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Economic Times
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Economic Times
2.7 million - the number of Ukrainian and Russian soldiers lost; Killnet, Palach Pro, User Sec, and Beregini hackers break into Ukraine's General Staff computer system
A staggering 2.7 million soldiers are estimated dead or missing in the Russia-Ukraine war, surpassing post-World War II casualties. Hacked data, disputed by Ukraine, indicates rising Ukrainian fatalities, reaching 621,000 in 2025 alone. A US report estimates Russian casualties nearing one million, far exceeding losses in past conflicts. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Russian casualties since 2022 Over 1.7 million Ukrainian soldiers and another 1 million Russian combatants have been either killed or are missing in action in the over three-year-long war between the two countries. This brings the total estimated casualties in the Russia-Ukraine war to a staggering 2.7 million, the highest number of killed, injured and missing in action since the end of Second World War in figures do not include the number of civilians killed or injured. Their numbers are estimated to run into several Ukraine's military does not publicly reveal the casualty figures, the number of dead and missing soldiers are based on the information obtained by Russian hackers who broke into the digital database of the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff. The breached database reportedly included details like military ids of soldiers killed and missing, their photographs and other documents like passports, death certificates, and even dog tags, according to an article by Russian news outlet to the hacked data, which has been denied by Ukraine, a total of 118,500 soldiers were killed in 2022, the first year of the war. The numbers rose dramatically to 405,400 in 2023, and reached 595,000 in 2024. With Russia pushing forward along the 750-mile long frontline in recent months, the Ukrainian casualties have been mounting at a rapid pace. The hackers claim 621,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in 2025 alone with almost five months still left for the year to hacked data also includes personal details of the top brass of Ukraine's defense forces including the Special Operations Forces (SSO) and the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR).Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian President, had in early 2025 in an interview to America's CBS News had claimed that only 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed in the war against Russia since 2022. He had put the number of injured soldiers at 38, too, has been accused of downplaying the number of soldiers lost in the war. Independent military analysts and western media have consistently claimed the Russian losses are manifold the numbers claimed by Vladimir Putin's regime.A report by The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a US policy research organization, released on June 3, 2025, stated that nearly 250,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in the war. When the number of soldiers injured or missing is added, the figure reaches over 950,000."Russia will likely hit the 1 million casualty mark in the summer of 2025 - a stunning and grisly milestone," the CSIS report states. "Russia has suffered roughly five times as many fatalities in Ukraine as in all Russian and Soviet wars combined between the end of World War II and the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. In addition, Russian fatalities in Ukraine (in just over three years) are 15 times larger than the Soviet Union's decade-long war in Afghanistan and 10 times larger than Russia's 13 years of war in Chechnya," it adds.
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
2.7 million - the number of Ukrainian and Russian soldiers lost; Killnet, Palach Pro, User Sec, and Beregini hackers break into Ukraine's General Staff computer system
Over 1.7 million Ukrainian soldiers and another 1 million Russian combatants have been either killed or are missing in action in the over three-year-long war between the two countries. This brings the total estimated casualties in the Russia-Ukraine war to a staggering 2.7 million, the highest number of killed, injured and missing in action since the end of Second World War in 1945. These figures do not include the number of civilians killed or injured. Their numbers are estimated to run into several thousands. While Ukraine's military does not publicly reveal the casualty figures, the number of dead and missing soldiers are based on the information obtained by Russian hackers who broke into the digital database of the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff. The breached database reportedly included details like military ids of soldiers killed and missing, their photographs and other documents like passports, death certificates, and even dog tags, according to an article by Russian news outlet voennoedelo. