Latest news with #UkrainianSecurityandCooperationCentre
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
eRussia's ‘triple chokehold' tactic driving Ukraine back
Russia is deploying a military strategy known as the 'triple chokehold' to grind down Ukrainian troops, according to experts. Kyiv's forces are facing severe pressure on multiple fronts while Russia works to edge them towards exhaustion by integrating three combat elements into a cohesive strategy greater than the sum of its parts. Vladimir Putin's forces are launching ground assaults to pin troops down, followed by drone strikes to restrict movement, and then launching glide bombs to target offensive positions. There were early signs that Russia was deploying the tactic on the battlefield last year, The Telegraph was told – but Moscow's armies have significantly increased its use over the last two months along the front line. 'The whole Russian army is using the triangle strategy,' said Serhii Kuzan, the chairman of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Centre. 'We call it the strategy and war of exhaustion.' Since the beginning of this year, Russia has been plagued by a depletion of resources and numerous failed offensives. The country's military is said to be losing over 1,000 soldiers per day, while Ukrainian armed forces have hit 1,159 Russian tanks, and more than 2,500 armoured vehicles since the start of 2025. Heavy losses mean Russia is increasingly trying to press its key advantages over Ukraine – a steady supply of soldiers and an ability to quickly produce drones and glide bombs. These efforts are proving effective, with Russia's forces capturing close to 1,500 square miles of territory last year – its most significant gains since Putin launched his invasion in 2022. 'It's a very attritional mode of warfare,' explained Nick Reynolds, research fellow for land warfare at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). 'These three elements create conflicting imperatives for Ukrainian defenders.' The methodical approach begins with ground assaults fighting to pin down Ukrainian troops, forcing them into defensive positions and stalling their ability to manoeuvre. The continued assaults put heavy pressure on Ukrainian defences. 'By using huge numbers of people and sending them in assaults on Ukrainian positions, they are trying to exhaust our soldiers and our resources,' said Mr Kuzan. 'The intensity of the fighting in places like Pokrovsk is very high, with assaults every two hours. This is of course exhausting for our soldiers.' Next, drones are deployed to restrict Ukrainian mobility, conduct surveillance, target vulnerable points and disrupt troop movements. These drones include first person view (FPV) drones, which allow Russian forces to track Ukrainian positions in real time and quickly respond to any troop movements. 'Because of these drones, Ukraine is forced to man the front line with static defensive positions supported by extensive deception measures, for example, large-scale digging, to obscure where troops are actually concentrated,' said Mr Reynolds The third prong sees Russia deploy glide bombs to target key offensive positions from long distances, weakening Ukraine's ability to sustain operations. These long-range, precision-guided munitions target key Ukrainian positions, particularly artillery and defensive installations. 'This is where the real dilemma comes, or the really difficult one, to which there isn't really an answer,' said Mr Reynolds. 'Digging in and all those protective measures are excellent for reducing attrition by artillery or FPVs, yet glide bombs will destroy those fortifications and bury people.' The combination forces Ukrainian soldiers to choose between holding their positions – risking heavy casualties and resource exhaustion – or staying mobile, which increases their exposure to drone strikes and isolated attacks. Credit: Russian Ministry of Defence 'What pins Ukrainian forces in place is the combined threat of Russian ground operations, artillery, and drones, especially FPV and tactical unmanned aerial vehicles,' added Mr Reynolds. Glide bombs have become the most critical element for this strategy, buoyed by Russia's ability to churn them out quickly. 'Rates of Russian production and employment of glide bombs and FPV drones has greatly increased as the war has gone on,' John Hardie, the deputy director of the Russia Program at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, told The Telegraph. Russia plans to produce 75,000 glide bombs in 2025, averaging about 205 per day, according to RUSI, greatly increasing its ability to deploy the tactic. Ukraine has adapted to the triple chokehold by shifting to a dynamic defence strategy – constant repositioning and unpredictability, rather than holding fixed positions. It is using a combination of mines, various strike zones and traditional fire against Russian forces before they manage to search its undermanned infantry positions, according to Mr Hardie. Ukraine has also expanded strike-drone units that serve as a key force multiplier, and dramatically increased production of FPV drones and other unmanned systems. 'The Ukrainians have become very adept and innovative about countering all types of Russian attack,' said Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a former British Army colonel and chemical weapons expert. The strategy has pushed Ukraine even further into a war of endurance. But as of yet, any gains are incremental for Russia, and the tactic has failed to result in any large-scale operational breakthroughs. 'Russia is fixing the Ukrainian forces but cannot manoeuvre to deliver a decisive blow,' said Mr de Bretton-Gordon. The issues for Russia of under-trained soldiers and a lack of armoured vehicles remain unsolved. Witnesses have reported the use of motorbikes and even e-scooters by Russian troops to push towards Ukrainian defensive lines. The glide bombs also have a significantly high failure rate. 'They have found it very difficult to concentrate force because this type of manoeuvre takes a lot of training and co-ordination,' said Mr de Bretton-Gordon. 'Most of the soldiers on the front line now are barely trained conscripts who can just attack in a straight line,' he added. 'Many cannot even clean their rifles properly.' 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.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The North Korean missile that exposed defenceless Ukraine
