The Armed Forces of Ukraine neutralized three staff officers of the Russian Airborne Forces.

They were eliminated in a strike in early November. But the names of the neutralized officers have only been revealed now.

Presumably, they were killed during a strike on the place of the invaders’ concentration and equipment on the Arabatska Strilka in the Kherson region.

On November 1, missiles hit two recreation centers – the Yunyi (Young) and the Blakytne Polymia (Blue Flame) in the village of Strilkove.

Kherson region, Arabat Spit. October – November

The Russian invaders seized these buildings and turned them into a base for their military.

According to the photo from the farewell of the neutralized Russian officers, the following were killed:

• Colonel Vadim Dobriakov, Deputy Head of the Command Center of the Airborne Forces Command;
• Colonel Alexey Koblov, Head of the Department (planning of enemy fire destruction) of the operational department of the Airborne Forces headquarters;
• Colonel Alexander Galkin, Deputy Head of the Command Center of the Airborne Forces Command.

Neutralized Russian officers of the Russian Airborne Forces. November 2023. Photo credits: @666_mancer

It is known that Alexey Koblov participated in the war against Georgia in Abkhazia and operations in the North Caucasus.

“Alexey died on November 1 this year. He was buried in Kostroma,” Russian journalists said.

Russian Colonel Alexander Galkin. Photo credits: @KilledInUkraine

According to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on November 1, Ukrainian troops conducted a precision strike on the command post of the Russian “Dnepr” group in the southern sector, which also resulted in the injury of Colonel General Mikhail Teplinsky.

At the same time, the Gauleiter of the occupied part of the Kherson region, Volodymyr Saldo, confirmed the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ missile attack on targets on the Arabatska Strilka.

He claimed to have shot down seven missiles, two of which “detonated in the desert area” of the Arabat Spit.

Arabat Spit on the map

As previously reported, in November, the Ukrainian Air Force destroyed the Russian Askold corvette in Crimea with a missile.

Romanian journalists showed tail numbers of Dutch F-16 fighter jets that arrived in Romania for Ukrainian pilots’ training.

According to a video by Valahia News, five fighter jets arrived at the Romanian air base.

Three F-16AMs with tail numbers J-010, J-019, J-366 and two F-16BMs with tail numbers J-064 and J-210 are now at the Romanian 86th Air Base “Lieutenant of Aviation Gheorghe Mochornice”.

The fighter jets are intended for use by the European F-16 Training Center.

The Center was created due to cooperation between Romania and the Netherlands in partnership with Lockheed Martin and with the support of Denmark.

Under the cooperation agreement, Romania provides the 86th Air Base, training facilities, and support, while the Netherlands provides F-16 fighter jets. Lockheed Martin provides instructors and maintenance specialists.

F-16s for training of Ukrainians

The Dutch F-16 fighter jets that Ukrainian pilots will be training on are of the Block 20 MLU version.

This modernization is equivalent to Block 50/52. Modernization work was carried out on F-16A/B fighter jets to improve their performance.

F-16BM J-064 fighter jet of the Netherlands Air Force in Romania, November 2023. Frame from the Valahia News video

All five fighter jets are relatively new:

• F-16AM J-010 was built in 1991;
• F-16AM J-019 was built in 1991;
• F-16AM J-366 was built in 1988;
• F-16BM J-064 was built in 1988;
• The F-16BM J-210 was built in 1986.

It is worth noting that the insignia of the Royal Netherlands Air Force was painted over, and only the numbers were left. These fighter jets may be transferred to the Ukrainian Air Force in the future.

In 2022, three of these fighter jets with tail numbers J-210, J-064, and J-010, were in the United States. They were used to train pilots on Viper fighter jets under an international agreement.

The F-16BM with tail number J-064, was reported to have a technical problem. In December 2022, the fighter jet was sent to the Portuguese Air Force hangar for maintenance when it arrived from the United States.

A Mine Action Center was opened in the Chernihiv region as part of the State Special Transport Service.

Metinvest announced this.

Metinvest Group was a partner in the construction of the Center, and the project was financed through the United 24 state fundraising platform.

One of the Center’s primary tasks is the professional training of sappers, with plans to train more than 3000 specialists.

They will be engaged in humanitarian demining of areas heavily contaminated with explosive objects after the hostilities.

Opening of the Mine Action Center. Photo credits: Metinvest

The Center will plan, organize, and coordinate demining activities and inform the public about the risks associated with mines and explosive remnants of war.

