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Business Insider
2 days ago
- Politics
- Business Insider
Satellite images show Russia built shelters for vulnerable aircraft after relentless drone strikes, intel says
Russia has built hardened shelters to protect its vulnerable aircraft at several bases following a string of long-range Ukrainian drone strikes, a new Western intelligence assessment suggests. Britain's defense ministry this week published satellite imagery from early June, collected by the US company Planet Labs, that shows newly constructed shelters at three Russian air bases behind the front lines. The shelters, which consist of dome-shaped rooftops and thick blast doors, were photographed at Russia's Millerovo, Kursk Vostochny, and Hvardiiske air bases. Some structures were seen covered with earth for added protection that could help shield against shrapnel or other debris. The UK said in a Tuesday intelligence update that Russia had launched efforts to protect vulnerable aircraft at several bases "in response to numerous successful" Ukrainian drone attacks. Millerovo, just a few miles across the border, for instance, was targeted just last week. "The construction of these hardened aircraft shelters provides a layer of protection to aircraft deployed to Russian airbases against future" Ukrainian drone attacks, the UK explained. Hardened shelters are one of several tactics that Russia has turned to in an effort to protect its fighter jets from the Ukrainian attacks. Moscow has also painted decoy warplanes on the tarmac at its air bases and even covered its bomber aircraft with tires in an attempt to confuse Kyiv's targeting and mislead the drones. It's unclear, however, how effective these protective measures have been. Ukraine's long-range drone attacks have been a bright spot for Kyiv during the three-and-a-half-year-long war, which has transitioned from a maneuver conflict to one of attrition, featuring largely static front lines and standoff strikes from distance. The US long prevented Ukraine from using Western-provided missiles to strike across the border and inside Russian territory. That arsenal was also quite limited. As a workaround to these restrictions, Kyiv invested heavily in domestic drone production. Over the past year, Ukraine has repeatedly used homemade long-range drones to strike a range of high-value military and energy targets inside Russia, including oil terminals, ammunition depots, weapons-making factories, and air bases. Russian air bases have been a particular focus for the Ukrainian military, as Moscow uses these sites to stage deadly attacks against troops and civilians, relying on missiles and guided bombs. On Tuesday, conflict analysts at the Institute for the Study of War, a US-based think tank, said in a battlefield assessment that Ukrainian forces "appear to be intensifying a long-range strike campaign against Russian military industrial facilities and transport networks."
New York Post
04-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Zelensky says he's ‘grateful for all the support' after Trump call — following heavy Russian bombardment
WASHINGTON — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed gratitude for US military support Friday after speaking on the phone with President Trump following one of the heaviest Russian drone attacks on Kyiv. Zelensky, who was thrown out of the White House in February for allegedly being ungrateful during a meeting with Trump and Vice President JD Vance, lost access to new shipments of some American-made defensive weapons Tuesday, with the Pentagon saying its stocks were running too low. 'I had a very important and fruitful conversation with [Trump],' Zelensky posted on X, expressly offering his thanks for about $185 billion in US taxpayer resources to fend off Russia's more than three-year-old invasion. Advertisement 5 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed gratitude for US support Friday after speaking with Presiden Trump. AFP via Getty Images 5 The call occurred after a heavy Russian drone and rocket attack on Kyiv. Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images 'We — in Ukraine — are grateful for all the support provided. It helps us protect lives, safeguard our freedom and independence. We have achieved a lot together with America and we support all efforts to stop the killings and restore just, lasting, and dignified peace.' Advertisement Zelensky went on: 'A noble agreement for peace is needed. Today we discussed the current situation, including Russian airstrikes and the broader frontline developments. President Trump is very well informed, and I thank him for his attention to Ukraine. The 47-year-old went on that the discussion included 'opportunities in air defense and [we] agreed that we will work together to strengthen protection of our skies' and 'had a detailed conversation about defense industry capabilities and joint production.' 5 Trump's administration halted some air defense shipments this week citing low US stockpiles. AFP via Getty Images Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday and expressed pessimism about the prospects of peace afterward. Advertisement 'I didn't make any progress with him today at all,' Trump told reporters ahead of a pre-July 4 event in Iowa. Hours later, the Russian military hit Kyiv with a heavy bombardment. Ukraine's Air Force said the overnight attack included 539 drones and 11 missiles – injuring 23 people and killing one, Reuters reported — with the limited ground carnage a testament to the nation's Western-provided air defense systems. The Pentagon's just-announced curtailment of weapons will deny Ukraine further shipments of Patriot missiles that can shoot down incoming rockets as well as AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missiles and short-range Stinger missiles that can take down drones. Advertisement 5 Trump threw Zelensky out of the West Wing in February for allegedly showing disrespect and ingratitude. AFP via Getty Images Trump has attempted to force both Zelensky and Putin to the negotiating table with personal attacks and threats to cut aid or heaping on new sanctions, respectively, but has been unable to reach an end to the fighting. Last month Trump likened the leaders to children fighting and said 'sometimes you're better off letting them fight for a while and then pulling them apart.' With Post wires
