Category: Militarnyi-usa my life

Metinvest has started production of tank mine-sweeping gears for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

This was reported by the official website of the company.

As part of the Steel Front initiative, the company has launched serial production of tank mine-sweeping trawls similar in design to the Soviet KMT-7.

Before being sent to the front, the tank sweeps are tested by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine to confirm the declared characteristics.

T-64BV mod. 2017 tank with a tank sweep manufactured by Metinvest. Photo credits: Metinvest

The equipment is being delivered to the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Guard of Ukraine and installed on armored vehicles used by the units.

The company’s representatives claim to produce five tank sweeps per month. It is also reported that the first tank sweeps have already been delivered to the front.

Tank sweeps are a purely Ukrainian product made from Ukrainian steel at Metinvest Group’s facilities in Ukraine. The need for tank sweeps by the Ukrainian Armed Forces is urgent due to the enemy’s dense mining of the territory along the entire front line, the company said.

An analog of the Soviet KMT-7 tracked trawlers was developed after a request from the Ukrainian military, which needed a large number of these demining systems. Unlike the original, Metinvest’s engineers improved the design to ensure better reliability and stability of the rollers’ running gear.

Production of tank sweeps at one of Metinvest’s enterprises. Photo credits: Metinvest

The cost of manufacturing one trawl is about UAH 2.5 million, including the additional equipment for tank crews required to install the device.

As the trawls are sent to the hottest sections on the frontline, the company has also launched the production of separate spare parts and components for their repair in the field. The repair kit for the sweep includes a set of wheels – three units per sweep, as these are the parts that are subjected to the greatest load and damaged during demining operations.

One set of rollers weighs 6.5 tons and measures 3.77 x 3.44 meters. According to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, one trawl must be able to withstand 4-5 anti-tank mine explosions. Since the trawls work in pairs, both must be able to withstand 8 to 10 explosions.

“Tank sweeps are an important component of counteroffensive operations. They not only protect the crews of Ukrainian tanks but also clear the way for infantry. The availability of such equipment, which can be manufactured by Ukrainian enterprises, is critical for the country during the war. It allows Ukraine’s security and defense forces to rely on a reliable rear, in this case, on Ukrainian metallurgists, miners, and engineers from Metinvest, whose work helped provide the military with reliable mine protection equipment,” Andrii Belyaev, Commander of the 23rd Khortytsia Separate Public Order Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, said.

Over the year and a half of Russia’s military aggression, the company has already allocated UAH 2 billion to support the defense sector as part of the Steel Front initiative.

In particular, it includes 150000 bulletproof vests manufactured at our own facilities and purchased, more than 280 mobile shelters – “Kryivka”, 250 high-precision models of military equipment, more than 30 “lancet catchers”, as well as thousands of drones and thermal imagers, vehicles, communications equipment, and other military equipment purchased and transferred to the Ukrainian defense forces free of charge.

Militarnyi previously reported that Metinvest was supplying metal structures to Ukrainian units to protect against Russian attack drones.

The company has already started mass production with up to five units per week. It is reported that 32 sets of such protective structures have already been delivered to the military.

The protective structure is a mobile shelter 10 meters long, five meters wide, and five meters high, weighing about a ton. It consists of a steel frame and a camouflaged metal mesh stretched over it.

The Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine has reported on the transfer of a new batch of 206 Heavy Shot drones to the military.

The Ministry announced this on its social media pages.

Ukrainian company Gurzuf Defense is manufacturing the drones.

Drones can carry up to 30 kilograms of bomb payload over a distance of up to 15 kilometers.

The powerful bomb payload and a long flight range make this drone dangerous for infantry, command posts, and lightly armored vehicles both on the ground and behind enemy lines.

Heavy Shot drones are able to counteract enemy electronic warfare, so they can confidently operate at the front.

In addition, they are equipped with GPS, and have the ability to automatically return to their base location.

“We believe that the drones will help at the front and save the lives of Ukrainian defenders,” the Ministry shared.

On October 17, Militarnyi reported that the Ukrainian Defense Forces received a large batch of drones within the Army of Drones project.

The drones were purchased as part of the Army of Drones project for the Ukrainian Defense Forces. October 2023. Photo credits: Mykhailo Fedorov

The following were transferred to the front: 500 Mavic drones for aerial reconnaissance and fire adjustment of Ukrainian artillery and 300 Phoenix 03 Heavy FPV drones to destroy enemy observation posts, dugouts, and armored vehicles.

It was also reported that Ukrainian companies had received grants of over $1 million within the Brave1 project.

Ukrainian manufacturers received grants to manufacture combat robots with turrets, artificial intelligence drones, maritime drones, and electronic warfare systems.

Kyiv City Council allocated UAH 1 billion (approximately $27.4 million) for the needs of the Ukrainian Marines.

