Archive for the ‘Ukraine’ Category

How Russia exploits footage of Ukraine’s air defense systems, and how Ukraine can prevent it – Yahoo News

Ukrainians are once again being warned of how Russia uses social media footage and commentary to locate Ukraines vital air defense systems, Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson, Yuriy Ihnat, reminded on the Center for Countering Disinformations YouTube channel on Feb. 4.

Russians analyze videos, photos, and messages in the Ukrainian information space to help them find Ukrainian air defense assets.

Read also: At least 1 killed, 1 injured after Russia targets Kryvyi Rih shopping center and residential area

I'll explain it simply, said Ihnat. One person films from one spot, another from a second spot, and a third person from a third spot. This is called triangulation. It allows for precise identification of the location of, say, a Patriot launch system and to strike it.

Russians also use footage of fragments from Ukrainian missiles after intercepting Russian missiles in their information warfare.

Someone, perhaps from the security services, takes a photo of a fragment of our missile and posts it, added Ihnat. What do Russian propagandist channels do? They claim we are shelling our own citizens. [Fakes] happened multiple times.

Read also: Ukraines SBU thwarts Russian hackers broadcasting Ukrainian defense operations through compromised webcams in Kyiv

He also reminded that it's advisable to turn off surveillance cameras during air raids, a matter that law enforcement, including the SBU, has addressed.

Today, there are specific prohibitions for those who neglect these rules, especially in real-time, which can be very damaging, Ihnat stated.

Air Forces thoroughly vet their videos before releasing them.

"We verify our videos to ensure there's nothing extraneous and then publish them, Ihnat said. If it shows a missile being blown up in the air, meaning an aerial target intercepted, then why not? We need to show our partners that their weapons work, that they are effective, that we are intercepting missiles."

CCTV cameras are helping invading Russian forces during their missile attacks on Ukrainian cities, Ihnat told Radio NV on May 16, 2023.

It was reported in December 2023 that thousands of cameras with TRASSIR/DSSL software had been installed in Ukraine, which could have transmitted data to Russian servers for a long time.

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How Russia exploits footage of Ukraine's air defense systems, and how Ukraine can prevent it - Yahoo News

In Huge Reversal, GOP Poised To Kill The Border-Ukraine Package It Demanded – Yahoo News

WASHINGTON Senate Republicans on Monday signaled their plan to filibuster bipartisan legislation that paired tougher border policy with more U.S. aid to Ukraine, a stunning reversal less than 24 hours after the legislation had been unveiled.

With ex-president Donald Trump urging them to kill it, and many on the right up in arms about the proposal, top Senate Republicans emerged from a heated closed-door meeting and said they needed more time to review the agreement, suggesting that a scheduled Wednesday vote to advance the bill is all but doomed to fail.

I think theres a very real concern that there hasnt been adequate time, and I think the Wednesday vote is going to be, for most of our members, too early, Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters on Monday.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) also recommended to his members in the meeting that they should vote to block the package from moving forward, according to Punchbowl News.

The recommendation is particularly stunning given that McConnell had cheered the negotiations over border policy for months. Just hours earlier on the Senate floor, McConnell touted the legislation, saying its billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan are needed to counter aggression from dictators and terrorists around the globe.

The national security legislation were preparing to take up will invest heavily in the capabilities and capacity America and our allies need to regain the upper hand over this emerging axis of authoritarians, McConnell said. Make no mistake: The gauntlet has been thrown. And America needs to pick it up.

But the biggest Republican reversal on the bill may be Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), who put in months of work to try to come up with a compromise on the border security bill and who, as late as Monday afternoon, had been urging his GOP colleagues to read the bill before offering negative, knee-jerk reactions, to little avail.

After the closed-door meeting Monday evening, when Republicans held a heated discussion, Lankford said he anticipated that Wednesdays vote to advance the bill would fail. Moreover, he repeatedly declined to say whether he would vote in support of his own bill.

Why would we force a vote on something that would kill it... versus give it more time and give it the opportunity to be able to be able to go through it? Lankford told reporters.

He then tried to argue that even if he votes against advancing his own bill this week, that it wouldnt necessarily mean that he opposes it since it could still come up at a later date.

