Latest news with #Il-76
Russia Today
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Ukraine confirms its POWs were on downed Russian plane
A senior official in Kiev has confirmed that Ukrainian prisoners of war were among those killed when a Russian Il-76 military transport plane was downed in the border Belgorod Region in January 2024. The 65 service members were to be included in one of the routine prisoner exchanges between the two countries. The acknowledgement was made by Deputy Interior Minister Leonid Timchenko, who in an interview with the Ukrainian outlet on Thursday discussed in detail the process of handling and identifying the remains of Ukrainian soldiers, as well as their return by Russia. 'Let me explain by drawing an example: when we receive a package and see that there are body parts in it, we understand that we are talking about the remains of more than one body,' he said. 'Remember the situation with the downed IL-76, which had about 60 prisoners of war on board? Over 500 [body parts] were returned from that plane,' Timchenko noted, adding that the investigators' job in this case is to collect and identify DNA from each piece. The crash occurred on January 24, 2024, near the village of Yablonovo in Russia's Belgorod Region, killing all 74 people on board. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the aircraft was transporting 65 Ukrainian POWs, meant for an imminent exchange, along with six crew members and three Russian guards. Russian President Vladimir Putin at the time said that he 'doesn't know' and 'does not understand' why Ukraine took down the plane, later suggesting that it was an accident. Ukraine initially did not deny responsibility for the incident and also confirmed that an exchange was impending, but said it had no information about who was on the plane. It also argued that the attack was legitimate since it was a military transport plane. Ukrainian media also claimed at the time that the Il-76 was transporting air defense missiles. Months later, Ukrainian officials began receiving human remains of those who died in the crash and concluded that their DNA profiles mostly matched those of the captives' relatives. In February 2024, a New York Times report cited US officials as saying that the plane was likely shot down by a Patriot missile system operated by Ukrainian forces, in line with the Russian Defense Ministry's statement that it had detected two Ukrainian missile launches shortly before the crash.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Australia Casts Doubt On Russia Basing Bombers At Indonesian Air Base
Australian officials are pushing back on a report that Russia is seeking to base long-range bombers at an Indonesian airbase. On Monday, Janes wrote that 'Jakarta has received an official request from Moscow, seeking permission for Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) aircraft to be based at a facility in Indonesia's easternmost province.' That location, Manuhua Air Force Base, is situated about 850 miles north of the Australian port of Darwin. 'Separate sources from the Indonesian government have confirmed with Janes that the request was received by the office of Minister of Defence Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin following his meeting with Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Sergei Shoigu in February 2025,' the publication added. Janes said the information it received did not contain details about what kind of airframes Russia is seeking to station at the base. 'However, Janes understands that over the past few years, the VKS has made several ad hoc requests to land its Tupolev Tu-95 bombers and Il-76 airlifters at the very same airbase,' the publication reported. Russia wanting to place long-range bombers closer to Australia as Moscow, Beijing and Washington all seek to expand their influence in the South Pacific isn't hard to imagine. The U.S. maintains a military presence in Australia and is working to improve the RAAF's base at Tindal to accommodate B-52 bombers. In addition, for more than a decade, the U.S. Marine Corps sends about 2,500 Marines to the Marine Rotational Force – Darwin Marine Air-Ground Task Force for training. Meanwhile, Australia, the U.S. and the U.K. signed an agreement known as AUKUS to provide Canberra with nuclear-powered, conventionally armed submarines. All this comes against the backdrop of increasing tensions in the Pacific, including China sailing a flotilla of its warships in international waters around Australia earlier this year, which involved live fire exercises. Beyond Australia, such a basing agreement would give Russia a seat of power projection in a very contentious and important region overall. It is an area of the world the U.S. and other powers with global reach are also investing in projecting power into more heavily and consistently. And, of course, it's an area where China's extra-territorial interests loom very large. Russia is a key ally of China, especially militarily, with their bomber units flying joint patrols throughout the Pacific in increasing regularity. Regardless of what Russia may want or not, there seems to be little logic in Indonesia agreeing to put Russian strategic assets on its soil. Doing so would greatly upset relations with countries in its own region as well as allies farther abroad, including the United States, which also, like Russia, supplies weapons to Indonesia. And what would Russia be willing to pay for such access during a time when its military is embroiled in a brutal conflict that is sucking tremendous resources? More importantly, what would Indonesia see as so important that it needs it for compensation, regardless of the geopolitical upheaval such a decision could cause? It's also worth noting that in 2020, Indonesia rejected a U.S. proposal to allow its P-8 Poseidon maritime surveillance planes to land and refuel there, Reuters reported at the time. Relevanthttps:// — Michael Bond (@HelloMrBond) April 15, 2025 Regardless, the Janes story set off alarm bells in Canberra. The Australian government believes both Russia and China 'are also increasingly focused on the growing U.S. military presence in Darwin and the Northern Territory,' ABC posited. Diplomatic alarm bells are ringing after reports emerged Russia wants to base long range aircraft in Indonesia. It's become the focus of this afternoon's federal election campaign with questions being raised about when the Prime Minister found out about Putin's intentions.… — 7NEWS Australia (@7NewsAustralia) April 15, 2025 'We obviously do not want to see Russian influence in our region, very clearly,' Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday. 