Latest news with #MinistryofDefenceofUkraine
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ukraine has paid US$770 million for weapons it has not received yet
Ukraine has transferred US$770 million to foreign arms suppliers as an advance payment, but much of this weaponry and ammunition has not been delivered. Source: Financial Times, citing documents from the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine and internal materials obtained Details: One illustrative case was the story of 28-year-old American Tanner Cook from Arizona, the owner of a small gun shop on the outskirts of Tucson. Cook's company, OTL, was awarded a €49 million contract in 2022 to supply ammunition to the Ukrainian army. Ukraine paid €17.1 million in advance, but the ammunition was never delivered. Although the Ukrainian side won the arbitration in Vienna, the money has not yet been returned. Documents obtained by the Financial Times show that Ukraine has lost at least US$770 million in advance payments to foreign intermediaries for weapons that have never been delivered over the three years of the war. Internal corruption scandals exacerbate the situation: several officials responsible for defence procurement have already been dismissed, and some face charges. Dozens of contracts are being investigated for suspected abuses. A Ukrainian court found that the state-owned company Ukrspecexport purchased 120mm mortars in April 2022 from Sudanese sellers who, it turned out, had close ties to the Russian Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation and Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner Private Military Company. Background: Ukraine became Europe's largest importer of arms between 2019 and 2023, while Russian arms exports decreased by 53% over the same period. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ukraine's Defence Ministry reveals how much money it spends on female military clothing
Between 2024 and 2025, over UAH 230 million (about US$5.5 million) were spent on adapted clothing for female military personnel. The procurement agency State Logistics Operator provided the necessary equipment for women in the military. Source: Ministry of Defence of Ukraine Quote from Hlib Kanievskyi, Director of the Procurement Policy Department of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine: "We are systematically changing our approach to clothing provision, expanding the range and introducing new requirements that correspond to the anatomical features of women." Details: The ministry added that it had already developed a range of clothing items for female defenders and approved their technical specifications. These include: underwear and tops; summer field suits; underwear for mid-season; underwear for cold weather (winter shirts and long johns). The Ministry of Defence has also approved two models of modular body armour sets (1-8), which are adapted to the needs and anatomical features of women. In addition, the ministry has completed testing of winter jackets and trousers for female defenders, which will provide protection from wind and moisture. Their technical specifications are currently being developed. The clothing provision also includes basic items of uniform for women in the army, which were developed before the start of the full-scale war: tunic; skirt; trousers; long- and short-sleeved shirts; tie; cap; winter everyday hat; jumper; coat; chrome shoes; insulated boots. The Ministry of Defence noted that some of the military's clothing is universal for both sexes. However, the uniforms are designed with women's characteristics in mind, so the clothing is smaller in size and has a different cut. Background: The Ministry of Defence showed the first samples of underwear for female defenders and began developing lighter body armour and winter clothing for them. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Visliuk fibre-optic tracked robot approved for use in Ukrainian Armed Forces
Ukraine's Ministry of Defence has approved and codified the use of the Ukrainian-made Visliuk (Donkey) ground robotic system in Ukrainian defence forces. Source: Ministry of Defence of Ukraine Details: The system is compact enough to fit inside a van or a trailer. It is equipped with two silent electric motors and metal tracks, which provide high cross-country capability on difficult terrain. "The system moves confidently off-road, through sand and mud. At the same time, the robot can transport up to 200 kilogrammes of payload. The traction force of the electric motors also enables evacuation functions. It is sufficient to pull out an SUV stuck in the mud," the ministry stated. The ministry added that Visliuk is manufactured in various configurations: for logistics, evacuation, mine-laying and installation of engineering barriers. It can also serve as a mobile platform for transporting communications relay towers, combat modules, or day and night surveillance systems. "It has jam-resistant control channels. This ground robotic system can optionally be equipped with a fibre-optic module," the ministry noted. The robotic systems are operable in all weather conditions. The battery capacity allows for several hours of continuous movement at maximum speed. Background: It was previously reported that Ukraine's Defence Procurement Agency had already ordered about 8,000 ground robotic systems in 2025. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Daily Mail
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Moment Ukraine takes out Russian fighter jet with sea drone in world first
A Ukrainian marine drone carrying air-to-air missiles shot down a Russian fighter jet last week in what was described by Ukraine's Defence Intelligence Chief as a 'historic moment'. A member of Ukraine's special forces was guiding the Magura V7 sea vehicle in Black Sea waters close to the Russian port town of Novorossiysk on May 2 when it registered a Russian aircraft streaking overhead. Stunning heads-up display footage released by Ukraine's GUR military intelligence agency showed the moment the drone unleashed a US-supplied AIM-9 sidewinder infrared guided missile and scored a direct hit on the jet - a Su-30SM multirole fighter. It is believed to be the first time in history that a seaborne military drone has scored a kill on a fixed-wing fighter aircraft. The hitherto unrealised feat was repeated minutes later when a second Magura drone scored a kill on another Su-30. The Magura V7 marine drone is based on the same platform as the Magura V5, which has been used to great effect by Ukraine's armed forces to terrorise Russia 's Black Sea naval fleet, but has been modified for air defence missions. Each drone is reported to cost just over £200,000 - a paltry sum in comparison to the cost per unit of the advanced supermanoeuvrable Su-30SM, which comes in at roughly £37 million. The crew of the first Su-30SM managed to eject and were plucked from the murky waters of the Black Sea by a Russian civilian ship, according to Budanov and Russian military bloggers. The crew of the second jet were not so lucky and went down with their plane, Ukrainian officials said. Stunning heads-up display footage released by Ukraine's GUR military intelligence agency showed the moment the drone unleashed a US-supplied AIM-9 sidewinder infrared guided missiles and scored a direct hit on the jet Hours after the shootdowns, the GUR released a triumphant statement commemorating the successful air defence mission. 