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Remember Him? Sit Down Before You See What He Looks Like Now 33 Bridges Undo According to the hacked data, which has been denied by Ukraine, a total of 118,500 soldiers were killed in 2022, the first year of the war. The numbers rose dramatically to 405,400 in 2023, and reached 595,000 in 2024. With Russia pushing forward along the 750-mile long frontline in recent months, the Ukrainian casualties have been mounting at a rapid pace. The hackers claim 621,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in 2025 alone with almost five months still left for the year to end. Also Read: Days after Trump–Putin summit, US F-16 jets intercept Soviet-era spy plane near Alaskan skies Live Events The hacked data also includes personal details of the top brass of Ukraine's defense forces including the Special Operations Forces (SSO) and the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR). Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian President, had in early 2025 in an interview to America's CBS News had claimed that only 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed in the war against Russia since 2022. He had put the number of injured soldiers at 38,000. Russian casualties since 2022 Moscow, too, has been accused of downplaying the number of soldiers lost in the war. Independent military analysts and western media have consistently claimed the Russian losses are manifold the numbers claimed by Vladimir Putin's regime. A report by The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a US policy research organization, released on June 3, 2025, stated that nearly 250,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in the war. When the number of soldiers injured or missing is added, the figure reaches over 950,000. Also Read: Female James Bond? No way, the super spy has to be a guy, says 'feminist' Helen Mirren; check the list of actors who have played the iconic character "Russia will likely hit the 1 million casualty mark in the summer of 2025 - a stunning and grisly milestone," the CSIS report states. "Russia has suffered roughly five times as many fatalities in Ukraine as in all Russian and Soviet wars combined between the end of World War II and the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. In addition, Russian fatalities in Ukraine (in just over three years) are 15 times larger than the Soviet Union's decade-long war in Afghanistan and 10 times larger than Russia's 13 years of war in Chechnya," it adds.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia Executes Revenge Strikes Against Ukraine For Blowing Up Its Bombers
In one of the war's largest cross-border exchanges, Ukrainian forces hit airfields, fuel depots and other military targets while Russia launched hundreds of drones and scores of missiles at cities across Ukraine that killed at least three and wounded dozens. The bombardment came just days after Ukraine launched a wide-scale, successful attack on long-range military aviation assets from within Russia. You can read more about that in our coverage here. Ukraine launched 'a preemptive strike' on several Russian military targets ahead of a looming Russian attack, the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff claimed on Facebook. 'On the eve of the massive enemy shelling, enemy airfields and other important military facilities were hit.' Russia said its barrage was retaliation for the destruction of its bombers. A 'successful strike was carried out on the Engels airfield in the Saratov region – a place of concentration of enemy aircraft remaining after the operation of the Security Service of Ukraine,' the General Staff added. 'The Diaghilev airfield in the Ryazan region, where air tankers and escort fighters are based, which are used to provide missile strikes on the territory of Ukraine, was also hit.' Ukraine launches massive overnight strike on Russian territory: Bryansk airfield hit again — likely Iskanders targeted Oil depot in Engels serving bomber base Dyagilevo Air Base near Ryazan 'Progress' military plant in Michurinsk Blasts in Podolsk, Crimea & more — Ivan Khomenko (@KhomenkoIv60065) June 6, 2025 In addition, 'the Defense Forces of Ukraine attacked a number of important enemy facilities on the territory of the Russian Federation and temporarily occupied areas of Ukraine. In particular, the defeat of the logistics point of the 30th motorized rifle regiment of the 72nd motorized rifle division of the Russian Army near the settlement of Kulbaky, Kursk region, was recorded. The results of the defeat are being clarified. Strikes on military infrastructure will continue until the complete cessation of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.' The Russian Defense Ministry (MoD) downplayed the attacks, saying its 'alerted air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 174 Ukrainian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles over Bryansk, Rostov, Saratov, Voronezh, Kaluga, Kursk, Oryol, Ryazan, Tula, Belgorod, Tambov, and Moscow regions, and the Republic of Crimea.' The MoD also claimed that 'three Ukrainian Neptune-MD guided missiles were also destroyed over the Black Sea by air defense systems.' The War Zone cannot independently verify these claims. Videos and images emerged on social media showing the fuel depot at Engels, about 400 miles from the border, being struck and fully engulfed in flames. Ukrainian OWA-UAV overflying Volga river to hit the Rosrezerva fuel depot in Engels, already visibly burning in the video. — Status-6 (Military & Conflict News) (BlueSky too) (@Archer83Able) June 6, 2025 Several Ukrainian long-range drones struck a fuel depot this morning at Russia's Engels-2 Airbase in the Saratov Oblast, causing a number of fires to erupt at the home of the 