Latest news with #AirDefense
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine Scrambling To Fight Against Growing Russian Shahed-136 Threat
The First Corps Azov of the National Guard of Ukraine is on a recruitment drive to expand its ability to defend against Shahed-type drones. It is part of a nationwide effort to counter the increasing number of Russia's long-range drone attacks that are being made possible by growing production capacity of these weapons and improvements in their strike capabilities. 'Our needs include manning several batteries, specialized technical support teams, UAS and FPV interceptor groups, as well as analytical and support personnel,' Andrii 'Hack' Danyliuk, Captain, Head of the Air Defense Department of the 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine Azov, told The War Zone on Monday. 'Each structural element will consist of dozens of professional service members, collectively forming a powerful fighting force. This is not a short-term reinforcement effort, but the development of a systemic capability to become a key component in countering enemy UAVs at the operational-tactical level.' The Azov recruitment campaign comes as Russia has dramatically ramped up Shahed attacks on Ukrainian cities. On July 9, Russia launched the largest Shahed attack of the all-out war, firing 728 Shahed drones and decoys, as well as seven Iskander cruise missiles and six Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles. Another 426 Shaheds were fired at Ukraine between Sunday evening and Monday morning, the Ukrainian Air Force reported. All up in smoke: Kyiv shrouded in the aftermath of another massive attack — Slava (@Heroiam_Slava) July 21, 2025 Beyond stepping up the number of drones it is launching, Russia has changed its tactics, expanding its ability to overwhelm already limited Ukrainian air defenses. 'Instead of deploying 500 drones nationwide like they used to, Russian forces now target one or two cities at a time,' according to (CP) a Ukrainian defense technology publication. 'These drones now fly either very high, at altitudes above 3-4 km, or extremely low over the ground, close to the roofs of apartment buildings.' At the higher altitudes, mobile fire groups with machine guns can't hit the Shaheds, noted. At the lower altitudes – just over the ground – the drones are much harder to detect, decreasing reaction time or allowing them to get by unseen by sensors. As a result of Russia's increased attacks and improved tactics, Ukraine's ability to defend against these drones is diminishing. Shaheds are now hitting targets at three times the rate they were in previous months, according to Ukrainian Air Force data analyzed by the Financial Times. Mass Shahed attacks 'appear to be overwhelming Ukraine's beleaguered air defenses, with the drone hit rate reaching its highest levels since Moscow's invasion,' the publication posited. 'Ukrainian air force data suggests about 15 percent of the drones penetrated defenses on average between April and June — rising from just five percent in the previous three months.' ''The problem is not [that] the Ukraine air defence is getting worse. Instead, what we see is that new swarming tactics and drones are now flying in higher altitude, [which] makes them more effective,'" — Bianna Golodryga (@biannagolodryga) July 21, 2025 Making matters worse for Ukraine, Russia is drastically increasing the number of drones it is producing. As we have previously noted, while Russia initially relied on Iran to supply its Shaheds, it now produces its own at the rate of 2,000 per month with plans to nearly triple that in the not too distant future. On Sunday, Russian media released a new video showing off its Shahed factory in the Tartarstan region, which you can see below. Inside Russia's Geran-2 drone factory in TatarstanRare footage reveals the Alabuga plant's mass production of tens of thousands of deadly kamikaze dronesDesigned to attack in relentless swarms — 'Gerans' punch through Ukraine's defenses — outmaneuvering even F-16s — RT (@RT_com) July 20, 2025 Ukraine has created several methods for detecting Shaheds, including robust audio detection systems and an app that people can use to report what they see or hear. Now Ukraine is looking for new techniques. As a means to counter the increasing Shahed threat, Ukraine has developing so-called interceptor drones. They are based on uniquely-configured first-person view (FPV) drones Ukraine has been using to counter Russian reconnaissance drones for the past year. These counter-air FPV drones have to fly faster and higher than their standard FPV counterparts used for striking ground targets. CP talked to three Ukrainian drone manufacturers who laid out what's needed to use FPV drones to