'On May 2, 2025, the special unit of the GUR of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, in cooperation with the SBU and the Defence Forces of Ukraine, eliminated a Russian Su-30 in the Black Sea – this is the first destruction of a combat aircraft by a naval drone in the world. 'The historic strike was carried out by soldiers of the special forces unit of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry Group 13 with a Magura unmanned maritime platform missile,' the statement read. 'The fighter plane of the aggressor state of Russia, which has an estimated cost of about $50 million, burst into flames in the air and eventually fell into the sea – to the bottom, and into the possession of ruthless Neptune.' Russia's defence ministry did not respond to the incident but a slew of prominent Russian military blogging channels appeared to verify the Ukrainian claims. The downing of the Su-30s came on the night of May 2 as part of a wider assault on Novorossiysk, whose mayor declared a state of emergency on Saturday. While the Magura drones shot down Russian aircraft, airborne unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) battered the port city. Andrei Kravchenko announced his decision on his official Telegram account which showed him inspecting the damage to apartment buildings and giving orders to officials. There was no immediate comment from Kyiv on the attack, but Ukraine's air force said Russia had launched its own attacks on Ukrainian positions overnight with some 183 drones and two ballistic missiles. Astonishing footage, filmed by a GoPro camera, shows the Russian crew of the Caesar Kunikov large landing ship fighting its last battle with Ukrainian marine drones off the coast of Crimea The Caesar Kunikov explodes after being hit by Magura seaborne drones The efficacy of the Magura sea drone as an air defence platform is the latest display of military innovation springing from the Russia-Ukraine conflict. In February 2024, the Magura V5 variant was used to sink a Russian ship in the Black Sea. A GoPro video, taken by sailors aboard the doomed Caesar Kunikov, showed in shocking detail how the navy men desperately tried to fight off the oncoming drones in an intense 20-minute sea battle before their vessel was destroyed in a fiery explosion. The hellish, chaotic scene saw a small group of seamen unloading their weapons into the murky water. Explosions rang out around them as the drones one by one slammed into the ship's hull and lit up the night sky. The ship powerless to defend against a flotilla of the high-speed, high-explosive and cheap Magura V5 drones controlled by operators hundreds of miles away.
Daily Mirror
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Ukraine reveals 'world first' after downing £38m Putin Su-30 warplanes
Footage shows a Ukrainian strike on one of two Russian Su-30 warplanes, costing £38 million, in what is a world first using missiles launched from high-speed unmanned boats Ukraine has revealed how it downed two £38 million Putin Su-30 multi-role fighters in the Black Sea - using missiles launched from high-speed unmanned boats in Russian waters. The strikes from marine drones are a world first, and a major humiliation for the Russian dictator with Lt-Gen Kyrylo Budanov saying: 'It's a historical moment.' A video shows the first strike on the Su-30 - known as Flanker - from a Magura-7 drone which struck near key Russian naval port Novorossiysk. It was hit with an AIM-9 Sidewinder infrared-guided air-to-air missile fired from the unmanned boat by a remote controller. The two pilots ejected and were rescued by a civilian ship, according to reports. There is no visual evidence of the second strike, by the same missile type but in a separate strike. Lt-Gen Budanov said the Russian crew were believed to have been killed. Earlier reports from Ukraine suggested the first plane was downed by an adapted infrared-guided R-73 short-range air-to-air missile. The AIM-9 Sidewinder was supplied to Ukraine by the US. Ukraine has repeatedly used maritime drones to inflict heavy losses on Russian naval power in the Black Sea. Earlier the Ukrainian GUR military intelligence directorate said: 'This is the first destruction of a combat aircraft by a sea drone in the world,' said the GUR. The historic strike was carried out by soldiers of the GUR special unit of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine Group 13 with a missile from an unmanned sea platform Magura. 'The multi-purpose fighter of the aggressor state Russia, whose estimated cost is about $50 million [USD], burst into flames in the air and eventually fell into the sea…. 'The successful strike on the enemy combat aircraft took place in the water area near the port in the city of Novorossiysk, where Muscovites hid the remains of their Black Sea Fleet.' On December 31 last year a Magura V5 missile sea drone downed two Russian Mi-8 helicopters, another world first. Lt-Gen Budanov told War Zone media: 'We use a couple of models [of missiles] on our Magura-7, but the best results [come from] the AIM-9.' Meanwhile, a Russian drone attack overnight on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, wounded 11 people, Ukraine's State Emergency Service said Sunday. Two children were among the wounded. The attack woke up Valentyna Fesiuk, an 83-year-old resident of Kyiv's Obolon district. 'I was just sleeping when the house shook. It was at 12:30. An apartment on the 12th floor caught fire,' she said. The car of another resident, Viacheslav Khotab, caught fire. 'I saw my car burning. I was covered with broken glass,' he said. 'I couldn't do anything.' The 54-year-old was frustrated with stalled peace negotiations: 'They can't agree on anything, and we are the ones who suffer the consequences.' Daryna Kravchuk, an 18-year-old student in the district, described how 'five to six minutes after the air raid was activated, we heard a strong impact, everything started shaking. ... There were three strikes almost in a row after the air raid was activated. It's very scary to witness, we have been suffering from this for so long. People are just suffering all the time. ... It's still very hard to see our country constantly being destroyed."