121st Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment and the 184th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment. — OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) June 6, 2025 Ukraine strikes Russian air bases in 'preemptive strike' ahead of drone, missile attack, General Staff strikes reportedly targeted Engels and Dyagilevo airfields — two key hubs for Russia's long-range bomber — The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) June 6, 2025 The attack on Dyagilevo, about 300 miles from the border, was also captured on video. Russia's Dyagilevo, Ryazan Oblast – home to an airbase. TG/Supernova+ — Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) June 6, 2025 The extent of the destruction at either facility is as yet unclear, though clearly the raging fires at Engels have caused significant damage. Saratov Gov. Roman Busargin acknowledged an attack, but downplayed the damage. 'As a result of the UAV attack, there is a fire at one of the industrial enterprises in Engels,' he claimed on Telegram. 'There are no preliminary casualties. All relevant services are working on the scene. Specialists are taking all necessary measures to eliminate the consequences.' Satellite images we obtained of Dyagilevo appear to show little to no damage to the airfield operating area. A closer view shows a Tu-95MS Bear-H long-range turboprop bomber and two Il-76 Candid transport aircraft, covered in tires, parked at Dyagilevo. A decoy outline of a Candid can also be seen. Dyagilevo and Engels have been frequent targets for Ukraine. The former was attacked on June 1 during Ukraine's audacious Operation Spiderweb that saw several Russian bombers and other aircraft destroyed or damaged by drones launched from trucks by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). While a high-resolution satellite image of Dyagilevo from Planet Labs, taken on June 2 and reviewed by TWZ, showed no obvious signs of damage to any aircraft there, some may have been hit by shrapnel, against which relatively thin-skinned aircraft are notably vulnerable, and this would not necessarily be visible even in higher-resolution imagery. You can see one image taken in the aftermath of Operation Spider Web below. Satellite images of Dyagilevo Airbase as of June 2, 8:55 UTCThe airbase housed 3 Tu-95MS (Bear-H), 5 Tu-22M3 (Backfire-C), 14 Il-78M or Il-76MD (Midas or Candid) and 2 Su-30SM (Flanker-C).There was no serious damage after the Ukrainian special operation. In the right… — AviVector (@avivector) June 2, 2025 Engels was attacked three times in the month of December 2022 alone. On at least one of those occasions, the Russian Ministry of Defense said the air base was attacked by Soviet-made jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicles modified by Ukraine to carry explosives. Those attacks — which also targeted Dyagilevo Air Base — resulted in damage to at least one Tu-22M3 Backfire-C bomber and apparently also to a Tu-95MS. More recently, in March, ammunition and weapons storage bunkers at Engels were destroyed in a Ukrainian drone attack there. The attack resulted in a massive fireball and mushroom cloud. You can read our initial story about it here. In January of this year, we reported on a huge fire close to Engels Air Base, caused by what Russian officials described as a 'massive' Ukrainian drone attack. The strike was on the strategically important fuel storage tank farm for Engels and the fire raged for several days after, as seen in the image in the embedded tweet below: Russia's Rosreserv fuel depot in Engels continued to burn today after a Ukrainian drone attack last night, with multiple additional storage tanks igniting throughout the day. Within the last hour, the regional governor of Saratov declared a state of emergency. — OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) January 8, 2025 In addition to those bases, two Russian helicopters were struck by Ukrainian drones at the Bryansk International Airport, according to the ASTRA news outlet. That airport is located about 75 miles from the border. 'According to ASTRA sources in the Russian Emergencies Ministry, as a result of the hits, an Mi-8 combat helicopter completely burned down, and its combat kit detonated,' ASTRA claimed on Telegram. 'An Mi-35 helicopter was also partially damaged. In addition, the airport's administrative building and the rescue service building were damaged. Several dozen employees were evacuated from the Ozon warehouse, not far from which the airport is located. There were no casualties.' Video and images from the scene showed a massive explosion creating a large fireball at the airport. russian war correspondents confirm the destruction of Iskanders at an airfield in #BryanskHuge blow — Азов South 𝕏 (@Azovsouth) June 5, 2025 Bryanks airport in russia is struck by drones, causing a large explosion. — War Monitor Clips (@WarMonitorClips) June 6, 2025 Ukrainian Drones have struck the Russian Air Base in Bryansk, after attacking Bryansk with over a dozen UAVsThere are massive detonations of ammunition being reported by the locals — Ukraine Battle Map (@ukraine_map) June 5, 2025 Meanwhile in Russia's Bryansk — Illia Ponomarenko (@IAPonomarenko) June 5, 2025 Ukraine also reportedly attacked Tambov Oblast, about 250 miles northeast of the border. The Supernova+ Telegram channel shared footage from Michurinsk in Tambov Oblast and claimed that drones struck the Progress plant