Ammunition Artillery Neighbors North Korea (DPRK) Russia World
North Korea has delivered 350,000 artillery shells to Russia for the war against Ukraine.
Col. Ants Kiviselg, head of the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) Intelligence Center, reported on this.
According to him, Russia has four million artillery shells, enough for a year of low-intensity war.
“If we have seen so far that Russia fires about 10,000 shells in one day, then the amount of ammunition that North Korea has sent should be enough for a month and a half,” says Ants Kiviselg.
According to the Estonian military, the main areas of focus for Russian troops in Ukraine are now two sections of the frontline, namely Avdiivka-Marinka and Kupiansk-Lyman.
While 20-40 attacks a day were recorded there in the summer, now, on average, 76 attacks per day are taking place in the areas.
Russia calls these actions active defense, however the Estonian military believes that these are just nice words, and that they are actually preparing a new offensive.
The head of Estonian intelligence notes that the invaders will once again start attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
“It seems to us that the Russian Federation has already finished preparing these strikes. This can be expected in the coming weeks or a month,” Kiviselg emphasized.
According to Ukraine Weapons Tracker analysts, the Russian military received 122-mm and 152-mm artillery shells.
These shells are compatible with Soviet-era artillery systems.
As previously reported, John Kirby, U.S. Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House has recently reported that North Korea supplied Russia with over 1,000 containers of military equipment and ammunition for further use in the war against Ukraine.
Asia Aviation Aviation incidents Occupants elimination Russia World
A Russian Il-76MD military transport aircraft has burned down in Tajikistan.
This is reported by the Russian propaganda media.
The accident took place on the night of October 19-20 at the Gissar Air Base near Dushanbe.
Due to the failure of one of the engines, the plane caught fire during takeoff. As a result, the plane rolled off the runway and burned down.
The preliminary cause of the fire of the Russian Il-76MD aircraft was the destruction of the pneumatic tire (tire explosion) while accelerating during takeoff, followed by the ingress of elements into one of the engines.
There were 8 people on board the military transport plane. The aggressor country’s media reported that the crew was not injured.
The Russians published a photo of the remains of the aircraft. It is seen that after the fire, only the left wing and tail section of the IL-76MD remained, while the cargo cabin and cockpit had completely burned down.
Since two engines on the left wing are visibly intact, we can assume that the engine fire that led to the complete destruction of the Russian aircraft occurred on the right wing.
This is not the first loss of Russian aircraft of this type in recent times.
For example, during a large-scale attack on the Russian joint-use airfield in Pskov by Ukrainian drones in late August, four Il-76 military transport aircraft were hit. The airfield is located 700 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
A published video features two planes engulfed in flames, indicating their complete destruction.
The security of the military facility failed to adequately counteract the drone attack.
Bulgaria Czech Republic Europe Russia Terrorism World
Officers of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation were involved in the explosions at depots in the Czech Republic and Bulgaria.
This is stated in an investigation by The Insider.
One of those involved was tasked with eliminating Ukraine’s political leadership at the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion.
The GRU Unit 29155, headed by General Averyanov, who came to prominence after the Salisbury poisoning, had been organizing explosions in Europe long before the war against Ukraine began.
The first sabotage attacks were carried out in Bulgaria to prevent the supply of weapons to Georgia. Despite the fact that the explosions resulted in human casualties, the perpetrators were never punished and continued their sabotage activities. Later, as if nothing had happened, they were employed at the Russian presidential administration and since then participated in official events under their real names.
On July 31, 2023, at a roundtable on the last day of the Russia-Africa Summit in St. Petersburg, Russian President Vladimi Putin presented his team of officials to the visiting African leaders. One of them introduced himself as “Averyanov, Andrey – Security.”
Averyanov became famous all over the world as a GRU general who led the same military unit 29155 responsible for the sabotage and Novichok poisoning in Europe. It was his team that poisoned the Skripal family and Bulgarian arms dealer Gebrev. It was his group that organized the explosions at arms depots in the Czech Republic and Bulgaria.
The Insider’s investigators believe that the GRU general’s appearance before African leaders was not accidental. A month later, after a plane with the head of the PMC Wagner Yevgeny Prigozhin and his deputy Dmitry Utkin onboard exploded in the air, General Averyanov, as the deputy head of the GRU, began traveling around Africa and subordinating mercenaries to the GRU. At the same time, exactly two months after the failed coup, Prigozhin’s military empire, once created by the GRU, came under the direct and official control of military intelligence.
As The Insider found out, Averyanov and his subordinates have been organizing explosions in European countries since 2011. At that time, Russia was still a member of the Group of Eight, and all world leaders shook hands with Putin and Medvedev at ceremonial events and discussed the possibility of a visa-free regime.
