Latest news with #Russianforces
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
‘Brutality over precision' — What the Army is learning from Russia in Ukraine
Russian forces in Ukraine are learning that tactics based on 'brutality' and quantity over quality can improve their fortunes, according to a 170-page report put out by the U.S. Army this month. Published last week, 'How Russia Fights' lays out a series of hard lessons the U.S. troops are learning from Russia as its full-scale invasion of Ukraine steams towards its fourth year. 'The Russians have already reverted to Soviet form on the battlefield, favoring mass over maneuver, quantity over quality, capacity over capability, brutality over precision, and mobilization over readiness,' the report says. Produced by the Army's Foreign Military Studies Office at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, it's a rare look at how one part of the U.S. military is studying this war and what lessons can be taken from it. Based on events between Feb. 24, 2022, and June 30, 2024, it shows how Russia, despite sanctions, isolation, and battlefield losses, is rapidly adapting and refining a model of warfare that leverages mass, improvisation, and emerging technologies to sustain operations far longer than many expected. Drones are foundational One of the strongest themes in the report is how drones have become central to nearly every part of the Russian way of war. Quadcopter drones, often rigged with improvised explosives or thermobaric payloads, are used at every level of the Russian military. These systems are produced at scale, often through informal networks, and treated as expendable munitions. Russia is reportedly going through tens of thousands of drones per month, according to analysts and open-source tracking. Drones are now directly tied into command and fire support. Fixed-wing systems like the Orlan-10 conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, or ISR. Targets are passed to artillery batteries or FPV drone teams that engage the target. Another drone confirms damage. In many cases, drones have replaced manned forward observers entirely. In contrast, Army units below the battalion level often don't have their own drones, though efforts to fix that are underway. Electronic warfare shapes the battlefield Russia's use of electronic warfare, EW, is another area the report highlights as both mature and deeply integrated. Russian battalions independently operate systems like the Borisoglebsk-2 and Leer-3, which jam Ukrainian communications and GPS navigation, spoof drone signals, and expose the location of emitters. More than just a support capability, EW is used to shape the battlefield before major attacks. Western-supplied guided munitions like JDAM-ERs and Excalibur rounds have reportedly been degraded in areas with dense Russian jamming. And not all of these capabilities are coming from high-end gear: commercial jammers purchased online, some as cheap as $20, are also being deployed. Russian units are adapting The Army's assessment of Russian troop quality is nuanced. Some formations, like Spetsnaz or VDV units, retain a professional core. Others, especially mobilized conscripts and penal battalions, struggle with morale and coordination. But even in lower-tier units, cohesion and tactical learning are improving. Officers are creating makeshift leadership structures. Training pipelines are becoming more efficient. And units that survive long enough are adapting to the demands of trench warfare and drone-saturated environments. It's not a well-oiled machine by any interpretation, but the soldiers and leaders are adapting and learning quickly how to survive. Artillery is doing the heavy lifting Russia has shifted decisively to an artillery-first doctrine, creating formations known as 'army artillery groups.' These units integrate with drone ISR to deliver massed fires against static defenses and troop concentrations. Within the U.S. military, the Army has traditionally emphasized maneuver warfare — mobility, initiative, speed. But as the report shows, Russia is winning ground slowly and methodically, with drones feeding targets to artillery in a sustained kill chain. Top Stories This Week Culture Top Air Force enlisted leader apologizes for uniform slip-up Top Air Force enlisted leader apologizes for uniform slip-up By Jeff Schogol Culture An Army pilot and mechanic switched units for a week. Here's how that went. An Army pilot and mechanic switched units for a week. Here's how that went. By Patty Nieberg News Air Force Global Strike Command suspends use of M18 pistol after airman's death Air Force Global Strike Command suspends use of M18 pistol after airman's death By Jeff Schogol A whole-state effort A major theme scattered throughout the report is how this is a war that is being fought through all levels of society. Ministries, civilian industries, universities, and city governments have all been pulled into the effort. A bread factory in Tambov, Russia, for example, has been retooled to manufacture FPV drones. Local officials help fulfill recruitment quotas and raise money to buy gear for troops. Vans originally designed for public service have been converted into field ambulances. Regional governments are given quotes for 'kontraktnik,' volunteer enlisted soldiers. This blurring between civilian and military lines isn't an accident — it's part of how Russia sustains its war effort. This crowd-sourced approach isn't unique to Russia, with Ukraine employing similar practices, particularly fundraising for gear and equipment, but it does illustrate how large the effort has become to sustain this 'special military operation.' What is the U.S. doing about it? The Army is already making changes. In 2024, it began incorporating drone awareness and concealment techniques into enlisted training at Fort Benning, Georgia, Fort Jackson, South Carolina and Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Soldiers now train to reduce their visibility to overhead ISR — a direct lesson from the Ukrainian trenches. Modernization programs like Project Linchpin and TITAN are also underway, aiming to speed up targeting decisions and better integrate sensor data across domains. The Pentagon's July 10 memo, 'Unleashing U.S. Military Drone Dominance,' opens up the branches to more rapidly acquire, field, and train with small drones by treating them like munitions instead of like an aircraft. To break down the full report — and what it means for the future of U.S. ground warfare — we've got a deep-dive video up now on the Task & Purpose YouTube channel. It covers everything from drone saturation and GPS jamming to Russia's artillery doctrine and how the Army is rethinking its own training and modernization in response. You can watch it here. Solve the daily Crossword