The Commander of the Birds of Madyar Company announced this in his Telegram.

It is reported that the aid was allocated on the initiative of the Kyiv Mayor, Vitaliy Klitschko.

76 city deputies voted for the aid; none of them voted against the initiative.

It is not known what exactly the financial aid will be used for.

Previously, Robert Brovdi (call sign “Magyar”) announced a large fundraising campaign for the purchase of assault boats and high-speed engines for Ukrainian Marines.

Ukrainian marines during training. Photo credits: British Royal Navy press service

In August, Militarnyi reported that the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine would receive UAH 250 million from the Kyiv city budget.

The funds from Kyiv taxpayers were allocated under the Kyiv Defender target program for 2022-2024.

It was also reported that instructors from across the UK Commando Force have passed on invaluable expertise and knowledge in how to plan and carry out raids using small boats by day and night.

The program helped the soldiers acquire life- and survival skills in field, battlefield first aid, as well as close quarters combat.

Ukrainian marines during training. Photo credits: press service of the Royal Navy

In addition, the defenders developed physical training and operational planning skills. Beyond teaching combat skills to recruits, the UK has provided a broad package of other skills, including medical training and the training of military chaplains to provide pastoral care, moral support and guidance.

During the training, the soldiers used weapons provided by the UK for the needs of the Ukrainian Defence Forces.

Instructors from 42 Commando and 47 Commando Raiding Group delivered the training, alongside Army Commandos from 24 Commando Engineers and Royal Artillery Gunners from 29 Commando.

The United States provides Ukraine with an additional $150 million military aid package that will replenish ammunition stocks.

The U.S. Department of Defense reported on this.

This package includes additional air defense capabilities, artillery ammunition, anti-tank weapons, and “other equipment to help Ukraine counter Russia’s ongoing war of aggression.”

To strengthen Ukraine’s air defense, the United States is sending additional ammunition for NASAMS.

NASAMS air defense missile launch. Photo from open sources

These Norwegian medium-range air defense systems use AIM-120 missiles.

As previously reported, Ukraine is going to receive a new air defense system that uses AIM-9M missiles.

AIM-9M missiles. 2015. Photo credits: U.S. Army

The new assistance package includes AIM-9M missiles, which have an infrared homing head.

Stinger missiles, which are used in Ukraine by AN/TWQ-1 Avenger self-propelled air defense systems, are also included in the batch.

To strengthen artillery capabilities, 155-mm and 105-mm shells are being provided.

155 mm artillery shells. Photo credits: telegraph.co.uk

The infantry is being reinforced with additional TOW missiles, Javelin anti-tank systems, and more than 2 million rounds of small arms ammunition.

Night vision devices, demolition munitions for obstacle clearing, cold weather gear, spare parts, etc. are being sent.

Ukrainian military with Javelin ATGM. Photo from open sources

As previously reported, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, confirmed the use of U.S. long-range ATACMS missiles by Ukrainian troops.

Denmark has announced the 13th military aid package to Ukraine for DKK 3.7 billion (almost €500 million).

The announcement was made in a press release of the Danish Ministry of Defense.

In particular, the military aid package comprises T-72EA tanks, armored personnel carriers, artillery ammunition, drones, small arms, and military engineering vehicles.

The latter is funded in cooperation with Germany, as the Danish Defense Ministry notes.

This aid package also includes support for NATO’s Comprehensive Assistance Package and the EU’s joint procurement of artillery ammunition.

Flag of Ukraine and Denmark. Illustrative image

“I met with my Ukrainian counterpart in Kyiv on Tuesday and received an update on the situation in Ukraine. Based on the ongoing negotiations with Ukrainians, the thirteenth and largest donation package from Denmark was formed,” said Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen.

On October 24, Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen visited Kyiv and met with President Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umierov.

Denmark and the Czech Republic have joined forces in a joint project to support Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invaders.

Within the first part of the project, the two countries will transfer about 50 infantry fighting vehicles and main battle tanks, as well as electronic warfare and reconnaissance equipment, and large-caliber ammunition.

However, not all the equipment will be new. The report notes that the supplies will also include refurbished equipment that is already in service with the Armed Forces.

Modernization of T-72 tanks for Ukraine at the Excalibur Army plant. Czech Republic. December 2022. Frame from the Nastoiashchee vremia video

The T-72EA tanks by the Czech Excalibur Army are a modernization of the T-72M1 tank, which underwent the installation of reactive armor, new modern radio communications, a digital instrument panel, a thermal imaging sight with a laser rangefinder, as well as an increase in engine power to 840 hp.

In May of this year, the Ukrainian military received new simulators for training on the new modernized T-72EA tank.

Romania has deployed a counter unmanned aerial system in the area of the Danube Delta near the border with Ukraine.

President of Romania Klaus Iohannis announced this.

