Latest news with #US-supplied
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia's elite drone unit destroying Ukraine's precious Himars launchers
Credit: Russian Ministry of Defence / 'Rubicon' drone unit Footage captured the moment a Ukrainian Himars rocket launcher was destroyed by an elite Russian drone unit just 10km (six miles) from the front line last month. In a grainy video filmed just outside Chasiv Yar, in Donetsk, the US-supplied missile system was seen hurtling along a dirt-laden road as a Russian UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) closed in from above. The feed cut out seconds before impact, but separate footage showed an explosion moments later, confirming one of Ukraine's most valuable rocket systems had been destroyed. The attack was reportedly carried out by Rubicon, the Kremlin's elite drone warfare unit that Ukrainian soldiers have come to fear. Previously deployed earlier this year during Russia's brutal campaign to recapture the eastern town of Kursk, Rubicon has now been redirected to hunt Ukraine's most valuable battlefield assets: its US-supplied long-range missiles. There are signs it is succeeding. Since the start of the war, Ukraine has received around 40 vital Himars systems from Washington. The satellite-guided rocket launchers, capable of striking targets with pinpoint accuracy up to 80km away, have played a key role in blunting Russia's advances, allowing Kyiv to pin Russia back by disrupting logistics, command hubs and ammunition depots. Their advantage lies in the fact that they can sit deep behind the front line, out of Russian reach. Because of their importance, it is unusual for a Himars launcher to be placed just 10km from the front line. The one that was destroyed near the war-torn town of Chasiv Yar was therefore probably being used to hit a target deep behind enemy lines. 'Himars have remained an important tactical and operational level system for the Ukrainians, particularly as it can hold Russian targets at risk some distance from the front line, affecting Russian logistics and command and control, as well as combat power,' said Tom Withington, a weapons expert at Rusi, a defence think tank. But, following the latest destruction of the launcher near Chasiv Yar, at least four have now been lost – a small but significant dent in Ukraine's arsenal at a time when US support appears likely to dry up. Donald Trump's administration has given no indication it will resupply Ukraine with new Himars systems, further raising the stakes for Ukraine over its remaining ones. The latest method used to destroy a Himars launcher is especially concerning for Kyiv. Unlike previous losses, which mostly resulted from missile or artillery strikes, the latest attack on one of the systems was reportedly carried out by a first-person view (FPV) drone using a fibre-optic guidance cable – a sophisticated and largely jam-proof design that signals a dangerous shift in the conflict. Traditional FPV drones are vulnerable to Ukraine's electronic warfare systems, which jam incoming frequencies and render them blind mid-flight. But fibre-optic drones are physically tethered to their operators via ultra-thin cables that transmit real-time video and guidance signals. 'Fibre optic cables are basically impossible to jam,' Mr Withington said. 'The cables are very small, in some cases the breadth of a human hair, so that makes them incredibly difficult to detect physically.' Rubicon, established in October 2024 at the personal instruction of Andrei Belousov, Russia's defence minister, has become a test bed for this type of new technology. Its drone pilots now operate in at least seven specialist detachments across eastern Ukraine, carrying out complex, decentralised missions. The unit's tactics are equally modern. During the Kursk offensive, Rubicon drones reportedly struck short segments of road – just 100 to 300 metres long – from multiple angles at once, catching convoys in lethal ambushes. Some drones were embedded in road surfaces, exploding beneath passing vehicles like land mines. Others attacked head-on, targeting the front and rear vehicles to trap the rest in a kill zone. The results were devastating, with the majority of Ukrainian troops pushed out of Kursk after the Rubicon unit destroyed their supply route. In the process, Rubicon is believed to have disabled hundreds of Ukrainian vehicles, including M2 Bradley infantry carriers and heavily armoured MaxxPro trucks, often with fibre optic cable drones. Ukrainian drone operators, unable to jam or outmanoeuvre them, began referring to the airspace above Kursk as the 'road of death'. The redeployment of Rubicon towards high-value weaponry like Himars marks a new and troubling phase for Ukraine. Russia is no longer just harassing Ukraine's supply lines in Kursk – its sights are firmly set on systematically targeting the strategic backbone of Kyiv's long-range strike capability that it has used so effectively. The symbolic significance of these losses is not lost on Ukraine. Himars launchers are more than just tools of war; they are symbols of Western support. Their destruction delivers a psychological blow as much as a military one. For much of 2022 and 2023, the arrival of Himars shifted the balance on the battlefield. Ukraine used them to force Russian withdrawals from key cities, including Kherson, where a strike destroyed a Russian training camp on a beach. But if stockpiles dwindle further and replacements are in doubt, Ukraine could lose a significant battlefield edge. The strike near Chasiv Yar – believed to be the first destruction of a Himars launcher by a fibre optic cable drone – suggests that Russia now has the means to reach even Ukraine's most protected assets. If Kyiv cannot adapt quickly to this new threat, the consequences could be far-reaching. 