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Ukraine destroys Russian Iskander missile systems in pre-emptive strikes
In pre-emptive strikes, Ukraine has destroyed Russian Iskander missile systems that were preparing to launch missiles at Ukraine. The strikes come hours after Russian leader Vladimir Putin vowed to forcefully respond to Ukraine's drone attack over the weekend. read more The screengrab shows a Ukrainian strike destroying Russian Iskander missile systems in the Klintsy city in Russia's Bryansk province on Thursday, June 5, 2025. (Photo: Ukraine's Ministry of Defence) Ukraine has said it has struck Russia's Iskander missile systems in Klintsy in Bryansk province in pre-emptive strikes. Ukraine has said that at least one Iskander missile launcher was destroyed and two more were likely damaged. The Iskander missile systems were hit when Russia was in the process of launching those missiles at Ukraine, possibly at the capital of Kyiv, according to Ukraine. The Ministry of Defence shared the video of the strikes on X. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Ukrainian warriors destroyed the russian Iskander missile systems 🔥 One russian missile launcher detonated, and two more were likely damaged. The results of the strike are being clarified. 📹: @GeneralStaffUA — Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) June 5, 2025 The Iskander is a short-range, nuclear-capable ballistic missile with a range of 400-500 kilometres. It has been a mainstay of Russian missile barrages on Ukraine. The Ukrainian strikes in response to apparently imminent Russian strikes comes shortly after Russian leader vowed to respond forcefully to the Ukrainian drone attack over the weekend. In the attack, Ukraine said it destroyed more than 40 Russian aircraft, comprising a third of the regime's long-range, nuclear-capable bomber and surveillance fleets. In a statement in Ukrainian, the General Staff said that a Ukrainian missile strike in a joint operation struck the Russian missile launchers of 26th Missile Brigade of the Russian military in Klintsy city in Bryansk province. The General Staff further said that the Ukrainian military and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the main internal intelligence agency, were part of the operation. Notably, the SBU had also led the 'Operation Spider Web' on the weekend in which Ukrainian drones struck five airbases in Russia and possibly a submarine base as well. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mass Drone Attack On Exposed Russian Bombers Puts Spotlight On Hardened Aircraft Shelter Debate
New details continue to emerge about Ukraine's unprecedented covert drone attacks on multiple Russian air bases, but the full scale and scope of the resulting losses remain unclear. It is the latest global event to put a spotlight on an already fierce debate about whether the U.S. military should be investing in more hardened aircraft shelters and other new fortified infrastructure at bases abroad and at home, something TWZ has been following closely. What we just saw in Russia is a nightmare scenario that we have already been sounding the alarm on for years now, which broadly underscores the growing threats posed by drones. Readers can first get up to speed on what is known about the attacks, which were focused on trying to neutralize Russian strategic bombers that are regularly used to conduct cruise missile attacks on Ukraine, in our latest reporting here. Authorities in Ukraine say they attacked five bases with a total of 117 small and relatively short-range first-person-view (FPV) type kamikaze drones, destroying or at least damaging 41 aircraft. Andriy Kovalenko, an official with Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, has also said that 'at least 13 Russian aircraft were destroyed.' These claims have yet to be independently verified and they should be taken as speculative at this time. The russian terrorist state no longer has the ability to produce Tu-95s or any kind of strategic bomber. This is a tremendous victory for Ukraine. — Michael MacKay (@mhmck) June 1, 2025 The drones were launched from container-like enclosures built to look like small sheds or tiny homes on tractor-trailer trucks. Questions remain about exactly how they were guided to their targets, but at least some of them were human-in-the-loop guided by operators using first-person-view 'goggles' or tablet-like devices. 5/5. After launching, the trailers self-destructed to avoid detection or recovery (see photos). — Roman Sheremeta (@rshereme) June 2, 2025 From the imagery that has already emerged, a key aspect of the Ukrainian drone attacks was that the Russian planes that were targeted were parked out in the open. The fact that aircraft sitting on open flightlines are especially vulnerable, including to uncrewed aerial threats, is not new. 