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Russia Today
a day ago
- Russia Today
VIDEO shows Russian soldiers taking down Ukrainian drone with scissors
Russian soldiers have purportedly disabled a Ukrainian fiber-optic drone using scissors, according to a video posted on the Telegram channel Voennyi Osvedomitel (Military Informant) on Saturday. Unlike traditional FPV drones, these models do not rely on radio signals, making them resistant to electronic warfare, with both sides of the conflict deploying them. As the drone passed in an unspecified location in the forest, the troops identified its trailing fiber-optic cable, sprinted forward, and severed it with medical scissors. Moments later, the drone crashed and detonated, footage shows. Russia was first to mass-deploy these 'invisible thread' drones in mid-2024. The 'Prince Vandal of Novgorod' drone was developed by the Ushkuynik Scientific and Production Center in less than a year. The fiber-optic FPV drone has caused substantial damage to NATO-supplied equipment to Ukraine, with claims of up to $300 million in destroyed hardware, according to the head of Novgorod Region, Andrey Nikitin. The Times reported in May that Russia is beating Ukraine in 'the drone race' when it comes to both the production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and their use on the battlefield. It pointed to the fiber optic drone types connected directly to their operators through a gossamer thin fiber optic thread that makes them difficult to detect or intercept. Russian UAVs are 'altering the physical make-up of the front line, the tactics of the war and the psychology of the soldiers fighting it,' the outlet said. Despite their anti-jamming advantages, fiber-optic drones have a restricted operational range determined by the length of the cable and potential visibility of it under certain environmental conditions.
Daily Mirror
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Vladimir Putin shows off horror new mystery cruise missile at weapons test site
Russian ex-president Dmitry Medvedev was shown the unnamed weapon during an inspection of Russia's new military arsenal, with the Kremlin evidently in a rush to get new weapons to the war zone Russia has given a brief glimpse of a 'new cruise missile' in new footage intended to show off its 'promising' new weapons systems. The shark-like nose of the unnamed weapon - seen at the Kapustin Yar test site - does not match Vladimir Putin 's widely known weapons and has puzzled defence and military experts. It was shown to Russian ex-president Dmitry Medvedev - a war hawk - during an inspection of new firepower, with the Kremlin evidently in a rush to get new weapons to the warzone, despite Donald Trump 's efforts at obtaining a peace deal. No details were given of the cruise missile, with one theory that it is a mockup of prototype rather than the finished article. Medvedev was shown the launches of other new weapons. War analyst Kirill Fyodorov said 'nothing interesting' was revealed by the Medvedev footage 'except for a couple of seconds, where we were briefly shown an unknown cruise missile. In appearance, it is a bit similar to the [Russian] Kh-101 - even the tail unit is similar, but it is clearly not one.' Military Informant channel also referred to 'a new unknown cruise missile demonstrated to Dmitry Medvedev during his visit to the Kapustin Yar test site in Astrakhan region. 'The product resembles the American low-observability cruise missile AGM-158 JASSM, which has a very similar 'pencil' shape of the warhead.' The new Russian weapon, only fleetingly shown, appears not to be the finished product, lacking flush rivets and smooth bonded joints. It may be a display or training version of a new missile, not an active one. The Kapustin Yar test site was the launch site for Putin's far larger Oreshnik nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic 'wonder weapon' unleashed on Dnipro in Ukraine last year. The showcasing of the mystery cruise missile comes after Russia was reported to have used a revamped Iranian-designed Shahed drone in attacks on Odesa last week. It had a jet engine and 'enhanced warhead', making a horrific wailing sound as it slammed into targets in the Black Sea port city. Medvedev, an ex-Russian president and prime minister, now deputy head of the Kremlin's security council, said he had seen 'promising means of defeat' at the test site. These included 'rocket and barrel artillery, barrage munitions, unmanned aerial vehicles and anti-aircraft weapons'. He said: 'We saw the launches of new rockets, increased anti-jamming protection and long-range projectiles for our main artillery systems. 'The growing need for these systems was discussed just three days ago at a meeting of the Military-Industrial Commission headed by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief [Vladimir Putin]. Let us now discuss what has been achieved and the results.' On Saturday, the Mirror reported how a dangerous Russian satellite suspected to be linked to a nuclear anti-satellite weapons program is 'spinning uncontrollably' in space. Secretive Cosmos 2553, which was set off by Russia ahead of the Ukraine invasion in 2022, is thought now to be no longer operational. The tech is said to be strong enough to wipe out satellite networks including Elon Musk's Starlink internet system, which has helped Ukrainians in the war. The latest concerns come after warnings from the US that the equipment aims to aid the development of a nuclear anti-satellite weapon. However, Vladimir Putin rejected the claims and said that Cosmos 2553 was for research purposes.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Extremely Rare Ukrainian Heavy Infantry Fighting Vehicle Appears On Battlefield
