Reed Mideke
Ukrainska Pravda has pictures of foreign components from #DPRK KN-23/KN-24 fired at #Ukraine. One pictured is a NXP LPC1759FBD80: A cortex M3 MCU available for a few dollars each in thousand quantities (https://www.nxp.com/part/LPC1759FBD80#/). You are not realistically going to prevent a nation state from obtaining stuff like that
Others:
Siemens V23079A1005B301 ($2 relay https://octopart.com/v23079a1005b301-siemens-8180234)
XP Power JTC0424S15 ($25 DC/DC converter https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/XP-Power/JTC0424S15/?qs=w%2Fv1CP2dgqqBM%2FjLtq3a6g%3D%3D)
Fairchild MM74HC244WM (< $1 buffer)
Analog Devices AD2S1205YSTZ (~$25 ADC)
NSK roller bearing (not sure exact part but I bet you can order it at your local auto parts store)
Chance of stopping DPRK from having a front order that stuff in 3rd countries seems like… zero
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https://kyivindependent.com/syrskyi-ukraine-downs-su-34/
https://theins.press/en/politics/269612
Institute for the Study of War
Russian forces appear to be willing to risk continued aviation losses in pursuit of tactical gains in eastern Ukraine, likely along the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line. The Ukrainian Air Force reported on March 2 that Ukrainian forces destroyed one Su-34
'An "individual error" resulted in a call between high-ranking German military officers being leaked… "The call was held via Webex videoconferencing software, hosted on German army servers, but "not all participants adhered to the secure dial-in procedure as required," Pistorius said.'
Yeah, nah, if you can dial into your classified Webex from a regular line and there isn't a big red flashing warning, that's a policy and/or technology failure too https://kyivindependent.com/german-defense-minister-conversation-leak/
German defense minister: Officer in Singapore using insecure line led to Taurus conversation leak
An "individual error" resulted in a call between high-ranking German military officers being leaked after one officer joined the meeting from abroad via an insecure line, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said at a press conference on March 5.
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/03/5/7445114/
Oliver Stone's dictator documentary buddy seems charming "Lopatonok declined to answer specific questions on the financing of his earlier films, or how the proposed documentaries with Stone would be financed. After an increasingly combative Lopatonok threatened journalists and their sources, shouting “we’re going after you personally,” and “we’re going to destroy you,” an OCCRP editor ended the interview"
"Asked in an interview with OCCRP why he was focusing his lens on autocrats, Lopatonok said he was simply making movies about his personal heroes"
Points for honestly, I guess? 🤔
https://euromaidanpress.com/2024/03/06/intercept-of-german-generals-planning-taurus-strike-on-crimean-bridge-full-translation/
Intercept of German generals planning Taurus strike on Crimean bridge: full translation - Euromaidan Press
Russians tapped into a discussion of German generals discussing a possible Taurus strike on the Crimean bridge. Here is a full translation.
Couple interesting bits: "The limiting factor is the number of Su-24s left, which would be in the single digits"
[not totally clear but limit under discussion seems to relate to how many you'd need to be able to launch in a salvo for enough to get through. But given the timelines discussed, F-16s might change that in relatively short order]
On planning around AD "…because KSA [German military intelligence unit] doesn’t have a clear representation of where all the air defense systems are located.
But the Ukrainians have that, hopefully. Because from what I see with us, only the radar device is shown. But for us to have a clear plan, we really need to look at where the radar and launch devices are located"
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/06/deportation-re-population-russia-occupied-ukraine-zaporizhzhia
Russia experimenting with wire guided FPV drones? 🤔 Seems limiting, but maybe OK for defensive positions and ambushes. Also shouldn't be too hard to make one that can cut the fiber and fall back to radio if it gets snagged or reaches the range limit, limiting the window for detection and EW disruption
https://www.twz.com/air/russia-now-looks-to-be-using-wire-guided-kamikaze-drones-in-ukraine
https://meduza.io/en/feature/2024/03/11/they-could-start-to-resist
‘They could start to resist’ How the Russian authorities are working to indoctrinate and digitally surveil deported Ukrainian children — Meduza
In the two years since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has forcibly deported thousands of Ukrainian children. While the total number of these deported minors is unknown, Kyiv has reported nearly 20,000. After the children are separated from their families and taken to Russia, the Russian authorities begin working to make them forget about their home country, telling them that their parents aren’t coming to get them and that Russia is their home. To learn how this system works, Meduza special correspondent Lilia Yapparova studied thousands of documents and spoke with employees from Russia’s Education Ministry, the main agency responsible for these “reeducation” measures.
