Live Conflict Ukraine-Russia War

[Relic]

Lanced is more of a threat for equipment close to the front line but what about the Shaheds? Shahed 136 has reportedly a range of ~2500km. We saw many times how they hit their targets even in close proximity to the Romanian border around Izmail. The range is not a problem. I think the risks are huge but we will probably see ourselves will their layered air defence deal with the threat. Maybe we can even see new innovative solutions as we saw many times in this war.

Shahed drones are MUCH, MUCH easier to shoot down. They can be brought down with anything from old AIM-7 missiles, Gepard anti-aircraft systems, Skynex systems, C-UAS, etc... Ukraine can protect their bases from Shaheds. They're not particularly worried about that. A Shahed-136 drone is 11 feet long. It's a large, slow (185 KM per hour) target. Alternatively, the Lancet drone is significantly smaller and dives to its target at 300 KM per hour.

 

[Woland]

Lanced is more of a threat for equipment close to the front line but what about the Shaheds? Shahed 136 has reportedly a range of ~2500km. We saw many times how they hit their targets even in close proximity to the Romanian border around Izmail. The range is not a problem. I think the risks are huge but we will probably see ourselves will their layered air defence deal with the threat. Maybe we can even see new innovative solutions as we saw many times in this war.

Shaheds are not difficult to shoot down, you can even shoot them down with an AK if you manage to hit them. So protecting from Shaheds over a small area is not difficult with guns similar to the ones used on Gepards, for example.

 

[Relic]

Big news (genuinely) coming out of USA . According to Newsweek, the Americans are set to transfer a "large batch" of Switchblade 600 drones to Ukraine. For those that don't remember, these drones were purchased back in early 2023, using USAI funds to procure them directly from Aerovironment. They're the same company that make Switchblade 300, anti-personnel drones. The 600 model that is being sent is the anti-armor variant, and features a 33lb warhead similar to a hellfire missile, capable of destroying Russian MBTs and IFVs.

Most importantly, the Switchblade 600 drone has a range of approximately 90km, which is 20km further than the upgraded Lancet drones the Russians are using and it will give Ukraine a similar long range drone capacity to what the Russians have.

Switchblade 600 drones to supplement the 10,000 FPV drones that Ukraine just had donated to them, means an immense amount of destroyed Russian armor and artillery upcoming.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1712567583482818744

https://www.avinc.com/lms/switchblade-600

 

[Relic]

The major Russian attack on Avdiivka is turning into an abject disaster for the Ruskis. There is insane footage of their losses on Reddit Combat footage page.

In three days Russia has lost more than 100 MBTs and IFVs in the area and they have so many dead and wounded that they are crying out for those with medical training to to come to Donetsk because of a critical lack of medical people to handle the influx of wounded at the overrun hospitals. Hundreds more are already dead.

The Russians appear to have achieved some minor successes in the area, taking Ukrainian positions and pushing them back to the stronghold in Adviivka proper. However, after they got bogged down in mine fields Ukraine brought in reserves and counter attacked. As Russian's attempted to retreat, Ukraine launched additional mines from HIMARS and forced the Russians to retrat back through a second minefield, on routes that they thought had been cleared. Information leaking out is that it was a complete disaster for the Russians, who spent months compiling some 8000 troops, and 500 armored vehicles for the attack. We'll see where it goes moving forward, but it's looking like yet another Russian embarrassment, as they continue to lose their vaunted armor at an exponentially faster pace than they can replace it.

All the footage of the debacle can be found linked below in the Reddit Combat Footage archive.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1712833980435681410

https://reddit.com/r/CombatFootage/s/muk16SNANT

 

[Relic]

After delays Boeing / Saab are finally ready to deliver the first of the promised GLSDBs (Ground Launched Small Diameter Bombs) to Ukraine. The delivery will include a newly designed launcher.

For those interested, GLSDB has a launcher similar to HIMARS or M270 (and can actually be launched from either of those platforms as well). The bombs have 150km of range, substantially longer than that of GMLRS launched from HIMARS and Boeing claims that they are accurate within 1 meter.

The arrival of GLSDB will give Ukraine yet another long range strike weapon to thwart the Russians and it's important that it's a ground launched weapon that operates from well outside of Russian Lancet drone / artillery range. Like HIMARS, it's going to prove incredibly difficult for Russians to find and target the launcher(s).