The Center will also be involved in the certification of mine action operators and processes, attracting demining groups in areas contaminated with explosive objects.

In addition, the task of the Center will include scientific and scientific and technical support of demining.

Metinvest provided financial support for the construction of the Center’s main administrative building.

The company’s total investment in construction is reported to be UAH 9.5 million.

Opening of the Mine Action Center. Photo credits: Metinvest

“Mine clearance of Ukraine’s territory after the war is one of the biggest challenges our society will face. Thousands of homes, estates, fields, and enterprises, like our Azovstal, bear these traces of war that will remind us of the fighting for many years after it ends. We should not leave this “heritage” to our children or grandchildren so that in 50 years they will accidentally come across dangerous finds,” Yuriy Ryzhenkov, CEO of Metinvest, said.

He added that Metinvest’s investment in the Center is a step in the group’s project to help demine Ukraine, which already produces tank mine-sweeping gears.

The Ukrainian military received Czech Striga 122mm multiple-launch rocket systems.

The military posted a video of the new system.

The BM-21MT Striga has been deployed to the 61st Mechanized Brigade. Its artillerymen demonstrated the use of the artillery system against the invaders at the front line.

It is not yet known whether the Czech rocket launcher was transferred as part of military aid or was purchased by Ukraine.

The Striga is a further development of the Soviet-era 122-mm BM-21 Grad rocket launcher, which has received a number of updates to the guidance system and a new lightweight two-axle chassis.

In addition to this system, the artillery units of the 61st Brigade are also armed with the heavier Czech RM-70 Vampire, mounted on a four-axle chassis and equipped with an automatic loading system and additional portable ammunition.

Striga MLRS

BM-21MT Striga is a multiple-launch rocket system manufactured by the Czech defense company Excalibur Army.

These missile systems were first spotted in Ukraine in April last year. They were not later captured, which may indicate their small number in the ranks of the Defense Forces of Ukraine.

A Ukrainian soldier and a Czech BM-21MT Striga MLRS, April 22, 2018

The artillery asset of the MLRS is represented by a launcher with 40 tubes. It is equipped with computing, inertial navigation, and communication systems, which has significantly improved its accuracy, automated processes, and reduced the time of deployment in position compared to the original Grad.

The Czech Striga MLRS is capable of using all Soviet-era 122mm rockets, including the latest Iranian and Serbian modifications, with a range of up to 40 km.

In addition, the system is capable of using Israeli Accular-122 guided artillery rockets, which can hit targets at a distance of up to 35 km with a circular error probability of up to 10 meters.

Accular-122 rocket launcher. Photo credits: Israel Military Industries

The 17-ton Striga is based on a two-axle chassis of the Czech Tatra Force 815-7 army truck. It is equipped with a 362 horsepower Tatra T3C-928-8T diesel engine, which provides a top speed of 90 km/h.

The French government announced the allocation of an additional €200 million for the Ukrainian army support fund, used to finance arms purchases.

Franceinfo reported on this with reference to the French Minister of the Armed Forces.

On November 7, Sébastien Lecornu announced that France would donate €200 million to the fund of support for Ukraine.

“We voted in favor of an amendment in the committee that opens up the possibility of allocating another €200 million for the Ukraine support fund. This will allow us to start implementing a new strategy to purchase new equipment for the Ukrainian army,” the Minister shared.

This is a special fund created by France in October 2022 to finance Ukraine’s military needs.

It allows Ukraine to purchase weapons directly from French manufacturing enterprises and work with the French defense industry.

Engaging the fund

Earlier this year, Ukraine ordered a Ground Master 200 (GM200) mobile aerial target detection radar from the French company Thales. The purchase was financed from a special Ukraine support fund.

This radar can operate independently or in cooperation with Western air defense systems. It can be integrated into the SAMP/T air defense system, also provided to Ukraine.

GM 200 radar from Thales. Photo credits: Thales

In addition, since the beginning of this year, Ukraine has started purchasing large batches of 155mm artillery round hulls from the French plant Forges de Tarbes.

On June 13, the Forges de Tarbes plant received an order to supply 60,000 hulls for the production of 155-mm rounds to be delivered in 2024.

It is not reported whether the ordered parts of artillery ammunition will go to European enterprises for further assembly or will be delivered to Ukraine.

