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Ukraine - Russia Invasion conflict
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On 18 April 2024, Ukrainian forces confirmed hitting a Russian Tu-22M3 bomber during a nighttime attack on Kyiv. A video shared on Russian social media appears to confirm that the aircraft crashed in the Stavropol region of Russia as it was attempting to return to its base at Shpakovskoye after being struck by a Ukrainian surface-to-air missile. It is speculated that the Russian Tu-22M3 bomber was hit by a Ukrainian S-200 air defense system.
On 18 April 2024, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, attended a presentation of a range of modernized military equipment, including the BMP-1TS infantry fighting vehicle and the Oncilla armored vehicle as well as the Mbombe 6 6x6 wheeled armored in Infantry Combat Vehicle (ICV) version developed by the South African company, Paramount Group equipped with the locally developed BM-5 turret, already seen on the BMP-1TS.
On the morning of April 17, 2024, Ukrainian forces reportedly launched an attack using ATACMS ballistic missiles and Storm Shadow cruise missiles against the Russian airbase at Dzhankoi, located in the northern part of occupied Crimea. The first strike of this attack reportedly hit the positions of the S-400 Triumph air defense system, destroying three launchers and one radar unit. This overnight attack was described by multiple sources, including photos, videos, and satellite sensor imagery, indicating substantial damage to the Russian military's air defense capabilities at the base.
According to the release of a video from a surveillance drone and an FPV drone, a Ukrainian M1A1 Abrams tank provided by the Americans to the Ukrainian armed forces was targeted. This main battle tank (MBT) has become a part of popular culture, and its destruction was a priority for the Russians to validate their current martial rhetoric about a quick victory.
On April 16, 2024, the Kyiv Post reported that a Russian long-range radar station, monitoring up to 700 km into Ukrainian territory, was targeted in an attack by seven kamikaze drones. The incident resulted in the Nebo-U radar station, valued at $100 million, being put out of service.
On April 14, 2024, the X account on @external shared a video published by the former coordinator of the drone training program for the "Return Alive" foundation. This video, dating from May 2023, depicts the first defeat of the Russian Yastreb-AV radar in the Donetsk region.
On April 16, 2024, the Russian Ministry of Defense released a video showing a night-time operation involving the BM-27 Uragan 220mm multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) near the Belgorod region. Notably, the video unveiled an updated version of the BM-27 Uragan mounted on a new platform, identified as the BAZ-69092 three-axle chassis, marking a significant departure from its traditional ZIL-135LM 8x8 truck chassis.
On April 16, 2024, the Russian Twitter account @IvanTitov549528 shared a video from Russian military sources depicting an attack on Ukrainian operators of Baba Yaga/Vampire bomber drones headed towards Krasnolimansk, using a "Lancet" kamikaze drone.
The transformation of Russian T-72 tanks into "turtle tanks" with anti-drone shells has progressed beyond the stage of a single prototype. As we reported on Army Recognition on April 9, 2024, the emergence of a Turtle Tank has been noted. An increasing number of these awkwardly designed modified tanks have been deployed, as we can see in these new images published on social networks on 16 April 2024.
On April 11, 2024, the Russian military utilized the newly deployed Kh-69 cruise missile in a strike against the Ukrainian Trypillia Thermal Power Plant, demonstrating its advanced combat capabilities. This article aims to review the technical and combat capabilities of the newly utilized Russian-made Kh-69 cruise missile. This Russian-designed, air-launched subsonic missile is a variant of the older Kh-59, enhanced with significant improvements in structure, electronic warfare, and avionics.
On March 2, 2024, the Army Recognition editorial team reported that the Ukrainian armed forces received 14 HMT Extenda Mk 2 high mobility vehicles from Australia. These vehicles, designed and manufactured by the British company Supacat, are also in service with the British army, where they are known as Coyote. Citing information published on the Russian social network VK on April 15, 2024, Russian forces have captured one Supacat HMT Extenda Mk2 vehicle, which was previously abandoned by Ukrainian soldiers in the Avdiivka area.
According to information released by the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) on April 14, 2024, the Tor-M2U, one of the latest generations of the Tor mobile air defense missile system, has successfully intercepted and destroyed rockets launched by the American HIMARS and Ukrainian Vilkha Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRSs) thanks to the use of new fire control system using AI (Artificial Intelligence) algorithms.