When Russia first launched a North Korean ballistic missile at a target in Ukraine, it was accurate to an area hundreds of metres wide. Since that day on December 29 2023, Russian engineers have been attempting to modify and modernise the roughly 148 KN-23 and KN-24 projectiles Moscow received from Pyongyang. Over a year later, on April 24 2025, the missile was responsible for its deadliest attack when a Russian-launched KN-23 slammed into a residential area in Kyiv's Sviatoshynskyi district, killing 12 civilians and injuring over 90 others. In the wake of Thursday's attack, which exposed Kyiv's strained air defences, Ukrainian intelligence now believes the missiles have been fine-tuned to make them accurate to an area of tens of metres, as opposed to hundreds. The KN-23 is based on the Russian Iskander-M missile, a weapon with a range of about 500 kilometres and a warhead of about 700 kilograms. However, the North Korean versions are armed with more powerful warheads – up to one tonne, according to the Ukrainian intelligence agency. Ballistic missiles can fly at hypersonic speeds above Mach-5, making them much harder to intercept by fighter jets or ground-based systems. Seven such missiles, identified as either KN-23 or Iskander, were used in the deadly attack on Kyiv earlier this week. Despite the lethality of the weapons, they would have usually provided Ukraine's armed forces with a series of routine interceptions using the US-supplied Patriot systems that guard the capital. But stocks of the PAC interceptor missiles used by the surface-to-air batteries are dwindling dangerously low. Serhii Kuzan, of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Centre and a former adviser to the ministry of defence, said: 'If Ukraine had more Patriot air defence systems, and most importantly, interceptor missiles, the consequences of Russian terrorist attacks would be much smaller. 'Currently, Ukrainian calculations have to choose targets for destruction, prioritising them.' The interception radius of a ballistic missile, because of their speed, is between 20 and 25 kilometres, Yurii Ihnat, a spokesman for Ukraine's air force, said. Ukraine currently operates around six full Patriot batteries, which is not enough to cover the entire country. The US-made system is Kyiv's best response to the Russian threat of ballistic missiles. Joe Biden, the former president, donated three of them, as has Germany. The Netherlands has donated at least three launchers to help bolster the complete systems already in place. Despite the donations, Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's president, has estimated that they need at least 25 systems to cover all Ukrainian territory. 'We don't have as many Patriots as we need. The president speaks about this constantly,' Mr Ihnat said. 'We urgently need more Patriots, as well as other systems like Iris-T and Nasams that have proven themselves.' But even those Patriots deployed in Ukraine are only as useful as the number of PAC interceptor rockets that remain in the country's stockpiles. That quantity of missiles is incredibly low, according to Mr Ihnat, who did not comment on the exact number remaining for security reasons. The estimated cost of each missile is between $2 million and $3 million, and volumes are thought to be low across the world, not just in Ukraine. Only the US carries a significant arsenal and is capable of supplying Kyiv's needs. But Donald Trump has not yet moved to transfer any of his forces' PAC missiles to Ukraine, as his predecessor, Mr Biden, did on numerous occasions. It is unclear whether the final remaining packages of aid still flowing between Washington and Kyiv, as agreed and arranged by the previous administration, contain the interceptors. Data collected by The Telegraph show that since Mr Trump took office, Ukraine's interception rate of Russian missile launches has shrunk dramatically. In the summer of 2024, Ukraine intercepted about 60 per cent of all missiles. Last month, it only intercepted 42 per cent. While this is not definitive evidence, it does go a long way to suggest Mr Trump's refusal to restart significant military aid to Kyiv, as he tries to broker a peace deal with Moscow, is having real-world impacts. At one point in time, Mr Zelensky would ask his American counterpart for free donations of Patriot systems and the required interceptor rockets. Now, the Ukrainian president has changed his approach, instead offering to buy at least 10 of those systems from the US, using money collected from other Western allies. To satisfy the thirst for interceptors, Ukraine would also purchase the rights and production machinery to manufacture them itself. 'President Trump agreed to work with him to find what was available, particularly in Europe,' the White House said after a call with Mr Zelensky last month. But ultimately, the American leader snubbed the opportunity to sell systems to Ukraine because it could upset his attempts to convince Vladimir Putin to negotiate a ceasefire and peace deal. Just over a month later, Moscow's forces launched one of their largest aerial salvos of the war so far – 70 missiles and 150 drones on the night of April 24. All Mr Trump could say was: 'Vladimir, STOP!' 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.