Reuters
3 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Pregnant in Kyiv, in the wreckage of apartment hit by Russian drone
KYIV, July 28 (Reuters) - Bohdana Zhupanyna had planned to use the last two weeks of her pregnancy in Ukraine brushing up on parenting skills and preparing for the arrival of her daughter. Instead, the 30-year-old found herself sifting through the charred remains of her second-floor apartment in Kyiv, wrecked in a Russian drone attack on July 21. "I don't know what kind of fate this is, why this happens, for what reason," she told Reuters, clutching her belly as daylight poured through a gaping hole that was once her living room. Around her, broken pieces of a couch and bed sat clumsily stacked, and once-sleek kitchen shelves were covered in shattered glass and dust. Ukrainians like Zhupanyna have endured months of worsening Russian air strikes that have killed dozens and upended daily lives since peace talks broke down last spring. On Monday, Russian forces unleashed a fresh wave of attacks involving hundreds of drones, wounding eight people in Kyiv as it continued grinding forward on the battlefield. Zhupanyna, who was elsewhere at the time of last week's attack, said she felt lucky that her mother was able to seek cover and emerge unscathed. But a jagged piece of a Russian drone in her smartly designed bathroom serves as a grim reminder of the dangers she and millions of other Ukrainians face on a daily basis. "This is confirmation that they're attacking civilian places, specifically residential apartments," she said. Nearby, a metro station, businesses and other residential properties were also damaged. Moscow, which has killed thousands of civilians since its full-scale invasion in February 2022, denies intentionally targeting them but says it strikes civil infrastructure such as energy systems to degrade Ukraine's ability to fight. Ukraine has also targeted Russian cities with long-range weapons, though it has caused far more limited damage. U.S. President Donald Trump has cited the upsurge in attacks on Ukrainian civilians for a decision this month to resume shipments of weapons to Kyiv, including air defences. The Russians "have to stop killing us," said Zhupanyna, whose father was killed fighting at the front. "As for Trump, I would like him to simply help more."
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Yahoo
Flames and destruction after Russia strikes Odesa and Sumy
Russian forces launched a series of aerial attacks across Ukraine overnight, striking the cities of Sumy, Odesa, and Kramatorsk, leaving one child dead and at least 24 others injured.
ABC News
19-07-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
One person dead in Russian drone strike on Ukrainian port city Odesa, mayor says
Russian forces staged a mass drone attack on the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odesa early on Saturday, setting ablaze at least one multi-storey apartment building and killing one resident, the city's mayor said. Mayor Hennady Trukhanov said casualty figures were still being compiled. "All emergency crews are working in enhanced mode," Mr Trukhanov wrote on the Telegram messaging app. "Civilian infrastructure was damaged as a result of the attack. A residential high-rise building is on fire and rescuers were pulling people out." Mr Trukhanov earlier said that at least 20 drones had converged on the city, a frequent target of Russian attacks. "As of now, it has been confirmed that one person died," he added. The Odesa region's emergency service said later that five people were rescued from burning apartments, but "one rescued woman died". Pictures posted online showed a fire engulfing floors near the top of one building and emergency crews moving extended ladders into place. Adults were seen carrying children to safety in blankets. The Black Sea port, known for its picturesque streets of 19th-century buildings, has been regularly targeted by Russian strikes in the more than three-year war. The southern city's historic centre is on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Russian air defences intercepted drones heading for Moscow in a series of attacks, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. Mr Sobyanin, writing on Telegram, made no mention of casualties or damage in his accounts of air defence activity, but said 13 drones had been downed or destroyed after midnight. He said specialists were examining fragments where they had landed. A tally of his posts showed 10 more drones were intercepted or destroyed in the previous 11 hours. Russia's Defence Ministry, in a separate post, said its air defence units had downed 87 Ukrainian drones in different areas across central, western and southern Russia in a period spanning nearly five hours. Of the drones, 48 were downed in the Bryansk region, on the Ukrainian border. The acting governor of the Rostov region, on Ukraine's eastern border, said Ukrainian drones had triggered fires or knocked down power lines in several districts. Ukraine has for some time launched drones against long-distance Russian targets, many associated with energy. In one attack last month, dubbed 'Operation Spiders Web', Russian long-range military aircraft were targeted at several air bases. Russia's military has in recent weeks intensified its attacks by swarms of drones and missiles against Ukrainian cities. Reuters
Reuters
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
One dead in mass Russian drone attack on Ukraine's Odesa, mayor says
July 19 (Reuters) - Russian forces staged a mass drone attack on the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odesa early on Saturday, setting ablaze at least one multi-storey apartment building and killing one resident, the city's mayor said. Mayor Hennady Trukhanov said figures for the number of injured were being compiled. "All emergency crews are working in enhanced mode," Trukhanov wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Trukhanov earlier said that at least 20 drones had converged on the city, a frequent target of Russian attacks, and he said at least one multi-storey apartment building was on fire. Pictures posted online showed a fire engulfing floors near the top of one building and emergency crews moving extended ladders into place. Smoke billowed from windows. Parents were seen carrying children to safety in blankets.
