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Time of India
6 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Russia prepping for massive war? $1.1 trillion military spend raises global alarms
Russia military spending 2025: Russia is laying the groundwork for what could be a large-scale war, and the price tag is massive, according to Ukrainian intelligence, as per a report. The Kremlin plans to spend about $1.1 trillion on equipping military forces with a new supply of weapons over the next 11 years, revealed Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov , as per the Kyiv Independent report. Russia Launches Most Ambitious Weapons Program Since Soviet Era Budanov shared the plans during Ukraine's annual meeting of ambassadors, saying, "There is a total mobilization of politics, economy, and society of the Russian Federation to be ready for the upcoming large-scale war," as quoted in the report. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Data Science others Leadership MBA Digital Marketing Healthcare healthcare Degree Artificial Intelligence Operations Management Technology Public Policy Finance PGDM Product Management Others Project Management Design Thinking Cybersecurity Management Data Analytics CXO MCA Data Science Skills you'll gain: Duration: 11 Months E&ICT Academy, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati CERT-IITG Postgraduate Cert in AI and ML India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 11 Months IIT Madras CERT-IITM Advanced Cert Prog in AI and ML India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 10 Months IIM Kozhikode CERT-IIMK DABS India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 30 Weeks IIM Kozhikode SEPO - IIMK-AI for Senior Executives India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 10 Months E&ICT Academy, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati CERT-IITG Prof Cert in DS & BA with GenAI India Starts on undefined Get Details According to the official, Moscow has launched its most ambitious weapons program since the collapse of the Soviet Union, as Russia is mobilising all sectors of society to support its military buildup, as reported by Kyiv Independent. ALSO READ: Romance alert: Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson are officially an item, sources say Two New Military Districts: Moscow and Leningrad As part of its sweeping reforms, Russia has already created two new military districts, Moscow and Leningrad, and is preparing to build out more divisions and units, as reported by Kyiv Independent. Live Events Ukraine Says Russia Seeks to Reshape the Global Order Ukrainian officials say the country is not merely aiming to dominate its immediate region but to challenge the existing global order, according to the report. Budanov said, "Russia seeks to disrupt the current security and economic order," and added that, "For this purpose, Moscow is building up its presence in Africa, primarily using its proxy forces," as quoted in the Kyiv Independent report. ALSO READ: Olympic heroine dies young: Laura Dahlmeier passes away in Pakistan - what happened to her? Hybrid Warfare He warned that Russia is already conducting hybrid operations abroad, like cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns to undermine democracies, according to the report. Budanov pointed out that, "Moscow's goal is to impose on countries its own vision of the future world order, where 'big' states, primarily the Russian Federation, have full power, a monopoly on all critical resources and decide the fate of the world in a closed circle," as quoted in the Kyiv Independent report. NATO on High Alert: Could Russia Strike by 2030? These revelations echo concerns voiced by Western intelligence services, as per the report. Last year, Germany's spy chief Bruno Kahl warned that Russia could have the capability to strike NATO as early as 2030, as reported by the Kyiv Independent. Russia's Military Budget Surpasses All of Europe Combined Currently, Moscow's defense budget has surpassed that of all European nations combined, according to the report. In 2024 alone, Russia's defense spending jumped 42% to $462 billion, edging out Europe's collective $457 billion defense budget, according to data of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, reported the Kyiv Independent. WWII-Level Military Mobilization Possible Previously, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on April 30 that Russia was prepared to scale up its war effort to levels last seen in World War II, pointing out that "millions" of civilians are supporting the military by donating supplies and equipment, as reported by Kyiv Independent. While the Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi had estimated in April that Russia could get about 5 million trained reservists, with a broader mobilization potential of 20 million, according to the Kyiv Independent. FAQs Is Russia spending $1.1 trillion on its military? Yes. According to Ukraine's intelligence chief, Russia plans to invest $1.1 trillion in rearmament over the next 11 years, as per the Kyiv Independent report. Why is Russia increasing its military budget? Ukrainian officials believe it's part of a long-term plan to prepare for a possible large-scale war and to challenge global power structures, as per the Kyiv Independent report.
Hindustan Times
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Can interceptor drones stop Russia's terror bombing?
