Latest news with #JamesMartinCentreforNonproliferationStudies
India Today
5 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Satellite images show scale of damage from Ukraine's attack on Russian airbases
New satellite images have shown that a drone attack carried out by Ukraine destroyed and badly damaged Russia's strategic bombers. The attack, carried out over the weekend, targeted air bases deep inside Russian to Reuters, Ukraine launched around 117 drones from close-range containers, targeting at least four different Russian air bases. Drone footage confirmed by Reuters shows several planes being struck at two of these of the key locations was Belaya air base in Irkutsk, Siberia. It faced extensive damage at this base, according to satellite imagery that Capella Space shared with Reuters. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites, which are able to identify ground features even through clouds, provided these images. Experts were able to identify destroyed aircraft even though the images were grainy and in black and white. John Ford, a research associate at the James Martin Centre for Nonproliferation Studies, stated, "Based on the debris visible, comparison to recent satellite images and released drone footage from Telegram posted to Twitter, I can see the destruction of several aircraft." Satellite image of the Belaya airfield, after a Ukrainian drone attack targeting Russian military airfields. (Photo: Reuters) advertisementFord confirmed that the SAR images showed what looked like the wreckage of two Tu-22 Backfire bombers, long-range jets used by Russia in attacks on Ukraine. He also said that four Tu-95 heavy bombers were either destroyed or heavily CLAIMS OPERATION DAMAGED 41 PLANESFootage from another airfield, Olenya base in Murmansk, showed two bombers burning and a third being hit by a huge explosion. Reuters verified that the bombers appeared to be Russian Defence Ministry said Ukraine had targeted airfields in Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur regions. It claimed that air defences were able to halt the attacks in some regions, but not in Murmansk and Irkutsk, where several planes caught officials have launched an investigation into the attacks. Dmitry Medvedev, a top Russian security leader, warned, "Retribution is inevitable," indicating that Russia will respond harshly. Ukraine's Security Service chief, Vasyl Maliuk, is seen examining an airfield map at an undisclosed location. (Photo: Reuters) Ukraine's domestic intelligence agency, the SBU, took responsibility for the operation, calling it "Spider's Web." They claimed that 41 Russian aircraft were hit. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy praised the operation, calling it "absolutely brilliant."advertisementOn Tuesday, Ukraine's military updated its report on Russian losses. Initially, they reported 12 aircraft destroyed, but later the number increased to 41. "After processing additional information from various sources and verifying it ... we report that the total (Russian) losses amounted to 41 military aircraft, including strategic bombers and other types of combat aircraft," said the Ukrainian to the SBU, the damage from the operation is estimated at $7 billion. They said that 34% of Russia's cruise missile-carrying bombers at its main airfields were to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), this attack could compel Russia to change its airspace defenses. "The operation will force Russian officials to consider redistributing Russia's air defence systems to cover a much wider range of territory and possibly deploying mobile air defence groups that can more quickly react to possible similar Ukrainian drone strikes in the future," ISW drone attack was one of Ukraine's most effective and extensive operations, since inputs from ReutersMust Watch
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
North Korea disguises secret missile base as golf course
North Korea is hiding a new launch site for intercontinental ballistic missiles in plain sight, disguising the base as a golf course on the outskirts of Pyongyang. The site was until last year the location of Kim Jong-un's Winter Palace, also known as the Ryokpo residence, in a heavily wooded valley about 20 miles south-east of the capital. However, the palace complex was recently demolished and replaced with a series of new structures, roads and what appear to be golf greens. A closer examination of the facilities using near-infrared images over the course of the construction showed that the greens were reinforced with concrete bases in June, with a thin layer of soil added in August. By November, analysts determined that the grass had taken hold and the site resembled a golf course. But analysts from the Middlesbury Institute's James Martin Centre for Nonproliferation Studies have said that flat areas with concrete bases are ideal launch pads for long-range ballistic missiles and that some of the other buildings at the site are not typically found at a golf course. New roads at the site are wide enough to accommodate the tractor-erector vehicles required to manoeuvre the Hwasong-19 ICBM into position. The 92-foot missile was first launched successfully in October 2024, can carry a nuclear warhead and has a range of at least 9,300 miles, which puts all of North America and Europe within range. One of the new buildings at the site is a four-storey building that is estimated to be 118ft high and would be able to accommodate missiles in an upright position. Sam Lair, a member of the research team, told Radio Free Asia: 'While this facility could be used for shorter range systems like the Hwasong-11/KN-23/KN-24 series of missiles, the height of the high-bay building suggests it is also built to allow longer-range systems to operate from it.' He added: 'You would not need a 36 meters [118 feet] high building for just short-range systems'. Behind the building is another structure that has been covered in earth, for greater protection as well as concealment, that could house four launch vehicles. North Korea on Monday launched a volley of ballistic missiles into waters off its west coast, coinciding with the start of the Freedom Shield joint US-South Korean military exercises in the South. The drills will last for 11 days and the South Korean joint chiefs of staff issued a statement that its forces were in a 'full readiness posture' and were closely co-operating with US forces. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
North Korea disguises secret missile base as golf course
North Korea is hiding a new launch site for intercontinental ballistic missiles in plain sight, disguising the base as a golf course on the outskirts of Pyongyang. The site was until last year the location of Kim Jong-un's Winter Palace, also known as the Ryokpo residence, in a heavily wooded valley about 20 miles south-east of the capital. However, the palace complex was recently demolished and replaced with a series of new structures, roads and what appear to be golf greens. A closer examination of the facilities using near-infrared images over the course of the construction showed that the greens were reinforced with concrete bases in June, with a thin layer of soil added in August. By November, analysts determined that the grass had taken hold and the site resembled a golf course. But analysts from the Middlesbury Institute's James Martin Centre for Nonproliferation Studies have said that flat areas with concrete bases are ideal launch pads for long-range ballistic missiles and that some of the other buildings at the site are not typically found at a golf course. New roads at the site are wide enough to accommodate the tractor-erector vehicles required to manoeuvre the Hwasong-19 ICBM into position. The 92-foot missile was first successfully launched in October 2024, can carry a nuclear warhead and has a range of at least 9,300 miles, putting all of North America and Europe within range. One of the new buildings at the site is a four-storey building that is estimated to be 118ft high and would be able to accommodate missiles in an upright position. Sam Lair, a member of the research team, told Radio Free Asia: 'While this facility could be used for shorter range systems like the Hwasong-11/KN-23/KN-24 series of missiles, the height of the high-bay building suggests it is also built to allow longer-range systems to operate from it.' He added: 'You would not need a 36 meters [118 feet] high building for just short-range systems'. Behind the building is another structure that has been covered in earth, for greater protection as well as concealment, that could house four launch vehicles. North Korea on Monday launched a volley of ballistic missiles into waters off its west coast, coinciding with the start of the Freedom Shield joint US-South Korean military exercises in the South. The drills will last for 11 days and the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff issued a statement that its forces were in a 'full readiness posture' and were closely cooperating with US forces.