An example of the Ukrainian BMP-55 heavy infantry fighting vehicle, a radically reworked T-55 tank converted to transport soldiers across the battlefield, has appeared somewhere in Ukraine. While it's unclear when or where the imagery was taken, this seems to be the first time a BMP-55 has been sighted in an apparently operational context. With suggestions that only one example of these vehicles was ever completed, this makes its appearance all the more remarkable. The photos in question began to circulate on social media today and may have been first posted to Telegram by the Military Informant channel. The vehicle, partially covered in snow, looks to have been abandoned, although it shows no obvious signs of damage. It's unclear whether the vehicle is still in Ukrainian hands or if it was captured by Russian forces. Spray-painted onto the rear of the hull, in blue, is 'M113,' presumably a joke based on the U.S.-made armored personnel carrier, also in Ukrainian service, although a case of mistaken identity can't be ruled out. "M113" — T-90K (@T_90AK) April 22, 2025 Whatever the story behind the vehicle's current status, it's surprising to see it, bearing in mind that it never progressed beyond prototype tests, as far as we know. There remains a possibility, albeit remote, that Ukraine may have launched production of the BMP-55, perhaps using T-54/55 series tanks captured in the country from the opposing Russian forces. Reported footage of Russian T-54 tanks heading to Ukraine. — Clash Report (@clashreport) March 22, 2023 Originally, the BMP-55 was developed by the Kharkiv Armored Repair Plant, a major maintenance facility in the northeast Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. Work on the project appears to have begun around 2000, with the aim of making use of surplus T-55 tanks, which were no longer considered viable for frontline service. The T-55's turret was removed, and a new armored troop-carrying hull was mounted on the tank chassis. Unlike in the T-55, the new vehicle had the engine and transmission at the front of the hull, provided as a single unit that could be rapidly replaced. Ukrainian BMP-55 (T-55 modified into an armored transport platform) byu/AdexGodhail inTankPorn A similar program was created to convert the T-64 main battle tank into a heavy infantry fighting vehicle, known as the BMP-64. There was another Ukrainian project, also based on the T-64, known as the Azovets, a specialized vehicle designed for infantry fire support in urban fighting. The prototype of this vehicle — or what was left of it — was captured by Russian forces in Ukraine last year, having been left buried for some time. Official data from the manufacturer gives a weight of approximately 28.5 tons for the BMP-55, without armament. Meanwhile, there are accounts of a weight of around 44-46 tons, although this may well relate to the larger BMP-64. The BMP-55 reportedly had the capacity to carry up to 10 troops, although a standard eight-man infantry squad is specified by the manufacturer. The troops disembarked via a new rear-mounted ramp, which also made it easier to load casualties. The vehicle was operated by a crew of three. The armored personnel carrier seen in the recent imagery appears to have a launcher for a pair of anti-tank guided missiles in a remote station fitted on top of its hull, on the left-hand side of the vehicle, although there is no sign of the missiles themselves being loaded. As originally completed, there was also a remote weapon station on the right-hand side, fitted with a 12.7mm heavy machine gun, although this has since been removed from the vehicle. The BMP-55 hull's armored protection was apparently able to withstand 25-30mm autocannon fire from the frontal arc, while the rear armor was said to be able to defend against 14.5mm armor-piercing rounds. Meanwhile, armor applied on the underside of the vehicle was designed to protect against TM-57 anti-tank mine blasts and the effects of similar weapons. Further protection could be added in the form of explosive reactive armor (ERA) on the front and sides of the vehicle, as well as thermal cover on the top of the hull. The BMP-55 was apparently developed primarily for export, providing any of the many nations operating the T-55 with a low-cost means to field a 'modern' heavy infantry fighting vehicle fleet. The first prototype was reportedly completed by 2009. In any event, neither the BMP-55 nor the BMP-64 received any export orders. Nor were they adopted for service with the Ukrainian Armed Forces. After all, during Ukraine's years of peace in the 2000s, there was little impetus to convert tanks to become infantry fighting vehicles, although these would be of considerable value now, provided they were available in useful quantities. It should be noted that the idea of converting surplus tanks into heavy infantry fighting vehicles has found traction elsewhere, notably in Israel. The Israel Defense Forces have a long history of using heavy infantry fighting vehicles based on tank chassis. The Achzarit was an Israeli heavy IFV that was also based on a T-55 chassis, and it was followed by the Nagmachon and the Namer, which is in use today. These Israeli vehicles are considered especially useful for fighting in urban, counterinsurgency scenarios. Other roles well suited to these kinds of vehicles include combat engineering and, with appropriate armament fitted, fire support for infantry operations. Broadly similar in terms of reusing tank chassis is the Russian BMPT, which takes a T-72 and reworks it for urban counterinsurgency warfare, inspired by lessons from Moscow's two Chechen campaigns in the mid-1990s and early 2000s. The BMPT has been used in combat in Ukraine, although it appears to still be a very scarce vehicle in Russian service, with just one frontline unit so far having been equipped with them. Geolocated this train carrying BMPT Terminators to 52.597429, 38.439473 outside of Yelets, Russia (~300km from Ukraine). The train is heading west. BMPT Terminators were only introduced into service a few years ago and haven't been seen near Ukraine yet. — IntelWalrus (@IntelWalrus) February 20, 2022 Luhansk Oblast, Ukrainian forces from the 140th Marine Reconnaissance Battalion destroy a Russian BMPT Terminator with drone spotted indirect fire. — OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) February 9, 2023 As for the BMP-55, this may well be the first and only time we get to see it on — or close to — the battlefield. As noted earlier, accounts suggest that only one prototype was produced, with no evidence of follow-on vehicle conversions, unless these have been taking place since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, in which case, it has not been reported. It remains somewhat of a mystery what this example was doing, and to what degree it was exposed to combat. But, bearing in mind the rich tradition of armored vehicle development in Russia and Ukraine, it's unlikely to be the last unusual fighting vehicle to make an appearance in the war. Contact the author: thomas@