RUSSIA'S GROUND offensive in Ukraine's east is making slow progress this summer, at huge cost. But its mounting drone campaign against the country's cities is arguably a more serious threat. Day after day, strikes against Ukraine's civil and military infrastructure, not to mention people's homes, are battering the country's economy and eating away at its morale. Finding ways to block more of them is an urgent priority. On July 9th over 700 drones, 60% of them carrying warheads and the rest cheap decoys, attacked Kyiv and other targets. That week alone, said Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's president, Russia launched more than 1,800 drones and 83 missiles in a campaign of 'intensifying terror against our cities and communities'. Chart Swarms of Geran-2s, Russia's version of the Iranian Shahed kamikaze drone, are starting to overwhelm Ukraine's defences. Until March this year, only about 3-5% of the Gerans were getting through. Last month that rose to some 15% of a significantly higher number. In addition to killing people and destroying infrastructure, the attacks exert relentless psychological pressure. They often last through much of the night. The aim is 'to deepen the feeling that there is no safety and no confidence in the state or in the defence forces', Serhii Bratchuk, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Army's Southern Division, told the Kyiv Independent. Russia has improved both the quantity and quality of its drones. Since last summer it has raised monthly production of Gerans five-fold, according to Ukraine's military intelligence service. Increasing supplies of Chinese dual-use components have helped. In May about 2,700 Gerans and 2,500 Gerberas (a smaller drone usually used as a decoy) were produced at two factories, both nearly 1,500km east of the front line. The factories have been hit by Ukrainian drone strikes, but output has not been severely dented and is expected to rise further. Since June Russia has been using an upgraded Geran-2 equipped with video guidance systems, artificial intelligence and improved electronics to thwart jamming, according to Olena Kryzhanivska, a defence analyst. It can fly at altitudes of up to 4,000m, allowing it to increase its speed from 185kph to 400kph as it descends on the target. Earlier versions carried a 40kg warhead, but the payload on new variants can be as heavy as 90kg. A Geran-3 with a turbojet engine that can fly at up to 600kph has also entered service, but it has an estimated cost of $1.4m, compared with about $200,000 for the upgraded Geran-2. That poses a dilemma for Ukrainian defenders. Using million-dollar missiles such as the IRIS-T to shoot down drones that cost $200,000 or less can quickly exhaust high-end air defences, which are needed to stop ballistic and cruise missiles. Until recently a combination of electronic warfare (EW) and mobile firing groups with heavy machine guns and anti-aircraft artillery, such as the German Gepard, managed to destroy the vast majority of drones. But they are struggling against improved Gerans flying at high altitude on unpredictable flight paths. The most promising solution is cheap interceptor drones. At least four Ukrainian firms, including Wild Hornets and Besomar, are producing different models. So are Tytan, a Germany company, and Frankenberg, an Estonian one. General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine's commander-in-chief, says that interceptor drones have a success rate of 70% against Gerans. Last week Mr Zelensky ordered his defence ministry to rapidly sign large-scale contracts for the proven interceptors. On July 25th he urged drone companies to boost production to at least 1,000 interceptors per day. Doing so, the president said, entailed an 'urgent funding requirement' of $6bn. Unless Russia manages to raise its production of kamikaze drones significantly above the current 200 or so a day, that could tilt the advantage back to the defenders. Charitable organisations such as the Sternenko Community Foundation and Come Back Alive have helped finance the drones' development. Taras Tymochko, a drone expert at Come Back Alive, says each interceptor must cost no more than $5,000. They require a speed of around 300kph and must fly and loiter at altitudes of up to 5,000m. (That means fixed-wing drones, not quadcopters.) They must hit the Geran and explode on impact; getting close is not enough. The challenge now, says Mr Tymochko, is to award contracts, increase production and train operators—this last potentially a major bottleneck. Matching Russian production of Shaheds and Gerans is ambitious, but 'we are really close.' There are still technological hurdles, says Max Enders of Tytan Technologies. Drones need to be integrated with existing radar networks. They need advanced artificial intelligence to make them autonomous and resistant to jamming. He foresees an adaptation race, with each side constantly upgrading software in 15-to-20-day innovation cycles. At some point the Russians may be able to send swarms of drones that communicate with each other to get around defences. Interceptor drones are no silver bullet, says Ms Kryzhanivska. Short-range defence will still require gun systems such as Ukraine's Sky Sentinel, an autonomous turret equipped with a heavy machine gun, and Rheinmetall's Skynex, designed to combat swarm attacks. Neither is yet available in significant numbers. Ukraine is also developing Tryzub, a laser system that can supposedly down aerial targets at altitudes of 3,000m or above. For now interceptor drones are the best hope. But in the meantime, the Gerans keep coming.