'Years ago, I spoke to soldiers stationed in Germany during the Cold War. They said there were fields and valleys filled with wire-guided munitions… I wouldn't be surprised if Ukraine starts ending up like that too,' Mr Withington said. 'Until a meaningful counter is developed, the uptake will just continue.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
TimesLIVE
12-05-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Taiwan test fires new US-supplied HIMARS rocket system for first time
Taiwan on Monday test-fired for the first time a new US-supplied rocket system that has been widely used by Ukraine against Russia and could be deployed to hit targets in China if there is a war with Taiwan. The US is Taiwan's most important arms supplier, despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties. Taiwan has faced increased military pressure from China, including several rounds of war games, as Beijing seeks to assert its sovereignty claims over the island. Taiwan has bought 29 of Lockheed Martin's precision weapon High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, with the first batch of 11 received last year and the rest set to arrive by next year. With a range of about 300km, they could hit coastal targets in China's southern province of Fujian, on the other side of the Taiwan Strait, in the event of conflict. The US-trained Taiwan military team fired the rockets from the Jiupeng test centre on a remote part of the Pacific coast.
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First Post
10-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Has Pakistan violated US rules by using F-16s against India?
Amid India's ongoing military standoff with Pakistan, there are reports of Islamabad deploying F-16 fighters for its attacks. But is the neighbouring nation misusing the American-made aircraft? Washington has laid down strict provisions on the use of the jets — the agreement calls for it to be used only for counterterrorism read more Has Pakistan used its F-16 fighter jets in the current standoff with India? Why this may be an issue with the US? File image/AFP It's been four days of tensions running high between India and Pakistan. Islamabad continues to provoke and escalate the situation by using fighter jets, drones, long-range weapons, loitering munitions to attack India's military sites. On Saturday in a press briefing, Col Sofiya Qureshi confirmed that the Pakistani Army is continuously attacking the western borders. 'It has used drones, long-range weapons, loitering munitions, and fighter jets to attack India's military sites.' She added that India neutralised many dangers, but Islamabad tried to infiltrate via air at more than 26 places, and they damaged equipment and personnel at air force bases in Udhampur, Bhuj, Pathankot, and Bathinda. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This remark shines a light on Pakistan's aerial power, namely its fighter jets that they have been using for the past few days, namely the US-supplied F-16. In fact, highly-placed government sources have been reported as saying that New Delhi struck down an F-16 supersonic fighter jet of the Pakistan Air Force on Friday. If this is confirmed, it's a violation of the US rules laid down for the use of these fighter jets. Let's see how. Pak's use of F-16 against India in current standoff On the intervening night of May 7-8, Pakistan deployed a F-16 towards India. However, the fighter jet was shot down by New Delhi, sources were reported as telling NDTV. According to the sources, the F-16 took off from the Sargodha air base in Pakistan, a key air force station of the Pakistani Air Force. However, an Indian SAM (Surface-to-air missile) shot it down near the Sargodha air base. Following this incident, Prakash Ambedkar, a veteran Indian politician and grandson of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, questioned the use of the F-16 by Pakistan, urging India's prime minister and external affairs minister to take up the matter with Washington, as it violates the stipulations laid down. He wrote on X, 'Pakistan and its evil designs should be exposed to the whole world!' But are there any rules and stipulations to Pakistan's use of the F-16? America's rules for Pakistan's use of F-16s The F-16 is the mainstay of Pakistan's air force with one news portal, titled 