Miami Herald
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Putin Ally Shares Map Of ‘Buffer Zone' Covering All Of Ukraine
Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has warned that Russia would end up occupying almost all of Ukraine if it continued to receive Western weapons, posting a map to illustrate his claim. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said that at the current rate of Moscow's advances in its full-scale invasion, it would take roughly a century to capture the territory Vladimir Putin's ally had proposed. Newsweek has contacted the Russian defense ministry for comment. Now deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, Medvedev had served as the country's head of state between 2008 and 2012 and posted fiery messages on social media threatening the West for its support of Ukraine. He and other Russian officials have repeatedly called for the establishment of buffer zones in northern Ukraine to place Russian cities out of the range of Ukraine's Western-provided long-range strike system. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said Medvedev's latest statement is part of a Kremlin strategy to justify Russia's aggression against Ukraine and the long-term occupation of Ukrainian territory. In a post on Telegram, Medvedev referred to Moscow's disparaging term for the government in Kyiv by writing if "military aid to the Banderite regime continues, the buffer zone could look like this." Derived from the name of Ukrainian nationalist Stepan Bandera, the term is pejoratively used by the Kremlin against the government in Kyiv, to falsely paint it as having Nazi sympathies and as part of Moscow's rhetoric over its war aims to "denazify" the country it invaded. The text was next to an image which showed the whole of Ukraine under Moscow's occupation apart from a relatively small area of the Volyn and Lviv oblasts along Poland's border. Medvedev and Russian officials have called for Kyiv to concede occupied and unoccupied territory in the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, which Moscow claims to have annexed but does not fully control. The ISW cast doubt on the likelihood of it ever being able to capture this territory. However, the Washington, D.C. think tank said that given Russian forces have advanced an average of 5.5 square miles a day since in 2025, it would take nearly four years to capture the rest of the regions it has declared annexed. It would also take around 91 years to seize the entirety of the 226,819 square miles contained in Medvedev's proposed "buffer zone," it added. This time frame assumes Russia can maintain its current rate of advance and does not take into account geographic and defensive barriers. Russian forces have not seized a major urban area since the capture of Bakhmut in May, 2023. Meanwhile, the estimated 1,500 daily Russian casualties which current and former Western officials have told The Washington Post Moscow is facing, meant that Medvedev's proposal would result in 50 million casualties—over a third of the current Russian population, the ISW added. Deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev on Telegram: "If military aid to the Banderite regime continues, the buffer zone could look like this." Institute for the Study of War: "Russian forces would need roughly a century to seize Medvedev's proposed 'buffer zone' at their current rate of advance at the cost of nearly 50 million casualties at current loss rates." Putin said last week that a decision has been made to establish a security buffer zone along the Russia-Ukraine border. But the ISW noted how Russian forces have not shown they have not been able to conduct the rapid, multidirectional offensive operations needed to swiftly seize territory, suggesting that Medvedev's post was an idle threat. However, Kremlin rhetoric is likely to remain belligerent as the West wrangles over how to continue its military assistance to Kyiv. Related Articles Russia Sees $1 Billion Wiped off Stock Market After Trump's Putin CommentsUkrainian MiG-29 Fighter Jets Bomb Russian Special Services BaseChina Denies Ukraine's Russia Weapons ClaimRussian Bots Roast 'Clown' Donald Trump After Putin Comments 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Putin Ally Shares Map Of 'Buffer Zone' Covering All Of Ukraine
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. Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has warned that Russia would end up occupying almost all of Ukraine if it continued to receive Western weapons, posting a map to illustrate his claim. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said that at the current rate of Moscow's advances in its full-scale invasion, it would take roughly a century to capture the territory Vladimir Putin's ally had proposed. Newsweek has contacted the Russian defense ministry for comment. Former Russian President, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev is pictured on March 19, 2025, in Moscow, Russia. Former Russian President, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev is pictured on March 19, 2025, in Moscow, Russia. Getty Images Why It Matters Now deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, Medvedev had served as the country's head of state between 2008 and 2012 and posted fiery messages on social media threatening the West for its support of Ukraine. He and other Russian officials have repeatedly called for the establishment of buffer zones in northern Ukraine to place Russian cities out of the range of Ukraine's Western-provided long-range strike system. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said Medvedev's latest statement is part of a Kremlin strategy to justify Russia's aggression against Ukraine and the long-term occupation of Ukrainian territory. What To Know In a post on Telegram, Medvedev referred to Moscow's disparaging term for the government in Kyiv by writing if "military aid to the Banderite regime continues, the buffer zone could look like this." Derived from the name of Ukrainian nationalist Stepan Bandera, the term is pejoratively used by the Kremlin against the government in Kyiv, to falsely paint it as having Nazi sympathies and as part of Moscow's rhetoric over its war aims to "denazify" the country it invaded. The text was next to an image which showed the whole of Ukraine under Moscow's occupation apart from a relatively small area of the Volyn and Lviv oblasts along Poland's border. Medvedev and Russian officials have called for Kyiv to concede occupied and unoccupied territory in the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, which Moscow claims to have annexed but does not fully control. If military aid to the Banderite regime continues, the buffer zone could look like this: — Dmitry Medvedev (@MedvedevRussiaE) May 25, 2025 The ISW cast doubt on the likelihood of it ever being able to capture this territory. However, the Washington, D.C. think tank said that given Russian forces have advanced an average of 5.5 square miles a day since in 2025, it would take nearly four years to capture the rest of the regions it has declared annexed. It would also take around 91 years to seize the entirety of the 226,819 square miles contained in Medvedev's proposed "buffer zone," it added. This time frame assumes Russia can maintain its current rate of advance and does not take into account geographic and defensive barriers. Russian forces have not seized a major urban area since the capture of Bakhmut in May, 2023. Meanwhile, the estimated 1,500 daily Russian casualties which current and former Western officials have told The Washington Post Moscow is facing, meant that Medvedev's proposal would result in 50 million casualties—over a third of the current Russian population, the ISW added. What People Are Saying Deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev on Telegram: "If military aid to the Banderite regime continues, the buffer zone could look like this." Institute for the Study of War: "Russian forces would need roughly a century to seize Medvedev's proposed 'buffer zone' at their current rate of advance at the cost of nearly 50 million casualties at current loss rates." What Happens Next Putin said last week that a decision has been made to establish a security buffer zone along the Russia-Ukraine border. But the ISW noted how Russian forces have not shown they have not been able to conduct the rapid, multidirectional offensive operations needed to swiftly seize territory, suggesting that Medvedev's post was an idle threat. However, Kremlin rhetoric is likely to remain belligerent as the West wrangles over how to continue its military assistance to Kyiv.
Mint
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Russia launches massive aerial assaults on Ukraine, defying Trump's peace calls
Russia stepped up missile-and-drone assaults on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and other regions, killing at least 12 people overnight into Sunday after President Trump last week declined to impose further sanctions on Moscow over its refusal to halt its invasion. Russia attacked with a total of 367 drones and missiles—one of the largest single-night raids of the war, according to the Ukrainian Air Force—in a second consecutive day of pounding strikes that sent civilians running for shelters in the middle of the night. Officials said that children were among those killed by the strikes and that a further 60 were injured and more than 80 residential buildings damaged across the country, even as more than 300 of the missiles and drones were shot down. President Volodymyr Zelensky called for more economic sanctions against Russia to force it to stop its invasion, which Russian President Vladimir Putin has refused to do despite Trump's entreaties. 'Russia is dragging out this war and is continuing to kill on a daily basis," he said on social media. 'It can't be ignored. The silence of America, the silence of others in the world, only encourages Putin." The Russian Defense Ministry said its strikes had targeted Ukrainian military-production facilities. The ministry said it had downed 110 Ukrainian attack drones in regions across the west of Russia, including Moscow. Ukrainian officials said that their large-scale drone attacks on Russian targets in recent days have damaged several Russian military-industrial facilities, including a factory that makes parts for ballistic missiles. The increased ferocity of Russia's assaults comes days after Trump demurred on threats to sanction Russia further if it didn't sign an immediate, 30-day cease-fire. In a two-hour call with Trump last week, Putin refused a truce that Kyiv consented to in March. Trump has publicly insisted that Putin wants peace, but in a call with European leaders this week, conceded that Putin isn't ready for peace, The Wall Street Journal reported, because he believes he is winning. Zelensky said only pressure on the Kremlin would yield results. 'Resolve is important right now—the resolve of the United States, the resolve of European countries, of all those in the world that want peace," Zelensky said Sunday. 'The world knows all the weak points of the Russian economy. It is possible to stop the war, but only thanks to the necessary pressure on Russia." Ukraine countered the aerial assault with a combination of missile defense, Western-provided F-16 jet fighters and small drones used to intercept Russian strike drones, an Air Force spokesman said. Trump last week said that Ukraine and Russia should continue negotiations over a peace deal among themselves—talks that have so far yielded only one tangible result: a three-day exchange of around 1,000 prisoners from each side that concluded Sunday. Russia has confounded Trump's efforts to end the war, which it launched in February 2022, insisting that its original war goals of a neutered Ukraine under firm Russian influence be met even as its army struggles to advance in its neighbor's east. Write to James Marson at