Telegraph
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
The North Korean missile that exposed defenceless Ukraine
When Russia first launched a North Korean ballistic missile at a target in Ukraine, it was accurate to an area hundreds of metres wide. Since that day on December 29 2023, Russian engineers have been attempting to modify and modernise the roughly 148 KN-23 and KN-24 projectiles Moscow received from Pyongyang. Over a year later, on April 24 2025, the missile was responsible for its deadliest attack when a Russian-launched KN-23 slammed into a residential area in Kyiv's Sviatoshynskyi district, killing 12 civilians and injuring over 90 others. In the wake of Thursday's attack, which exposed Kyiv's strained air defences, Ukrainian intelligence now believes the missiles have been fine-tuned to make them accurate to an area of tens of metres, as opposed to hundreds. The KN-23 is based on the Russian Iskander-M missile, a weapon with a range of about 500 kilometres and a warhead of about 700 kilograms. However, the North Korean versions are armed with more powerful warheads – up to one tonne, according to the Ukrainian intelligence agency. Ballistic missiles can fly at hypersonic speeds above Mach-5, making them much harder to intercept by fighter jets or ground-based systems. Seven such missiles, identified as either KN-23 or Iskander, were used in the deadly attack on Kyiv earlier this week. Despite the lethality of the weapons, they would have usually provided Ukraine's armed forces with a series of routine interceptions using the US-supplied Patriot systems that guard the capital. But stocks of the PAC interceptor missiles used by the surface-to-air batteries are dwindling dangerously low. Serhii Kuzan, of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Centre and a former adviser to the ministry of defence, said: 'If Ukraine had more Patriot air defence systems, and most importantly, interceptor missiles, the consequences of Russian terrorist attacks would be much smaller. 'Currently, Ukrainian calculations have to choose targets for destruction, prioritising them.' The interception radius of a ballistic missile, because of their speed, is between 20 and 25 kilometres, Yurii Ihnat, a spokesman for Ukraine's air force, said. Ukraine currently operates around six full Patriot batteries, which is not enough to cover the entire country. The US-made system is Kyiv's best response to the Russian threat of ballistic missiles. Joe Biden, the former president, donated three of them, as has Germany. The Netherlands has donated at least three launchers to help bolster the complete systems already in place. Despite the donations, Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's president, has estimated that they need at least 25 systems to cover all Ukrainian territory. 'We don't have as many Patriots as we need. The president speaks about this constantly,' Mr Ihnat said. 'We urgently need more Patriots, as well as other systems like Iris-T and Nasams that have proven themselves.' But even those Patriots deployed in Ukraine are only as useful as the number of PAC interceptor rockets that remain in the country's stockpiles. That quantity of missiles is incredibly low, according to Mr Ihnat, who did not comment on the exact number remaining for security reasons. The estimated cost of each missile is between $2 million and $3 million, and volumes are thought to be low across the world, not just in Ukraine. Only the US carries a significant arsenal and is capable of supplying Kyiv's needs. But Donald Trump has not yet moved to transfer any of his forces' PAC missiles to Ukraine, as his predecessor, Mr Biden, did on numerous occasions. It is unclear whether the final remaining packages of aid still flowing between Washington and Kyiv, as agreed and arranged by the previous administration, contain the interceptors. Data collected by The Telegraph show that since Mr Trump took office, Ukraine's interception rate of Russian missile launches has shrunk dramatically. In the summer of 2024, Ukraine intercepted about 60 per cent of all missiles. Last month, it only intercepted 42 per cent. While this is not definitive evidence, it does go a long way to suggest Mr Trump's refusal to restart significant military aid to Kyiv, as he tries to broker a peace deal with Moscow, is having real-world impacts. At one point in time, Mr Zelensky would ask his American counterpart for free donations of Patriot systems and the required interceptor rockets. Now, the Ukrainian president has changed his approach, instead offering to buy at least 10 of those systems from the US, using money collected from other Western allies. To satisfy the thirst for interceptors, Ukraine would also purchase the rights and production machinery to manufacture them itself. 'President Trump agreed to work with him to find what was available, particularly in Europe,' the White House said after a call with Mr Zelensky last month. But ultimately, the American leader snubbed the opportunity to sell systems to Ukraine because it could upset his attempts to convince Vladimir Putin to negotiate a ceasefire and peace deal. Just over a month later, Moscow's forces launched one of their largest aerial salvos of the war so far – 70 missiles and 150 drones on the night of April 24. All Mr Trump could say was: 'Vladimir, STOP!'
