Latest news with #RPG-7
The Star
an hour ago
- Politics
- The Star
Ukrainian troops doubt quick ceasefire, reject territorial concessions
FILE PHOTO: Service members of the 58th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces use an RPG-7 grenade launcher during military exercises at a training ground, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv region, Ukraine August 11, 2025. REUTERS/Sofiia Gatilova/File Photo KHARKIV REGION, Ukraine (Reuters) -Ukrainian soldiers preparing for battle say they have little faith in prospects for a quick ceasefire, and many reject suggestions that Kyiv should give up any of its hard-fought territory to Russia. Reuters interviewed troops at two training bases in the northeastern Kharkiv region this week, days ahead of a planned meeting in Alaska between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Ukraine fears the two leaders could use their summit on Friday to dictate terms of peace and force Kyiv to abandon territory, a move Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has flatly rejected. "Give it away to whom? Give it away for what?" asked the commander of a training base for Ukraine's 58th Motorised Brigade, whose call sign is Chef. Trump said on Monday that both Kyiv and Moscow would need to cede land to end the war, now in its fourth year. European Union leaders rallied to Ukraine's defence on Tuesday, saying it must have the freedom to decide its own future. The joint statement came as Russian forces made a sudden thrust into eastern Ukraine in a bid to break a key defensive line, likely aimed at boosting pressure on Kyiv to give up land. The rapid battlefield push by Russia's larger and better-equipped army followed months of deadly air strikes on Ukrainian towns and cities. A Gallup poll released last week found that 69% of Ukrainians favor a negotiated end to the war as soon as possible. However, around the same number believe fighting won't end soon. "Every path to peace is built through negotiations," said another 58th Brigade soldier, call sign Champion, sitting inside an armoured vehicle. "But I cannot say that tomorrow there will be peace just like that... Because the enemy continues to creep in." Trump said his talks with Putin would be "a feel-out meeting" and that he would tell the Russian leader to "end this war". But he also hinted that he may walk away and let the two sides continue fighting. Other Ukrainian troops training in the Kharkiv region also welcomed a ceasefire, but said the Kremlin would need to be forced into making peace. "Until Russia suffers losses big enough to give up the idea of military pressure on us, (fighting) will continue," said an instructor from the 43rd Separate Mechanised Brigade, whose call sign is Snail. "We will not be able to stop this otherwise." (Writing by Dan PeleschukEditing by Alexandra Hudson)
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Ukrainian troops doubt quick ceasefire, reject territorial concessions
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: Service members of the 58th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces use an RPG-7 grenade launcher during military exercises at a training ground, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv region, Ukraine August 11, 2025. REUTERS/Sofiia Gatilova/File Photo KHARKIV REGION, Ukraine - Ukrainian soldiers preparing for battle say they have little faith in prospects for a quick ceasefire, and many reject suggestions that Kyiv should give up any of its hard-fought territory to Russia. Reuters interviewed troops at two training bases in the northeastern Kharkiv region this week, days ahead of a planned meeting in Alaska between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Ukraine fears the two leaders could use their summit on Friday to dictate terms of peace and force Kyiv to abandon territory, a move Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has flatly rejected. "Give it away to whom? Give it away for what?" asked the commander of a training base for Ukraine's 58th Motorised Brigade, whose call sign is Chef. Trump said on Monday that both Kyiv and Moscow would need to cede land to end the war, now in its fourth year. European Union leaders rallied to Ukraine's defence on Tuesday, saying it must have the freedom to decide its own future. The joint statement came as Russian forces made a sudden thrust into eastern Ukraine in a bid to break a key defensive line, likely aimed at boosting pressure on Kyiv to give up land. The rapid battlefield push by Russia's larger and better-equipped army followed months of deadly air strikes on Ukrainian towns and cities. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Luxury items seized in $3b money laundering case handed over to Deloitte for liquidation Singapore MyRepublic customers air concerns over broadband speed after sale to StarHub Singapore Power switchboard failure led to disruption in NEL, Sengkang-Punggol LRT services: SBS Transit Singapore NEL and Sengkang-Punggol LRT resume service after hours-long power fault Business Ninja Van cuts 12% of Singapore workforce after 2 rounds of layoffs in 2024 Singapore Hyflux investigator 'took advantage' of Olivia Lum's inability to recall events: Davinder Singh Singapore Man who stabbed son-in-law to death in Boon Tat Street in 2017 dies of heart attack, says daughter Singapore Man who stalked woman blasted by judge on appeal for asking scandalous questions in court A Gallup poll released last week