counter Shaheds. A speed of over 200 km/h (about 124 mph). A regular FPV flies at up to 120 km/h (about 75 mph). The ability to climb to altitudes of up to 6 km (about 3.7 miles or 20,000 feet). A terminal guidance system to reduce dependence on the operator. A warhead between 600 and 1200 grams (about 1.3 to 2.6 pounds). Ukrainian interceptor drones – STRILA and BUREWIY. STRILA can reach speeds of up to 350 km/h and destroy Russian Geran UAVs. BUREWIY is designed to shoot down Russia's Zala, Orlan and SuperCam ISR drones. — Samuel Bendett (@sambendett) June 24, 2025 Anti-Shahed interceptor drones developed by @wilendhornets and financed by the @sternenkofund. — Special Kherson Cat (@bayraktar_1love) July 20, 2025 'The bigger the target, the bigger the warhead needed for more precise detonation. Because you can hit a wing, but it will only tear it off and not destroy the target itself,' Olha Bihun, co-founder and CEO of Anvarix, a terminal guidance system developer, told Interceptor drones, CP added, 'could destroy a Shahed with either a direct hit or with a special warhead that explodes near the target, creating a cloud of debris.' FPV drones designed to intercept Shaheds are just a small fraction of the cost to fire surface-to-air missiles like a Patriot PAC-3 interceptor, which costs nearly $4 million a piece. Ukraine has also been using advanced National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) and Advanced Short-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (ASRAAM) against Shaheds as well, which cost many hundreds of thousands of dollars each. Gun systems and electronic warfare systems, as well as other SAM types and fighter aircraft have all played a role in defending against the onslaught of Shaheds. Iranian Shahed drone, intercepted mid-air by a Ukrainian the vision — layers of our interceptor drones in the sky. Ukrainian-built. Ukrainian-led. Shaheds won't slip through. Civilians won't live in need to beg for unstable 'aid.'We've got the brains,… — Bandera Fella *-^ (@banderafella) June 27, 2025 In addition to new, improved drones, Ukraine also needs more operators to defend against Shaheds. That's where Azov said it can help. 'Our unit's tactical approaches are shaped by the nature of today's drone threats — especially the enemy's large-scale nighttime attacks and use of asymmetric tactics,' Danyliuk told us. 'We apply non-standard detection techniques and preemptive measures, integrating traditional air defense assets with advanced technologies, including autonomous platforms and digital solutions.' Danyliuk declined to offer specifics, citing operational security concerns. However, Azov has acknowledged that it too will incorporate interceptor drones into its counter-drone program. 'Our strength lies in rapid adaptation, coordination with other defense components, and flexibility in implementing solutions enabling us to intercept threats before they reach their targets,' he explained. Following the techniques of Ukraine's mobile anti-drone fire units, Azov's teams are designed to be called in where needed. 'Our focus is on sectors experiencing heightened enemy strike UAV activity, particularly involving Shahed-type drones, as well as critical infrastructure facilities requiring additional protection,' Danyliuk noted. 'For reasons of security and operational effectiveness, the unit's deployment locations and routes of operations are not disclosed. Our core principle is mobility — the ability to rapidly shift between sectors within our designated area of responsibility.' 'Our forces will be deployed where they are most needed — swiftly, precisely, and without reliance on fixed positions,' he added As far as when these new units will be deployed, Danyliuk declined to provide a timeline. 'The decision to initiate operations will be made once the unit reaches the required level of technical and tactical readiness, in line with real-world frontline challenges,' he stated. Azov's counter-drone recruitment effort is one of several taking place in Ukraine. Last month, Ukraine's parliament unveiled a plan to recruit local volunteers to shoot down Russian drones. The new program offers up to 100,000 hryvnias (around $2,400) per month from local budgets. 'The project will recruit members of paramilitary units and volunteer territorial defense units who have the necessary drone operation skills or qualifications,' the Kyiv Post reported. 