Averyanov
In 2008, Averyanov was appointed commander of GRU Unit 29155. He recruited several dozen young officers of the GRU and special forces officers. Over time, the unit grew to about 70 people. Its task was to organize sabotage abroad.
GRU officers first put their skills to the test in 2009. The Bulgarian company EMCO bought thousands of Soviet-style artillery shells that were decommissioned by Slovakia in 2009 due to the transition to NATO standards. The GRU was confident that EMCO would sell those shells to Georgia, and after the annexation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in 2008, Russia feared that Georgia would want to regain its territories.
The 6,000 shells purchased by EMCO were stored in a Czech depot near Vrbětice and were to be shipped to Bulgaria between October 4 and November 4, 2011.
At 9 a.m. on November 12, 2011, the ammunition storage depot located near the Bulgarian village of Lovnidol, where EMCO had stored the 3,120 152-millimeter shells it had recently received from Vrbětice, went up in flames.
Five months after the incident, Bulgarian investigators discovered an unexploded IED approximately 200 meters from ground zero. The retrieved unit was described as “an object resembling plastic explosive, covered with polyethylene wrapping and with an attached aluminum cylinder with exposed wires sticking out.”
The forensic analysis ordered by the police concluded that the improvised explosive device did not fully explode due to the fault in the triggering mechanism.
Not long after the incident, Bulgarian investigators discovered evidence that the massive explosions had been caused by “the embedding of an improvised explosive device.” Nevertheless, three years after the explosions, Bulgarian prosecutors closed the investigation due to an absence of evidence connecting foul play to any perpetrators.
Explosions
Convinced of their impunity, GRU officers continued operations in Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, resulting in significant civilian casualties.
Less than a year after Lovnidol, another ammunition depot in Bulgaria exploded, where the ammunition intended for export to Georgia had been stored. The explosions were so powerful that the country’s seismic laboratories recorded an earthquake measuring 1.5 on the Richter scale. The Bulgarian prosecutor’s office conducted an investigation for several years but found no evidence of sabotage, so it charged three officers of the depot with negligence.
On March 21, 2015, more than 2,000 rockets and anti-tank grenades intended for export to Ukraine exploded in a depot in Iganovo, near Sopot, home to the country’s largest arms manufacturer.
Before each explosion, it was established that some members of Averyanov’s unit had crossed the border the day before and were in the countries where the explosions occurred.
Despite having been serially compromised by Bellingcat and The Insider for his black-ops activities, only Colonel Vladimir Moiseev remains an active member of Unit 29155. Moiseev was deployed in the early days of the war as part of an advance assassination team in Ukraine seeking to kill Ukrainian political leadership and facilitate the country’s invasion and occupation.
Armored vehicles Occupants elimination Ukraine War in Donbas War with Russia
In the Avdiivka direction, the Defense Forces have destroyed Russian armored vehicles, which tried to attack Ukrainian positions.
Tanks, IFVs, armored personnel carriers and the manpower of the invaders were hit.
Ukrainian defenders published footage of the destruction of this armor.
According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in the Avdiivka direction, the Russians do not abandon attempts to surround Avdiivka.
The enemy conducted unsuccessful offensive actions in the areas of Novokalynove, Stepove and Pervomaisk Donetsk regions.
The Ukrainian defenders are firmly holding the defense and inflicting numerous losses on the enemy in manpower and equipment.
The 110th Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine published footage of the destruction of the enemy armored vehicles.
During offensive actions, the Russians use artillery, aviation and MLRS.
Further into battle, they send armored vehicles that should support the infantry, often the invaders’ armor moves in columns when approaching the front line.
The video of the Ukrainian military recorded the destruction of Russian tanks and infantry fighting vehicles with troops on board.
Several BTR-80/82А wheeled APCs were also destroyed, which supported and delivered the Russian infantry to the front line.
Ukrainian artillery, mortars and anti-tank systems are actively hitting the invaders. FPV drones are also used to defeat equipment. Also, the Ukrainian military destroyed the Russian TOS-1A Solntsepyok heavy flamethrower system.
The Bundeswehr chose the Israeli EuroPULS multiple launch rocket systems to replace the U.S. MARS 2 tracked MLRS transferred to Ukraine.
This was reported by Soldat&Technik, which received a written response from Budget Committee member Ingo Gädechens.
The new system will replace the five U.S.-made MARS 2 multiple rocket launchers transferred to Ukraine. The corresponding contract will be signed this month between Germany and the Israeli company Elbit Systems.
The procurement of PULS will take place in cooperation with the Netherlands, which will reduce acquisition costs and improve logistics capabilities to support these systems.