found that 69% of Ukrainians favor a negotiated end to the war as soon as possible. However, around the same number believe fighting won't end soon. "Every path to peace is built through negotiations," said another 58th Brigade soldier, call sign Champion, sitting inside an armoured vehicle. "But I cannot say that tomorrow there will be peace just like that... Because the enemy continues to creep in." Trump said his talks with Putin would be "a feel-out meeting" and that he would tell the Russian leader to "end this war". But he also hinted that he may walk away and let the two sides continue fighting. Other Ukrainian troops training in the Kharkiv region also welcomed a ceasefire, but said the Kremlin would need to be forced into making peace. "Until Russia suffers losses big enough to give up the idea of military pressure on us, (fighting) will continue," said an instructor from the 43rd Separate Mechanised Brigade, whose call sign is Snail. "We will not be able to stop this otherwise." REUTERS
Deccan Herald
2 days ago
- General
- Deccan Herald
August 11, 2025: Best photos from around the world
A dog sits in oily wastewater in the Hasaka countryside, Syria. Credit: Reuters Photo Servicemen of the 115th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces use an RPG-7 grenade launcher during a training between combat missions at a training ground, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv region, Ukraine. Credit: Reuters Photo Fireworks explode in front of the full moon known as the "Sturgeon Moon" during celebrations ahead of the Feast of St Lawrence in Vittoriosa, as seen from Valletta, Malta. Credit: Reuters Photo Yerai Garcia (31), plays with his dog Greta as the full moon, known as the "Sturgeon Moon," rises in Arguineguin, on the island of Gran Canaria, Spain. Credit: Reuters Photo Boatmen row their boats in the Hooghly river near Prinsep Ghat as the sun sets behind clouds, in Kolkata, West Bengal. Credit: PTI Photo Artistes of Yakshagana Abhyasa Kendra UAE perform during an event at the of Shri Kateelu Durgaparameshwari Temple, in Mangaluru, Karnataka. Credit: PTI Photo
The Guardian
25-03-2025
- The Guardian
Former Baader-Meinhof militant goes on trial after decades on the run
A former member of the Red Army Faction has gone on trial in Germany for robberies she allegedly committed during three decades hiding in broad daylight. Daniela Klette, the last female member of the far-left terror network still on the run before her arrest, appeared before a court in the north-central city of Celle on Tuesday charged with 14 criminal offences including armed robbery and attempted murder. Police detained the 66-year-old last February in her flat in Berlin's gentrified Kreuzberg district where, unsuspected by her neighbours, she had walked her dog, danced capoeira and reportedly tutored schoolchildren in maths. Investigators found an anti-tank grenade and a Kalashnikov in her flat. The RAF, also known as the Baader-Meinhof gang, was responsible for a campaign of domestic terror in the 1970s and 1980s that included dozens of murders. With Ernst-Volker Staub and Burkhard Garweg, who are still on the run, Klette belonged to the so-called third generation of the group. It disbanded in the 1990s but the trio are alleged to have financed their lives in hiding through at least a dozen armed robberies in northern Germany. The trial will cover Klette's alleged involvement in the robberies but not the group's terror-related activities, which are expected to be covered by a further indictment. Klette is suspected of being involved in terror attacks on Deutsche Bank in 1990, the US embassy in Bonn in 1991, and a prison in Hessen in 1993. The trial is being held before Verden lower regional court, but because of security concerns the proceedings are taking place in the high-security building of Celle upper regional court. A protest of about 50 people from leftwing and far-left groups gathered outside the court in solidarity with Klette on Tuesday morning, the regional public broadcaster NDR reported. Klette is alleged to have been a driver for a spate of armed robberies spanning three decades. The Verden public prosecutor's office has alleged that in 2015 the group drove to a supermarket car park near Bremen to rob an armoured car holding €1m (£835,000). Klette is said to have carried a 'non-functional RPG-7 anti-tank gun and a submachine gun', while Garweg is said to have shot an automatic rifle at the window of the passenger door of the vehicle from close range. When Klette was arrested last year she allegedly texted Garweg, buying him time to run. He, too, is thought to have been living in Berlin under an alias. One of Klette's lawyers, Ulrich von Klinggräff, in an interview with the leftwing newspaper taz last week, criticised the trial for conflating Klette's alleged involvement in the robberies with 'completely arbitrary and unsubstantiated allegations about the RAF'. He cited the heavy security measures in the court and repeated references to the RAF in the indictment, which runs to 600 pages. Von Klinggräff said Klette was 'quite nervous' about the trial but would 'approach it with a fighting spirit'. The court has scheduled hearings until the end of the year. 'Yes, it's likely that Ms Klette had something to do with the robberies,' said Undine Weyers, another of Klette's lawyers, in the taz interview. 'But there's not a single piece of evidence that she was at any of the crime scenes or what role she played.'