there, which manufactures equipment for aircraft and missile control systems, as well as for gas and oil pipeline infrastructure. The Exilenova Telegram channel stated that the strike hit the central workshop, leading to a roof collapse. Images showed fire damage and signs of electronic warfare systems operating at the time of the strike. Michurinsk, Tambov 'Progress' plant after a nighttime UAV strike. In the second photo, we can see the effective work of electronic warfare (EW) plant manufactures high-tech equipment for control systems of aviation and missile technology, as well as a… — Exilenova+ (@Exilenova_plus) June 6, 2025 Moscow's mayor claimed that nine Ukrainian drones were shot down over his city, according to ASTRA. Moscow region, RussiaSix UAVs flying toward Moscow shot down in Moscow region. Fire at drone crash site in Podolsk, – VChK-OGPU — LX (@LXSummer1) June 6, 2025 There were also claims that Ukrainian forces hit a tower once used to extract gas from the Black Sea. 'A new mark of fires at sea has appeared on one of the platforms in the Karkinitsky Gulf near Crimea,' the Crimean Wind monitoring group claimed on Telegram, citing NASA fire data. 'Our source reported a battle at sea last night. Let us recall that Russia is placing radar stations, signal repeaters for drones, and reconnaissance equipment on gas production platforms.' A Neva radar system, storage facilities and a residential module on the tower were destroyed in an attack on May 19, according to Crimean Wind. A new fire mark at sea has appeared on one of the platforms in the Karkinitsky Gulf near Crimea, – Crimean Wind Russia is placing radar stations, signal repeaters for drones, and reconnaissance equipment on gas production platforms. — MAKS 25 (@Maks_NAFO_FELLA) June 6, 2025 Though Ukraine said it carried out attacks designed to blunt a looming Russian attack, Russia was able to hit several regions last night. The Russian Defense Ministry (MoD) claimed the bombardment was retaliation for Operation Spiderweb. 'Last night, in response to the terrorist actions of the Kyiv regime, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out a massive strike with long-range air, sea, and ground-based high-precision weapons, as well as with strike UAVs against design bureaus, enterprises producing and repairing weapons and military hardware of Ukraine, attack drone assembly workshops, flight training centres, and AFU weapons and military hardware depots,' the MoD claimed. 'The aim of the strike has been achieved. All the assigned targets have been engaged.' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that Russia struck civilian targets and that at least three people died and dozens were injured in a barrage across the country. Later claims put the death toll at four. 'Russia doesn`t change its stripes – another massive strike on cities and ordinary life,' he stated on X. 'They targeted almost all of Ukraine – Volyn, Lviv, Ternopil, Kyiv, Sumy, Poltava, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy, and Chernihiv regions. Some of the missiles and drones were shot down. I thank our warriors for their defense. But unfortunately, not all were intercepted. In total, over 400 drones and more than 40 missiles – including ballistic missiles – were used in today's attack.' Russia doesn`t change its stripes – another massive strike on cities and ordinary life. They targeted almost all of Ukraine – Volyn, Lviv, Ternopil, Kyiv, Sumy, Poltava, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy, and Chernihiv regions. Some of the missiles and drones were shot down. I thank our… — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 6, 2025 In Kyiv, three members of the State Emergency Service in Ukraine were killed coming to the rescue of those injured during that attack, officials in Kyiv stated. Videos of the destruction across Ukraine emerged on social media. Russians could see where they were hitting live. There was a live broadcast on YouTube from different cities of Ukraine. — Clash Report (@clashreport) June 6, 2025 Lutsk, in western Ukraine, was one of those cities hit. The following video shows four Russian Kh-101 cruise missiles striking buildings there. BREAKING:Russia's launches one of its largest air attacks against Ukraine of this war.407 suicide drones, 38 cruise missiles and 6 ballistic missiles were fired against Ukrainian video shows 4 missiles striking the city of Lutsk in western Ukraine. — Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) June 6, 2025 Another video shows those missiles emitting flares or chaff before striking, a tactic to confuse air defenses. At least five people were injured in an attack using 15 drones and six missiles, according to Mayor Ihor Polishchuk. Longer footage showing Russian missile strikes in the city of Lutsk, western Ukraine, this Kh-101 air-launched cruise missiles can be seen releasing chaff/decoys/flares before hitting their targets. — Status-6 (Military & Conflict News) (BlueSky too) (@Archer83Able) June 6, 2025 The Ukrainian Track and Field Team came under fire in Lutsk. The Ukrainian national track and field team came under fire in Lutsk: the Motor Hotel, where the athletes were staying, was hit, — Ukrainian Track and Field Federation. Fortunately, there are no victims or injuries among the athletes. — MAKS 25 (@Maks_NAFO_FELLA) June 6, 2025 Ternopil's military chief Vyacheslav Negoda said Friday's strike was the 'most massive air attack on our region to date,' BBC reported. The Mayor of Ternopil, Igor Polishchuk, said five people were wounded in the attack while homes, schools and a government facility had been damaged. The 'Penoboard' Insulation Material Factory in the Ternopil Oblast of Western Ukraine was targeted during last night's drone and missile attack by Russia, resulting in serious damage to the factory as well as other nearby manufacturing facilities in Ternopil. — OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) June 6, 2025 The city of Chernihiv was hit by Russian Geran-2 drones as well as cruise and ballistic missiles, according to Oleksandr Tolokonnikov, spokesman for the Kherson Regional Military Administration of Ukraine. 