'War on the Rocks', stating that the aircraft is an object of national pride and military strength — it appears on painted billboards across Pakistan and adorned on decorated commercial trucks that trudge along Pakistan's highways. The US first mooted the supply F-16s to Pakistan in the early 1980s in order incentivise Pakistan's assistance to the United States in Afghanistan. However, with the Soviet Union's defeat in Afghanistan in 1989, US reliance on Pakistan quickly waned. In 1990, the US slapped sanctions on Pakistan on account of the country's undeclared nuclear weapons programme and cancelled the supply of approximately 30 F-16s that Pakistan had already purchased. The F-16 is the mainstay of Pakistan's air force. The US first mooted the supply F-16s to Pakistan in the early 1980s. File image/AFP However, as The Diplomat notes in one report, the 9/11 attacks refocused Washington's interest in the region and established Pakistan as a central cog in the US war against al-Qaeda and the Taliban. The then George W Bush administration agreed to release the previously blocked F-16s to Pakistan, refurbish the country's existing F-16 aircraft, and sell Pakistan new F-16 Block-50/52 aircraft worth approximately $3 billion. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Then in 2016, the US State Department approved the sale of eight F-16s and other equipment to Pakistan worth $699 million. At the time, a US official said, 'We support the proposed sale of eight F-16s to Pakistan, which we view as the right platform in support of Pakistan's counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations. 'These operations reduce the ability of militants to use Pakistani territory as a safe haven for terrorism and a base of support for the insurgency in Afghanistan, which is in the national interests of both Pakistan and the United States, and in the interest of the region more broadly.' US has laid down strict rules for the use of F-16s by Pakistan. Its sole intention is to strengthen Pakistan's capacity for counter-insurgency and counterterrorism operations. File image/AP However, documents reveal that the US placed a number of restrictions on the use of these fighter jets. Every F-16 sale comes with an End-Use Monitoring (EUM) agreement, which means Pakistan cannot freely use the jets. The sole intention of selling these planes is to 'strengthen Pakistan's capacity for counter-insurgency and counterterrorism operations'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Moreover, any use of the F-16s by Pakistan outside of the country needs prior approval from the US. There's also a Technical Security Team ( TST), a contingent of contractors in Pakistan to monitor F-16. The TST includes US Air Force personnel stationed in Pakistan who conduct real-time monitoring of F-16 activities It's important to note that between 2018 and 2022, the US had paused the sale of F-16s with the Trump administration accusing Pakistan of giving only 'lies and deceit' for the billions of dollars that the US had 'foolishly' given it. However, in September 2022, the US President Joe Biden reversed the decision with with a $450 million package for a lifetime upgrade of Pakistan's F-16 fleet. Pak's prior use of F-16s and India's concerns Pakistan's use of the F-16 in the current standoff is reminiscent of 2019. On February 29, 2019, India MiG-21 Bison got into a dogfight with a PAF F-16 during the Balakot airstrike. Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman shot down a Pakistani F-16 fighter, but in the process was captured by the enemy in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). He was later repatriated on March 1, 2019. Pakistanis look at a F-16 jet fighter at the Nur Khan military airbase in Islamabad. File image/AFP Months after that incident, the US State Department had written to the Pakistan air force chief pointing out that the F-16s had been moved to 'unauthorised' forward operating bases in defiance of its agreement with the US. The letter, quoted by a US media organisation, said that such actions by Pakistan risked allowing these weapons to fall in the hands of 'malign actors' and 'could undermine our shared security platforms and infrastructures'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In the past, India has expressed concern over US' supply of the fighter jet to Pakistan. Following the Biden administration's decision in 2022, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar questioned the American rationale. Moreover, when asked about the US justification that the fighter planes were meant to assist Pakistan in its counter-terrorism efforts, Jaishankar retorted: 'You're not fooling anybody by saying these things'. With inputs from agencies
Deccan Herald
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
Pakistan violates end-use agreement by using F-16 against India, Ambedkar urges govt to take it up with US
'Pakistan has used US-supplied F-16 in operations against India. This is a gross violation,' said Ambedkar, a former two-time Lok Sabha MP and one-term Rajya Sabha MP.