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Yahoo
Chinese Tank's Active Protection System Seen Intercepting Drone-Fired Rocket Propelled Grenade
A recently emerged video shows testing of the Chinese GL-6 active protection system (APS), including against a drone-launched rocket-propelled grenade. High-angle top-down attacks are particularly threatening to tanks and other armored vehicles and can present challenges for many APSs. The footage also highlights the potential of hard-kill APSs to provide a valuable additional layer of defense against uncrewed aerial threats, including highly maneuverable first-person view (FPV) kamikaze drones, something TWZ has previously explored in an in-depth feature. The video of the GL-6 testing, seen below, first began circulating on social media yesterday after being broadcast by state-run television outlets in China. The footage shows variants of the Soviet-designed RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenade, or of the Chinese copy, the Type 69, being fired at a Type 96 tank, or at least the turret from one, fitted with the APS. The rocket-propelled grenades are seen fired from a commercial-style hexacopter drone, as well as a test fixture at ground level. One clip notably shows the GL-6 engage a top-down threat and then quickly shift to respond to one coming in laterally. China's GL-6 active protection system (APS) tests has been program includes intercepting top-down and horizontal attacks. The GL-6 system is designed to counter various threats, including ATGMs and RPGs, even those launched from drones. — Clash Report (@clashreport) February 7, 2025 At its core, the GL-6 consists of two main components, turreted launchers that fire projectiles with explosive warheads and an array of small radars to detect incoming threats and cue turrets to engage them. Many hard-kill APS designs on the market globally, such as the combat-proven Trophy from Israel's Rafael, use some combination of projectiles designed to destroy or at least disrupt their targets and associated sensor arrays. Israeli firms have been and continue to be particular pioneers in this space. Detailed shots of the VT4A1 tank vehicle APS (Active Protection System) exhibited by China North Industries Corporation at the Defense Military and Police Exhibition (IDEAS) in Karachi, Pakistan — Sajawal Rana (@Saju__302) November 18, 2022 Footage from testing of China's GL-6 active protection systemThe system is used to protect PLA armored vehicles from infrared- or laser-guided anti-tank missiles and other precision-guided munitions capable of penetrating armor. — Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) November 17, 2024 The GL-6's turrets are designed to allow for high-angle engagements against top-down threats. Chinese media reports say that the system is capable of defending against anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM), infantry anti-armor rockets, rocket-propelled grenades, and uncrewed aerial threats like loitering munitions. The GL-6 is not new, having been seen publicly displayed since at least 2022. There is evidence that it has been tested, if not fielded on several Chinese armored vehicles already. This includes the Type 99/ZTZ-99 main battle tank and a new infantry fighting vehicle capable of being air-dropped that first emerged last year, the official designation of which is not yet known. It is also being offered for export, including as an option for the VT-4A1 main battle tank. #China has modernized the Type 99 main battle tank (ZTZ-99).The tank is equipped with a new GL-6 active protection system against anti-tank missiles and high-explosive fragmentation shells. The GL-6 includes two launchers and four threat detection radars. — OSINT Expert (@OsintExperts) September 28, 2024 China unveiled a new airborne Infantry fighting Vehicle equipped with GL-6 active protection system (APS) during Chinese president visit to PLAAF's airborne forces command.#PLA #China #defense — Global Defense Agency (@Defense_GDA) November 5, 2024 An advanced variant of Chinese VT-4 main battle tank VT-4A1 is being displayed at Zhuhai Airshow is equipped with advanced Active protection system (APS), Remote controlled weapon sys (RCWS) and drone jamming systems.