War in Ukraine, technical and military aspects only

[Roman Alymov]

Unknown munition (believed to be NKorean Bulsae-4) vs. pro-Ukr hideout https://t.me/infomil_live/23652

[Roman Alymov]

Pro-Rus fiberFPVs vs. pro-Ukr land logistics drones https://t.me/boris_rozhin/185024

  Note Starlink terminals installed on drones - unlimited access to them is giving NATO major advantage in land drones

"There was a comment about the use of the NRC (Rus abbreviation for Nazemny Robotekhnichesky Komplex, ground ronotic device - RA).

— A huge advantage in the control of the enemy's NRC is the use of Starlink. And we have radio control, which is much worse.

On the radio control:
— It is impossible to drive normally using a camera mounted on the ground drone itself. We need a copter from which you can see how the NRC is going. 
— We need an air repeater, otherwise the range of the use of NRK with radio communication is nonsense.
— If the NRK has slipped into a funnel, a trench, a streambed — that is, below the radio horizon — "consider it gone."
— If the enemy has jammed the EW control signal, then "consider it gone." You need to physically reload the cart.

And Starlink gives a 1080p quality picture from the cart itself and is resistant to attempts to jam the signal.

Well,  tech support section is needed in every detachment with the NRC, or at least in every military unit. To contact the supplier regarding repairs and obtaining spare parts. It takes too long to arrange for the shipment of a broken NRK to the factory.

In general, there will be a Russian equivalent of Starlink — there will be equality with the enemy in terms of the controllability of the NRC and the disclosure of their potential." https://t.me/vault8pro/53154

Edited October 28 by Roman Alymov

[Roman Alymov]

As i have allready said before. one of the sideeffects of fiberFPV drones with their good picture quality is possibility, at least in some cases, to avoid strikes on civilians. In this case, pro-Rus drone operator in Kupiansk area was able to identify the target as two local teenagers on scutter, and went other way to look for mil targets. Interestingly, teenagers have also filmed the drone 

https://t.me/sashakots/57262

[Roman Alymov]

"Has Judgment Day arrived?

To answer this question, let's compare modern warfare with footage from the first and second "Terminator". In the first part, the characters move at night because the robots have infrared radiators.

This means that the robots are equipped with night vision devices. Our guys haven't moved at night since the middle of last year. There are thermal imaging cameras on the "birds" and even without light you can be clearly seen.

In the second part, we actually see an epic battle where a crowd of people are fighting robots. They fight at a short range and the weapon hits the enemy only in the line of sight.

What do I want to tell you? Near Pokrovsk/Krasnoarmeysk the situation is already scarier than in both "Terminators".

To gather such a crowd and fight at close range is certain death. In most cases, you are struck by a drone whose operator is sitting 20 km away and you will never see it. 

SVO opened Pandora's box. Drones will never leave the battlefield now. But I'm more concerned about the question: when will Skynet be created? And looking at the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence, this question worries me more and more." https://t.me/NeoficialniyBeZsonoV/48249

[alejandro_]

On 10/27/2025 at 8:48 PM, Roman Alymov said:

Not clear how representative this statistics is, but still might be useful

"Rubicon Center - 10,000 targets hit!

Thanks, what is the position of this centre within the Russian Ministry of Defence? Is it part of the new unmanned forces?

[Roman Alymov]

On 10/30/2025 at 2:52 PM, alejandro_ said:

Thanks, what is the position of this centre within the Russian Ministry of Defence? Is it part of the new unmanned forces?

  De-facto it is sort of "MoD's own drone Wagner", little is known about their formal structure and subordination. 

[Roman Alymov]

"How to make steel-bush version of barn tank from old steel cables, pictoral guide"

https://t.me/milinfolive/159559

[Sinistar]

originally from business insider:

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/nato-drone-maker-says-west-111801271.html

 

Quote

NATO drone maker says the West needs to stop overengineering its weapons

 

this sort of generalization has been made by others  - not per se related to drones but generally speaking in terms of equipment vehicles and arms

 

Quote

"You don't get points for integrating the most advanced stuff in your products. You get those points for getting the job done with the least amount of resources spent doing this."

 

the principle of least effort which originally was described by philosophers but often adapted by systems engineers or advertisers and seen in film:

 

 in the star wars universe the mere waving of a hand and it chokes out an opponent or forces compliance or behaviors; it is a powerful move because it apparently requires little effort- if the same goal required an elaborate setup and lengthy ritual then it does not convey the same sort of power

audiences sense this innately without explanation

 

in terms of competition or in sports or whatever you know when you see it:

the team or the side which spends the least amount of effort to accomplish its goals appears to have enormous advantage over an opponent which much spend more effort to accomplish the same goals

and hence you see the lopsided results and we say the team or the player which performs makes it look effortless

 

or say threatening or wiping out a premier, trained battle group operating expensive vehicles and equipment with cheap, disposable drones

 

Edited November 1 by Sinistar

[Jaroslav]

Ukraine has received at least 309 billion euros ($360bn) in aid from 41 countries since the start of the war.

