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Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Weaponized Russian Jet-Powered Target Drone Shot Down Over Black Sea: Ukraine
Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR) says its air defense unit shot down a Russian jet drone headed to the Black Sea port city of Odesa. A spokesman for GUR told us that it was a Dan-M, a target drone the Russians have converted into a cruise missile-like capability. A Ukrainian military publication, however, suggested it could have been an Iranian-designed jet drone. In a post on Telegram Friday, GUR released a 34-second video claiming to show the interception. It opens with the launch of a missile and then cuts to a different view, showing something exploding upon hitting the water. It does not show the intercept itself. Shot Down Over the Black Sea: russia's Newest Jet-Powered Drone Destroyed by DIU-Developed Missile System — Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (@DI_Ukraine) May 30, 2025 The drone was downed by 'a mobile anti-aircraft missile system equipped with R-73 missiles, developed by specialists of the Defense Ministry of Ukraine with the support of foreign partners,' GUR stated. This is a ground-based system, GUR spokesman Andrii Yusov told us. In addition to equipping its Su-27 and MiG-29 fighter fleets, Ukraine has used the Soviet-era heat-seeking R-73 air-to-air missiles on a range of platforms, including two types of so-called 'FrankenSAM' surface-to-air missile systems and drone boats. Claims of the intercept come a day after Ukrainian electronic warfare expert Serhii 'Flash' Beskrestnov first stated that Russia had fired three Dan-M jet drones at Odesa from Crimea. 'Dan-M is a jet target for training and testing air defense, which the Russian Federation converted into an attack UAV,' Beskrestnov stated on Telegram Thursday. Beskrestnov said that the Dan-M has a maximum altitude of about 5.5 miles, a flight time of between 25 and 40 minutes and can travel between 400kph (about 250mph) and 750kph (about 466mph). This morning, Russia attacked with a new type of attack jet UAV "Dan-M". They were launched by a group from Crimea, – "Flash""Dan-M" is a jet target for training and testing air defense, which the Russian Armed Forces converted into an attack UAV. In the original, the target… — MAKS 25 (@Maks_NAFO_FELLA) May 29, 2025 'Provided the warhead was installed where the parachute used to be, it should weigh several dozen kilograms,' according to the Ukrainian Defense Express news outlet. 'All in all, it gives Russian forces a weapon to strike targets based on known coordinates at ranges 300 (about 186 miles) to 400 km (about 250 miles).' The Russians introduced an improved Dan-M variant in 2020, the publication stated. The drone 'received a partial update of the onboard electronics and a new small-sized MGTD-125E turbojet engine with a 125 kgf output to replace the MD-120 with its 120 kgf,' the publication stated. 'The Russians claimed the new engine's production process involved additive manufacturing (3D printing) to make parts of the combustion chamber and nozzle.' In his Telegram message, Beskrestnov said it was unclear why the Russians took the time to convert the target drone into a weapon '[u]nless they have a large number of these UAVs.' He also noted that at the beginning of the war, Ukraine used converted jet reconnaissance drones 'because we did not have cruise missiles and long-range attack UAVs.' As we reported previously, those were Ukrainian Soviet-era Tu-141 and Tu-143 reconnaissance drones fitted with warheads to strike Russian targets (and in one case, accidentally strayed into airspace over the Croatian capital, Zagreb). It is possible that the jet drones were being used to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses, a retired Russian Navy officer who uses the @Capt_Navy X handle told The War Zone. 'We are actively looking for new reserves and new approaches to combat missions,' he said. 'A number of implementations (I'm not talking about Dan-M) that I see suggest that this project has also entered the working stage.' 'We have no problems with ammunition supplies,' he added. 'At a minimum, this can saturate the enemy's air defense system.' Russia has been pummeling Ukraine with long-range drones as well as cruise and ballistic missiles. While neither GUR nor Beskrestnov said how the Dan-M was launched, Capt_N shared a video published on YouTube in 2020 showing a modified version of the drone being fired from helicopters as well as a ground-based launcher. In addition to weaponizing target and reconnaissance jet drones, Russia has purpose-built options, as well. In January 2024, evidence emerged that Russia was using jet-powered Iranian-made Shahed-238 drones. Ukraine has also adapted target drones from the UK and from its own industry for similar purposes. By way of comparison, we previously pointed out that 'target drones by their very nature have latent capabilities that can be employed in support of combat missions. The U.S. military notably demonstrated this with its employment of BQM-34 Firebee target drones to disperse chaff along various corridors to help clear routes for crewed combat aircraft in the opening phases of the invasion of Iraq in 2003. In Vietnam, similar drones even carried out air-to-ground combat roles.' Today, in the U.S., we are seeing target drone designs being adapted to work as collaborative combat aircraft in the 'loyal wingman' role, providing for a compelling low-cost, low-risk, high-capability proposition. Defense Express questioned why Russia would convert a Dan-M into a weapon, suggesting there is a limited supply of these drones. 