'One day last week, I had two small UASs that were interfering with operations… At one base, the gate guard watched one fly over the top of the gate check, tracked it while it flew over the flight line for a little while, and then flew back out and left,' now-retired Air Force Gen. James 'Mike' Holmes, then head of Air Combat Command (ACC), said in 2017, now nearly a decade ago. 'Imagine a world where somebody flies a couple hundred of those and flies one down the intake of my F-22s with just a small weapon on it.' At that time, TWZ noted that it would be easier for an adversary to just attack parked planes in the open, offering a way to knock out large numbers of aircraft before they can even get airborne. Since then, we have already had multiple opportunities to re-highlight the ever-growing risk of something like this occurring to America's armed forces, including scenarios involving more localized attacks on bases far from active war zones by lower-end weaponized commercial drones. The Russian military has been acutely aware of drone threats to air bases even before the all-out invasion of Ukraine in 2022. A mass drone attack on Russia's Khmeimim Air Base outpost in Syria in 2017 was a watershed moment that TWZ highlighted at the time as a sign of things to come. Regular drone attacks on Khmeimim in the late 2010s also prompted the construction of new hardened aircraft shelters there. Last year, Russia's Minister of Defense Andrey Belousov said that 'a schedule for airfields has already been drawn up and that shelters will definitely be built' in response to Ukrainian drone and missile attacks, according to independent Russian journalist Alexander Kots. The construction of new aircraft shelters, hardened and unhardened, had already been visible in satellite imagery of a growing number of air bases in Russia since late 2023. However, from what has been observed to date, the focus has been on better protecting tactical jets at bases closer to Ukraine. Just recently, Belousov was shown a model of a hangar with a Tu-160 Blackjack bomber inside as part of a presentation on new developments relating to prefabricated and modular structures for various military purposes. Whether or not the hangar model reflects an active project, or is a proposal or notional concept of some kind, is unclear. Tu-160s were among the aircraft types Ukraine explicitly targeted with its covert drone attacks this weekend. 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 Russia's construction of new aircraft shelters is part of an expanding global trend that has also been observed in China, North Korea, and elsewhere. Hardened Aircraft Shelters of J-10 Fighters — Húrin (@Hurin92) September 8, 2023 Geolocation: 39.4069444, 125.8983333Sunchon AB, DPRK (North Korea)10/27/23 Sentinel-2 L2A pass shows paving and shelters (16 total) completed. Sunchon is home to the KPAAF 57th Air Regiment (MiG-29s).@GeoConfirmedhttps:// — Evergreen Intel (@vcdgf555) December 1, 2023 Satellite imagery of Nasosnaya Air Base – Republic Of Azerbaijan Construction of hangars for JF-17 fighter jets, which began in early 2024, is now in its final stages. The base will soon be ready to host a full squadron of 16 aircraft. — آریان || Āryān (@BasedQizilbash) May 28, 2025 The U.S. military does have hardened aircraft shelters are various bases, but has made very limited investments in building more since the end of the Cold War. Calls for new shelters, hardened or otherwise, have been pointedly absent from U.S. military planning in recent years, at least publicly. Some American officials have actively pushed back on the idea, often citing the cost of building new hardened infrastructure, which is funding that could be applied elsewhere. The U.S. Air Force, for instance, has been more focused on active defenses, such as surface-to-air missile systems, and expanding the number of operating locations that forces could be dispersed to, if necessary. 'So, we will have the need for bases, the main operating bases from which we operate,' Air Force Gen. Kevin Schneider, head of Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), said at the Air & Space Forces Association's (AFA) 2025 Warfare Symposium in March. 'The challenge becomes, at some point, we will need to move to austere locations. We will need to disaggregate the force. We will need to operate out of other locations, again, one for survivability, and two, again, to provide response options.' Those are requirements that 'cost money' and force the Air Force to 'make internal trades,' such as 'do we put that dollar towards, you know, fixing the infrastructure at Kadena [Air Base in Japan] or do we put that dollar towards restoring an airfield at Tinian,' Schneider added. There is growing criticism that U.S. forces are being left increasingly vulnerable, including to drone attacks, by a lack of investment in hardened aircraft shelters and other new fortified facilities. A recent deployment of six of the U.S. Air Force's 19 prized B-2 stealth bombers to the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia, which wrapped up earlier this month, had offered a new datapoint in the shelter debate. Diego Garcia only has four specially designed B-2 shelters open, which are not hardened in any way, and the bombers were seen parked out in the open while on the island. More recently, a detachment of F-15E Strike Eagles arrived on the island to help provide force protection to other assets still there. 