'We have a position, which is: we stand with Ukraine, we regard [the Russian president] Vladimir Putin as an authoritarian leader who has broken international law, that is attacking the sovereignty of the nation of Ukraine.' Australian officials cast doubt about whether Russia will base those bombers at Manuhua. 'Indonesia's defense minister has assured Australia it will not allow Russian planes to be based in Papua province after a United States media outlet reported that Moscow was pushing to get access to a military base in Papua,' the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) reported on Tuesday. 'I have spoken to my counterpart, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, the minister for defense, and he has said to me in the clearest possible terms, reports of the prospect of Russian aircraft operating from Indonesia are simply not true,' Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Secretary Richard Marles said in a statement to news organizations. Breaking: reports of Russian planes to be stationed in Indonesia "simply not true", defence minister Richard Marles says, after talking to Indonesian counterpartStatement from his office: — Josh Butler (@JoshButler) April 15, 2025 However, while Sjamsoeddin told Marles he had not received any Russian request to access the base, that 'doesn't rule out the possibility it was raised at a more junior level,' ABC noted. 'Earlier, Foreign Minister Penny Wong told reporters that Australian officials were seeking more information from Jakarta about the report.' Russia meanwhile also seemed to downplay the notion. 'The Kremlin, when asked about the report that Russia has asked Indonesia for permission to base aircraft in its territory, said there was a lot of fake news around,' ABC reported. Although Indonesia has 'long maintained strategic neutrality, it has deepened security and defense ties with Russia since President Prabowo Subianto was elected last year,' Politico pointed out. As one example of that growing relationship, Russia and Indonesia held naval drills in the Java Sea in November, ABC reported. At the time, Russia's ambassador to Indonesia, Sergei Tolchenov, said the exercises were 'a significant event 'and that 'the navies of our countries are ready to enhance mutual trust and understanding to cooperate in different areas.' Russia's Pacific Fleet visits Indonesian port city of Surabaya ahead of first-ever bilateral drills between two nations — RT (@RT_com) November 4, 2024 Despite those ties, offering Russia bomber-basing rights is likely a step too far, one analyst suggested 'Even if Russia is proposing to use an Indonesian airbase, I doubt that the government will allow it. There will be a very significant blowback,' Yohanes Sulaiman, a defense analyst and lecturer at the Jenderal Achmad Yani University, told The Guardian. 'The Indonesian military is very averse to having other countries build military bases in Indonesia.' However, there is precedence for a Russian presence at the base. The Australian Broadcasting Company reported in 2017 that 'RAAF Base Darwin was placed on a 'short period' of heightened alert, while over 100 Russian personnel and several aircraft were stationed' there. During a five-day stopover, two nuclear-capable Tu-95 bombers 'flew their first-ever patrol mission over the South Pacific, prompting concerns they may have been collecting valuable intelligence,' ABC noted at the time. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed at the time that its strategic bombers 'carried out [an] air alert mission over neutral waters of the South Pacific Ocean in a flight lasting more than eight hours,' the outlet stated. In all, this report feels reminiscent of similar claims regarding Russia forward basing bombers in South America, namely in Venezuela. Those reports have come and gone multiple times, but beyond largely symbolic visits, such an agreement never came to pass. Contact the author: howard@
Japan Times
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
North Korea's Kim supervises test of AI suicide drones
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised the test of suicide drones with artificial intelligence technology and said unmanned control and AI capability must be the top priorities in modern arms development, state media reported on Thursday. Kim inspected new upgraded reconnaissance drones that are capable of detecting various tactical targets and enemy activities on land and at sea, the KCNA state news agency said. "The field of unmanned equipment and artificial intelligence should be top-prioritized and developed in modernizing the armed forces," KCNA quoted Kim as saying. The nuclear-armed North also officially unveiled an airborne early-warning aircraft for the first time, a capability that could improve its aging air defense systems. Photographs published by state media showed Kim climbing steps toward the door of a large aircraft with four engines and a radar dome mounted on the fuselage, and viewing the aircraft on a low fly-by. Using commercial satellite imagery, analysts have previously reported that North Korea was converting the Russian-made Il-76 cargo aircraft for an early-warning role. Such an aircraft would help augment the North's existing land-based radar systems, which are sometimes limited by the peninsula's mountainous terrain, London's International Institute for Strategic Studies said in a report in September. "The ability of an AEW aircraft to look down mitigates some of the challenges of the terrain and ground-clutter returns to track low-flying aircraft and cruise missiles," the report said. One AEW aircraft would not be enough, however, and North Korea would risk canabilizing the rest of its cargo fleet to build more, the report said. Russia has provided North Korea with anti-air missiles and unspecified air defense equipment, in return for Pyongyang's deployment of troops to help with the Ukraine war, South Korea's national security adviser Shin Won-sik said in November. Kim separately inspected newly developed equipment for reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, electronic jamming and attack systems, KCNA said. Photos showed fixed-wing UAV zeroing in on a tank-shaped target then exploding in flames. Kim was seen walking with aides with what appeared to be a drone larger than an average fighter jet parked on the tarmac in the background. North Korean troops deployed in Russia's war against Ukraine are believed to have been engaged in drone warfare, gaining valuable battleground experience.