Daily Mail
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Ukraine reportedly launches new Kursk offensive
Ukrainian forces reportedly tore back into Russia's region of Kursk on Monday in a stunning reversal after Moscow claimed to have pushed them out last month. Russian war bloggers said opposing troops had fired missiles, crossed minefields and smashed through the border this morning. 'The enemy blew up bridges with rockets at night and launched an attack with armored groups in the morning,' The 'RVvoenkor' war blogger said on Telegram. 'The mine clearance vehicles began to make passages in the minefields, followed by armored vehicles with troops. There is a heavy battle going on at the border.' The local governor also said Ukrainian attacks had killed three people in the contested border region. Russia's top general said last month that Kyiv 's forces had been pushed out of the Kursk region, ending a months-long incursion that shifted leverage in the war. Ukraine says its forces still have a foothold in Kursk, after staging an assault in August to gain advantage in peace talks and complicate Russian momentum in Ukraine. Reports of a renewed attack emerged days after Russia said its forces were trying to create a 'security strip' on the border to prevent another Ukrainian incursion. Another assault would be humiliating for Moscow as it prepares for its Victory Day celebrations to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. There was no immediate comment from either Russia or Ukraine. Kursk's governor appeared to confirm the incursion, reporting that three people had been killed in the region on Monday. 'A Ukrainian FPV-drone attacked a Lada Largus car... unfortunately as a result of the hit two women were killed,' Alexander Khinstein said in a post on Telegram. In a separate incident, a 53-year-old man was killed in his car when an explosive device was dropped onto it, Khinstein added. Such an assault would come at a crucial time with Russia still demanding territorial concessions - and making progress in other regions of Ukraine. Ukraine has ruled out yielding annexed lands, and the mere suggestion from Kyiv's mayor, Vitali Klitschko (pictured), that it could give up territory sparked outrage in Ukraine. The former heavyweight boxer ultimately reversed his position last week, stating that 'territorial concessions contradict our national interests and we must fight against their implementation until the last'. Last year's incursion into Kursk had given Ukraine vital bargaining power, with Russia still occupying around a fifth of its territory. Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky said today that despite being pushed back, the military had achieved 'most' of its goals in showing its capabilities and preventing Russia from launching offensives elsewhere. August's incursion was facilitated by the Biden administration relaxing its position on Kyiv using US-supplied ATACMS missiles to strike deep into Russia - granted following reports Moscow was bolstering its ranks with North Korean troops. But material support has dried up since Donald Trump became president in the United States. His administration also said it would no longer mediate in Russia-Ukraine peace talks last week, with both sides unable to agree to terms. Trump did make a rare concession, however, approving the first arms export to Ukraine since he came to office - an export worth around $50mn (£38mn). Allies are now said to be discussing supplying additional Patriot air defense systems to Kyiv, with the U.S. and Greece among the potential supplies, a source told Reuters. The American position on Ukraine has eased somewhat since the signing of a key minerals deal at the end of April and what the White House hailed as a 'very productive' meeting between Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of Pope Francis' funeral on April 26. Trump, who pledged to swiftly negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine shortly after retaking office, said over the weekend that he and his advisors have had 'very good discussions' about Russia and Ukraine in recent days. While both Russia and Ukraine have made overtures to seeking peace, both sides are yet to agree to terms. Kyiv seeks assurances Moscow will not try to invade again, while Moscow demands important swathes of the invaded country. The minerals deal, allowing U.S. investment in extracting minerals and rare earths, would likely confound Russian claims to contested territories. With both sides at an impasse, the Kremlin's rhetoric has ramped up in recent days. Russian President Vladimir Putin told state media over the weekend that Moscow still has the 'strength and means' to bring its war to a 'logical conclusion'. Speaking to Rossiya 1 on Sunday, Putin reiterated that domestic support for the war was behind him, adding that he 'is the state'. He argued Russia was a country of 'moral and ethical values' based on 'the family, the state and the future of Russia'. Putin also accused the West of 'deceiving' Russia over the 2015 Minsk agreements, a failed attempt to end the Donbas war. 'Putin's statements throughout the documentary indicate that Putin likely does not intend to slow offensive operations or transition to defensive operations in Ukraine and instead is attempting to ideologically prepare domestic Russian society for a long war,' the American research group Institute for the Study of War assessed. Putin did say there would be 'no need' to use nuclear weapons in the Ukraine conflict, caveating: 'I hope they will not be required'. In November, Russia amended its nuclear doctrine to lower the threshold for a nuclear strike in response to conventional attacks. Despite renewed vows to fight on from the Kremlin, Russian troops on the ground report being weighed down by the prolonged conflict. A commander of a Russian airborne assault brigade told the TASS state news agency that Ukrainian troops fighting in Sumy were demoralized. 'We have disorganized their command system,' the commander was quoted as saying. Sumy Governor Oleh Hryhorov said last Tuesday that Russia was having little success in carving out a buffer zone in the region, but acknowledged that four border villages in the region - including Zhuravka - were in a 'grey zone' due to Russian attacks. Deep State, a Ukrainian open-source data project, indicated about 82 sq km of the Sumy region is in a contested zone. Separately, the Russian defense ministry said that its troops had seized four villages in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk and Kharkiv regions over the past week. Ahead of Victory Day celebrations, a renewed incursion into Kursk threatens to further undermine morale in Russia. Zelenskyy urged world leaders attending events that Russia could orchestrate provocations including 'arson, bombings and so on only to blame us'. 'Our position is very simple for all countries traveling to Russia on May 9: We cannot be held responsible for what happens on the territory of the Russian Federation,' he told reporters. Want more stories like this from the Daily Mail? Visit our profile page and hit the follow button above for more of the news you need.