'While 'active defenses' such as air and missile defense systems are an important part of base and force protection, their high cost and limited numbers mean the U.S. will not be able to deploy enough of them to fully protect our bases,' a group of 13 Republican members of Congress had written in an open letter to the heads of the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy in May 2024. 'In order to complement active defenses and strengthen our bases, we must invest in 'passive defenses,' like hardened aircraft shelters and underground bunkers, dispersal of forces across both within a base and across multiple bases, redundant logistical facilities, and rapid runway repair capabilities.' 'While hardened aircraft shelters do not provide complete protection from missile attacks, they do offer significantly more protection against submunitions than expedient shelters (relocatable steel shelters). They would also force China to use more force to destroy each aircraft, thereby increasing the resources required to attack our forces and, in turn, the survivability of our valuable air assets,' they added. 'Constructing hardened shelters for all our air assets may not be economically feasible or tactically sensible, but the fact that the number of such shelters on U.S. bases in the region has barely changed over a decade is deeply troubling.' In January, the Hudson Institute think tank in Washington, D.C., released a report that underscores the points made above about the benefits that new hardened aircraft shelters offer in terms of reducing vulnerability and increasing the resources an enemy would have to expend. The authors of the Hudson report assessed that 10 missiles, each with a warhead capable of scattering cluster munitions across areas 450 feet in diameter, could be enough to neutralize all aircraft parked in the open and critical fuel storage facilities at key airbases like Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Japan, Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, or Langley Air Force Base in Virginia. The general points made here about the particular danger of submunitions from cluster weapons could also apply to drones with similarly sized warheads like the ones Ukraine just used in its attacks on Russia's air bases. Even fully-enclosed, but unhardened shelters could provide a modicum of additional defense against these kinds of threats. Last year, officials at two U.S. air bases – Langley Air Force Base in Virginia and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina – expressed interest in the possibility of adding nets or other similar physical defensive measures to existing open-ended sunshade-type shelters to help protect against attacks by smaller drones. It's unclear whether there has been any movement since on actual implementation. Nets are among the drone defenses currently used on both sides of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Waves of still-mysterious drone incursions over Langley Air Force Base in December 2023, which TWZ was the first to report on, remain a particular focal point for broader calls from Congress and elsewhere to better protect U.S. military facilities against uncrewed aerial threats. What happened at Langley is just one of a still-growing number of worrisome drone incidents over and around U.S. military facilities, training ranges, and warships off the coast of the United States, as well as critical civilian infrastructure, in the past decade or so, many of which we have reported first. Overseas bases well outside of established conflict zones that host American forces have been the site of concerning drone overflights in recent years, as well. There was also a flurry of reported drone sightings last year over New Jersey and other parts of the United States last year, many of which quickly turned out to be spurious. However, the surge in public attention underscored a real threat, as Ukraine has now demonstrated in dramatic fashion. While Ukraine says its covert drone attacks on Russia took more than a year to plan, prepare for, and stage, they also underscore how the basic barriers to entry for carrying out drone attacks, especially ones involving weaponized commercial designs, have long been low in terms of cost and technical aptitude. The operation notably leveraged ArduPilot, described