Latest news with #SpecialKhersonCat
Newsweek
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Ukrainian MiG-29 Fighter Jets Bomb Russian Special Services Base
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Ukrainian fighter jets have struck a base belonging to Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) in the Belgorod region, killing intelligence officers, according to a report. The Telegram channel Soniashnyk, which is affiliated with the Ukrainian Air Force, said the attack was carried out by MiG-29 jets armed with French-developed AASM Hammer precision-guided bombs. Open-source intelligence (OSINT) analysts on X (formerly Twitter) have confirmed the location of the targeted FSB building. Newsweek has contacted Russian and Ukrainian authorities for comment by email. Why It Matters The strike marks a significant escalation in the war, launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin in February 2022. While Ukraine has previously targeted military sites on Russian soil—such as ammunition depots, logistics hubs, and airbases—the attack on the Glotovo base appears to be the first known strike on a facility linked to the FSB. AASM Hammer air strike by the MiG-29 on the Russian base which as said was used by FSB. — Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) May 26, 2025 What To Know The Soniashnyk Telegram channel reported that the FSB base, located in Russia's Belgorod region near the Ukrainian border, was hit with two French-made AASM Hammer precision-guided bombs. An unverified video shared by the channel captures the moment of the strike. Filmed by a drone, the footage shows a direct hit on the building, followed by a massive plume of smoke billowing into the sky. "This is what happens when you don't get the message the first time—the Cossacks have to go and repeat the conversation," the channel said in a caption accompanying the clip. "Aviation continues to operate in all directions, MiG-29s destroy enemy forces, including officers of the FSB," it said. Ukrainian fighter jets struck a base belonging to Russia's Federal Security Service in the Belgorod region, killing several intelligence officers, the Telegram channel Soniashnyk, said on May 26, 2025. Ukrainian fighter jets struck a base belonging to Russia's Federal Security Service in the Belgorod region, killing several intelligence officers, the Telegram channel Soniashnyk, said on May 26, 2025. Telegram/Soniashnyk Ukraine's military has used AASM bombs extensively in the war to strike Russian military targets, including drone hubs and control centers. Designed by the French Company Safran Electronics & Defense, the air-to-surface weapons are suitable for both deep-strike attacks and close air support missions. The strike comes weeks after Kyiv was reported to have captured the village of Demidovka in Belgorod, and after a Ukrainian long-range HIMARS strike destroyed four Russian helicopters in the region. Emil Kastehelmi, a military analyst from Finland-based Black Bird Group, previously told Newsweek that there was no indication Ukraine had made further gains beyond Demidovka in Belgorod. Kyiv's military was likely a fixing operation, not a landgrab with large goals, he said. What People Are Saying The Telegram channel Soniashnyk, which is affiliated with the Ukrainian Air Force, said: "This is what happens when you don't get the message the first time—the Cossacks have to go and repeat the conversation." What Happens Next Soniashnyk said the Ukrainian Air Force will continue to "operate in all directions" as the war in Ukraine grinds on. Safran Electronics & Defense told Business Insider that it is significantly ramping up production of AASM Hammer bombs this year, but it's unclear how many will go to Ukraine.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia Testing Shotgun-Armed Yak-52 Trainer Aircraft To Down Ukrainian Drones
Russia has followed Ukraine's lead in adapting the propeller-driven Yak-52 primary training aircraft as an ad-hoc drone-killer. The Yak-52B2 includes a sensor turret to help detect long-range one-way attack drones and has a shotgun mounted under the wing for shooting them down. While it appears that Ukrainian Yak-52s have had some success in the counter-drone role, the appearance of the Yak-52B2 provides more evidence of the pressure that Ukrainian drone strikes are placing on Russia's traditional air defenses. A Russian design bureau has developed modernized Yak-52 into the Yak-52B2 for countering UAVs. The aircraft are equipped with 12 gauge shotguns, a radar, and a computer for targeting information and day / night — Rob Lee (@RALee85) May 18, 2025 The first photos and details about the Yak-52B2, described by Russian sources as a 'drone fighter,' recently appeared on social media. It's unclear which company was responsible for developing this modification of the primary trainer, but unconfirmed accounts suggest it was 'one of the experimental design bureaus specializing in aircraft construction.' Video of a Yak-52B2 and a Saiga shotgun underneath the — Rob Lee (@RALee85) May 18, 2025 The modified Yak-52B2 has a sensor turret under the left wing, which