Hulls of 155-mm rounds produced by Forges de Tarbes. Photo credits: Rémi Benoit

However, in August, Oleksandr Kamyshin, Minister of Strategic Industries, announced his intention to launch production of NATO-standard 155-mm artillery rounds by the end of 2023.

The Defense Forces of Ukraine received a new batch of drones through the Army of Drones project.

Mykhailo Fedorov, Minister of Digital Transformation, announced this.

The new batch includes more than 900 drones for various purposes that were transferred to the Ukrainian military.

“The batch already includes the well-known Mavic, Vampire, and Avenger drones, which have proven themselves at the front. We are also transferring hundreds of drones, which should not be mentioned at this time,” Mykhailo Fedorov, Head of the Ministry of Digital Transformation, shared.

More than 900 drones transferred to the Ukrainian military within the Army of Drones project, November 8, 2023. Photo credits: Mykhailo Fedorov

It is noted that most of the drones were manufactured in Ukraine. These are strike and reconnaissance UAVs, as well as kamikaze drones.

The footage captures DJI Mavic 3 drones, Nemesis, and Vampire droners, along with the Avenger strike aircraft.

More than 900 drones transferred to the Ukrainian military within the Army of Drones project, November 8, 2023. Photo credits: Mykhailo Fedorov

Previously, the Defense Forces of Ukraine received a large batch of UAVs for various purposes within the Army of Drones project in October.

500 Mavic drones for aerial reconnaissance and fire adjustment of Ukrainian artillery, 300 Phoenix 03 Heavy FPV drones to destroy ground targets, and 40 Vampire drones were transferred to the front.

At the end of September, the Ukrainian military received 1740 drones: Vampire drones, Phoenix FPV drones, high-speed Penguin and Avenger, and Mavic and Matrice drones.

Robotic platforms handed over to the military. Photo credits: Army of Drones project

At the same time, the Lynx ground unmanned platforms and ShaBlya remote-controlled machine gun turrets were transferred. Some of them were combined into a single ground combat robotic system.

Rheinmetall has received an order from the German government to supply Ukraine with around 100,000 rounds of 120mm mortar ammunition.

The company’s press service announced this.

The German government has signed a contract for the production of 120mm mortar ammunition rounds with the German defense concern Rheinmetall. The deal is part of a €400 million military aid package for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The order, worth a figure in the lower-three-digit million-euro range, provides for the supply of about 100,000 rounds of 120mm mortar ammunition.

Delivery is due to begin shortly and extend over the next two years. The average volume of deliveries can, therefore, be just over 4,000 rounds per month.

A Ukrainian soldier loads an MO-120-RT61 mortar with an M1101 round. January 2023. Ukraine. Frame from the 10th Mountain Brigade`s video

The exact scope of the ordered ammunition is currently unknown. Rheinmetall and its subsidiaries produce a complete array of ammunition of this caliber, including HE-Frag mortar rounds and smoke and incendiary mortar rounds.

In its announcement, the manufacturer noted that through the acquisition of the Spanish ammunition manufacturer Expal, Rheinmetall has significantly strengthened its capacity in this area.

Support for Ukraine

In October, Rheinmetall and the German government also signed two contracts to supply 155 mm artillery ammunition to Ukraine.

As part of the first order, the company will manufacture and supply about 100,000 155-mm artillery shells produced by the Spanish company Rheinmetall Expal Munitions.

Another agreement provides for the transfer to Ukraine of tens of thousands of L15 rounds.

The fulfillment of both orders starts in 2023, with the delivery of several tens of thousands of shells, and the remaining quantity will be delivered in 2024.

Series of 155mm artillery shells from Rheinmetall. Photo by Rheinmetall

At the end of October, the German defense concern Rheinmetall and Ukroboronprom formed a joint venture to repair Western equipment.

Ukraine will receive the first German Boxer RCH 155 self-propelled artillery systems no earlier than the end of next year.

Axel Scheibel, Head of the KNDS Development Department, shared this with Spiegel journalists.

The journalists visited the German Altenhrabov military training ground, where the German RCH 155 wheeled self-propelled artillery system is being state tested, and interviewed KNDS representatives.

“The new Boxer RCH 155 has not yet been delivered, but production is already underway. The first systems are due to be delivered at the end of next year. The first customer will be Ukraine,” Scheibel stated.

Previously, the first self-propelled artillery systems were to be delivered in the first quarter of 2024, and the delivery was expected to be completed in 2025.