'A residential area came under fire: multi-story buildings, private homes, a kindergarten, a local business, infrastructure facilities, and civilians' vehicles were damaged,' he said. 'Due to the strikes on the energy infrastructure, around 40.000 consumers remain without electricity. As of now, four civilians have been reported injured. Three of them received assistance on site, while another man was hospitalized in moderate condition.' Though Russia lost several Tu-95s during the Operation Spiderweb, it still managed to use some in this latest onslaught. Russia fired 36 Kh-101 cruise missiles from Bears and Tu-160 Blackjack long-range supersonic bombers from the airspace of the Saratov region, over the Caspian Sea, according to the Ukrainian Air Force (UaAF). In addition, the UaAF said six Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles were launched from Kursk and Voronezh regions, one Kh-31P anti-radar missile was fired from a tactical aircraft over the Black Sea and two Iskander-K cruise missiles were launched from the Dzyankoy district of Crimea. The extent of Russia's response to Operation Spiderweb is still unknown, however, these attacks show that both sides seem to be locked into an escalation of cross-border bombardment. Contact the author: howard@
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
What Ukraine's Unprecedented Drone Attack Means For Russia's Bomber Force
Operation Spiderweb, the large-scale Ukrainian drone strike against airbases across Russia yesterday, which you can read about in our coverage here, primarily targeted Moscow's fleet of strategic bombers. These aircraft, which have been extensively used to launch cruise missile attacks on Ukraine, have been targeted before, but never on such a scale — a reported 117 drones were launched against at least four airfields. At this point, it's unclear how many aircraft were destroyed or damaged, but there's little doubt that the Ukrainian operation will have a long-term effect on Russian strategic aviation. According to an initial statement from the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff, the drones hit 41 aircraft. As of today, those claims have been reassessed, with Andriy Kovalenko, an official with Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, saying that 'at least 13 Russian aircraft were destroyed.' These supposedly included examples of the Tu-22M3 Backfire-C intermediate-range supersonic bomber, Tu-95MS Bear-H long-range turboprop bomber, and A-50 Mainstay airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platform. Still unconfirmed are reports about the possible destruction of a Tu-160 Blackjack long-range supersonic bomber. The Tu-160 is very much the jewel in the crown of the Long-Range Aviation branch and is the only Russian bomber that is still in production — albeit on a very limited scale — as we will discuss later. Russian air defense crew filming a burning Olenya airbase, with multiple Russian Tu-95 bombers seen ablaze after a Ukrainian strike this afternoon. — OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 1, 2025 Based on open-source intelligence, including video evidence, unverified accounts suggest that two Tu-95MS were destroyed and two more damaged at Olenya Air Base (also known as Olenyegorsk), as well as one An-12 Cub transport aircraft destroyed. At Belaya Air Base, more than 2,500 miles from Ukraine, there is satellite evidence that suggests at least three more Tu-95MS destroyed and one possibly damaged, plus as many as four Tu-22M3s destroyed. Russian films the burning remains of Russian Tu-95s and Tu-22s at the Belaya military airfield in the Irkutsk region — Special Kherson Cat (@bayraktar_1love) June 2, 2025 Today, Ukrainian intelligence reportedly launched 117 attack drones from trucks that had been placed near Russian air bases. I tasked several collects this morning via @umbraspace and my first images have already started processing. What a remarkable success in a well-executed… — Chris Biggers (@CSBiggers) June 2, 2025 The revetted parking positions. — Chris Biggers (@CSBiggers) June 2, 2025 The individual identity of at least one of the Tu-95MS destroyed at Olenya has meanwhile been confirmed. Tu-95MS Bort No. "22" Red (RF-94257), which carried the honorary name "Chelyabinsk," is one of the aircraft confirmed destroyed in today's drone attack by Ukraine on Olenya air base in Russia's Murmansk Oblast. — Guy Plopsky (@GuyPlopsky) June 1, 2025 Olenya is located on the Kola Peninsula, south of Murmansk, and is home to the 40th Composite Aviation Regiment flying Tu-22M3s. Belaya, near Irkutsk, is also a Backfire base, accommodating the 