Military aid – 149.26 billion euros ($174bn – using today’s exchange rate of €1 = $1.17)

Financial aid – 139.34 billion euros ($163bn)

Humanitarian aid – 21.04 billion euros ($24bn)

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/21/tracking-us-and-nato-support-for-ukraine-a-full-breakdown

[Roman Alymov]

5 hours ago, Jaroslav said:

Ukraine has received at least 309 billion euros ($360bn) in aid from 41 countries since the start of the war.

  Taking into account population of Ukraine before the start of big war was about 36mln, it is about USD10 000 per head, not so much (taking into account significant number of this "heads" have left or now dead.

[Roman Alymov]

One more version of "bush=tank" (protected by old steel cables) https://t.me/anna_news/86141

Edited November 2 by Roman Alymov

[Roman Alymov]

Rare video of Leopard 1A5 tank wreck after internal explosion, Konstantinovka city limits https://t.me/milinfolive/159710

[alejandro_]

On 11/2/2025 at 2:56 PM, Jaroslav said:

Ukraine has received at least 309 billion euros ($360bn) in aid from 41 countries since the start of the war.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/21/tracking-us-and-nato-support-for-ukraine-a-full-breakdown

Note that this was published in August.
 

In October, the Russian Federation used a record number of KABs to strike Ukraine - over 5.3 thousand, - Ministry of Defense

Russia is increasing the number of KAB strikes on Ukraine. What is known?
During October, Russian forces sharply increased the use of guided bombs in strikes on Ukraine.

This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Defense, Censor.NET reports.

KAB strikes in October
During the month, the occupiers used more than 5,328 KABs to strike at Defense Forces positions and frontline cities.

The Ministry of Defense calls this indicator a record since the beginning of 2025.

"Air terror is growing: in 10 months the enemy has already dropped about 40,000 aerial bombs - as many as in the entire last year," the ministry added.

Modernized Russian guided bombs (GKABs), equipped with universal planning and correction modules (UMPKs), which convert conventional unguided bombs into planing bombs, are actively used across the territory of Ukraine.

Previously, the Russian invaders used KABs to strike at frontline territories. However, in the fall, there were cases of KABs striking at rear settlements.

https://censor.net/ua/news/3583192/rf-naroschuye-kilkist-udariv-kabamy-po-ukrayini-scho-vidomo

[alejandro_]

A brief review of the trophy assault rifle Haenel MK 556 A2 of German manufacture by the military correspondent of "Izvestia" Dmitry Astrakhan.

https://t.me/milinfolive/159334

@Roman Alymov Anything worth pointing out from the evaluation? This assault rifle won a competition to equip German Army but was discarded after issues with IP property.

[bojan]

Positive overall impressions, including by the soldier who used it for two weeks while being cut off from his unit after capturing it, despite being damaged by fragment (that prevents disassembly). He  in particular disagrees with certain popular myths that "it is too complex", "easy to fill with mud", "not for the war" and states it is perfectly normal military rifle.

[Roman Alymov]

34 minutes ago, bojan said:

Positive overall impressions, including by the soldier who used it for two weeks while being cut off from his unit after capturing it, despite being damaged by fragment (that prevents disassembly). He  in particular disagrees with certain popular myths that "it is too complex", "easy to fill with mud", "not for the war" and states it is perfectly normal military rifle.

+1, this teview is mostly focused om myth supported by both some MilIndustry circles and conservative Generals that "the soldier can't be given something more complex then hammer", "AK-47 is final point of evolution" etc. 

   From comments

"In some ways it 's better in some ways it 's worse . I had a couple of captured AR-type rifles and 5 boxes of cartridges. Thanks to the Ukrainians from Avdiivka, they decided to die and share their swag with me. I tested it, well, I liked something, then give it to a friend, he was a fan of them, he went with him sometimes until he got kicked by leadership, it's better that everyone had interchangeable ammunition in those cases where possible"

"Yes, it is clear that this is a good weapon. But this, like the FN SCAR, is a good EXPENSIVE weapon. It's not just AR-type weapon. This is an expensive high-quality AR-type weapon with certain modifications. It is not for mass armies (or for mass armies with a massive budget, as in the USA). Here, the reporter himself says that the weapon was recaptured from some ELITE unit, that is, it was not supposed to be given to everyone, and it was not necessary for everyone.
Of course, if you don't care about the price and production possibilities in a poorly equipped factory, you can get an excellent sample. But arming an army of millions with them is both problematic and unnecessary.
Germany, with a developed industry and an army of 183,000 people, can event buy gold rifles, but this is hardly suitable for Russia, China, India and others."

