The War in the Ukraine

SolarWarden said:

NEBO-U radar hit by drone. Likely long range strike?

Not really. It only applies to nations with no air force or air superiority. You bring up Armenia and Azerbaijan if the current conflict got bigger involving Iran and Turkey going after each other, which is a very likely possibility, Iran's drone warfare it would try to unleash would not work against Turkey because of their huge modern air force. Turkey would control the skies of that region with their E-7T-AEW&C.

If Russia's huge "modern" air force had air superiority over Ukraine, at least the eastern/central part, we would not be talking about drones as much as we are in this conflict. Russia wouldn't need all these drones if they controlled Ukraine air space. Training Ukraine's army and giving them the armor the west has been giving them would be useless and likely would have never happened.

Click to expand...

Well, most of the world doesn't have big air forces. Modern fighters are just too expensive. those 20-50 combat a/c sized forces are only good for so much, and even 150-200 a/c sized forces realistically are good only for a successful, intensive campaign...which isn't a reliable risk management strategy.

Moreover, as we have discovered, in large(and conflict-prone) part of the world, air defenses tend to dominate air attack(and sides are largely content with launching ever-increasing amounts of stand-off from the safety of their AD shield).
And large international forces won't interfere.

We still haven't seen a fight between two powerful&reasonably modern, air-centric powers. Greece v Turkey could become one, but luckily hasn't.

On top of the cake - we still haven't seen much true stealth interactions.

A chart showing territorial gains by both sides from the start of the war until September 2023

Various knocked out T-64BVs, Maxxpros and BMP-1s.



UMPK FABs striking at the fortified industrial zone of Avdiivka.


AGS-17 working on a Ukrainian attempt of evacuation and rotation.


AFU ammo depot gets destroyed by the artillery of the 123rd MF Brigade in Seversk region.


This time, Orthodox Ka-52 strikes at a Ukrainian fortification using it's ATGM.


Ukrainian field base and ammo depot gets hit by Russian artillery.


AFU assault forces advancing through the trench line gets showered by artillery of the 123rd MR Brigade near Spirny.


NYT article about Russian elastic defenses.


FPV drone from the Sudaplatov Battalion takes out an AFU Strela-10.


AFU transport taken out by FPV drone from the Chechen Beaver near Rabotino.


Remains of a destroyed Maxxpro.


Telegraph: UK has nothing left to send.


Bild: Russia using ammo from Iran.

TASS publishes article about the 'Ghoul' (Upyr) FPV drone being used by Russian special forces in Svatovo Kremenna. Articles like these suggest the Russians are very happy with this drone.


Bogdan or Caesar SPG trying to hide in the forest, still gets followed by drone and destroyed by Russian artillery.


Two UMPK hit on Ukrainian positions in Nikolskoye at the Ugledar sector. The 36th Guards MR Brigade coordinated with Su-34 bombers.


Destroyed HQ of the AFU Operational Group 'Soledar' in the Alexandro-Kalinivo village in the occupied area of the DPR. The munition resposible for this sheer destruction is a FAB-1500 with UMPK. About 50 are said to have been killed including officers, and wounded immediately flown to Poland.


Lancets taking out camouflaged and hidden howitzers. The first is taken out in the Kupyansk direction and the second in Zaporozhye.



UMPK hit into an AFU warehouse in Kostiantynivka.


FAB-500M62 with UMPK strike at Ukrainian base in the right bank of Kherson.


Dobrynya or Cornflower automatic mortar on top of an MT-LB in Kremenna.


LMUR (Product 305) missile hits a Ukrainian hideout in the Ugledar area.


Thermal imaging help spot this hidden Ukrainian group and targeted by. Russian artillery.


M777 spotted and quick reaction brings Russian artillery to bear at it.

AFU field ammo depot hidden in forest line gets taken out by Russian artillery, likely from tank indirect fire.


AFU 2S1 Gvozdika SPG gets taken out by Russian artillery.


Ghoul drone hits a vehicle used by the AFU.


FPV drone with thermobaric warhead hits a Ukrainian stronghold, from the 22nd Spetznaz Brigade of the GRU.


Also from the 22nd, two vehicles seen burning, presumably Marders.



Ukrainian force concentration in the village of Pryhirya in the Kherson region hit by Tornado-S or FAB, then by another Tornado-S.


AFU attempt at an evacuation gets directly hit by a mortar.


Two destroyed AFU BTR-4E and an M113 near Rabotino.


Artillery from the 88th Brigade strikes at Ukrainian positions near Spirne.


HIMARS and Storm Shadow missiles being intercepted by Russian AD at a massed missile strike against Tokmak.


AFU MiG-29 with HARM missiles reported shot down.


Ukrainian landing at Crimea then planted a flag for photo ops. However the landing was rudely interrupted by Russian security forces. I don't post prisoner or interrogation videos as a policy but there was a bald chap that was captured and gave his name. Promo video released by Ukrainian intelligence directorate. Pic of boat captured by the Russians. Flag picked up by the Russians.


Another Russian MT-LB modification, this time with MS-227 launchers of the A-22 fire complex.


Schmel-M, Priz, and Borodach are infantry held thermobaric rocket weapons frequently used by the Russians.


Ukrainian concentration points in Kherson hit by two FAB-500 UMPK glide bombs, at 70km from the front line. Could it be the Russians are lying about the maximum range of their weapons?


AFU field HQ gets struck by a VT-40 kamekaze drone.


AFU IFV and MT-LB infantry carrier gets struck by Russian artillery at the right side of Kherson.


Krasnopol takes out two Ukrainian APCs.