'They will be tasked with defending against Russian aerial threats, including detecting, tracking, and shooting down drones using UAVs, piloted aircraft, and personal weapons.' Another major concern is the infusion of AI into the Shahed-136 airframe, which is already underway. This will have massive repercussions we discussed in great detail a year and a half ago in this previous feature. Further information has been released regarding the downed Shahed-136s with imaging guidance and AI of materials and electronic components indicate Iranian camera is an analog thermal imager for both reconnaissance and terrain following.1/ — Roy (@GrandpaRoy2) June 28, 2025 The U.S. military-industrial complex is finally catching on to what Shahed-type drones can bring to the table, though far later than it should have. Last week, 18 American-made drone prototypes were put on display at the Pentagon. It was part of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's move to increase U.S. domestic drone production. Among them was one called the Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS) drone, a delta-winged weapon closely resembling a Shahed. We will have more on this U.S. development in an upcoming special feature, so stay tuned for that. But as it sits today, Ukraine has a major Shahed problem that is only growing at a time when traditional missile interceptors are becoming more scarce. The hope now is that additional drone units armed with many types of lower-end weaponry can help keep the growing hoards of Shaheds at bay. Contact the author: howard@ Solve the daily Crossword
France 24
3 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
Russia launches deadly missile, drone attack at Ukraine
Russian strikes on Ukraine 's capital Kyiv on Monday killed at least one person and left a shop and school on fire, according to city officials. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said rescuers and medics were working on sites across four districts of the capital. A subway station in central Kyiv, commercial property, shops, houses and a kindergarten were damaged, city officials said. In another tense and sleepless night for Kyiv residents, many rushed to take shelter in underground stations. Explosions were heard across the city as air defence units engaged in repelling the attack. In eastern Ukraine, Kharkiv Governor Oleh Synehubov reported multiple explosions in the country's second-largest city, but gave no immediate details on the damage. Ukrainian drone attacks sow chaos at Moscow airports Meanwhile in Russia, major Ukrainian drone attacks sowed chaos at major airports serving Moscow on Monday, with thousands of passengers waiting in lines or sleeping on the floor after flights were cancelled or delayed, Russian media reported. Videos published by Russian media showed people sleeping on the floor of Sheremetyevo, Russia's busiest airport by passenger numbers, amid long queues. Russia's defence ministry said it had downed 117 drones overnight, including 30 over the Moscow region. Russia's civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsiya, briefly imposed restrictions on flights overnight at Moscow's main airports – Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovskiy. Several thousand people were stranded in the far east of Russia due to the cancellation of flights in European Russia, while extra trains were put on to bring passengers back to Moscow from the northern Russian city of St Petersburg, Russian media said. Moscow and its surrounding region has a population of at least 21.5 million. French foreign minister arrives in Kyiv Monday's Russian attack on Ukraine came hours before France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot arrived in Kyiv for a two-day visit aimed at supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion. Barrot is expected to meet his counterpart Andriy Sybiga, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and newly-nominated Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. "In the wake of the unprecedented sanctions adopted by France and the European Union against Russia, the minister will take stock of France's support for Ukraine," the French foreign ministry said in a press release. The EU on Friday adopted a sweeping new package of sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine war, lowering its price cap on Russian oil exported to third countries around the world to 15 percent below market value. Barrot is set to Chernobyl nuclear power plant during his visit. "As Russian forces continue to carry out regular strikes against Ukraine's energy infrastructure, threatening its security and that of the European continent, the minister will visit the Chernobyl nuclear power plant," the French foreign ministry said. France has contributed to help fix a radiation cover at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine allegedly hit by a Russian drone in February, in an attack that did not result in any radiation being released.
Al Jazeera
5 days ago
- Business
- Al Jazeera
Trump talks tough on Russia, but will he follow through?
