircraft. This may well force Russia toward an even more highly dispersed positioning model, which will severely limit the bombers' effectiveness for Ukraine operations. Contact the author: thomas@
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Ukraine says the drones that hit Russian aircraft used AI to find and strike their targets when they lost signal
Ukraine said the drones it used in its major attack on Russia used AI when they lost signal. The drones used AI to move along a pre-planned route, and their warheads were automatically activated. Ukraine said that 41 Russian aircraft were hit and that many were "irretrievably destroyed." The attack drones that Ukraine used to hit Russian aircraft at a string of bases turned to AI to find and strike their targets when they lost signal, Ukraine's security service said. The Security Service of Ukraine, or SBU, said in a Wednesday update on its Operation Spiderweb attack that some drones, upon losing signal, "switched to performing a mission using artificial intelligence along a pre-planned route. " "And after approaching and contacting a specifically designated target, the warhead was automatically activated," it said. The security service said it was using "modern UAV control technology" that combines "artificial intelligence algorithms and manual operator intervention." The SBU said that it hit 41 Russian aircraft in its attack on Sunday, which involved drones snuck into positions close to Russian airbases and then launched in swarms. The service said of the Russian aircraft on Wednesday that "a significant part of them was irretrievably destroyed." It said "some damaged aircraft will take many years to rebuild." Video footage and satellite imagery show that attacks took place at multiple bases and that some aircraft were damaged, but the full extent of destruction noted by Ukraine has not been independently verified. Both Russia and Ukraine are increasingly relying on drones as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues. Drone proliferation has led to a race to develop electronic warfare to jam drones and prevent systems from working properly. Drone makers and operators are, in turn, working to find new ways to operate their uncrewed systems, including designing unjammable fiber-optic drones, working without using GPS, and using AI-enabled drones that can function with less human input. A Ukrainian war researcher reported earlier this year that drones equipped with AI are three to four times more likely to hit their target than ones that are only directed by humans. Artificial intelligence is a new technology that both countries are rushing to develop and are increasingly using, but neither side is fielding AI drones on the battlefield at scale yet, according to a new report from the Washington, D.C.-based Institute for the Study of War. The reported use of AI in this attack is notable, but it's far from the only thing the stands out. Ukraine has been conducting long-range strikes that have hit Russian airfields hundreds of miles into Russia and destroyed aircraft. But this new attack is different in that it used drones secretly moved into the country and then launched from positions near the targeted airbases. The SBU said it brought drones into Russia and put them into containers that they loaded onto trucks and drove to spots close to the Russian bases. The SBU said the container covers were opened remotely, allowing the drones to fly out. The service shared images of dozens of drones inside large containers, which it said were used in the attack. Mark Cancian, a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told BI that this attack stood out from many in this war, with drones "launched close by." Russia was likely designing airfield protections for a different type of attack. This attack was different from what it had previously faced. Ukraine's account of the attack details an operation that many warfare experts have described as pioneering and that could have big ramifications for how countries attack and protect their aircraft and bases. James Patton Rogers, a drone expert and the executive director of the Cornell Brooks Tech Policy Institute, told BI that "this attack is a window to future war." Richard Aboulafia, an aviation expert and the managing director of the US consulting firm AeroDynamic Advisory, described the operation to BI as "mind blowing" in how it was able to be pulled off across such a large area and with so many people involved. The SBU said the 41 aircraft that it hit included the A-50 airborne early warning and control plane, Tupolev Tu-95, Tu-22, and Tu-160 bombers, An-12 transport aircraft, and the Il-78 refueling tanker. Those aircraft have been key to firing missiles at Ukraine and gathering intelligence. And many of them cannot be easily replaced as Russia stopped production years ago. Justin Bronk, an air power expert at the Royal United Services Institute, told BI that even if the number of planes damaged or destroyed is less than what Ukraine has claimed, "it will have a significant impact" on Russia's ability to "keep up its regular large scale cruise missile salvos against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure" while also keeping up its nuclear deterrence and signaling patrols. The SBU framed the attack as a direct response to Russia's missile attacks. Lt. Gen. Vasyl Maliuk, head of the SBU, said Sunday that "the adversary bombed our country almost every night from these aircraft, and today they have felt that retribution is inevitable." He added that "the enemy thought it could bomb Ukraine and kill Ukrainians endlessly and with impunity. This is not the case. We will respond to russian terror and destroy the enemy everywhere — at sea, in the air and on land." The SBU said the attack hit four airfields — Olenya", "Ivanovo", "Dyagilevo," and "Belaya" — across three time zones, and it took more than a year and a half of planning. The service said the estimated cost of the equipment that was affected by the operation was over $7 billion. Read the original article on Business Insider