as an 'open source autopilot system' that is freely available online. Of course open source software has been used in war before, but seeing ArduPilot Mission Planner being used to blow up Russian strategic bombers is still wild. — John Wiseman (@ 2025-06-01T15:55:48.877Z Additional footage shows another FPV drone overflying the airfield; multiple Tupolev Tu-95 bombers are seen aflame. — Jimmy Rushton (@JimmySecUK) June 1, 2025 18 years after @Jrdmnz @jason4short and I created ArduPilot, here it is destroying large parts of the Russian air force. Crazy — Chris Anderson (@chr1sa) June 1, 2025 Drone threats are only to expand and accelerate in terms of sophistication, thanks in large part to advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning, as time goes on. Uncrewed aerial systems with rapidly improving autonomous navigation and targeting capabilities that do not require a human in the loop present particularly serious threats. Without the need for an active link to a human operator, those drones are immune to jamming and do not pump out radio emissions that can help provide early warning to defenders. They are also not limited in range to keep a connection with their controllers. Improving capabilities to autonomously find and prosecute targets are already emerging on one-way-attack drones, and this is something that can be expected to proliferate, as well. Autonomous drones that can target objects dynamic targeting without having to rely just on a fixed set of coordinates via satellite navigation like GPS, another signal that can be disrupted, will only make drone threats more complex and vastly harder to counter overall. TWZ has explored all of this in great detail in this past feature. Swarming is another area that will make lower-end drones so much harder to defeat. Working cooperatively as an integrated team at computer speeds allows drones to operate and react with extreme efficiency beyond the pace of the enemy's decision cycle. This, along with sheer mass and the resilience that goes with that, can quickly overwhelm defenses. 'In general, the technology to field systems has far outpaced the technology to defeat those systems,' Rear Adm. Paul Spedero, Vice Director for Operations, J3, Joint Chiefs of Staff, told members of the House Oversight Committee at a hearing on drone threats in April. 'It's a much wider, broader, deeper market for drone application, for commercial and recreational purposes, so hence that technology has evolved very quickly from radio control drones to now fully autonomous drones that may or may not even rely on reception of a GPS signal, which would make it very challenging to intercept.' Ukraine's covert drone attacks on Russia also underscore that these are increasingly threats unbounded by basic geography. An adversary could launch uncrewed aerial attackers from 1,000 miles away or from an area right next to the target, or anywhere in between. There are many drone types that can address those missions needs, and affordably so. Those drones could be launched from the ground, from ships at sea, and/or from aerial platforms, including other lower-end drones. Complex attacks involving different tiers of threats approaching from multiple vectors at once only add to the complications for defending forces. Ukrainian "Dovbush" UAV carrying and releasing two FPV drones during "Dovbush" UAV is reportedly capable of carrying up to six FPV drones at the same — Status-6 (Military & Conflict News) (BlueSky too) (@Archer83Able) November 19, 2024 Despite all this, America's armed forces have also continued to lag in the fielding of counter-drone defenses for forces down-range, as well as bases and other assets in and around the homeland. Domestically, an often convoluted array of legal, regulatory, and other factors have presented challenges. On the sidelines of a U.S. military counter-drone experiment called Falcon Peak 2025 in October 2024, TWZ and other outlets were notably told that lasers, microwaves, surface-to-air missiles, and guns were all off the table as options for neutralizing drones within the United States, at least at the time. For over a decade I have outlined the exact scenario as we just saw in Russia. It could happen in the U.S. tomorrow. This was a pivotal event. U.S. military and political leadership cannot live in partial denial of this threat anymore. Our most prized aircraft are sitting ducks. — Tyler Rogoway (@Aviation_Intel) June 1, 2025 The biggest challenge with this issue is education. Many just don't take the time to learn the ins and outs of the UAS threat, there are many layers and nuances, emerging technologies. There are high up people in the military that don't even really understand these basics. Then… — Tyler Rogoway (@Aviation_Intel) June 1, 2025 The U.S. military does continue to push for enhancements to the authorities it has now to protect its