200th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment. Russian bombers now frequently redeploy to different bases, in large part to try and escape Ukrainian attacks, so it's not uncommon for different types to be found at different locations. There are also suggestions that a large number of Tu-95MS aircraft may have arrived at Olenya only recently, making the timing of the Ukrainian attack even more impressive — or fortuitous. Another two air bases — Dyagilevo and Ivanovo — were also attacked. Of these, Dyagilevo, in the Ryazan region, is a training center for Russian Long-Range Aviation, while Ivanovo, in the region of the same name, is the home base of the A-50 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) fleet, although these aircraft are now normally forward-deployed. The Russian Ministry of Defense admitted that FPV drone attacks had taken place in the Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur regions and that 'several' aircraft had been set on fire in the Murmansk and Irkutsk regions, which would indicate Olenya and Belaya. As for the reference to the Amur region, this likely points to an attempted attack on Ukrainka Air Base, another bomber airfield. Unconfirmed reports suggest that a drone-filled truck that was intended to strike that airfield, but never reached the target, for reasons unknown. Several videos show a burning truck close to Ukrainka. There was a fith target, but the truck supposedly never got Air Base51.1691, 128.4456https:// — Def Mon (@DefMon3) June 1, 2025 It's worth noting, too, that the A-50 radar plane is not a part of Russia's Long-Range Aviation. These aircraft belong to Russia's sole AEW&C squadron and are primarily tasked with air defense and command and control duties. They have played an important part in the war in Ukraine, reflected in earlier efforts to target these aircraft in the air and on the ground. Prior to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia was estimated to have nine A-50s in active service. As well as the two combat losses since then, one of these aircraft was damaged in a drone attack while on the ground at a base in Belarus. As it stands, prior to yesterday, the best-case scenario involved seven of these aircraft in active service. The Ukrainian Armed Forces determined that the total cost of the damage was around $7 billion, a figure presumably based on roughly 40 aircraft being permanently put out of action. This is very hard to quantify, however, bearing in mind the uncertainty about the number of aircraft hit, the extent of the damage, and the fact that these aircraft have been out of production for decades. The only Russian bomber for which a somewhat meaningful price tag can be determined is the Tu-160, which may not even have been destroyed in the attack. Regardless, back in 2018, the Russian Ministry of Defense ordered 10 new Tu-160M2s at a cost of 160 billion roubles, making it the most expensive Russian aircraft. That equates to over $500 million per aircraft if the purchasing power parity factor is taken into account. Russian aerospace expert Piotr Butowski told TWZ he expects that the figure was underestimated back then and, moreover, 'in the current circumstances, I would add another 50 percent.' 'This is the only aircraft that is currently in production, so its price can be estimated,' Butowski added. 'How to estimate the price of the Tu-95MS, which has not been produced for 30-plus years and has no replacement? Its value to the Russian air force is greater than money.' The bombers of Long-Range Aviation that were primarily in the crosshairs of Sunday's drone strike are among Russia's most prized strategic aerial assets. Critically, none of these aircraft can be replaced quickly, and most of them cannot be replaced at all, since the production capabilities have long since ceased to exist. The option of bringing long-since-retired aircraft back into service is increasingly unviable. With such aircraft having been stored in the open for decades and scavenged for parts, the extent of work required to make them airworthy again would be huge. Of Russia's bombers, the oldest design is the Tu-95MS. This unique four-turboprop, swept-wing aircraft dates back to the early 1950s. However, today's Tu-95MS was manufactured between 1982 and 1992 as a dedicated carrier for cruise missiles. A total of 88 Bear-H bombers were completed before the collapse of the Soviet Union, after which 40 were left in Kazakhstan and another 25 in Ukraine. Kazakhstan returned to Russia all the aircraft in its territory, while only the three most modern examples from those left in Ukraine made it back to Russia in 1999, the others being scrapped. Reflecting the continued importance of the Bear-H, surviving aircraft have been steadily upgraded to Tu-95MSM standard. This provides a new radar, flight control system, and navigation suite. The cockpit is also updated, with new liquid-crystal displays. At the start of the war in Ukraine, Russia had a force of likely a little less than 50 Tu-95MS aircraft. If reports of the destruction of five Bear-Hs prove to be correct, the loss of 10 percent of the fleet would be very significant. For all of the given totals of bomber types, it should also be recalled that, at any given time, only a portion of the entire fleet is operational, with others undergoing routine maintenance, being cycled through deeper upgrades, and so on. The swing-wing Tu-22M3 is another Cold War design, the development of which began in the late 1960s. Unlike the Tu-95MS and the Tu-160, the Tu-22M3 is also able to carry free-fall bombs, although in the Ukraine war, it has primarily been associated with attacks using Kh-22 (AS-4 Kitchen) supersonic anti-ship missiles repurposed for use against ground targets. This weapon has proven to be very destructive, although not highly precise, for land attack applications and has resulted in significant numbers of civilian deaths. The definitive Tu-22M3 version first flew in 1977, and a total of 268 examples were built up to 1993. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, some Tu-22Ms remained in Ukraine and were briefly operated before being scrapped between 2002 and 2006. The Tu-22M3M upgrade is an effort to keep the Backfire relevant, although it has made only slow progress. It is primarily an avionics upgrade, adding a modernized radar, weapons control system, and navigation/communications equipment, as well as an updated cockpit. It also brings compatibility with new weapons. The Russian Aerospace Forces started the war in Ukraine with approximately 60 Tu-22M3s in service, although there have been other incidents of combat losses and attrition since February launch of two supersonic cruise missiles kh-22 from a long-range supersonic missile-carrying bomber Tu-22. fighter_bomber — Massimo Frantarelli (@MrFrantarelli) May 11, 2022 Finally, the Tu-160 is the most modern and capable of Russia's bomber triad, but also its smallest fleet component. The current Russian Tu-160 fleet numbers around 16 operational aircraft. It's also the only one that can be replaced, at least in theory. For now, we also don't know for sure if any Blackjacks were destroyed in yesterday's drone strikes. The first of two prototype Tu-160s took to the air in 1981 and was followed by 33 series-production aircraft (including one for static tests). The initial production run came to an end in 1994, with four aircraft unfinished at the factory in Kazan. Three of these have since been completed. The demise of the Soviet Union left 19 Tu-160s in Ukraine until a deal was brokered between Moscow and Kyiv, and eight of them were finally returned to Russia between 1999 and 2000. Of the other 11 aircraft in Ukraine, one was preserved, and the remainder were scrapped. The Tu-160 is also subject to an upgrade program, and, unlike the other bombers, Russia is building additional examples to serve as a stopgap until the potential arrival of the next-generation PAK DA bomber, whenever that might happen. At this point, it's hard to envisage Russia having the funds to replace its bomber fleet with an advanced stealth flying-wing type, especially while it is being crushed by sanctions and its military has taken huge losses in equipment and manpower in a war that has no foreseeable end at this time. With that in mind, the existing bomber force becomes an even more critical asset. In January 2018, Moscow ordered 10 new-build Tu-160Ms, each of which was expected to cost around $270 million, with the first example planned to be ready in 2021. While the Russian Ministry of Defense has said it wants to receive at least 50 new-build Tu-160M aircraft, no further orders have been placed since then. In January 2022, the first new-build Tu-160M took to the air, as you can read about here. Confusingly, the Tu-160M designation is applied to both new-build aircraft and upgraded versions of the older aircraft. As we have discussed in the past, the Tu-160M is based around an entirely new mission system and avionics. This includes a new radar, digital cockpit displays, flight control system, navigation equipment, and communication suite. A new self-protection suite is also installed. The effort to build new Blackjacks has been far from easy. Only around three new-build Tu-160Ms had been completed as of early last year, and none of these were in operational service. Therefore, while Russia has a theoretical ability to introduce new-build bombers to service, and to make good losses sustained by drone strikes, or other attrition, this is not something that can be done rapidly and not without great cost. Even taking one or two bombers out of operation will impact the Russian Aerospace Forces. The bomber triad has played a key role in launching the barrages of cruise missiles that have regularly struck targets across Ukraine. At the same time, these aircraft are a integral part of Russia's nuclear deterrent. This makes them a matter of great prestige, but also a critical element in Russia's ability to launch nuclear or conventional airstrikes against targets outside of Ukraine. These aircraft are also regularly used for long-range patrols over Europe and Asia, also venturing as far as the coast of Alaska, and for irregular visits to strategic allies. Wiping out a significant portion of one prong of the nuclear triad — the most flexible part of it — has an impact on the credibility of Russia's overall deterrent. It's also worth noting that Moscow has repeatedly said that attacks on strategic targets would constitute a red line for them, although, strategic bombers and critical locales have been attacked on numerous occasions in the past, too. None of these strikes have been as widespread and possibly successful as this operation though. Regardless, even if a handful of bombers met their demise, it's a blow to Russia's nuclear deterrent posture. Russia just lost an