RCH 155 wheeled self-propelled artillery systems by the German company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann. Photo from open sources

In January of this year, Militarnyi reported that Krauss Maffei Wegmann (now KNDS) had started production of the RCH 155 for Ukraine.

Ukraine became the first customer of these wheeled self-propelled artillery systems in the amount of 18 units. The German Federal Government funded the purchase, worth €216 million.

RCH 155

RCH 155 (Remote Controlled Howitzer 155) is developed on the chassis of the GTK Boxer wheeled armored personnel carrier with an 8×8 wheel arrangement. It was created by the German company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW).

The system has an automated AGM turret artillery module with a German PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzer artillery unit. The length of the gun barrel is 52 caliber.

Since the AGM module is autonomous, the RCH 155 combat crew consists of only two operators. The ammunition of the AGM module is 30 rounds.

The manufacturer stated that the firing range is 40 km, and it is up to 52 km with V-LAP projectiles. The self-propelled guns are also capable of using VULCANO and EXCALIBUR long-range projectiles.

The full weight of the ACS is 39 tons, and the weight of the AGM module is 12.5 tons. The system is equipped with an MTU 815 hp diesel engine.

The Russian military fired a missile at a civilian ship flying the Liberian flag as it was entering a port in the Odesa region.

The Operational Command South said that the missile hit the superstructure of the ship.

The Russians used a Kh-31P anti-radar missile, which was fired in the direction of one of the ports of the Odesa region.

The harbor pilot was reportedly killed, and another port worker was injured.

Three crew members, who are citizens of the Philippines, were also injured. One of them was hospitalized.

A damaged ship in Odesa from a Russian strike. November 8, 2023. Ukraine. Photo credits: Operational Command South

“Russia has once again confirmed its status as an international terrorist state,” the Operational Command added.

This is not the first time that Russians have attacked civilian vessels operating in the Black Sea.

On August 24, 2023, Russia attacked a civilian cargo ship in the Black Sea; an attack was repelled by Ukrainian air defense.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reported about this.

“Intelligence shows that the Russian military targeted a cargo ship in the Black Sea with multiple missiles on August 24,” Sunak said.

Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Intelligence shows that an intended target was a Liberian-flagged cargo ship berthed in the port. Ukraine’s forces successfully shot down the missiles.

Since withdrawing from the Black Sea Grain Initiative in mid-July, Russia has repeatedly attacked Ukraine’s agricultural infrastructure, ports, and grain storage facilities.

Moscow is asking for the return of more than a hundred previously sold engines from Egypt, Pakistan, Belarus, and Brazil.

Sources told The Wall Street Journal that when the Russian army lost dozens of helicopters at the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, Russia turned to Egypt for help.

Last April, a delegation of Russian officials visiting Cairo asked Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi to give back 150 engines from Russian Mi-17 helicopters.

At the same time, Egypt initially planned to supply missiles to Russia, but abandoned this idea under pressure from the United States.

The talks in Cairo were part of Russia’s broader attempts to reach out to its longtime customers, who have been buying Russian aircraft, missiles, and air defense systems for decades.

Destroyed Russian Mi-8 helicopter in the Kharkiv region. March 2022. Photo credits: @raging545

The terms of the agreement are described by the sources as follows: Moscow forgives Cairo’s arrears in payment for previous arms supplies (some of the transfers were disrupted due to restrictions on Russian banks’ work with the SWIFT system), continues to supply wheat to Egypt and does not withdraw its military advisers, and Cairo quickly returns 150 engines.

In addition, Egypt refused the U.S. request to supply weapons to Ukraine.

Following the negotiations, the engines are expected to return to Russia in December.

Since the start of the war, Russia has also held talks with Pakistan, Belarus, and Brazil, a former Russian intelligence officer told the WSJ.

Russia has also asked Pakistan for at least four Mi-35M engines from helicopters that it previously sold. Belarus sold six Mi-26 heavy-transport helicopter engines back to Moscow. Russia has asked Brazil to buy back 12 engines from Mi-35M military-helicopter engines that Brazil decommissioned last year.

Mi-35M helicopter of the Air Force of Belarus. August 2023. Photo credits: Ministry of Defense of Belarus

The Brazilian Foreign Ministry said it had abandoned the deal. Russia’s need for arms has also affected its exports, which in some cases has led to the disruption of deals, especially for ground forces weapons systems.

At the same time, in August 2023, the Belarusian Air Force received a batch of Russian Mi-35M helicopters.