bases and other assets domestically against drone threats. As part of a new Pentagon-wide counter-drone strategy rolled out last year, U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) has a 'synchronizer role' that includes making sure commanders know what they are allowed to do now if drones appear around their facilities. Ukraine's drone attacks on Russian air bases this past weekend can only add to the already intense debate over investments in hardened aircraft shelters and other fortified infrastructure, as well as fuel calls for new counter-drone defenses, in general. The stark reality of what Ukrainian intelligence services have now demonstrated makes clear that uncrewed aerial threats, including to key assets deep inside a country's national territory, are well past the point of something that can be ignored. Contact the author: joe@
India Gazette
19-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
After Vance-Zelensky all smiles meeting in Rome, Trump-Putin expected to have phone call today
Moscow [Russia], May 19 (ANI): US President Donald Trump is expected to speak with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on a phonecall on Monday. This follows the face-to-face meeting of US Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Rome on Sunday, the first time that both the leaders met after their public face-off in the White House Oval office this February. Trump had on Saturday in a post on Truth Social said that he will hold talks with Putin over phone at 10 am ET (7:30 pm India time) on Monday and then call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) countries -- France, UK, Germany, and Italy. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed to TASS news outlet that preparations for the conversation are underway. The Russian state media reported that the two leaders last spoke on March 18, and the conversation focused on the Ukrainian and West Asian settlements as well as bilateral relations. It said that at that time, Putin supported Trump's idea of a ceasefire in Ukraine, but only with some reservations. He immediately ordered an end to strikes on energy facilities and even ordered the Russian Armed Forces to stop firing shells. There was no reciprocal move from the Kiev regime, TASS reported. Before that Putin and Trump held a telephone conversation on February 12. Ahead of today's call, Trump had on Saturday in his post on Truth Social wrote,'The subjects of the call will be, stopping the 'bloodbath' that is killing, on average, more than 5000 russian and ukrainian soldiers a week, and trade.' Representatives from Ukraine and Russia held face-to-face talks in Turkey last Friday, which ended without any breakthrough. After his Sunday's meeting with Zelenskyy in Rome, Vance posted on X 'Our countries share the goal of ending unnecessary bloodshed in Ukraine, and we discussed updates on the ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire and lasting peace.' The post was accompanied by a photo of him with Zelensky, both sporting big smiles. Zelensky also posted a picture with Vance with a 'thank you' note. 'Good meeting with JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Rome. We discussed the talks in Istanbul, where the Russians sent a low-level delegation with no decision-making powers,' the Ukranian leader posted on X. Further, he said, 'We have also touched upon the need for sanctions against Russia, bilateral trade, defense cooperation, battlefield situation and upcoming prisoners exchange. Pressure is needed against Russia until they are eager to stop the war. And, of course, we talked about our joint steps to achieve a just and durable peace.' Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday spoke to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressing the US' commitment to ending the conflict, according to State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce. (ANI)
Newsweek
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Russia Loses $4 Million Worth of Tanks, IFVs in Ukraine Strike
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. Russian military equipment worth millions of dollars was destroyed in a Ukrainian drone strike, according to Kyiv. Ukraine's defense ministry said on Monday that Kyiv's forces had targeted a hangar in an unspecified area of Ukraine and posted a video it said was of the strike. Newsweek has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry for comment. This illustrative image from December 20, 2022, shows a destroyed T-72 Russian tank in the village of Bohorodychne, eastern Ukraine. This illustrative image from December 20, 2022, shows a destroyed T-72 Russian tank in the village of Bohorodychne, eastern Ukraine. SAMEER AL-DOUMY/Getty Images Why It Matters Ukraine continues to use domestically-produced drones on the battlefield, and the latest reported strike on a Russia target comes as Moscow continues to lose high amounts of equipment and troops. What To Know Ukraine's defense ministry said its 225th Assault Regiment had managed to track down a Russian tank hiding in a hangar thanks to aerial reconnaissance. The post said that the troops had destroyed the site containing Russian armored equipment worth $4 million, with a T-72 tank and a BMD-2 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) among the targets. Drone footage appears to show the targets being hit and the aftermath of the strikes.. Newsweek has been unable to independently verify the footage. Ukrainian warriors destroyed a hangar with russian armored equipment worth $4 million. Among the burned targets—a T-72 tank and a BMD-2 IFV. 