Telegraph
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Russia's summer offensive ‘doomed to fail'
Ukraine is bracing itself for another Russian onslaught. Moscow's forces have stepped up their attacks on Ukrainian positions, and Kyiv has warned that reserves are massing in preparation for a major push. But Vladimir Putin's hopes to seize more land before signing a ceasefire are doomed to fail, experts believe, as his army remains plagued with problems, dysfunction and incompetence. Russian forces, observers warn, are running low on tanks and armoured vehicles and would be unable to capitalise on any minor gains it might achieve. Furthermore, due to Ukraine's ability to strike with drones, it is unlikely Russia would be able to get enough troops into position to achieve a breakthrough. Dmytro Zhmailo, the executive director of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Centre, told The Telegraph: 'For now, any offensive by Russia on the frontline is impossible. 'Russia does not have any big military victories on the frontline, so they want to give the impression that there are huge movements and advantages. We do not see this on the ground.' Last month, Volodymyr Zelensky and G7 officials warned that Russia was preparing for a renewed assault, with fears that Putin could zone in on the Sumy and Kharkiv regions. If they were captured, it could give Putin an upper hand at the negotiating table come future talks. On Wednesday, Oleksandr Syrsky, Ukraine's military chief, said the offensive had 'already begun', noting that the number of Russian attacks had doubled in recent weeks. Ukraine has been keen to draw attention to the possible advances as the attention on a peace deal has drifted from Donald Trump's agenda. But John Hardie, deputy director of the Russia Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the scaling-up in attacks was unlikely to result in any meaningful gains. 'What we're seeing is just a surge in assault tempo … It's very small scale,' he said. 'They can chop a hole in the Ukrainian line, but they're not able to punch through that hole and achieve a rapid, operational, significant breakthrough.' Russia's biggest chance for a breakthrough could be in the Sumy region, experts said, as Ukraine troops pull back into the area following a rapid Russian offensive in the neighbouring Kursk oblast. A Ukrainian soldier fighting in Kursk told The Telegraph that troops were retreating through a narrow corridor at night, in groups of around three to four at a time. 'Lots of equipment is being left behind,' he said. Mr Hardie said Russian operations are currently very limited in scale, with assaults launched by small assault groups. Company-level attacks of around 100 soldiers are rare, he said. Though small in scale, these attacks are still largely conducted by infantry without vehicle support due to shortages. Russia is estimated to have lost 3,000 tanks and 9,000 armoured vehicles in the past year alone, as well as least 13,000 artillery systems have also been destroyed. 'If you look at what's left in storage, especially what's serviceable, the stocks are getting pretty low,' said Mr Hardie. 'I expect by the end of this year, they'll be really struggling to pull more, if not that, then they'll be completely exhausted.' Mr Zhmailo said Russia's key advantage over Ukraine lies in its overwhelming troop numbers. Last week, Putin ordered another 160,000 Russian citizens to be called up to serve in the military. But Mr Hardie said these troops do not receive much training, which is at most a month and sometimes as little as days. 'That's the conscious choice that Russia is making to keep the pressure on Ukraine, to throw these troops into the proverbial meat grinder without taking the time to invest in rebuilding force quality while the war continues.' He explained Ukraine's main focus was on preventing too many Russian soldiers from gathering at one point, which might give them enough of an upper hand to break through defences. Kyiv's skilled used of drones is in particular said to have made it difficult for Russia to move its soldiers or vehicles in and around the frontline. 'Ukraine has been expanding their kind of better drone units and, in general, leaning on drones and other unmanned systems to compensate for shortfalls in other areas,' he said. 'They've adapted well to how Russia is fighting.'