On July 14, United States President Donald Trump teased a sea change in his approach to Russia's war against Ukraine. Trump declared he would send significant additional air defence units to Ukraine, whose cities are now subject to an average onslaught of more than 100 Russian drones and missiles daily. Leaks from the White House even claimed Trump had inquired with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a preceding phone call about what offensive weaponry Kyiv needed to hit Moscow directly. Trump also made his most explicit sanction threat to date, proposing a 100 percent 'secondary tariff' on countries that buy Russian oil, if the Kremlin does not agree to a ceasefire in 50 days, by September 3. But Trump's tough talk has fallen far short of moving the dial. Russian officials have laughed off his claims about hitting Moscow. Air defence deliveries may lower the damage from Putin's aerial onslaught, but delivering them in anything like the numbers Trump floated will take many months. Trump's sanctions threat has not moved markets, though such a restriction would amount to an attempted blockade of the world's third-largest oil producer. That Trump has shifted his approach to Russia should, however, come as no surprise. Despite Trump's apparent personal affinity for Russian President Vladimir Putin, regarding Ukraine and Russia, his view of key US strategic interests is fundamentally opposed to Putin's. Trump wants to export more US natural gas; Putin wants to do the same with Russia's gas, having lost his European pipeline market. Trump cares about Greenland because he recognises the importance of Arctic shipping routes in the future, and for Russia, its rival Arctic shipping route is a key factor in maintaining Chinese support. Putin wants to seize as much of Ukraine's mineral resources for Russia as he can; Trump wants to do the same for Washington. Having failed in his inaugural pledge to settle the conflict within a day, something he now admits was an exaggeration, Trump's longstanding hostility towards Zelenskyy – a legacy of Trump's first impeachment scandal, which resulted from an attempt to extort blackmail on the Biden campaign from Zelenskyy – was eased after Kyiv agreed to a long-term strategic alignment with Washington on those minerals. Trump has, if belatedly, recognised that Putin has not been negotiating in good faith. No progress was made in the May and June peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow, with both sides just showing up to please Trump and try to win him over to their respective positions. Trump's realisation may have come from the fact that Putin increased his demands amid those negotiations. He not only continued to insist on the occupation of all of the southern and eastern Ukrainian regions he claims to have annexed, though never fully occupied, but added that Russia would need a 'buffer zone' in northern Ukraine as well. The change in Trump's approach has thus far had a muted impact for two reasons. Firstly, because his threat of the Russian oil tariff is not credible on its own. Trump has been extremely wary of high oil prices, or even the potential for them to rise. In the aftermath of his June strikes on Iran, he publicly decried the subsequent spike in oil markets. But it is also doubtful that the secondary tariff threat alone will work. Trump first used a similar threat to target Venezuelan oil exports at the end of March, and while Venezuelan exports declined, they have since recovered as Beijing has expanded purchases. Especially as it is in the middle of its own tariff war with Trump, which has already seen him threaten tariffs even above 100 percent, there is little chance Beijing, Russia's largest oil buyer, will care about a similar threat on Russian production. Additionally, Trump's decision to play for time with his threat is likely to delay passage of a Senate bill imposing additional sanctions on Russia, though 83 of 100 members of the chamber have co-sponsored it. The Republican Party's leadership in the Senate and the House are wary of being seen to goad Trump on the issue, lest it risk blowback from Trump, who demands near-universal authority and deference on policymaking from his party. Nevertheless, while Trump has gotten Europe to agree to be more public in accepting its costs of supporting Kyiv – which cumulatively were larger than the US's even before Trump began his second term, despite his assertions to the contrary – it will continue to be US equipment and technology that drive Kyiv's ability to resist or turn the tide. And delivering new arms to Ukraine and training its forces to use them will take time. Trump will also have to change his approach. Increasing economic pressure on Russia that can force Putin to treat negotiations seriously is not something that the US can achieve alone. It is made only harder to achieve when Washington spars with its allies and partners. With regards to additional restrictions on Russian oil, Trump may not have much chance of convincing Russia to go along, but such restrictions could jolt India to change its approach. New Delhi has gone