Currently, this system is undergoing improvements with new special equipment.

“The counter unmanned aerial system is in place, as they say, and it works. We already have equipment to counter drones. Some equipment comes from Romanian army units, others from our allies, and we will continue to do so,” the President of Romania said.

Iohannis highlighted that the installed counter unmanned aerial system worked well and monitored potential threats. He added that the radars were now able to detect airborne targets at a much lower altitude than before, almost above the ground.

SKY CTRL C-UAS system. Photos from open sources

“You know that the problem before was that radars could only detect targets above 600 meters. Now this level is much lower, almost to the ground,” the Romanian President explained.

According to him, the ongoing improvement of the system will prevent incidents with the fall of drone debris used by the Russian Federation to attack the Odesa region of Ukraine.

“We are continuing to improve the system because we need to avoid such incidents,” said Iohannis.

As previously reported, Romania will receive this system as part of agreements between the governments of several partner countries and with the consent of NATO.

Previously, Romania recorded several incidents of drones crashing during Russian attacks in southern Ukraine.

The Romanian Ministry of Defense concluded that the drones fell on Romanian territory by accident. According to them, these were Russian drones shot down by Ukrainian air defense.

Shelter in Romania. September 2023. Photo credits: observatorulf.ro

To protect civilians living in settlements near the Ukrainian border, shelters were built on the banks of the Danube in Romania.

The United States has information about the execution of Russian soldiers for not following orders from their command.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby announced this on Thursday, October 26.

He points out that during offensive attempts, Russia throws “thousands” of troops into battle without proper training and with low morale.

“We have information that the Russian military actually executed soldiers who refused to follow orders,” the White House official said.

Kirby added that the U.S. was also aware that Russian commanders had threatened to execute entire units if they tried to retreat under Ukrainian artillery fire.

Damaged Russian equipment in the Marinka sector. October 2023. Ukraine. Footage from the video of the 79th Brigade

At the briefing, the U.S. official also noted that Russia was currently conducting offensive actions in several areas, including Avdiivka, Lyman, and Kupiansk.

At the same time, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, partially thanks to U.S. military assistance, “managed to hold on and are holding the line” in these areas of the front.

According to Kirby, since October 11, Russia has suffered significant losses in its attempted offensive, including the loss of “at least 125 armored vehicles around Avdiivka and more than a battalion’s worth of military equipment.”

Russian armored vehicles before defeat near Avdiivka, October 2023. Video frame of the Ukrainian SOF

The United States does not rule out the possibility that Russia could intensify its attacks on the battlefield, as it “still has the potential to attack.”

White House National Security Council spokesman does not exclude further Russian offensive attempts in the Avdiivka area and that Russian troops “may achieve some tactical success in the next few months at the expense of thousands of soldiers thrown into battle.”

The city of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region on the map of Ukraine

Since October 10, Russian invasion forces have been trying to encircle Ukrainian forces in Avdiivka, which is the “gateway” to occupied Donetsk.

Destroyed Russian armored vehicles in the Avdiivka area, October 2023. Frame from the video of the 110th Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

In the Avdiivka sector, the Ukrainian Defense Forces are destroying Russian armored vehicles attempting to attack Ukrainian positions.

Hamas delegation, whose militants attacked Israel on October 7, is on a visit to Moscow.

Sources of the Russian federal publication RIA Novosti informed about the visit.

Israel criticized Moscow, calling the Hamas invitation an “obscene step.”

The visit was unannounced and unexpected. The RIA Novosti source was the first to report the arrival of the Hamas delegation. The information was soon confirmed by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, who limited herself to saying: “Representatives of the Palestinian movement are on a visit to Moscow.”

On the evening of October 26, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs presented its explanation of what Hamas was doing in Moscow.

A photo from the meeting between Abu Marzouk (pictured right) and Mikhail Bogdanov, the Russian President’s Special Representative for the Middle East, was published by the Hamas Telegram channel

According to the official wording, “contacts were held in continuation of the Russian line on the immediate release of foreign hostages” held captive in the Gaza Strip.

The Hamas delegation was headed by Abu Marzouk, and negotiations with him were conducted by the Deputy Foreign Minister and Russian President’s Special Representative for the Middle East Mikhail Bogdanov.

Moreover, the Russian Foreign Ministry did not mention Bogdanov’s name, it was Hamas that named him in its press release, publishing a photo from the meeting.

As interpreted by Hamas, Abu Marzouk discussed “aggression against Gaza” in Moscow, insisting on the right to “resist the Zionist occupation by all available means.”

In turn, Israel criticized Moscow for hosting a Hamas delegation a day after Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution condemning Hamas for the October 7 attack.

“Israel condemns the invitation of senior Hamas officials to Moscow, which is an act of support of terrorism, and legitimizes the atrocities of Hamas terrorists,” wrote the representative of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Lior Haiat.