As part of the full support of these systems, the European version is called EuroPULS, since most of the spare parts and components will be produced by European companies.
Currently, the German Ministry of Defense is preparing an official document to receive a budget of 25 million euros for the purchase of five systems of this type.
In order to ensure the speedy replacement of the systems transferred to Ukraine, as well as the maximum possible interoperability and cooperation between both countries, Germany is supposed to participate in this procurement. This means that the first systems can be delivered as early as 2024, according to the representative of the budget committee.
It is currently unknown whether the systems the German Ground Force is to receive will be based on the Rheinmetall HX or Iveco Trakker.
This order will be part of the overall collaboration program between Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Elbit Systems, which the companies signed in December 2022 as part of the EuroPULS presentation.
Currently, Elbit Systems is expanding its presence on the European market, due to the high demand for their multiple launch rocket system. In addition to the countries that have already ordered these systems, France and Italy are interested in it.
As Militarnyi reported earlier, the Netherlands ordered 20 Israeli PULS MLRS.
EuroPULS
EuroPULS modular multiple launch rocket system is developed by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Elbit Systems for the European market. Its main feature lies in the use of a fire control system similar to the American one used on the М270/MARS, which provides the possibility of using American ammunition. In addition, the system received some components of European production, which will provide increased combat readiness.
The spectrum of missiles to this system ranges from minimal Accular 122mm missiles to ballistic missiles with a range of up to 300 km.
Armed Forces of Ukraine Artillery Military assistance SBGS Ukraine War with Russia
Gunners of the Defense Forces of Ukraine received BS-3 100mm field guns.
These weapons were used in World War II.
Photos of the Ukrainian military with this gun were published on social media.
The BS-3 field gun entered the Soviet army in 1944.
It was intended for the destruction of armored vehicles, manpower and artillery of the enemy in shelters and in open terrain. A 100mm gun can fire from indirect fire positions.
Ukraine likely received these artillery systems within the framework of military assistance. However, it is currently unknown where exactly these guns could have come from.
BS-3 was manufactured in 1944-1951, a total of 3,816 such artillery systems were produced.
The towed gun has a claimed maximum firing range of up to 20.6 km, a maximum firing rate of up to 8-10 rounds per minute (practical 4-5), and a gun weight of 3,650 kg. The crew of the gun is 6 soldiers.
Ukrainian gunners use BS-3 to destroy the weapons source and manpower of the Russian invaders with high-explosive shells.
Probably, the gun can also be used for counter-battery warfare.
Earlier, footage of training firing with BS-3 100mm towed guns was published by Ukrainian border guards.
Several guns were involved in training firing, which indicates the arrival of these artillery systems in a certain number, and not in a single gun.
The Ukrainian military have received a batch of new Senator armored vehicles in the MRAP variant.
Defense Blog reports on Saturday, October 21.
The armored vehicles were supplied by the Canadian company Roshel Smart Armored Vehicles.
It is noted that unlike the previous version, the new armored car has improved protection against detonation on mines, which provides additional advantages for the military when performing various combat tasks.
Roshel introduced a new version of the Senator armored vehicle in the MRAP variant at the end of May this year. At that time, the start of its production was reported as well.
The vehicle was developed taking into account the experience of using the Senator as part of the Ukrainian Defense Forces during the war with Russia.
It is designed to accommodate up to 10 military personnel and provides a high level of protection against explosive devices and ambushes, ensuring safety of the crew.
The new armored car has a V-shaped body bottom, and its cabin has special seats with shock absorption. Such solutions are designed to minimize the effect of explosion energy on the crew inside when detonated on an explosive device (mines, etc.).
“You feel safer when you know that there is special protection under your feet against Russian mines,” says the Ukrainian military, who is now driving the vehicle.
Senator MRAP successfully passed a series of tests and demonstrated its suitability. The test was carried out according to standard STANAG 4569 AEP55 level 2 and 2a/2b. Ballistic and explosion tests were carried out by a NATO-certified independent U.S. laboratory.
The protection of the armored vehicle must withstand shelling with bullets of caliber up to 7.62×39 mm at a distance of 30 meters, as well as blowing up 6 kg of explosives (anti-tank mine) under any wheel or under the bottom of the vehicle.
In January 2023, Militarnyi reported that Canada would transfer 200 Roshel Senator armored vehicles to Ukraine. On the basis of this vehicle, a mobile command post for the Armed Forces of Ukraine was also created.
The Indian Navy received a third Visakhapatnam-class destroyer.
The press service of the Indian Navy reported this.
The Imphal destroyer was built at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited shipyard. Vessels of the same project, the INS Visakhapatnam and INS Mormugao, were commissioned over the past two years.