from being a negligible purchaser of Russian oil before the full-scale invasion to its second-largest market, with 40 percent of India's imports now coming from Russia. India's Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri last week noted the country would not change its approach. He emphasised New Delhi has complied with previous restrictions, including the oil price cap, which the Biden administration engineered together with G7 allies in 2022 to actually keep Russian oil flowing, just limiting its revenues therefrom. They too were wary of market disruption, as Trump is today, with Biden's Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen even explicitly supporting the structure as a way to secure oil 'bargains' for India and other developing markets. But the minister did note that if there was an international agreement on shifting Russian oil purchases, then New Delhi could change its approach. If Trump wants his threats against Moscow to be credible, he will have to embrace a multilateral approach. Some steps are easy to do. As Trump's administration has thus far resisted additional sanctions, Brussels and Westminster have taken the lead in targeting Russia's 'shadow fleet' aimed at evading sanctions and the price cap, and engineering new sanctions proposals, including proposing tweaks to the oil price cap to lower it further when prices are soft. Two European Union sanctions packages have been agreed in the last six months, the second on July 18, and Trump should swiftly match their measures. If Europe can also be convinced to support a secondary tariff or other sanctions on Russian oil purchasers, that measure too would be far more likely to be effective. Additionally, Trump can target Russia's additional liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports by finally blacklisting Novatek, its key LNG exporter. Europe has not been willing to go that far yet, instead seeking only a phaseout of its purchases by the end of next year. But because the market for LNG tankers is much smaller than the oil market, earlier US sanctions on Russian LNG projects have proven much harder to evade. Russia's economy is finally struggling under the costs of Putin's war and all the sanctions he has brought upon his country in response to his aggression. Russian banks are reportedly holding preliminary discussions on the terms of state bailouts. But amid this pain, Russia claims to have seized a town in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region for the first time – a claim Kyiv denies and which remains unverified. Trump can have a far more significant impact on the course of the war by reversing his resistance to Ukrainian attacks on the Kremlin's energy assets. Trump may have declared a new approach to Russia, but whether it goes beyond mere rhetoric will depend on his willingness to work with partners and allies and acknowledge the costs of such pressure. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial stance.
Fox News
6 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
Trump gives Putin strict ultimatum to make a deal on Ukraine or face consequences
President Donald Trump put Russian President Vladimir Putin on a 50-day clock. To drive Putin to a deal on Ukraine, Trump has a new plan: massive air defenses backed up by the Trump doctrine, where rade wins wars. But what's truly at stake is Trump's unique vision for U.S. power and prosperity. In the Oval Office with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday, July 14, Trump announced more U.S. aid to Ukraine and a 100% tariff to hit Russia's oil customers like China by early September. "I use trade for a lot of things ... it's good for settling wars," Trump said. Trump cited the example of how he employed trade threats to simmer down India and Pakistan in May. However, as he said Monday, "The only one we haven't been able to get to yet is Russia." So, Trump has turned up the heat. The 100% tariffs would hit the $240 billion Russia-China trade and reverberate to India, Brazil and others. This tariff appears to be distinct from the potential 500% secondary sanctions in the Senate bill co-sponsored by Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and Connecticut Democrat Sen. Richard Blumenthal, which Trump views as a back-up plan. The second component of Trump's new strategy is to deprive Putin of gains from the mass air barrages of drones and missiles attacking Ukraine. Significantly, Trump has now put his personal backing behind aid to Ukraine in the form of a surge of air defenses. Trump and Rutte discussed no less than 17 Patriot air defense batteries. That's astonishing, considering that Ukraine has six batteries in operation now, including three from the U.S. and others sent from Germany, Poland and Romania. Patriot is the gold standard for air defense. It's a full commitment by Trump and NATO to stopping Putin's brutal war. Trump is also brandishing Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles like a stiletto in a street fight. TLAMs could swiftly decimate Russia's air force. Trump says he won't give Ukraine TLAMs or other long-range