is said to be able to operate in air-to-air, air-to-ground, and, reportedly, weather-avoidance modes. Under the right wing is a 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun. Shotguns of different types have been widely employed to counter drones by both sides in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, although these are notably short-range weapons for any kind of air-to-air application, but more on that in a minute. Overall, the aircraft is said to be able to carry a payload of 90 kilograms (198 pounds) under each wing. Other equipment is said to include an onboard fire-control computer, which generates targeting information, while a navigation system allows operations at night and in poor weather. Reports from Russian military bloggers suggest that the Yak-52B2 was developed after previous experiments using the U.S.-designed Cessna 172 four-seat propeller aircraft and the Yak-18T four/five-seat propeller utility aircraft. According to these accounts, the Yak-52 was selected due to its performance and the fact that larger numbers of these airframes are widely available in Russia. Notably, it's claimed that the Yak-52B2 is intended to defeat both purpose-designed long-range one-way attack drones like the AN-196 Liutyi, as well as propeller aircraft that have been adapted to operate pilotless and deliver explosive payloads onto targets deep within Russia, such as the Aeroprakt A-22 ultralight. Ukrainian 'Lutyi' kamikaze drones being prepped for a combat mission. — Special Kherson Cat (@bayraktar_1love) May 13, 2025 There are also claims that the counter-drone modification was based on the experience of the Yak-52B light attack aircraft that was developed in the Soviet era, for use in the Afghan war. The Yak-52B was built for counterinsurgency work and was first tested in 1982 with an armament of UPK-23 23mm gun pods and UB-32 pods for 57mm unguided rockets on pylons under a strengthened wing. An optical sight was also fitted, but the aircraft was never produced in quantity. More pertinent to the Yak-52B2, however, is Ukraine's experiences using the same basic aircraft to counter Russian drones. Evidence of Ukraine using the Yak-52 to attack Russian drones began to appear in the spring of Yak-52 pilots who shot down a Russian reconnaissance UAV Orlan-10 today — MilitaryNewsUA (@front_ukrainian) April 27, 2024 Unlike the Russian adaptation with its fixed underwing armament, the Ukrainian Yak-52 conversion engages drones using a rifle-caliber weapon fired from the rear cockpit. Reportedly, the Ukrainian Yak-52 anti-drone crews serve with the Civil Air Patrol of Ukraine, a civilian organization that consists mainly of amateur aviators and private aircraft owners. By the summer of 2024, photos had emerged showing a Ukrainian Yak-52 with kill marks indicating the destruction of two ZALA 421-16E and six Orlan-10/30 series drones. The aircraft had also received a new geometric or 'digital' camouflage scheme, apparently tailored for low-level operations over the ground. In Ukraine, meanwhile, there are reportedly only around a dozen Yak-52s available for counter-drone work. There are accounts that the total was reduced by a Russian Iskander short-range ballistic missile attack on an airfield near Odessa, which may have been a deliberate effort to try and knock out these aircraft, which appear to have been used primarily in southern Ukraine. Ukraine is now trying to use alternative aircraft platforms for the mission, notably the Aeroprakt A-22, as you can read about here. The Ukrainian Yak-52 solution, which involves aiming a weapon by hand, with the slipstream of the aircraft to contend with, is far from easy. Before the crewmember can even take a shot, the aircraft also has to maneuver into a position from which this might be effective, bearing in mind the range of the weapon involved, closing speed, and the geometry of the engagement. With that in mind, the Russian solution with a fire-control computer and fixed gun armament would appear to have a better chance of success, but the weapon of choice seems like it would severely limit its capability, if not make engagements outright unsafe. Shotguns firing anything but slugs — which are not applicable for the counter drone role — have an effective range of around 30-50 yards, depending on the load, and that is not when flying into an 80mph headwind. This is extremely close range for a trailing aerial engagement that would be needed with a fixed gun mount like the one found on the Yak-52. Destroying a drone with the shotgun in such a manner could result in debris impacting the aircraft and/or the drone's warhead being detonated, damaging or destroying the Yak-52 gun platform that is trailing very closely directly behind it. As we have discussed many times before, taking out slow moving drones via another fixed-wing aircraft with guns can be very challenging and downright dangerous, especially fast jets. But using such a close-range weapon, while it cannot cause collateral damage on the ground, seems like it would put the firing and aircraft in extreme danger. An Ukrainian Yak-52 drone of a ruSSian drone. — 