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Satellite images show the unusual tire tactic and fake decoy aircraft that failed to save Russia's bombers from Ukrainian drones
Satellite images show Russia tried using deceptive tactics at the airbases Ukraine attacked Sunday. These tactics included placing tires on wings and painting fake decoy planes on the ground. It's a playbook that Moscow has used throughout the war to try to protect its airbases. Satellite imagery of the four Russian airbases that were attacked by Ukraine on Sunday shows how Moscow attempted to use deceptive tactics to protect its strategic bomber fleet. The images, captured by US commercial satellite imaging company Maxar Technologies and obtained by Business Insider, show that Russia had many of its bombers covered with tires and other objects in the days and weeks before the Ukrainian operation. Moscow's forces also painted fake aircraft on the tarmac and used debris to create decoy planes. Ukraine's SBU, its internal security agency, said it used small quadcopter drones to hit 41 Russian aircraft in the daring operation, more than 18 months in the making. These aircraft include A-50 airborne early warning and control planes, An-12 transporters, Il-78 refueling tankers, and Tu-95, Tu-22M3, and Tu-160 bombers. The drones struck airbases across Russia, specifically Belaya in the Irkutsk region, Olenya in the Murmansk region, Dyagilevo in the Ryazan region, and Ivanovo in the Ivanovo region. Ukrainka in the Amur region was reportedly targeted but not hit. Different types of deception tactics can be seen in satellite imagery of all five sites at various points in time before the attack. Brady Africk, an open-source intelligence analyst, told BI that since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Moscow's forces have "added flat decoy aircraft to many air bases and placed tires on top of parked planes in an effort to confuse the targeting systems of Ukrainian weapons." Africk said the new satellite imagery shows that Russia also "placed debris on top of flat decoys and positioned solid objects on the ground in the rough shape of aircraft" in what looks like an "apparent attempt to increase the chances of misleading Ukrainian weapons." Africk said that Russia's flat decoy aircraft — in some cases, they are just simple silhouettes; in others, they are painted to look like the planes they're intended to resemble — aren't easily seen in the radar-based satellite imagery that the Ukrainian military is understood to use. "It is clear from the number of aircraft destroyed that Ukraine's attack on these bases was very successful, despite Russia's attempts at deception," he said. New video footage from the attack shows drones striking aircraft with tires in place. The Ukrainian attack was complex and very different from any other deep strike in scope and scale. The SBU said that planning began more than a year and a half ago. The agency smuggled the explosive-packed quadcopter drones into Russia and then sent wooden containers to house them. In Russia, operatives hid the drones in the containers, which were placed on trucks and driven to positions near the airbases. On Sunday, the tops of the containers were opened remotely, allowing the drones to fly out simultaneously and attack their targets. The SBU said the attack took out a third of Russia's strategic cruise missile carriers, causing more than $7 billion in losses. Lt. Gen. Vasyl Malyuk, the agency's chief, called it a "devastating blow" to Moscow's aviation and a "serious slap in the face" to the Kremlin's power projection. BI could not independently verify the reported details of the operation, including how many aircraft were damaged or destroyed, and the cost of the losses. Russia's defense ministry has acknowledged but downplayed the attack. The bombers that were targeted have been used in devastating strikes against Ukraine throughout the conflict. These aircraft can travel long distances and carry heavy payloads. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 117 first-person view (FPV) drones and as many operators were involved in the massive attack. He said the planning and organization "was perfectly executed" and called it "an absolutely unique operation." The attack underscores the increasing role that cheap drones and surprise play in modern warfare. One of the airbases that was hit, Belaya, is over 2,500 miles from the Ukrainian border, demonstrating Kyiv's long reach and its ability to slip past Russian defenses. Read the original article on Business Insider