Voting against cloture is not, for me, voting against the bill... cloture is, do we get on this and start debating now or do we get on it and debate it later? So its not voting against the bill, even though I vote against cloture on Wednesday, Lankford said.

Ive never seen anything like it. They literally demanded specific policy, got it, and then killed it.Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii)

Its clear, though, that most Republicans have no interest in drawing out a debate which has sharply divided their party even further and that they badly want to move on even though they were the ones who initially demanded linking border policy changes with the passage of aid to Ukraine. More time isnt going to change anything, and many in the GOP would like to keep the border issue alive so they can hammer Democrats over immigration policy in the November presidential election.

Just gobsmacked, Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) posted on the X social media platform on Monday. Ive never seen anything like it. They literally demanded specific policy, got it, and then killed it.

Its not hard to see why the GOP changed its tune. Trump, the front-runner in the Republican presidential contest, blasted the border agreement on Monday, saying that border policy and foreign aid should not be tied together in any way, shape, or form.

Only a fool, or a radical left Democrat, would vote for this horrendous border bill, the former president said on his social media website, Truth Social.

The border deal includes several big conservative wins, allowing the government to more easily expel migrants at the border, restrict claims for parole and make it significantly harder for migrants to claim asylum. It would also automatically shutter the border if illegal crossings reach or climb past a certain average daily threshold.

Progressive lawmakers and Latino Democrats lined up against the bill, calling it inhumane and arguing that it would make the situation on the border worse. The U.S. Border Patrols union, an influential voice on the right, meanwhile, endorsed the border bill on Monday, but that did little to sway key Republican senators.

The GOPs about-face leaves the future of U.S. support for Ukraine, as well as for Israel, is serious jeopardy. The House is expected to vote on a stand-alone aid package for Israel this week, but the White House threatened to veto it on Monday.

The Administration strongly opposes this ploy which does nothing to secure the border, does nothing to help the people of Ukraine defend themselves against [Russian President Vladimir] Putins aggression, fails to support the security of American synagogues, mosques and vulnerable places of worship, and denies humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians, the majority of whom are women and children, the White House said in a statement.

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In Huge Reversal, GOP Poised To Kill The Border-Ukraine Package It Demanded - Yahoo News

U.S. Ambassadors in the Pacific Urge Action on Ukraine, Israel and Border Bill – The New York Times

A group of U.S. ambassadors stationed in the Indo-Pacific region is urging congressional leaders to secure passage of legislation providing assistance to Ukraine, Israel and allies in the Pacific, saying Americas credibility with its strategic partners is on the line.

Governments are watching what we do at this pivotal moment in history a time when decisions that we take now will have lasting impacts for years to come, said the letter from nine diplomats sent to Capitol Hill on Monday. They want to see that when the chips are down, the United States will be there for our allies and partners.

The letter is somewhat unusual for a diplomatic corps that is usually reluctant to engage in such fights publicly. But the ambassadors, who met recently at a regional conference, said that the importance of the aid and the signals that failure would send warranted the appeal.

A $118 billion emergency national security spending package, which pairs aid for American allies to strict new border policies demanded by Republicans, is teetering on the brink of collapse in Congress ahead of a test vote scheduled for Wednesday in the Senate.

None of us has ever signed a letter quite like this one, said the message to the four top leaders of Congress from the mix of career diplomats and those with more political backgrounds. But given the gravity of this historical moment, we believe it is imperative to share with you our direct and honest assessment as you consider the supplemental funding request, which we view as essential.

The ambassadors signing the letter were Philip Goldberg of South Korea, Rahm Emanuel of Japan, Caroline Kennedy of Australia, MaryKay Carlson of the Philippines, Eric Garcetti of India, Nicholas Burns of China, Tom Udall of New Zealand, Edgard Kagan of Malaysia and Marc Knapper of Vietnam.

Some of the ambassadors signing this letter are former members of Congress ourselves or have dealt with the legislative process; all of us deeply value the critical role of Congress in foreign affairs and appreciate that budgets are ultimately a legislative matter, it said. Nonetheless, we feel it is important to convey to you directly the profound effect this budget decision will have on our alliances and partnerships in the Indo-Pacific.