The question of the possibility of the Russian army using nuclear weapons in Ukraine is constantly being raised online. There are quite a lot of supporters and opponents of this action; there is still no clear answer on this issue. Russian Army General Konstantin Pulikovsky gave an answer about the likelihood of using nuclear weapons in Ukraine. The video has been shortened. Subtitles YouTube

Seeing all the destroyed and dead vehicles of your side as you are driven to the front must be depressing.


Destroyed M2A2, Husky and T-72M1 at the Orekhiv front.


TOS-1A Solintsepek at work in the Kupyansk direction.


Stuck and abandoned Leopard 2A6 in the Rabotino direction. Tank may have fallen and tripped on the trench and finished off by a Lancet.


M777 gets hit by Lancet.


Two UMPK hits on Novomikhailovka in the Yuzhno-Donetsk direction.


Ukrainian SPG hidden in the forest line gets hit in the Siversk direction. Said to be an M109. The strike might be a Krasnopol.


Aviation of Group V hits a Ukrainian deployment point in Vuhledar.


Airstrike with two UMPK on an AFU facility in Berislav.


Soldier of a Storm detachment of the 35th Army shoots down a rather technologically complex UAV of the AFU. Comes with a Li-Po battery Made in China.


Leopard 2 gets hit by ATGM. This looks like the 22nd Spetznaz Brigade of the GRU deployed in Rabotino-Verbove.


New lines of defense being made in Tokmak.


AFU Buk-M1 taken out by Lancet of the 40th Marine Brigade.


FAB hits and explosions.


Bradley gets taken out by the VDV in the Verbove sector.


Two Neptune ASHMs intercepted and shot down by Pantsyr-S1, according to this post. A Ukrainian landing craft with 20 soldiers was also intercepted by a Su-30SM of the Black Sea Fleet, no survivors found.

Russian aviation attacked the Ukrainian army base in Berislav with FAB-500M62 aircraft glide bombs. Some media reports that there was a military hospital there.

Destroyed Ukrainian vehicles near Rabotino. M2A2 Bradley, M113, MRAP, T-72M1 and a still burning Western style APC.


A strike of Tornado-S rocket on a Ukrainian training ground with a large concentration of Ukrainians on Kucherov Yar, DPR. Some channels say it's an Iskander. We have been having Iskander vs. Tornado-S identification issues for a while.



About 60 servicemen were said to be hit from the strike including foreign trainers. The strike was 50km from the frontline.


Compilation of various UMPK strikes.


UMPK-FAB strike on Ukrainian positions seen from the ground.

Rostec has begun supplying Russian troops with the new 120mm Phlox self propelled gun. The longer barrel length gives superior range over the previous 120mm mortar. The vehicle is a 6x6 Kamaz 4320. The gun is caple of direct line of fire.


More information here.


Orthodox Ka-52 strikes again and bad weather is not a deterrent.


AGS grenades covered this Ukrainian position followed by an artillery strike.


Two UMPK strikes on New York. Yes, there's a place in Ukraine called New York, also known as Novgorodskoye. The place despite near the front line has been relatively calm until now.


Massed Geran attack on Odessa, Mykolaiv and Kirovograd.


Multiple Ukrainian drones shot down over Belgorad and Kursk.


AGS, mortars and snipers covered this Ukrainian assault courtesy of the 42nd MR Division of the 58th Army.


Ukrainian shelter destroyed between Soledar and Artemovosk by the 137th Regiment.


Battles near Artemovosk. VDV using FPV drones to strike at AFU dugouts.


Siberian fighters from Group O using infantry thermobaric rockets and automatic grenade launchers to repel Ukrainian assaults near the Torsky salient.

UMPK FAB hit on an AFU deployment point on the right side of the Dniepr in the Kherson region.


Orthodox Ka-52 takes out a running pickup of the AFU with it's Vikhr missile.


Gerans arrive at the Orlovka checkpoint in the Reni area in the Odessa region. Boom. Gerans going after port infrastructure again with a vengeance.


Ukrainian AA flak trying to take down Gerans as they attack the Orlovka-Isakcha ferry crossing infrastructure. This sounds like so WW2, with the flak shooting and exploding in the sky, and the Gerans are the new Stukas of the 21st Century, like the sound of planes diving at their targets.


The crossing now burning with footage taken from the Romanian side. This infrastructure is likely used to ferry weapons and vehicles from Europe to Ukraine and grain from Ukraine to Europe.


A bonus for tankporn enthusiasts. A 2S31 Vienna in action, laying the shells on the opposition entrenched in a forest line near Artemovsk. This is a 120mm gun or mortar on a BMP-3 chassis meant to replace the Nona-SVK. This 2S31 belongs to the Ivanovo VDV unit.


Summary of the 2S31 Vienna or Vena. While technically a mortar unit, the gun can be fired directly and use armor piercing rounds, to laser guided Kitolov-2 shells.


D-30 hit an AFU deployment point in a shelter with a precise strike, this at Svatovo-Kremmena. Possible that Kitolov-2 shell was used.


UMPK FAB-250 bombs hitting Ukrainian positions in Urozhaine.


Landing site of Ukrainian commandos at Pereyaslavsky Island gets smashed by a massive strike, which I suspect was a UMPK FAB. Kherson region.


AFU mortar nest gets quadcopter bombed.


Kalashnikov Concern announces mass production of the Chuvikin sniper rifle.


Burning Bradley outside of Verbove, the work of the VDV.


Another AFU deployment point gets struck with precision munition, not mentioned. My instinctive guess is a FAB with UMPK, they are everywhere now.