The Warship Design Bureau (WDB) of the Indian Navy designed the Visakhapatnam-class destroyers that are the hallmark of the local shipbuilding industry.
The project is positioned as a powerful and versatile platform equipped with the most modern weapons, consisting of anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles and torpedoes.
The main propulsion of the vessels consists of two Ukrainian М36Е gas turbine units manufactured by SE NPKG Zorya-Mashproekt and two Bergen/GRSE KVM diesel engines manufactured under license in India.
This equipment allows the vessel to reach a maximum speed of up to 30 knots.
The P15B project’s vessels are armed with a 76 mm naval gun, four АК-630 30mm CIWS, and two 8-cell VLS for launching BrahMos cruise missiles.
The vessels also have four vertical launchers with 8 cells for launching Barak-8ER anti-aircraft missiles and two RBU-6000 anti-submarine rocket launchers.
Indian destroyers can carry two helicopters of the Westland Sea King or HAL Dhruv type on board.
The vessels are 163.9 meters long, 17.7 meters wide, and have a displacement of 7,400 tons. The range is 4,500 nautical miles at a speed of 18 knots. The crew consists of 360 sailors, including 50 officers.
Procurement history
The Cabinet Committee on Security of the Government of India approved a project to build four stealth destroyers as part of the P15B project program in December 2010.
The contract for their supply to the Indian Navy was signed on January 28, 2011. The order value was $4.89 billion.
The launching ceremony of the series’ lead ship, named Visakhapatnam, took place on April 20, 2015.
The keel of the Mormugao, the second destroyer of the series, was laid in June 2015, and the launching ceremony took place on September 17, 2016.
INS Imphal, the third ship of the series, was launched on April 20, 2019, and the fourth, INS Sura, was launched on May 17, 2022.
ATGM Defense industry of Ukraine Luch Design Bureau Ukraine War with Russia
In Ukraine, the Amulet anti-tank missile system from the Luch Design Bureau was integrated on the HMMWV chassis.
The press service of the 1st Special Purpose Brigade named after Ivan Bohun published the photos of it.
Amulet ATGM is designed to defeat stationary and moving ground targets, including armored and equipped with explosive reactive armor.
The Amulet is mounted on a rotary platform with supports for the moving part. The launcher is equipped with optical sensors and mounts for two guided missile launch assemblies.
ATGM can use RK-2S and RK-2М missiles.
The module is controlled remotely by the operator’s console. The empty containers are replaced with new ones manually.
The system can be used at any time of the day, in different weather conditions, and in a wide temperature range.
Amulet ATGM adopted optical sensors from Stugna-P. It has two modes of operation with a wide (4 ° 20 “x 3 ° 10”) and narrow (1 ° 15 “x 0 ° 50”) field of view.
The optical sensors provide detection of armored vehicles at distances of at least 13.5 kilometers and recognition at 5.5 kilometers.
A thermal imager is mounted above the optical unit, which can detect targets at a distance of up to 11 kilometers and recognize them at a distance of 4.7 kilometers.
In 2020, Militarnyi reported that the Luch Design Bureau presented the Amulet ATGM on the BRDM-2 chassis.
Earlier, in 2019, Amulet was presented at the International Exhibition “Weapons and Security” on the Novator SBA chassis.
In addition, in March 2022, it was reported that Luch specialists continue to train anti-tank crews of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and introduce new weapons.
At the time, it was also reported that the operation of the Amulet ATGM had resumed.
The United States Marine Corps uses mock-ups of Chinese fighter jets.
The video of this was published on Dividshub.
The released video captures the Marines conducting training alongside mock-ups of J-20 and J-7 fighter jets.
The exercises were part of training with the R80D SkyRaider unmanned air system near the distant Atlantic Marine Range in North Carolina.
Marines from the Strategic Unmanned Aircraft Systems Support Squadron (SUASS), 2nd Air Defense Low Altitude Battalion (LAAD), 167th Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA), and 223rd Marine Strike Squadron (VMA) were participating in the exercise.
Their task during the exercises was to evaluate the effectiveness and practical use of unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with the advanced Silvus Technologies data transfer system.
Given the units involved in the exercise, these layouts could have been used to conduct target identification exercises.
Models of military equipment are widely used not only during exercises but also during the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war.
Militarnyi previously reported that the Russian military was spending expensive precision weapons striking at Ukrainian mock-ups.
The Russians are also using false targets and creating mock-ups of artillery positions.
Mannequins are installed in false positions to simulate the work of a gun crew.
They are dressed in military uniforms, body armor covers, and helmets. They are also “armed” with AK-74 models and even radio stations.