#ZhuhaiAirshow2024 #airshow2024 #China — Global Defense Agency (@Defense_GDA) November 3, 2024 Hard-kill APSs are already becoming an ever more common feature on tanks and other heavy armored vehicles around the world, just due to threats posed by the steady proliferation of increasingly more capable ATGMs and other infantry anti-armor weapons. Within this, there has also been work to expand the ability of APSs to tackle threats with specialized top-down-attack capabilities, as well as typical lateral attack profiles. A prime example of the former is the U.S. TOW 2B anti-tank missile, which has a tandem warhead that detonates downward as it passes over its target. There is also just the danger of enemy forces using high ground to launch high-angle top-down attacks, especially in dense urban environments. The tops of tanks and other armored vehicles are typically their most vulnerable points and their crews often have limited situational awareness even in open field conditions, especially if they are buttoned up inside the hull for added protection. In addition, as noted, the new GL-6 testing footage highlights the additional role defensive systems could play against similarly expanding dangers posed by uncrewed aerial systems. Drones, especially highly maneuverable FPV kamikaze types, can be used to conduct both top-down and lower-angle attacks. Though the threat of drone attacks, including on armored vehicles specifically, is not new, something TWZ regularly highlights, the ongoing war in Ukraine has been instrumental in thrusting that reality into the public consciousness. Both Russian and Ukrainian forces now make daily use of FPV kamikaze types, as well as weaponized commercial designs capable of dropping small munitions. Various tiers of armed uncrewed aerial systems are now a common feature in hotspots globally and new advances driven by artificial intelligence and machine learning promise to make them even more deadly, as you can read more about here. Reposting this video showing a Russian T-80BVM tank with a roof screen and deploying smoke surviving multiple FPV hits and — Rob Lee (@RALee85) December 13, 2023 A Ukrainian drone from the 79th Air Assault Brigade drops a 40mm HEDP grenade on a Russian UR-77 Meteorit, causing a catastrophic payload explosion. — OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) August 14, 2023 China has already clearly been taking note of what is happening in Ukraine and elsewhere when it comes to its own expanding drone capabilities, as well as ways to defend against them. Chinese media has shown several videos in the past year or so highlighting new training for members of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) around the use of FPV kamikaze drones in particular. The Chinese army has released video from a UAV training base where FPV drone operators are honing their piloting footage shows pilots practicing combat stunts and improving their control skills. Aerobatic stunts include 'snake' flying in confined spaces, flying… — Zlatti71 (@Zlatti_71) January 22, 2025 Chinese PLA troops train with FPVs for bomb dropping and situational awareness, including operating from moving armored I'm sure Western militaries are exercising hard to better understand the use of FPVs as well… — Roy (@GrandpaRoy2) December 29, 2024 Chinese PLA soldiers on counter-FPV drone training. — Clash Report (@clashreport) April 27, 2024 When it comes to adding additional defenses to armored vehicles, various Chinese types have already emerged sporting so-called 'cope cage' anti-drone armor screens. Copes cages first appeared on Russian tanks in the immediate lead-up to the all-invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and have now become commonplace on both sides of that conflict. Such screens have been increasingly showing up on vehicles elsewhere around the world. Cope cage-type armor has popped up on platforms beyond ground vehicles, too. A ZTZ-96A Tank With Cope Chinese Army is widely installing cages on military vehicles. — 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝕯𝔢𝔞𝔡 𝕯𝔦𝔰𝔱𝔯𝔦𝔠𝔱△ (@TheDeadDistrict) February 1, 2025 Cope cage era arrives in Chinese IFV spotted with cope cage. — Clash Report (@clashreport) May 7, 2024 With all this in mind, hard-kill APSs like the GL-6 continue to present a potential route to adding an additional layer of counter-drone defenses to tanks and other armored vehicles, many of which already have such systems installed. In our feature last year, TWZ noted that there were already examples of defense contractors adding anti-drone capability to their APSs or at least looking to do so. This past October, Israel's Rafael notably announced that it had added new functionality to the Trophy systems specifically to enable it to defeat drone attacks. It is important to note that hard-kill APSs, even just against ATGMs and other infantry anti-armor threats, are not a silver bullet solution in themselves. Modern armored vehicle design is defined by continually evolving layers of defensive capabilities. The new GL-6 testing footage is the latest evidence of the general trend toward hard-kill APSs becoming not just valuable, but essential additions to tanks and other armored vehicles. This only looks set to be increasingly the case if systems like this can also demonstrate their ability to provide added protection against drones. Contact the author: joe@