'The very fact that Russians went out of their way to modify the Dan-M for this role is strange, especially considering that nothing is about this drone being mass-produced,' Defense Express posited. 'The stocks of these UAVs should be too low to make the investment worth it.' The publication offered an alternative suggestion. 'In terms of its size and geometric outlines, the Russian Dan is very similar to the Karrar, a mass-produced weapon from Iran,' Defense Express noted. As you can see from images we previously published, the Karrar, an Iranian interceptor drone, does bear a striking resemblance to the Dan-M. In his Telegram message, Beskrestnov declined to say what happened to the jet drones after they were launched. He also declined in response to a query from us. The recovery of fragments from a downed drone, of course, would provide better evidence of its type. Regardless, it does make sense that Russia would adapt target drones with jet performance and relevant range to play a role in the conflict. These systems are built to be disposable — shot down in air defense exercises and test events — and can usually be produced with some scale economically. So using them as improvised cruise missiles or as high-performance decoys that will help more expensive cruise missiles reach their targets is certainly logical. Contact the author: howard@
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Over half of Azov fighters returned to Ukraine, official says
A total of 1,279 of the approximately 2,500 Azov fighters held in Russian captivity as POWs have been returned to Ukraine since being captured, including 455 from the Azov Brigade, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said on May 28. The confirmed statistic, which includes soldiers in multiple units who fought to defend the Azovstal Steel Plant in Mariupol, comes amid social media outcry criticizing Ukrainian authorities for failing to return certain captives, including Azov fighters, during the war's largest 1,000-for-1,000 POW exchange, which concluded on May 25. "Behind each number is a human life, and no statistics can replace loved ones for individual families," Andrii Yusov, deputy head of the Coordination Headquarters told Radio Liberty on May 28. Ukrainian society has rallied for captured Azov fighters who defended the Azovstal Steel Plant in Mariupol during the Russian siege of the port city in 2022. The battle, one of the most brutal of the entire war, is credited with buying time for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to prepare itself and receive international military aid against Russia's invasion during the initial phase of the war. Azovstal defenders were ordered to surrender to the encircling Russian forces after nearly two months of constant bombardment of the besieged plant. While hundreds of these fighters have been released since 2022, hundreds more remain in captivity. Colonel Denys Prokopenko, commander of the Azov National Guard Brigade, described the 1,000-for-1,000 exchange as a "mockery" due to the lack of fighters from the Azov Brigade, in a post on Facebook on May 25. "Ukraine is fighting for every one of its citizens. We are working under extremely difficult conditions amid the full-scale invasion, and the Mariupol garrison remains one of the top priorities for repatriation," Yusov said on May 25 in response to to the frustration seen on social media. Ukraine has long advocated for an "all-for-all" exchange, but Russia has so far rejected the proposal. President Volodymyr Zelensky, following the mass exchange, pledged to "bring back every single one of our people from Russian captivity." The three days of prisoner exchanges were negotiated by Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul on May 16th, during the first direct talks between the two countries in three years. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on May 28 that Moscow has proposed June 2 as the date for the next round of talks with Ukraine in Istanbul. Read also: Moscow proposes next round of Russia-Ukraine talks on June 2 in Istanbul We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine secures release of POWs from units excluded from all previous swaps
As part of the 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange with Russia, Ukraine has recovered soldiers from 46 military units that had previously seen none of their members returned, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War (POW) reported on May 26. "The return of fighters from these units has long been blocked by the Russian side for various reasons," the agency said in a statement, describing the outcome as a significant breakthrough. Of the 1,000 Ukrainian service members repatriated, over 300 had been held in Russian captivity since 2022. All those returned were soldiers or sergeants, many of whom had fought in the most intense areas of the front line, the agency added. The exchange — agreed during the May 16 peace talks in Istanbul — was carried out in three phases between May 23 and 25. It marked the largest single prisoner swap during the war and the only concrete result from the first direct negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow in nearly three years. The high-profile operation has drawn a mix of relief and frustration in Ukraine. Colonel Denys Prokopenko, commander of the 1st Azov Corps, criticized the exchange as a "mockery," noting that no Azov fighters were included in the release. Thousands of civilians and military families have spent two years campaigning for the release of Azov servicemen captured during the siege of Mariupol in 2022. The omission has sparked renewed anger among Ukrainians who view Azovstal defenders as national heroes. The then Azov Brigade's last stand at the Azovstal steel plant is widely credited with delaying Russia's early advance, giving Ukraine time to mobilize and secure international military support. Andrii Yusov, military intelligence spokesperson and deputy head of Ukraine's POW Coordination Headquarters, emphasized that Kyiv had no influence over which individuals Russia chose to release during the process. "We could not influence the list. Russia handed over who it was ready to hand over, and Ukraine as well," Yusov said on May 26. While Ukraine has previously conducted smaller prisoner exchanges, often with the involvement of third-party mediators, the Istanbul-negotiated swap was unprecedented in scale and complexity. Kyiv has long advocated for an "all-for-all" exchange, but Moscow has so far rejected the proposal. Read also: Chaos to coordination: The evolution of POW swaps in the Russia-Ukraine war We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine's POW authority explains why Azov troops and prisoners held since 2014 were not freed in latest swap
Andrii Yusov, Deputy Head of Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, has explained why Azov Brigade soldiers and Ukrainians held captive since 2014 were not among those released in the recent thousand-for-thousand prisoner exchange. Source: Yusov in a comment to journalists, as reported by Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne Details: Yusov stated that the exchange was based on "mutual lists", with the Russian side determining whom it was ready to hand over to Ukraine, and Ukraine likewise forming its own list. Quote: "But every person held in Russian captivity must be brought back. Ukraine is fighting for every one of its citizens. We are working in extremely difficult conditions due to the full-scale invasion and the Mariupol garrison remains one of our top priorities for repatriation." More details: Yusov also noted that Russia ignores requests to exchange Ukrainians who have been held since the beginning of Russian aggression in 2014, or outright refuses to include them. Quote: "They [the Russians – ed.] say, 'This is not a prisoner of war and cannot be swapped in the exchange'. So there are many refusals, but the fact remains. This is a violation of international humanitarian law, yet another crime against humanity. And every one of them must come back home." Background: On Friday 23 May, Ukraine and Russia conducted the first phase of the thousand-for-thousand prisoner exchange, resulting in the return of 390 Ukrainians – 270 military personnel and 120 civilians. On Saturday, a further 307 Ukrainian defenders, all men of private and sergeant rank, were brought back from Russian captivity. On 25 May, Ukraine and Russia completed the third phase of the thousand-for-thousand prisoner exchange, liberating another 303 Ukrainian defenders. Colonel Denys "Redis" Prokopenko, Commander of the Azov National Guard Brigade, has stated that not a single Azov fighter was included in the recent three-day prisoner exchange with Russia. He said he does not believe the Ukrainian authorities are interested in bringing them back. Journalist Stanislav Aseyev has stated that none of the civilians who have been held in Russian captivity for eight years were among those released in the thousand-for-thousand prisoner exchange. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine submits list of POWs to Russia for 1,000-for-1,000 swap – Ukraine's intelligence
Ukraine has submitted a list of POWs to the Russians for a prisoner swap in a thousand-for-thousand format. Source: Andrii Yusov, Deputy Head of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War and spokesperson for Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, in a comment to Interfax-Ukraine; Kremlin-aligned Russian news agency TASS, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov Details: Peskov also confirmed that Russia had received the list of prisoners of war. Earlier, Peskov stated that all parties are interested in carrying out a thousand-for-thousand exchange as quickly as possible. Background: On 16 May 2025, the delegations of Ukraine and Russia reached an agreement in Istanbul on the simultaneous release and exchange of 1,000 POWs on each side. On 16 May, Vadym Skibitskyi, Deputy Head of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, said that Ukraine had begun reviewing the lists of POWs who are to be brought back to Ukraine as part of a prisoner swap with Russia in the thousand-for-thousand format. On 22 May, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting on preparations for a potential prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia in the thousand-for-thousand format. He stated that Ukraine is currently examining the list of individuals submitted by the Russian side. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