Int'l Business Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Int'l Business Times
Russia Using American Trucks to Launch Deadly Kamikaze Drone Strikes on Ukraine Cities: Report
Russia is reportedly equipping American-made trucks to launch deadly kamikaze drone strikes on Ukrainian cities, according to a new report. A modified Ram 1500 pickup truck could be seen in a July 20 video by Zvezda, a state TV channel controlled by the country's defense ministry, firing kamikaze drones, according to the Kyiv Independent . Four more trucks with the same feature were later seen in the video showing off the Tatarstan region drone factory, although a source told the outlet that launching drones from pickup trucks was not common. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Stellantis, who owns Ram Trucks, paused all exports to Russia after sanctions were implemented on the country. However, between February 2022 and September 2024, 130 Michigan-made Ram 1500 trucks ended up in the country. The majority of these exports are believed to have come about through a tactic called "transshipment," which is when a company direct sales through a country that is not participating in the sanctions. Several companies based in the United Arab Emirates, who was not involved in the sanctions on Russia, allegedly rerouted sales of the American trucks through the country to sell to private Russian companies. From there, the trucks could be sold anywhere in Russia. While companies could be able to continue sales in sanction-restricted countries with a special license, Alex Bashinsky, a co-founder at the Global Sanctions Training Institute and member of the International Working Group on Russian Sanctions, told the outlet that they are "hard to obtain." No companies reached out to by Kyiv Independent explicitly stated they had the required license. An intel report from earlier this month revealed that Russia's kamikaze drones are set to multiply in number to use in its war against Ukraine, with the number Shahed-136s, the most common explosive-carrying drone used by Russia, reportedly up exponentially. On Thursday, at least 33 people were injured in an attack on Kharkiv, Ukraine, which officials from the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office said may have involved a new weapon developed by Russia, UMPB-5 bombs, though this remains unconfirmed. Originally published on Latin Times
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Video Shows Direct Strike On Sanctioned Russian Military Factory
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Video footage released on social media purports to show the moment when a Ukrainian drone hit a critical Russian military site, sanctioned by the EU and the U.S. A clip showed the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flying across the sky before striking the facility in the Stavropol region of southern Russia. Newsweek has contacted the Russian and Ukrainian defense ministries for comment. Illustrative image from August 11, 2023 shows an operator in the Kyiv region with the airstrike drone called Punisher made by the Ukrainian company UA Dynamics. Illustrative image from August 11, 2023 shows an operator in the Kyiv region with the airstrike drone called Punisher made by the Ukrainian company UA It Matters Faced by constant Russian bombardment, Ukraine has continued to use drones to strike at Russian military targets, although Kyiv often does not claim responsibility for these strikes. Ukraine's latest hit on one of Russia's largest manufacturers of radio electronics which is sanctioned by the EU will deliver a blow to Moscow's military capabilities. What To Know Ukrainian drones struck the Signal radio plant in the Stavropol region overnight Friday according to a source in Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) quoted by the Kyiv Independent. The plant is just over 300 miles from Ukraine-controlled territory and makes electronic warfare equipment for front-line aircraft as well as active jamming systems, remote weapon-control modules, and other radio-electronic equipment. The Kyiv Independent said the attack hit premises which hosts expensive imported equipment, including computer numerical control machines. A second strike hit another building that hosts an electronic devices workshop. The facility is sanctioned by the European Union, the U.S. and Japan. Video posted on social media by Russian independent media outlet Astra purportedly showed one of the strikes, with a drone flying across the sky before striking a building, causing an explosion. Other social media channels posted the footage with one saying that the drone was a Shahed-type device. ❗️Another video of the attack by a new 🇺🇦Ukrainian kamikaze drone of the Shahed type on the 🇷🇺Russian Signal plant in Stavropol — 🪖MilitaryNewsUA🇺🇦 (@front_ukrainian) July 26, 2025 Stavropol regional governor Vladimir Vladimirov confirmed the attack but said there no casualties were reported and there was a small fire. Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces downed 54 Ukrainian drones across eight Russian regions but did not report any being intercepted over Stavropol region. Pro-Ukrainian open source intelligence X account Tatarigami said that one building appears to have avoided critical structural damage, though localized fires were reported. The facility served military and civilian sectors, including supplying cathodic protection equipment for the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in Iran, the post added. Meanwhile, Russia launched ballistic missiles against Ukraine overnight Friday with the heaviest attacks targeting Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions, according to Ukrainian authorities. What People Are Saying X channel War Translated posted: "Drones hit the Signal defense plant in Stavropol, a major facility in Russia's military-industrial complex. The plant makes radio-electronic equipment for combat aircraft, air defense, and electronic warfare systems. Pro-Ukrainian open source intelligence X account Tatarigami on X: "The Signal facility includes 7 production workshops, a testing center, and 2 design bureaus." Ukrainian intelligence source told the Kyiv Independent: "The SBU continues to systematically disable enemy (Russia's) facilities working for the war against such attack stops production processes and reduces the enemy's military potential." What Happens Next Ukraine is likely to continue its strikes against Russian military sites as it steps up its drone production. Meanwhile, Russia continues to use drones to strike at Ukrainian infrastructure.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Aerial images reveal scale of destruction in Ukrainian city
Shocking aerial images show how the Ukrainian city of Chasiv Yar has been reduced to a mangled hellscape by Russia's war machine. Chasiv Yar is a city in Donetsk, part of the Donbas region of Ukraine. For the last 15 months, Russia has waged a long running battle on the fortified eastern city. It is a key target for the Russians as it sits on higher ground, offering potential control for a wider area. Its capture would also give Russia more options to attack Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region to the west, which is not one of the areas that Moscow has claimed but where it says it has already established a small foothold. Constant bombardment by Russian shells have left the city looking like a skeleton of its former glory. Apartment buildings have been turned to rubble and ruin, with collapsed roofs, smashed windows and blocked roads. In July 2022, the city was struck by missile strikes, which killed 48 people, including a nine-year-old boy, according to authorities. Many locals fled and the city's population quickly shrunk from around 12,000 to nearly 700, according to Kyiv Independent. Last year, all remaining children were evacuated and only those unwilling or unable to leave remained in the city. Those who remained have faced dire conditions with access to water, gas and power cut off and constant shelling by the Russian army. In April, it was revealed that around 80 per cent of apartment buildings had already been critically damaged. The Russian army is currently pushing to capture the city of Pokrovsk, with more than 100,000 soldiers advancing in the area. Pokrovsk is a road and rail hub in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, which had a pre-war population of some 60,000 people. Most people have now fled, all children have been evacuated and, according to Serhii Dobriak, the head of the city's military administration, less than 1,500 residents remain. Moscow says it has annexed Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region and controls over 70 per cent of the area's territory. Capturing Pokrovsk, dubbed 'the gateway to Donetsk' by Russian media, and Kostiantynivka to its northeast, which Russian forces are also trying to envelop, would give Moscow a platform to drive north towards the two biggest remaining Ukrainian-controlled cities in Donetsk - Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. It lies on a key road which has been used by the Ukrainian military to supply other embattled eastern outposts, including Chasiv Yar. Control of Pokrovsk would allow Moscow to further disrupt Ukrainian supply lines along the eastern front and boost its long-running campaign to capture Chasiv Yar. Last year Russian forces were seen using flamethrower bombs on the buildings in Chasiv Yar as it continued to bring the town to ruin. The bombs disperse an aerosol cloud of fuel, which ignites, producing a massive explosion with a high-temperature blast wave. Shocking footage showed entire multi-storey buildings in the city being 'wiped off the face of the earth' alongside Ukrainian soldiers, according to a Russian special forces Telegram channel. Ukraine's top military commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi - who said in May that Ukraine had stalled the long grinding Russian offensive on Pokrovsk and even pushed back in some areas - said on Friday that his forces were standing firm. Ukrainian officials say Russia has relentlessly pounded their forces with artillery, glide bombs, and drones and sent in small groups of fighters to try to gain ground rather than commit large groups of infantry or armored vehicles. Russia has 111,000 soldiers in the Pokrovsk area, Syrskyi has estimated.