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russian summer offensive ‘doomed to fail'
Ukraine is bracing itself for another Russian onslaught. Moscow's forces have stepped up their attacks on Ukrainian positions, and Kyiv has warned that reserves are massing in preparation for a major push. But Vladimir Putin's hopes to seize more land before signing a ceasefire are doomed to fail, experts believe, as his army remains plagued with problems, dysfunction and incompetence. Russian forces, observers warn, are running low on tanks and armoured vehicles and would be unable to capitalise on any minor gains it might achieve. Furthermore, due to Ukraine's ability to strike with drones, it is unlikely Russia would be able to get enough troops into position to achieve a breakthrough. Dmytro Zhmailo, the executive director of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Centre, told The Telegraph: 'For now, any offensive by Russia on the frontline is impossible. 'Russia does not have any big military victories on the frontline, so they want to give the impression that there are huge movements and advantages. We do not see this on the ground.' Last month, Volodymyr Zelensky and G7 officials warned that Russia was preparing for a renewed assault, with fears that Putin could zone in on the Sumy and Kharkiv regions. If they were captured, it could give Putin an upper hand at the negotiating table come future talks. On Wednesday, Oleksandr Syrsky, Ukraine's military chief, said the offensive had 'already begun', noting that the number of Russian attacks had doubled in recent weeks. Ukraine has been keen to draw attention to the possible advances as the attention on a peace deal has drifted from Donald Trump's agenda. But John Hardie, deputy director of the Russia Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the scaling-up in attacks was unlikely to result in any meaningful gains. 'What we're seeing is just a surge in assault tempo … It's very small scale,' he said. 'They can chop a hole in the Ukrainian line, but they're not able to punch through that hole and achieve a rapid, operational, significant breakthrough.' Russia's biggest chance for a breakthrough could be in the Sumy region, experts said, as Ukraine troops pull back into the area following a rapid Russian offensive in the neighbouring Kursk oblast. A Ukrainian soldier fighting in Kursk told The Telegraph that troops were retreating through a narrow corridor at night, in groups of around three to four at a time. 'Lots of equipment is being left behind,' he said. Mr Hardie said Russian operations are currently very limited in scale, with assaults launched by small assault groups. Company-level attacks of around 100 soldiers are rare, he said. Though small in scale, these attacks are still largely conducted by infantry without vehicle support due to shortages. Russia is estimated to have lost 3,000 tanks and 9,000 armoured vehicles in the past year alone, as well as least 13,000 artillery systems have also been destroyed. 'If you look at what's left in storage, especially what's serviceable, the stocks are getting pretty low,' said Mr Hardie. 'I expect by the end of this year, they'll be really struggling to pull more, if not that, then they'll be completely exhausted.' Mr Zhmailo said Russia's key advantage over Ukraine lies in its overwhelming troop numbers. Last week, Putin ordered another 160,000 Russian citizens to be called up to serve in the military. But Mr Hardie said these troops do not receive much training, which is at most a month and sometimes as little as days. 'That's the conscious choice that Russia is making to keep the pressure on Ukraine, to throw these troops into the proverbial meat grinder without taking the time to invest in rebuilding force quality while the war continues.' He explained Ukraine's main focus was on preventing too many Russian soldiers from gathering at one point, which might give them enough of an upper hand to break through defences. Kyiv's skilled used of drones is in particular said to have made it difficult for Russia to move its soldiers or vehicles in and around the frontline. 'Ukraine has been expanding their kind of better drone units and, in general, leaning on drones and other unmanned systems to compensate for shortfalls in other areas,' he said. 'They've adapted well to how Russia is fighting.' 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.