Fox News
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
North Korea's Kim oversees test of AI-powered suicide drones
North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has overseen tests of newly developed AI-powered suicide drones and called for their increased production, North Korean state media said Thursday. Photos released from the communist country show Kim inspecting new upgraded reconnaissance drones that are capable of detecting various tactical targets and enemy activities on land and at sea, KCNA state news agency said. Kim said unmanned control and AI capability must be the top priorities in modern arms development. In recent months, he has been emphasizing the development of drones, and the tests were the latest display of his country's growing military capabilities. "The field of unmanned equipment and artificial intelligence should be top-prioritized and developed in modernizing the armed forces," KCNA quoted Kim as saying of the "defense science research work." Kim was seen walking with aides with what appeared to be an unmanned surveillance aircraft that resembles the U.S. RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude surveillance aircraft parked on the tarmac in the background. Other images showed a fixed-wing drone zeroing in on a tank-shaped target then exploding in flames. Kim previously inspected other demonstrations of drones that explode on impact in November and August last year. The agency said the test demonstrated the reconnaissance drone's ability to track multiple targets and monitor troop movements on land and at sea, potentially enhancing North Korea's intelligence-gathering operations and ability to neutralize enemy threats. The report said the new exploding drones are designed for various attack missions and feature unspecified artificial intelligence capabilities. Kim was also seen walking to a large aircraft with four engines and a radar dome mounted on the fuselage. Analysts have previously reported that North Korea was converting the Russian-made Il-76 cargo aircraft for an early-warning role to help augment the North's existing land-based radar systems, which are sometimes limited by the peninsula's mountainous terrain, London's International Institute for Strategic Studies said in a report in September. The drone display comes just weeks after North Korea revealed, for the first time, a nuclear-powered submarine under construction, a weapons system that could pose a major security threat to South Korea and the U.S. It also comes as North Korea has been sending more missiles, artillery equipment and ammunition to help Russia -- raising concerns that North Korea may receive Russian technology transfers in return. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea has said that North Korea could increase its weapons supplies further depending on the war situation. Russia and Ukraine recently agreed on a limited ceasefire, though both sides have accused each other of violations. North Korea has sent approximately 11,000 military personnel to fight alongside Russia in the war against Ukraine in its first involvement in a large-scale conflict since the 1950-53 Korean War. The South Korean military assessed that around 4,000 of them have been killed or wounded.
Express Tribune
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Kim Jong Un supervises testing of AI drones in North Korea's military advancements
Listen to article North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has personally supervised the testing of new drones equipped with artificial intelligence, signalling a significant advancement in the country's military capabilities. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim called for the prioritisation of unmanned aerial vehicles and AI in military modernisation plans. The tests, which were conducted earlier this week, included a variety of reconnaissance and suicide drones designed for tactical operations. KCNA reported that the drones are capable of tracking strategic targets and monitoring enemy troop movements on land and at sea. Kim stated that the production capacity for unmanned systems and artificial intelligence must be expanded to ensure rapid development in this crucial area of modern warfare. Photographs released by KCNA showed Kim inspecting a newly developed unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, which appeared to be larger than a typical fighter jet. He was also seen boarding an airborne early-warning aircraft, the first of its kind to be officially unveiled by North Korea. This aircraft is equipped with a radar dome similar to those used by the South Korean air force, indicating a significant enhancement in North Korea's air defence capabilities. Analysts had previously reported that North Korea was converting a Russian-made Il-76 cargo aircraft into an early-warning role, which could bolster its existing land-based radar systems. The new capabilities could help North Korea mitigate challenges posed by the mountainous terrain of the Korean peninsula. During the testing, which took place over two days, the drones successfully targeted ground assets, including military vehicles. Images depicted fixed-wing UAVs striking tank-shaped targets, underscoring the operational capabilities of these new systems. In addition to the drone technology, Kim was briefed on the latest developments in electronic warfare, including intelligence-gathering and electronic jamming systems. North Korea's military efforts have garnered attention amid rising tensions in the region, especially with ongoing geopolitical dynamics involving Russia. Kim's emphasis on the development of advanced military technologies comes at a time when North Korea's strategic posture is being closely monitored by international observers. The country has been accused of seeking to expand its military capabilities amid heightened security concerns. In a broader context, North Korean troops deployed to support Russia in its conflict with Ukraine are believed to be gaining valuable experience in drone warfare, further complicating the regional security landscape.