Many backers of the legislation in Congress have warned that failure to follow through on aid to Ukraine could embolden China in the region. The ambassadors said that nations with expansionist ideas would take note of the outcome when lawmakers hold what the letter described as one of the most consequential votes in a generation.

Not only will our allies and partners take stock of this moment, so will our adversaries, it said. The credibility of our commitment to collective security and deterrence hangs in the balance.

The package slated for a vote on Wednesday would send $60 billion in additional assistance to Ukraine, $14 billion to Israel and nearly $5 billion for partners in the Indo-Pacific to counter China.

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U.S. Ambassadors in the Pacific Urge Action on Ukraine, Israel and Border Bill - The New York Times

Republicans Savage Border and Ukraine Deal, Threatening Its Survival – The New York Times

Top House and Senate Republicans on Monday savaged a $118.3 billion bipartisan compromise bill to crack down on unlawful migration across the U.S. border with Mexico and speed critical security aid to Ukraine, threatening to kill the deals chances of clearing a deeply divided Congress.

Senate Republicans and Democrats released the agreement on Sunday after more than three months of near-daily talks, cementing an improbable breakthrough on a policy matter that has bedeviled presidents of both parties and defied decades of efforts at compromise on Capitol Hill. But the swift backlash from Republicans who denounced the immigration restrictions as too weak suggested that it had little path to enactment.

Any consideration of this Senate bill in its current form is a waste of time, Speaker Mike Johnson said in a joint statement with Republican leaders on Monday. It is dead on arrival in the House. We encourage the U.S. Senate to reject it.

Several Senate Republicans also quickly condemned the measure, raising questions about whether it could even advance in that chamber, where members of both parties have clamored for a compromise.

I cant support a bill that doesnt secure the border, provides taxpayer-funded lawyers to illegal immigrants and gives billions to radical open borders groups, Senator Steve Daines, Republican of Montana and the chairman of the partys campaign committee, wrote in a social media post. Im a no.

The mounting Republican opposition was a grim sign ahead for an initial test vote on Wednesday in the Senate, where the measure would need bipartisan support including a minimum of 10 G.O.P. votes to move forward.

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Republicans Savage Border and Ukraine Deal, Threatening Its Survival - The New York Times

Ukraine is about to get new US long-range bombs. How will it use them? – Kyiv Independent

Striking Russian pressure points deep behind enemy lines has become a near-daily task for Ukraine and the countrys long-range arsenal continues to grow to serve the purpose.

Ukraines latest acquisition, the Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb, is due for its combat debut any day now.

The GLSDB is the brainchild of Boeing and Saab. As its name suggests, it is an attempt to combine the versatility of a ground launcher with the cost-efficiency and precision of a small guided bomb.

The warhead is modest, with less than 20 kilograms of explosives. But its 150-kilometer range, high evasiveness, cheap cost, and ability to strike from multiple angles can be harnessed to harass high-value targets in the enemys rear, without using up expensive Western missiles.

Politico reported that the first batch of the new weapons was supposed to arrive in Ukraine as early as Jan. 31, although the military has yet to confirm.

The U.S. first pledged to provide GLSDBs to Ukraine in February 2023. Following the Politico report, Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder confirmed the upcoming delivery but declined to comment on the timeline due to operational security reasons.

The GLSDB is technically a new weapon that began mass production in 2023. But no part of it is actually new. Its a precision-guided 250-pound aircraft bomb attached to an M26 rocket; both have been separately used for decades.

Ukraine will be the first to use their combined form in combat. On launch, the motor accelerates the munition and falls off. The wings then unfold, and the SDB glides to its target. Its GPS-aided inertial navigation system is claimed to be precise within one meter.

It can be launched from platforms Ukraine already has, like the HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) and M270 multiple-launch rocket system, or from its own launcher disguised as a shipping container.

The specifications and design hint at the weapons background, partially as an attempted solution to the U.S. militarys stockpiles of unused M26 rockets during the so-called War on Terror while creating an affordable way to sell guided bombs to countries without an air force.

The GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs used in the weapon were designed to take out enemy insurgent or terror cells with their high accuracy and limit collateral damage with their reduced explosive power, Fabian Hoffmann, Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Oslo, who specializes in missile technology, told the Kyiv Independent.

The limited blast radius is less useful for Ukrainians, but other aspects of the weapon can give it new life in their hands.

The cheapness and commonality of parts is one advantage. According to Hoffman, the bomb itself is worth around $40,000, and attaching a rocket wouldnt bring the price up very significantly.

Right now, all Ukraine has that can hit that far are the 165-kilometer ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) and the 250-kilometer air-launched Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles. Because they cost around $1 million and $2.5 million, respectively, Ukraine has to save them for only top priority targets.

Allies use these weapons and have to leave a certain amount for themselves, which was likely the reason why Kyiv has so far received a relatively small number of these missiles.

According to Reuters, France has provided around 50 SCALP missiles to Ukraine, while the U.K. hasnt disclosed the number of missiles they sent. The New York Times reported on Oct. 19 that the U.S. had delivered to Ukraine 20 ATACMS missiles, with Kyiv saying it was just one of the first batches.

While slow for a long-range assassin, the GLSDB makes up for it with its maneuverability in the air. It can be programmed to approach the target from a variety of angles and any direction, theoretically allowing it to negate many forms of cover, Kelly Grieco, a senior fellow at the U.S.-based think tank Stimson Center, told the Kyiv Independent.

The manufacturer claims that the GLSDB also has an advanced anti-jamming system that will counteract Russias expected electronic countermeasures. ECMs can be expected, as Russia has used them against other Ukrainian guided rockets, according to John Hardie, deputy director of the Russia Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Russias military doesnt have anything exactly like the GLSDB in its arsenal and uses the Iskander-M system or guided missiles fired by the Tornado-S MLRS for ground-launched precise strikes at a similar range, Hardie told the Kyiv Independent.

The tactical possibilities of the GLSDB are also analogous to how Russia uses Iranian-designed Shahed drones as cheap, small, long-range, maneuverable replacements for its expensive missiles like the Iskander or Kindzhal. Shaheds also use cheap, easily available parts, can maintain a low profile, and strike from any angle with a modest warhead, though they are easy to take down.

How Russia uses Iranian drones to try to overwhelm Ukraines air defense

Russias been shelling civilian housing and infrastructure since the war escalated on Feb. 24 and has a body count in the thousands to show for it. But recently, Moscow prioritized attacking power plants throughout Ukraine, damaging more than a third with big missile and loitering munition attacks.

The GLSDB is best suited for attacking soft targets, such as arms depots, barracks, logistics nodes, temporary bases basically anything thats not heavily protected, experts said. The goal would be to inflict costly losses and force Russian troops to move their supply lines farther from the front.

Because the bomb is flexible and quickly deployed, Ukrainian forces can effectively use them to hit time-sensitive targets, like high-ranking officers during their base visits, according to Hoffman.

But whether or not the GLSDB makes a big difference greatly depends on the number of bombs Ukraine will receive from the U.S., which is currently unclear.

I think Ukraine will need to receive hundreds this year to realize the GLSDBs full potential, and I expect that will happen. Initial deliveries may be small, perhaps measured in the tens, but I expect production will ramp up as the year goes on, said Hardie.

The GLSDB will complement Ukraines capabilities amid the constant need to replenish its missile and artillery stocks depleted by intense fighting.

It creates more flexibility on the side of Ukraine, and that is really good because, as a decision-maker, you want to have options. This just gives you another thing you can use, Hoffmann said.

This is also something that Russia now has to take into account, and it will complicate their planning.

F-16s for Ukraine: When will they arrive and what can they do?

The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American air superiority fighter that Kyiv has begged for since the start of the full-scale invasion and is expected to finally start receiving this year. Its a versatile workhorse of a jet thats fought in dozens of wars and is

Hi, this is Dinara Khalilova, the author of this article. I hope it brought you more clarity on the new long-range weapons pledged by the U.S. and why Ukraine needs them. To continue reporting on the most important developments of the war, we need your support. Please consider becoming a member of the Kyiv Independent community.

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Ukraine is about to get new US long-range bombs. How will it use them? - Kyiv Independent