📹: 225th Assault Regiment — Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) May 12, 2025 "A Ukrainian kamikaze drone hit the tank which was finished off by another drone," said Ukrainian news outlet Defense Express. As of Monday, Russian forces had lost 1,710 T-72 tanks of various types over the course of the war, according to the website Oryx, which uses video and stills to tally losses. It comes as Ukraine made advances in the Toretsk direction in the Donetsk region on Sunday, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), while Russian forces continued offensive operations in the Chasiv Yar direction. Ivan Petrychak, spokesperson for Ukraine's 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade said that Russian forces trying to take Chasiv Yar, a strategic location, have been bolstered by the elite FSB Presidential Regiment, according to Suspilne media. Meanwhile, Ukraine's Air Force said Monday Russia had launched dozens of drone attacks across Ukraine overnight despite a proposal for a 30-day ceasefire starting Monday made by Kyiv. What People Are Saying Ukraine defense ministry: "Ukrainian warriors destroyed a hangar with russian armored equipment worth $4 million. Among the burned targets—a T-72 tank and a BMD-2 IFV." What Happens Next Putin called for direct peace talks to be held on Thursday in Istanbul and Zelensky has said he would be in the Turkish city. This adds to anticipation over the prospect of direct talks between Vladimir Putin and Volodymr Zelensky, which have been backed by President Donald Trump.
Time of India
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Watch: Ukraine claims it shot down Russian fighter jet from sea drone for first time
Ukrainian drone downs Russian Su-30 fighter jet Ukraine destroyed a Russian Su-30 fighter jet using a missile fired from a seaborne drone, the Ukrainian Defence Intelligence (DIU) announced on Saturday, and said this was the world's first downing of a combat aircraft by a maritime drone. "On May 2, the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine special operations unit, in coordination with the Security Service of Ukraine and Defence Forces of Ukraine, eliminated a russian Su-30 fighter jet in the Black Sea, marking the first time in history that a naval drone has destroyed a manned combat aircraft," it said in a statement and shared a video of the drone strike. The "historic strike" was executed by DIU's Group 13, as per the statement. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like New Container Houses Vietnam (Take A Look At The Prices) Container House Search Now Undo The Russian Su-30, a multi-role fighter jet with an estimated value of $50 million, was "engulfed in flames mid-air before crashing into the sea." Ukraine carried out the operation near the port in Novorossiisk, a major Russian port city on the Black Sea. The Russian defence ministry is yet to comment on the Ukrainian claim. 47 injured in Russia's drone strike on Kharkiv Meanwhile, a Russian drone strike on Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, wounded 47 people, local officials said. Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov said drones hit 12 locations in the city late Friday. Residential buildings, civilian infrastructure and vehicles were damaged in the assault, according to Kharkiv regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov. Following the drone attack on Kharkiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged "stronger" and "more decisive" support from the country's allies. "While the world hesitates with decisions, nearly every night in Ukraine turns into a nightmare, costing lives. Ukraine needs strengthened air defense. Strong and real decisions are needed from our partners - the United States, Europe, all our partners who seek peace," he wrote on X in the early hours of Saturday. On Saturday, Ukraine's air force said Russia fired 183 exploding drones and decoys overnight. Of those, 77 were intercepted by Ukrainian defenses, while a further 73 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed. The Air Force also reported that Russia launched two ballistic missiles.