unknown number of strategic aircraft that are directly tied to validity of their nuclear deterrent. We don't know if this was four or 40 aircraft. The strategic nature of the effects of this attack puts it into uncharted territory. And YES, these aircraft… — Tyler Rogoway (@Aviation_Intel) June 1, 2025 Even before yesterday's massed drone strikes, the vulnerability of Russia's bombers to Ukrainian attack was abundantly clear. Until now, however, attacks on these aircraft have tended to target only one base at a time, using smaller numbers of long-range one-way attack drones. The repeated nature of these Ukrainian attacks had led to Russian air bases dispersing their aircraft for protection. There have been other measures, too, as TWZ has reported in the past: The Russian Aerospace Forces have also taken further precautions at their bases. Initially, they installed blast walls between active aircraft. This was an attempt to contain any damage to one aircraft in an attack, designed to prevent both fire and shrapnel from spreading. More recently, construction work at multiple bases has been adding many dozens of new hardened aircraft shelters to better shield aircraft from drone attacks and other indirect fire. However, the size of the bombers means they cannot be provided with the same kinds of protection. As well as the physical hardening of airfields, Russia has arranged discarded aircraft as decoys. More unorthodox measures have included placing car tires on the upper surfaces of aircraft and painting aircraft silhouettes on concrete airfield surfaces. The tires, specifically, were intended to confuse image-matching seekers on Ukrainian-operated standoff weapons. At the same time, anti-aircraft defenses have been set up at Russian airfields, although their effectiveness has clearly been mixed, despite Moscow's claims to the contrary. With that in mind, it's far from clear how Russia will respond to the latest drone attacks on its airbases. One immediate change could be to move to an even more highly dispersed positioning model, which will severely limit the bombers' effectiveness for Ukraine operations. At the same time, attacks on its bases can be launched even from great distances, making any effort to prevent them much harder. Added to this is the prospect of more capable drones being used for attacks in the future, including examples with enhanced countermeasures, or AI-infused drones that will be immune to jamming and will not need a man-in-the-loop for dynamic targeting. Longer-term, Russia might look to protect its bombers under enormous hardened aircraft shelters (HAS). This is a measure that is already being undertaken for Russian tactical jets at bases closer to Ukraine, and we recently also saw a plan that envisaged a HAS large enough to accommodate a Tu-160. Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov was shown a model of a hangar for Tu-160 strategic bombers during a visit last — Rob Lee (@RALee85) June 2, 2025 Moscow's immediate response to the Ukrainian operation has been to launch more of its own drones against Ukraine: the Ukrainian Air Force says Russia launched 472 drones overnight, claimed to be the highest nightly total of the war so far, as well as seven missiles. While that was a predictable outcome, it remains to be seen what longer-term measures Russia will adopt to better protect its bombers and other high-value aircraft against future attacks while sitting idle on the ground. Contact the author: thomas@
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DeepState analysts report locations where Ukrainian troops are still fighting in Russia's Kursk Oblast
DeepState, a Ukrainian group of military analysts, has reported that Ukrainian forces are still fighting in Russia's Kursk Oblast. Source: DeepState Details: The group noted that the Russians reported on Saturday 26 April that they had driven Ukrainian defence forces out of Kursk Oblast. However, DeepState stressed that these claims are untrue, although the situation in the area "remains far from ideal". Quote: "The enemy has made gains in Kursk Oblast, nearly fully occupying the settlement of Gornal and advancing near Oleshnya. These are the last villages where the defence forces still maintain control. The Kursk operation remains ongoing, with Ukrainian troops continuing to fight against the Russians and Koreans [North Korean troops fighting for Moscow – ed.]. Enemy logistics, troop concentrations, etc., are being actively hunted down and struck." Details: DeepState also reports that the Russians keep trying to advance and gain a foothold in Ukraine's Sumy Oblast. Analysts say they are amassing forces in the village of Zhuravka and are trying to approach the village of Bilovody. Quote: "They're also consolidating and building up in Basivka, trying to move towards Lokny, but to no avail so far. The defence forces are making every effort to prevent the Katsaps [Russians] from advancing and consolidating." Background: On 26 April, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin received a report that Russian forces had "expelled Ukrainian troops from Gornal", the last settlement held by Ukraine's Armed Forces in Kursk Oblast. The Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff emphasised that reports by senior Russian military command regarding the alleged end of hostilities in Kursk Oblast are untrue. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