The cost of each GLSDB is roughly $40,000 usd, combining a GBU-39 bomb, with an M26 rocket motor. USA can send the first 1000 GLSDBs to Ukraine at a cost of approximately $45 million usd when you factor in shipping costs. It's an extremely cost effective weapon for its range and potential.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1712850125859496301

Boeing/Saab On Track For GLSDB Fielding To Ukraine | Aviation Week Network

A Boeing/Saab team is on track to deliver the first Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb and a new launcher to the Ukrainian military, a company official said on Oct. 9.

aviationweek.com

 

[Ecderha]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1712862109988450783

 

[Ecderha]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1712784274225586495

 

[Ecderha]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1712560343464165424

 

[Ecderha]

Just watch to the end

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1713171060487557460

 

[Ecderha]

Tea or Window?

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1713152179421253758

 

[Soldier30]

Russian air defense forces shot down two Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea off the coast of Sochi. According to the Ministry of Defense, the Ukrainian drones were shot down at about 7 a.m.

 

[Soldier30]

Footage of the impact of the Russian kamikaze drone "Lancet" on the British 155-mm AS-90 self-propelled gun of the Ukrainian army. In total, the Ukrainian army received 32 AS-90 self-propelled guns. These are the first frames where the destruction of the AS-90 self-propelled gun is clearly visible. After the drone hit the AS-90 self-propelled gun a fire started that completely destroyed the combat vehicle.Judging by the video, three of the four crew members managed to leave the combat vehicle.

 

[Relic]

Here are some updates on weapons for Ukraine from over the weekend.

1. An undisclosed country is going to lease Ukraine air defense assets to help protect its energy infrastructure for the winter months. The country leasing the air defense assets want their identity kept quiet.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1713528144924156111

2. The Netherlands will send Ukraine additional PAC 2/3 Patriot air defense missiles in the coming weeks.

3. Denmark is purchasing 20 IFVs (likely BMP-2) from Czech Republic, for Ukraine. The units will be modernized in the Czech Republic, before being transfered to Ukraine along with 30 Leopard 1A5 MBTs that were previously announced.

 

[Ecderha]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1713888009269973378

 

[Ecderha]

ruzzian blows himself up with a grenade after being wounded by a Ukrainian drone.
Avdiivka front.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1713914056891928990

 

[Relic]

In the largest strike on Russian aviation since the outset of the war, Ukraine struck airfields in Berdyansk and Luhansk overnight, reportedly damaging / destroying up to 9 Russian helicopters, killing dozens of personnel and detonating the ammunition storage in Berdyansk. Russian millbloggers are claiming that Ukraine used ATACMS for the first time in the strike codenamed "Dragonfly".

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1714172736690422167

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1714170783851835894

👮‍♂️ Украина 365 | Новости | Война |

Операция "DRAGONFLY" - операция ССО Украины по поражению аэродромов в Бердянске и Луганске В результате нанесения огневого удара в ночь с 16 на 17 октября в Бердянске и Луганске уничтожено: ▪️девять вертолетов разных модификаций ▪️специальная техника, находившаяся на аэродромах ▪️пусковая...

t.me

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1714171911213666665

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1714186702107890074

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1714164680103432382

 

[Gary]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1714282883614122032

 

[Relic]

It's now confirmed that USA quietly provided Ukraine ATACMs ballistic missiles, which they kept quiet so that they could be used in a strike against Russian aviation. The Americans sent an older version of the missile, the M39 block 1 variant, produced in 1997. Technically, the missiles are expired and likely needed to be refurbished prior to being sent to Ukraine. The Americans purposely sent this older variant, as they have mentioned numerous times that that they don't have enough of of the new model to send in any large quantity.

ATACMS will not be a "silver bullet" in this war and USA is likely unable to send more than roughly 100 of the missiles. They will, however, give Ukraine another strategic asset for deep strike capability, as it's likely they're getting low on British and French supplied cruise missiles.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/10/17/politics/us-ukraine-long-range-atacm-missiles/index.htm

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1714288855610998980

 

[Relic]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1714282883614122032

The breathing room Ukraine will get by Russia being forced to move their helicopter fleet back into Russia will be really nice. It's going to be much harder for Russia to use them in a close air support role moving forward without being able to base them in places like Berdyansk and Luhansk.

 

[Relic]

Long version of the attack on Berdyansk airfield, filmed by the Russians. In the video you see multiple helicopters on fire, the ammunition warehouse at the field exploding and at the end of the video the guys filming the video start running as an additional strike occurs.

NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@[email protected])

Attached: 1 video Longer version of the video from the attacked airport of Berdyansk. At the end, Russians even run away to exploding ammunition.

mstdn.social