If you wondered how #Ukraine ended up with two broadly similar attack #USV families (#Magura and #SeaBaby), according to this story: "Disputes over quality control, budget, and design specifications between the SBU and the [Magura] developer disrupted the program in 2022, leading the SBU to sever ties and start an independent naval drone project that later resulted in Sea Baby USV … The ousted company then partnered with [HUR]"
https://euromaidanpress.com/2024/03/14/magura-v5-naval-drones-to-get-anti-air-and-dive-capabilities/
Magura V5 naval drones to get anti-air and dive capabilities - Euromaidan Press
Ukraine's Magura V5 naval drones, successful in sinking Russian ships, aim for upgrades to improve defense against Russian attack helicopters and ship armament during suicide missions, enhancing their capabilities in challenging Russia's Black Sea Fleet dominance.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68586062
"During the [prisoner] exchanges, we conduct a survey of those released from captivity and ask if they have seen representatives from the International Committee of the Red Cross. So far, there has been not one positive response"
(Ukraine does grant ICRC regular access to the POWs they hold)
Russians still enjoying American burgers and sandwiches as companies refuse to leave
After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, most major Western fast-food chains closed up shop, sold off assets, and exited the Russian market. This was particularly true of the highly visible food sector. Major Western food and drink chains, including McDonald’s, Domino’s Pizza, Starbucks, KFC, Pizza Hut, Hard Rock Cafe, and the Jamie Oliver Group, have all since left Russia. A small cohort of six American fast-food chains decided otherwise. The franchises of Subway, Carl’s Jr., Papa John’s, Costa
Russia to deliver last two squadrons of S-400 air defence missiles by 2026
Russia and India had signed a deal to buy five squadrons of the S-400 air defence system, of which three have already been supplied, while the remaining two could not be supplied on time due to developing situations in view of the Russia-Ukraine war, which is still ongoing.
Russia vetoes UN resolution on North Korean sanction monitoring
Russia has vetoed a U.N. resolution in a move that effectively abolishes the monitoring by United Nations experts of U.N. sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear program, though the sanctions themselves remain in place. Russia’s vote prompted Western accusations that Moscow was acting to shield its weapons purchases from North Korea for use in its war against Ukraine, in violation of sanctions. The Security Council resolution sponsored by the United States would have extended the mandate of the panel for a year, but Russia’s veto will halt its operations. Russia's U.N. ambassador says Western nations are trying to “strangle” North Korea and sanctions have proven “irrelevant” and “detached from reality” in reining in its nuclear program.
Ukraine has attack drones with range of over 1,000 kilometers, says Fedorov
"Most of the drones that attacked Russian oil refineries have a range of 700 to 1,000 kilometers, but now there are models that can fly over 1000 km," Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said.
"This is most probably an Aeroprakt A-22 Foxbat, a Ukrainian-produced light aircraft, equipped with an additional fuel tank and a remote control system."
Hard to be sure from the video, but certainly looks plausible
https://twitter.com/IAPonomarenko/status/1775054471875162428
Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) on X
Russians recovering the wreckage of the Ukrainian drone Liutyi after an attack on a refinery in Tatarstan Read more about Ukraine's long-range one-way attack drone Liutyi in our recent article: https://t.co/GhxwzIrF2d 📹via https://t.co/Kry3ntAdZy
Ukrainska Pravda has claimed pictures of the #UAV #Ukraine used to strike Yelabuga. To my eye it doesn't look much like an Aeroprakt A-22: Fuselage is much boxier, empennage and wing struts are different (struts look like a copy/paste from a Citabria).
