Latest news with #AndriyYusov
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Exclusive: Russia's ballistic missile production up at least 66% over past year, according to Ukrainian intel figures
Russia's production of ballistic missiles has increased by at least 66% over the past year, according to data from Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) shared with the Kyiv Independent. According to data obtained by HUR, Moscow is now producing 60 to 70 Iskander-M — the ballistic version of the missile — and 10 to 15 hypersonic Kinzhals per month. This compares to a reported 40 Iskander-Ms in May 2024, and a reported 4–5 Kinzhals in April 2024. At the lower range, this is an increase in production of 66.67%. At the higher range, 88.89%. Ballistic attacks on Ukraine have become more deadly in recent months as stockpiles of air defense missiles, particularly for U.S.-made Patriots, have dwindled. The figures shared with the Kyiv Independent show Russian stockpiles of "almost 600 Iskander-Ms" and "over 100" Kinzhals. At the end of 2022, Military Intelligence Chief Kyrylo Budanov claimed Russia was almost out of Iskander ballistic missiles. By December 2024, HUR spokesperson Andriy Yusov noted that Russia had increased production to somewhere between 40 and 50 Iskander missiles per month. Russia's expanded production is a cause for alarm in Ukraine. If HUR's figures are correct, Russia's production of ballistic missiles today outnumbers total production of PAC-3 MSE missiles for Patriot air defense systems, the preferred anti-ballistic defenses for much of Europe, which Lockheed Martin hopes to boost to 650 per year by 2027. Other Western systems like the SAMP/T and IRIS-T have not proved effective against ballistic missiles. Russia has moreover reportedly outfitted the newest Iskanders with radar decoys and less predictable flight paths, making them harder to shoot down even with Patriot systems. Ukraine's military intelligence has also estimated that Russia is holding a stockpile of 60 North Korean KN-23s. These missiles are similar to the Iskander-Ms, but carry a one-ton warhead, more powerful than their Russian equivalents. The figures shared with the Kyiv Independent further show that total production for cruise missiles has also continued to grow. Russia can produce 20 to 30 Iskander-Ks, 60 to 70 X-101s, 25 to 30 Kalibrs, up to 10 X-32s and 20-30 Onyx and Zircon anti-ship missiles. A massive Ukrainian attack on Russian airfields on June 1 may have restricted Russia's ability to launch several of these cruise missiles. Tu-95M3s often carry Kh-55/Kh-555 or the newer Kh-101 and Kh-102 air-launched cruise missiles. The Tu-22 carries the Kh-22 of these types of aircraft are among those reported to have been damaged in Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb. During wartime, Ukraine has also built out its production of its own cruise and ballistic missiles. But large-scale production of types of missiles depend on major industrial zones that often fall victim to Russian air strikes — particularly when limited air defenses are being rationed. Read also: Russia's Crimean Bridge rocked by explosions, Ukraine's SBU claims responsibilityWe've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
NHK
07-05-2025
- Politics
- NHK
Russia may stage provocation during unilateral truce, Ukraine says
A Ukrainian defense ministry spokesperson has criticized Russia's unilateral announcement of a three-day truce from Thursday as part of a "disinformation campaign." Andriy Yusov of the ministry's intelligence directorate spoke to NHK in Kyiv on Monday. He indicated that Russia could stage acts of sabotage on its own territory during its self-claimed ceasefire period to lay the blame on Ukraine. Yusov pointed out Russia's propaganda tactic of informing its own population that Ukraine is planning terrorist attacks on Russian territory. He said this may signify that Russian intelligence services are possibly preparing provocations against their own civilian population in order to blame Ukraine. Yusov noted that during last month's Easter ceasefire unilaterally announced by Russia, attacks by Russian forces decreased but there was no complete ceasefire. He warned of a recurrence. Russia and North Korea recently admitted that North Korean soldiers had joined the fighting in the western Russian region of Kursk, where Ukrainian forces conducted a cross-border offensive. He said now that collaboration between Russia and North Korea has been made public, a further expansion of the deployment of weapons and soldiers cannot be ruled out. Yusov said that North Korea has been supplying Russia with ammunition and various weaponry, and without such assistance, Russian President Vladimir Putin would not have been able to continue with offensive operations a long time ago. He suggested that the bilateral military alliance is a threat.
Jordan Times
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Jordan Times
Mali rebels claim to down army helicopter with drone
BAMAKO — Mali's Front for the Liberation of Azawad [FLA] rebel group told AFP Wednesday its fighters used a drone to take out an army helicopter in the Kidal region, though the military did not confirm the claim. Army general staff said the military had intercepted a "terrorist" drone after the FLA said the mainly Tuareg group's fighters had "brought down a Malian army helicopter in Tessalit" in the country's northeast late could not independently confirm the claim by FLA spokesman Mohamed Elmaouloud a statement issued Tuesday evening, the Malian army general staff said it informed "the public that on Tuesday, February 11... a terrorist drone was intercepted and recovered in the airport area of Tessalit in the Kidal region."The military added the drone had been "trying to observe a FAMA [Malian Armed Forces] helicopter in transit on the helipad. The helicopter was refuelled, took off and returned to its base."The FLA spokesman told AFP the army's statement was false, adding: "We did shoot down the army helicopter with our drones."Defeated in Kidal by an army enjoying Russian mercenary support in November 2023, the rebels retreated further north towards the Algerian border, from where they carried out an attack last July which killed dozens of Malian soldiers and fighters from Russian paramilitary group Wagner.A Ukrainian military intelligence official, Andriy Yusov, implied thereafter that Kyiv had provided the rebels with information to aid their attack. Ukraine later denied that it provided intelligence, as well as reports that it had supplied rebels with separatist FLA, which claimed responsibility for the July attack, was created late last year in a merger of several predominantly Tuareg groups seeking territory in northern Mali. Since coming to power, Mali's ruling military junta has ended the country's long-standing alliance with France and European partners, instead turning militarily and politically towards Russia.