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝕯𝔢𝔞𝔡 𝕯𝔦𝔰𝔱𝔯𝔦𝔠𝔱△ (@TheDeadDistrict) March 24, 2025 On the other hand, it's unclear how much ammunition the fixed gun on the Yak-52B2 is provided with. The widely used Russian Saiga semi-automatic shotgun can be fitted with a detachable box magazine, like the kind seen in photos of the aircraft. Box magazine options generally range from five to 12 rounds. In this case, the magazine looks like at 10-12-round type. It seems consideration was given to using a heavier weapon with longer range — a PKTM general-purpose machine gun — but this was reportedly abandoned amid concerns as to how it could damage civilian infrastructure below. Regardless of the weapon being used, the sensor turret on the Yak-52B2 means that it can counter drone threats at night, when most Ukrainian long-range one-way attack drones arrive over targets in Russia. In Ukrainian hands, we also pointed out in the past how the inherent vulnerability of the Yak-52 limits the areas in which it can conduct drone-hunting missions. Russia doesn't have this problem if it chooses to use the Yak-52B2 for homeland defense, since this will involve largely uncontested airspace. Another advantage of the Yak-52B2 is its availability, with no shortage of these easy-to-maintain light aircraft at flying clubs and civilian organizations around the country. However, the training requirements to form effective units of aerial drone-killers would be significant. The Yak-52B2 has some limitations when it comes to combating long-range one-way attack drones — most notably its slow speed and limited radius of action, meaning it cannot run down specific targets, and it has a relatively low engagement rate. However, it could make sense for the point defense of certain critical targets. Furthermore, it can operate from the most basic airstrips, adding to its versatility. It's also worth noting that Russia's traditional air defenses have had only mixed results against this type of drone threat. In the past, Russian President Vladimir Putin himself has highlighted the difficulty in countering drones directed against targets deep within Russia, including the capital. 'The air defense system of Moscow worked normally, satisfactorily. Although there is something to work on,' Putin admitted, after a round of Ukrainian drone strikes against the capital in May 2023. 1/ Putin made a rare admission that Moscow's air defense system isn't well prepared to counter a large drone attack:"The air defense system of Moscow worked normally, satisfactorily. But, there is work to be done. We encountered the same problems at Khmeimim aerodrome in Syria." — Guy Plopsky (@GuyPlopsky) May 30, 2023 A very close footage of a drone over Moscow — Giorgi Revishvili (@revishvilig) May 30, 2023 At the same time, ground-based air defense systems as well as combat aircraft are in short supply in Russia, with these being needed on and closer to the front lines. Overall, the proliferation of Ukrainian aerial drones means that a layered defensive network involving different kinds of kinetic and non-kinetic solutions is likely the most effective. Certainly, there is a role for a light, slow-flying, agile platform — be it a fixed-wing aircraft or a helicopter — to counter drones. Indeed, it's something that many air forces have also explored, in a variety of contexts, but mainly for homeland defense. According to unconfirmed Russian sources, the Yak-52B2 has already received an airworthiness certificate and is now undergoing tests to debug the onboard equipment. It may not be long before we get to see the first evidence of these aircraft being used in Russia's continued battle against Ukraine's long-range one-way attack drones. Contact the author: thomas@
Miami Herald
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Russian Motorcycle Assault in Ukraine Foiled by Ravine: Video
A video has gone viral of what purports to be an attempt by a Russian soldier on a motorcycle trying and failing to leap a trench line. "Russian motorcycle assault did not go according to plan," pro-Ukrainian account Special Kherson Cat wrote on social media next to the 15-second video of the soldier accelerating toward the gap in the field and failing to clear it to the other side. Newsweek could not independently verify the footage and reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for comment. Russian forces have been increasingly using unarmored civilian vehicles, including motorcycles, in assaults throughout Ukraine since the second half of 2024. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in a May 7 report that Russian forces are using motorcycles to penetrate Ukrainian lines. However, Ukrainian media have reported failures in the maneuvers. Special Kherson Cat regularly posts videos about the Russia-Ukraine war on X (formerly Twitter) and BlueSky. On Thursday, the account shared undated drone footage taken from an unspecified location, which it said showed a Russian soldier on a motorcycle racing toward the gap. The soldier is unable to clear the divide and can be seen hitting the bank on the other side. The clip then cuts to the soldier lying next to the motorcycle. Newsweek has not embedded the video due to its graphic nature. As of Thursday afternoon, it had received over 100,000 views on X. It is the latest video showing Russian troops using motorbikes on the frontline. On May 5, Ukraine's National Guard released a clip it said showed how it used drones to rebuff a Russian motorcycle onslaught of troops trying to plant their flag on the ruins of a building. The video ends with the bodies of wounded or dead Russian soldiers lying next to their motorcycles. The previous week, Ukrainian drones destroyed nearly a dozen Russian assault troops on motorcycles in the Kupyansk sector of the Kharkiv region, according to the State Border Guard Service, cited by the Kyiv Post. The ISW said it had started observing Russian forces consistently using motorcycles to transport infantry in the Kharkiv, Chasiv Yar, and Zaporizhia directions from the middle of last year. Forbes reported this month that Russia's motorcycle assault tactics sometimes work and have helped Russian regiments nudge the front line in eastern Ukraine a mile or so to the west. Special Kherson Cat on X and BlueSky: "Russian motorcycle assault did not go according to plan." The Institute for the Study of War on May 7: "Russian forces are frequently using motorcycles to penetrate Ukrainian lines and advance in the Kupyansk, Siversk, Toretsk, Pokrovsk, and Velyka Novosilka directions." The ISW assessment this month said that Russia is increasing its use of motorcycles in response to constant Ukrainian drone strikes against Russian armored vehicles, which have caused high losses of equipment. Related Articles Donald Trump Ukraine Peace Plan Stonewalled by PutinZelensky Says Russia-Ukraine Talks Can Go AheadTrump Undercuts Ukraine Istanbul Talks Before They Even Start 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Russian Motorcycle Assault in Ukraine Foiled by Ravine: Video
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A video has gone viral of what purports to be an attempt by a Russian soldier on a motorcycle trying and failing to leap a trench line. "Russian motorcycle assault did not go according to plan," pro-Ukrainian account Special Kherson Cat wrote on social media next to the 15-second video of the soldier accelerating toward the gap in the field and failing to clear it to the other side. Newsweek could not independently verify the footage and reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for comment. Why It Matters Russian forces have been increasingly using unarmored civilian vehicles, including motorcycles, in assaults throughout Ukraine since the second half of 2024. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in a May 7 report that Russian forces are using motorcycles to penetrate Ukrainian lines. However, Ukrainian media have reported failures in the maneuvers. What To Know Special Kherson Cat regularly posts videos about the Russia-Ukraine war on X (formerly Twitter) and BlueSky. On Thursday, the account shared undated drone footage taken from an unspecified location, which it said showed a Russian soldier on a motorcycle racing toward the gap. The soldier is unable to clear the divide and can be seen hitting the bank on the other side. The clip then cuts to the soldier lying next to the motorcycle. Newsweek has not embedded the video due to its graphic nature. As of Thursday afternoon, it had received over 100,000 views on X. A member of Ukraine's 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade in the Donetsk Region on May 1, 2025. A member of Ukraine's 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade in the Donetsk Region on May 1, is the latest video showing Russian troops using motorbikes on the frontline. On May 5, Ukraine's National Guard released a clip it said showed how it used drones to rebuff a Russian motorcycle onslaught of troops trying to plant their flag on the ruins of a building. The video ends with the bodies of wounded or dead Russian soldiers lying next to their motorcycles. The previous week, Ukrainian drones destroyed nearly a dozen Russian assault troops on motorcycles in the Kupyansk sector of the Kharkiv region, according to the State Border Guard Service, cited by the Kyiv Post. The ISW said it had started observing Russian forces consistently using motorcycles to transport infantry in the Kharkiv, Chasiv Yar, and Zaporizhia directions from the middle of last year. Forbes reported this month that Russia's motorcycle assault tactics sometimes work and have helped Russian regiments nudge the front line in eastern Ukraine a mile or so to the west. What People Are Saying Special Kherson Cat on X and BlueSky: "Russian motorcycle assault did not go according to plan." The Institute for the Study of War on May 7: "Russian forces are frequently using motorcycles to penetrate Ukrainian lines and advance in the Kupyansk, Siversk, Toretsk, Pokrovsk, and Velyka Novosilka directions." What Happens Next The ISW assessment this month said that Russia is increasing its use of motorcycles in response to constant Ukrainian drone strikes against Russian armored vehicles, which have caused high losses of equipment.