missiles that could hit targets in Russia just now, but then, we all remember the head-fake prior to the B-2 strike on Iran, don't we? Russia has taken 100,000 casualties since January for paltry ground gains. With Trump empowering NATO, Putin is targeting Ukraine's power grid and infrastructure alongside indiscriminate terror attacks. The salvos consist mainly of Iranian Shahed drones, some of which are now manufactured in Russia, along with decoys. Each barrage includes a handful of weapons that are hard to intercept: Iskander ballistic missiles, KH-101 cruise missiles and even old Soviet air defense missiles converted for ground attack. The bad news is that Russia has literally thousands of older missile types. Ukraine's air defenders are top notch, due to considerable assistance from the U.S, NATO partners and others. Sophisticated monitoring and tracking have enabled Ukraine to shoot down most of Putin's air weapons, but this spring's saturation attacks have been challenging. Air defense is a group effort. The joint U.S.-Norwegian NASAMS use the converted AIM-120 fighter plane air-to-air missile and boast a 94% success rate. Another favorite is the "Frankenstein SAM" which combines old Soviet-style Buk launchers rewired by clever Americans to fire U.S. missiles like the Sea Sparrow. Australia has deployed its sophisticated E-7 Wedgetail radar surveillance plane to monitor drone and missile trajectories for intercept. If worse comes to worst, a few NATO partner F-35s could scour the skies. Done right, the air defenses and TLAM threats will diminish the damage to Ukraine and secure Europe against Russia's ongoing weapons build-up, too. There is nothing the NATO allies want more than to protect their strategic ports, railways and capitals from any threat of Russian drones and missiles. Air defense also ties back to Trump's primary goal, which is a ceasefire to stop the killing and a peace deal that will leave Ukraine with a viable economy. He's already shifted more of the financial burden to NATO and is a good sign that the European Union on Wednesday proposed $116 billion for Ukraine's economic reconstruction. Make no mistake. This is very high stakes move by President Trump. Success with the squeeze of secondary sanctions will take agile behind-the-scenes negotiation and a bit of luck. If his stratagem works, Trump will have proved the duo of tariffs and selective military power can defeat the Russia-China cabal. America will be in a strong position to reconfigure our military posture and economic strategy to face down China's global menace.
Miami Herald
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Russia attacks Ukraine's central regions as US envoy in Kyiv
Russia launched a massive drone attack on Ukraine's central regions overnight, hitting mostly civilian infrastructure and industrial enterprises. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's hometown of Kryvyi Rih as well as the city of Vinnytsia, which has largely escaped assault to date, were bombarded by dozens of drones and ballistic missiles in what local authorities said was one of the heaviest attacks since the war's begin. "Russia is not changing its strategy - and to counter this terror effectively, we need to systematically strengthen our defenses: more air defense systems, more interceptors, and more determination - so that Russia feels our response," Zelenskyy said in a post on X commenting the consequences of the attack. The attacks came just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said Patriot air defense missiles were already being shipped from Germany as his administration pledged fresh weapons supplies on Monday. Russian drones struck Kyiv as U.S. special envoy Keith Kellogg continues his week-long visit to the Ukrainian capital. Air defenses could be heard in operation in the city overnight, though major casualties were not reported. Trump's pledge came with the condition that new weapons for Kyiv would be paid for by NATO allies, mainly from Europe, and threatened harsh financial penalties targeting Russian oil sales if Russian leader Vladimir Putin doesn't end his war on Ukraine within 50 days. The U.S. president, who has voiced skepticism of arming Ukraine, changed course after saying he was "very disappointed" by a phone call with Putin, in which the Russian leader insisted he wouldn't back down on his war aims. Energy infrastructure was targeted in Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskyy said, adding that 15 people were injured across the country, including one child. Kryvyi Rih, a city of around 650,000 that includes many who fled from Mariupol - devastated by Russian artillery earlier in the conflict - faces power and water supply cuts, Mayor Oleksandr Vilkul said on Telegram. Zelenskyy also said Russia also attacked the north-eastern Kharkiv and Sumy regions as well as the Odesa region in Ukraine's south, hitting civilian infrastructure. Ukraine's Air Defense said it shot down almost 200 of the 400 drones launched from Russian regions, with another 145 drones jammed. _____ Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