Images released by the Russian Ministry of Defense on April 14, 2024, have showcased an attack on Ukraine's air defense capabilities. A Russian explosive device targeted the TRML-4D radar and launcher unit of the Ukrainian IRIS-T SLM air defense system near Horokhovatka, in the Izium region. However, some observers immediately suspected the use of mock-ups in the attack.
According to Sky News, on April 15, 2024, Ukrainian aircraft launched British-made Storm Shadow cruise missiles at a Russian military headquarters in the occupied city of Luhansk. The strike, which was carried out on Saturday, April 13, 2024, targeted a major bastion for the Russian armed forces. A military source revealed that the command base for Russian ground troops was the target, marking a significant step in Ukraine's campaign to reclaim the Luhansk region from Russian control.
Julian Röpcke, a journalist at Bild who covers the conflict in Ukraine, has reported that on his x account as of April 11, 2024, Ukraine has exhausted its missile reserves for the Patriot and Iris-T air defense systems. Weeks earlier, Röpcke had already voiced concerns about the depletion of these missile stocks.
Ukraine has deployed on the battlefield, a new electronic warfare (EW) system named Ai-Petri SV, described not only as a jamming system but also as a next-generation cybernetic weapon, developed by a Ukrainian team. This information was relayed in a Telegram communication from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense dated April 1, 2024.
General Christopher Cavoli, commander of the US European Command, has highlighted a critical imbalance in the artillery used in the Ukraine conflict, warning that Russia is outpacing Ukrainian forces in shell deployment by a factor that could reach ten to one. This imbalance will inevitably lead to Ukraine's defeat, according to President Zelensky. Let's look at the current state of the fighting in Ukraine.
Russian forces conducted several assaults on Ukrainian army positions using one of the most destructive man-portable weapons called RPO-A Shmel, which can fire a thermobaric rocket. This type of rocket is particularly destructive because it generates a prolonged, intense blast wave and high temperatures by dispersing and then igniting a fuel-air mixture.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) released video footage on April 11, 2024, demonstrating these drones autonomously identifying and striking targets, including Russian anti-aircraft missile systems such as the BUK and TOR. Operators successfully deployed these systems using drones, likely preceded by reconnaissance and target adjustments assisted by Shark drones. Despite the presence of Russian air defenses, they were unable to prevent the drones from completing their missions. In just one week, no fewer than six Russian air defense systems were destroyed.
Ukrainian defense forces have effectively intercepted and neutralized Russian armored convoys en route to the town of Chasiv Yar, as reported by the 67th Mechanized Brigade's press center in Ukraine. The operation destroyed approximately 20 Russian combat vehicles, preventing the occupiers from establishing a foothold in the town.
Amidst the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the Russian military arsenal is continuously evolving. Initially designed to target warships, the supersonic anti-ship missiles Onyx have been modified to also strike ground targets, as reported by the TASS news agency. These missiles, part of the K-300P Bastion-P coastal defense missile systems, have been upgraded with new active seeker heads to enhance their effectiveness against enemy air defenses.
As unmanned vehicles gradually conquered the battlefield, during the Berdychi attack in Ukraine, the Russian army used Marker attack drones equipped with AGS-17 40mm grenade launchers for the first time since the creation of the Northern Military Region, as reported by the Polish Center for Eastern European Studies (OSW).
Russian military personnel from the Espanyol volunteer unit in Ukraine have used the latest AMB-17 assault rifle for the first time, which they received for testing. The soldiers from the Espanyol Unit will present, study, and test the new product under combat conditions to subsequently provide feedback to the creators of this machine gun.
According to a recent video published on Telegram, the Ukrainian army has used a new locally-made loitering munition called RAM X, also dubbed 'Ukrolancets,' due to its similar design to the Russian Lancet kamikaze drone. In the video, the new RAM X strikes and destroys a Russian 2S6 Tunguska self-propelled anti-aircraft gun system.
On April 10, 2024, reports emerged on Russian social media detailing an operation by the Russian Zarya battalion against Ukrainian positions, where off-road motorcycles were utilized for the assault. This operation was captured in published footage that highlighted the battalion's rapid movement towards enemy defenses after artillery preparation. The tactic employed, which focused on speed and maneuverability, allowed the assault groups to approach their target without detection until they were close, leading to the successful capture of a Ukrainian stronghold.