Anyway, >3000 km and 300 kg payload should give Russian AD planners some interesting dilemmas
Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) on X
/2. I don’t think that the E-300 specifically was used to attack targets on the territory of Tatarstan. Since the tail section of the unknown drone was much slimmer than that of the E-300. But the example of the E-300 shows how approximately an A-22 already modified into a…
«Усі іноземці, які бачать мої літаки, кажуть: „Блін, як дешево“. Усі українці, які дивляться, кажуть: „Дорого“». Як Дмитро Шимків розвиває компанію-виробника БПЛА, що можуть гайнути на 3100 км аж за Урал
Минулого тижня технопідприємець Дмитро Шимків дав велике інтерв’ю «Економічній правді» про безпілотники D-80 Discovery та E-300 Enterprise, які виробляє компанія AeroDrone, де Дмитро є інвестором. «Чому я зайшов у цей стартап? Перше — це вага. У світі багато людей займається безпілотною авіацією, але найчастіше мова йде про легкі літаки. Далі йдуть середні, а далі нема нічого аж до літаків, які піднімають одну-дві тонни, наприклад, MQ-9 Reaper. Тобто є велика незайнята ніша», — каже він. У компанії Дмитро відповідаж за бізнес-девелопмент, інвестори, взаємини з держструктурами. За словами Шимківа, нині літальні апарати, що виготовляє AeroDrone, не контрактує Міністерство оборони. Хоча літаки можуть пролетіти понад 3000 км. Наразі компанія виготовляє тільки одиниці літаків на місяць. Для серійного виробництва немає замовлень.
Minister: Over 36 million tons of goods exported via Black Sea corridor since August 2023
According to Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ukraine's corridor has already facilitated shipments of more goods than the Black Sea Grain Initiative, brokered by Turkey and the U.N. in July 2022.
Cameron framing targeting missiles and drones (presumably in Ukrainian airspace) as "NATO troops directly engaging with Russian troops" seems like a stretch, but it does seem pretty impractical. Operating in Ukrainian airspace within range of RU SAMs / AAMs would obviously be a major escalation risk and deconfliction with Ukrainian AD could be pretty sketchy too
Deploying jets to protect Ukraine would lead to escalation, UK foreign secretary says
Deploying Western fighter jets to protect Ukraine from missile strikes, as was done for Israel on April 14, would lead to "dangerous escalation," U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron said on air on April 15.
Context: A lot of secondary explosions at #Dzhankoy airbase in occupied #Crimea https://t.me/astrapress/53447
https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-bidens-washington/did-mike-johnson-just-get-religion-on-ukraine
"Week-long ambush" preceded historic Russian Tu-22 bomber downing, Ukraine intel chief says, confirming S-200 use - Euromaidan Press
Ukraine's military intelligence chief reveals details of the successful operation to down a Russian Tu-22M3 bomber, confirms the use of the S-200 surface-to-air missile.
One can imagine replacing the 70s GNC with modern stuff would give you a fair bit of mass to play with. And if you can deliver it ballistically to the target area and have a modern seeker take over 🤔
https://kyivindependent.com/ukraines-obsolete-s-200-missile-systems-reportedly-back-on-track-to-hit-russian-targets/
Ukraine's obsolete S-200 missile systems reportedly back on track to hit Russian targets
The first Russian Tu-22M3 long-range strategic bomber was reportedly shot down by Ukraine and crashed over Russia's Stavropol Krai overnight on April 19. The aircraft was carrying out a combat mission when a Soviet-era S-200 anti-aircraft system shot it down, an intelligence source told the Kyiv Independent. The Russian Defense
HAH, they actually did it, "ammunition for HIMARS" in the March #Ukraine aid package included ATACMS
Ben Brockert