Lior Haiat. Photo from the government official’s page

Unlike other countries, including Britain, Russia does not recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization. The Taliban has the status of a terrorist and banned organization, but this did not prevent the Taliban from frequent visits to Moscow. The last visit of Hamas took place in March 2023, when the same Deputy Minister Bogdanov met with the delegation.

The Come Back Alive Foundation has handed over 75 drones with thermal imaging optics to the Ukrainian military.

This was reported by the Foundation’s press service on Friday, October 27 on its social media.

DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise Thermal drones were sent to the front.

The value of the 75 transferred drones is UAH 9,652,500.

The drones were purchased with funds from donors.

The Ukrainian military received DJI Mavic 3 drones from Come Back Alive Foundation, October 2023. Photo credits: Come Back Alive Foundation

The purchased drones are equipped with thermal imaging optics, which will help Ukrainian defenders detect the enemy at dusk and during night time.

The Armed Forces received DJI Mavic 3 drones with thermal imagers from Come Back Alive Foundation, October 2023. Photo credits: Come Back Alive Foundation

“All drones are already performing their tasks in the most critical areas of the frontline. And this is a significant reinforcement, because in the context of hostilities of this intensity, each additional “bird” in the army means more invaders sent to hell, more accurate artillery, more Russian equipment burned, and, therefore, faster de-occupation of Ukrainian land,” emphasized the Come Back Alive Foundation.

Drones for army aviation

The day before, the Ukrainian military received the first unmanned aerial system purchased by Come Back Alive Foundation in cooperation with Toronto Television.

The 18th Army Aviation Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine received an unmanned aerial vehicle from Come Back Alive Foundation and Toronto Television, October 2023

The drones will operate in the ranks of the 18th Army Aviation Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In early September, the team of the Toronto Television YouTube channel launched a fundraiser for unmanned aerial vehicles adapted to the needs of Ukrainian army aviation. Within a month, the channel’s viewers managed to raise UAH 8 million.

The 18th Army Aviation Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine received an unmanned aerial vehicle from Come Back Alive Foundation and Toronto Television, October 2023

Come Back Alive Foundation decided to double this amount from the foundation’s general accounts to buy twice as many Ukrainian-made drones.

“We are very grateful to everyone who supported the fundraiser. In this way, you have directly contributed to the fact that this system will strengthen our brigade. This is a new type of Ukrainian product that will significantly expand the range of our military capabilities. The enemy will not like it,” said the spokesman for the 18th Separate Army Aviation Brigade named after Ihor Sikorsky.

The Belgian division of the international defense company KNDS has supplied Ukraine with thousands of rounds of ammunition for Leopard 1 tanks.

This is reported by the Forces operations blog.

In June 2023, the Belgian government ordered 105-mm ammunition for the Ukrainian army worth €32.4 million. The contract for the production of shells was signed with the Belgian branch of KNDS (formerly Mecar).

However, only now it has become known that the ordered shells are intended for 105-mm guns of Leopard 1 tanks, a large number of which are to enter service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2023.

According to the Forces operations blog, the contract has now been finalized, and “thousands of units” of ammunition have been delivered to Ukraine.

The body of a 105-mm tank shell manufactured by KNDS Belgium (formerly Mecar), intended for delivery to Ukraine. Photo credits: Forces operations blog

The exact quantity and types of ammunition ordered for the Ukrainian army are currently unknown. However, the publication has published photos from the production facility, which can be used to determine the type and brand of the shells ordered.

The photo portrays shells being prepared for filling with explosives. They are identical in shape to the M393A3 and M467A1 HESH munitions, which contain 3 kilograms of explosives inside a steel body.

The HESH (high-explosive squash head) munition is a type of explosive projectile with plastic explosive. Upon impact, its body is destroyed, and the explosive “spreads” over the armor plate, after which it explodes, forming a large amount of debris on the opposite side of the obstacle (from the inside) that hit the crew and equipment.

Consequences of a HESH munition hitting an armored obstacle (view from the opposite side)

In addition, M416A1 phosphorus shells have the same shape. Their use in hostilities is not prohibited for the Ukrainian army, but is limited in places where civilians are concentrated.

In addition to the above, Mecar also specializes in the production of conventional high-explosive, HEAT, and 105 mm armor-piercing discarding sabot rounds for L7 guns.

It is worth noting that the Belgian company is mass-producing the best serialized APFSDS rounds in this caliber to date – the 105-mm M1060A3. It is capable of penetrating up to 520 mm of homogeneous armor at a 60-degree angle at a distance of 2,000 meters.

This figure is the limit for defeating Soviet T-72Bs in the frontal projection and is sufficient for younger models, as well as T-80BV and T-64BV. It is unknown whether this ammunition was included in the Belgian contract for the supply of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.