 

[Roman Alymov]

Endemic shortage of Kontact ERA steel boxed is sometimes resulting in strange improvisations, like this RusArmy T-80 with BRAT ERA boxes on hull sides https://t.me/anna_news/86197

[alejandro_]

Thank you both, that was interesting.

Analysis of nuclear power plants (NPP) in Ukraine. Note comment on "gentle mode", which is not a technical term, just at low output.

In the discussion about disabling the nuclear component of Ukraine's power system, the first thing to clarify is what nuclear energy under Kyiv's control actually is.

▪️Firstly, there are only three nuclear power plants: Rivne (4 operating power units), South Ukraine (3 operating power units), Khmelnytskyi (2 operating power units).

▪️Secondly, all reactors are quite advanced and safe. These are two VVER-440 and seven VVER-1000 reactors.

Various "Chernobyl flashbacks" and hints regarding the current Ukrainian reactor fleet are incorrect.

The only nuclear power plant in Ukraine with RBMK-1000 reactors (the same type as Chernobyl) is the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant itself. Its last reactor was shut down back in 2000.

It is especially worth noting that Ukraine's reactor fleet is, overall, quite young by European standards. There is not a single operating power reactor commissioned before the 1980s. Three were commissioned in the first half of the 1980s, four in the second half of the 1980s, and two only in 2004.

The latter are the 2nd unit of Khmelnytskyi NPP and the 4th unit of Rivne NPP. They were almost completed during the USSR era. After a long construction pause, the projects were finished in the 21st century.

Thus, the reactor fleet is not old. This means they do not carry any "special danger by default," especially considering that for many years after the USSR's collapse, the reactors operated in a gentle mode due to reduced energy consumption. Therefore, the reactor units have retained a large margin of operational resilience.

IAEA recommendations and various "preventive measures" recommended by the IAEA have also been gradually implemented.

Thirdly, the infrastructure related to transmitting nuclear power plant electricity to the grid has also undergone modernization in recent years before the special military operation.

For example, in 2015, the 750 kV outdoor switchgear at Rivne NPP was reconstructed. Various modernization works were carried out at other nuclear power plants as well.

https://t.me/milinfolive/159106
 

[Roman Alymov]

Good interview with DNR mobilized tank crew member (in Russian), including his opinion on T-80 vs. T-72, "barn tanks" etc. Из первых рук, мобилизованный ДНР на Т-80. | Vault8 | Дзен

[Roman Alymov]

BMP-1 field conversion into open-top troops transporter https://t.me/milinfolive/160030

[JWB]

Monetary cost ratio?

 

[Roman Alymov]

Italian B1 Centauro with proUkr antidrone nets set https://t.me/mag_vodogray/14175

[Roman Alymov]

"The Battle of Shadows

Ukrainian analysts have practically repainted Pokrovsk in red on the maps. But Zelensky said yesterday that there are only 314 Russians operating inside the city. Let's understand this paradox.

No, the Russian army did not waste away on the Ukrainian defense. Tens of thousands of Russian soldiers are operating near Pokrovsk. You can see this if you get on a convertible loaf (UAZ minivan with roof cut away, typical fromtline transporter  -RA) and drive northwest from Selidovo. There are a lot of cars. But at the same time, if you look at Pokrovsk through the camera of a copter, you will hardly notice the soldiers. There are battles going on for the city, but it is not engulfed in fire, and machine-gun bursts are extremely rare there.
 
The parties are holding the main forces 10 km from the city. Drones control all entrances and only the most desperate daredevils can get through this barrier alive. So it turns out that only the shadows of the two armies that stand on its outskirts are fighting inside Pokrovsk. Zelensky clearly underestimates the Russian forces, but you will no longer see an assault in the spirit of Bakhmut. There are fewer soldiers in the city than civilians. Three people can storm one street, and the most interesting thing is that they will fight against three of the same enemy soldiers. And all this is happening in front of dozens of elderly locals who did not want to leave the city.

When you present this picture, you will stop tormenting yourself with meaningless questions. The war has changed and it no longer looks like a Hollywood action movie. This battle of shadows has yet to be described in the literature. In the meantime, we need to accept reality and study the vectors of its development.

Alexander Kharchenko" https://t.me/boris_rozhin/186309

[Roman Alymov]

This article is iutdated now, but still interesting

My Lessons Learned From the Ukraine War | RealClearDefense

[Roman Alymov]

Back to weather limitations of existing drones:

    MadNax-style video of pro-Rus soldiers driving into Pokrovsk from SE under cover of heavy fog https://t.me/infomil_live/23966

Location https://t.me/creamy_caprice/10491

    The same heavy fog mage possible for pro-Ukr tank to drive deep into Rodinskoye (on the road to Pokrovsk from North)  and fire couple of shots on residential blocks allegetely occupied by pro-Russians https://t.me/filatovcorr/6220

Location https://t.me/creamy_caprice/10490

Edited November 10 by Roman Alymov