Small 🧵 about the attack probably by a suicide drone @ engels AFB, near Saratov, Russia. Facts we know are an attack on the AFB happend at 12-05 @ 06.00, which is exactly the right time to strike such a target, between 6 & 7 in the morning, AD crews would normally be changing
Shifts around this time, which would definitly means a well planned operation, distance to the target assuming it was launched somewhere in the Kharkiv region would be +- 700KM. Indications are a TU-141 drone might have been used which would mean a flight time of approx. 1 hour.
🧵 by @Euan_MacDonald ⬇️ confirms the speed matches with a TU-141 drone, which could have been adapted by 🇺🇦 to be gps guided onto its target, and fitted with a 75 kg warhead, also possible is it might have been fitted with a downed 🇷🇺 planes transponder
To fool 🇷🇺 airdefense systems, which could partly explain why there was no reaction by 🇷🇺 airdefenses during the long flight over 🇷🇺 airspace. Tu-141 drone has a length of 14m and wingspan of 3.88 meter and would show up on any radar system operated by 🇷🇺 forces.
Satellite imagery from 4 dec. shows a large presence of long range bombers out in the open in front of the main building being prepared possibly for another strike against Ukraine. As can be seen in the no dark spot can be observed on the tarmac where the planes are parked.
On imagery from the 5th of dec. @ 07:32 however black area's can be seen on the tarmac, these can either be burn marks or oil spillage IMO, also it looks like the wing on one of the aircraft has shifted in a wierd way. All of these are indications of where the impact might have
Taken place & what damaged might have been caused, however we will have to wait till higher resolution imagery will be available to do a proper BDA.
i have been monitoring the EW units in Kursk oblast and mainly the border region with extreme interest the last 6-9 months, drone defense exsisted of a number of Pole-21 gnss jamming stations placed strategically in border towns, complemented with Zithel-R331 mobile jamming
Units, which would not only jam but also record used frequencies by Ukrainian forces in these area's. These pole-21 systems would be mainly placed in cellphone or other comms masts, spaced about 5 km. apart. Thus creating a sort of overlapping wall of jamming.
In addition to this a number listening posts was established along the border area of the sumy and Kharkiv oblasts. All of these russian EW measures where under the responsability of the 16th EW brigade, which are based in Kursk.
Credible sources within the Ukrainian army and russian sources, are reporting the displacement of units of the 76th Guards Air Assault Division from the Kreminna/Svatove area to the harbor city of Berdyansk. Indications are at least 2 regiments have moved.
The 234th Guards Air Assault and 237th Guards Air Assault Regiments , who had been stationed between Kreminna and Svatove, with a command centre located in Milutavka, which is near the city of Svatove.
234th regiment is know for its involvement in the Bucha massacre both regiments suffered heavy losses in the war in Ukraine and have been replenished with Mobiks who had short training in camps just across the border in Russia (Rovenki) and near Nhyznoteple in Luhansk
1/3 Recently large numbers of tanks in the Pervomaiske area have been destroyed, also video's came out showing large numbers of assault forces (So-called SHO units) who surrender to 🇺🇦 forces.Another indication something was up in this area, the increased nr. of 🇺🇦 drone attacks
2/3 This could indicate part of the 🇷🇺 defensive lines around this part of the front might be weaker around Pervomais'ke then other parts, most likely also because units from this part were moved to support the 3rd army on the south flank of Bakhmut.
3/3 Today we learned that 🇷🇺 forces blew up the dam in the town of Karlivka, this dam not only holds the water in the Karlovska reservoir, but also a bridge on the E50 road toward Pervomais'ke, which is a main supply route for 🇺🇦 forces in the area.
1/3 Reliable sources on the ground near Soledar are reporting 🇷🇺 sapper units possible from 107th Seperate Guards Engineer-Sapper battalion, are activly mining roads leading out of Soledar. Several crossroads and fields have been mined with 100's of AT-62M mines.
2/3 This in it self can mean different things, either Russian & Wagner forces are preparing a retreat to more favourable defensive positions outside Soledar, or Russian forces are setting up obstacles to prevent the retreat of the Wagner forces stationed in Soledar.
3/3 In case of retreat of all forces from Soledar, the possibility is that they would fall back all the way to the defensive positions build a few months ago west of Popasna on the border between Luhansk & Donetsk. Time will tell when Soledar is liberated by 🇺🇦. #SlavaUkraïni
1/6 Elements of the 10th Tank regiment part of the newly formed 3rd 🇷🇺 army corps, arrived around 13th of may in the area of the town of Odradivka (48.494300,38.014800). They had previously been deployed near Avdiivka, were they were involved a multiple failed frontal assaults
2/6 In which they suffered serious losses including most of their tanks and IFV's. They had been regrouping near the town of Lysychansk and seems to have been re-plenished with new mobik recruits from all over Russia but mostly recruits from Buryatia.
3/6 Their arrival in the area south of Bakhmut is likely an attempt to stop Ukrainian advances in this area.The unit took up positions along the T0513 road between Odradivka and Optyne. Almost immediatly after their arrival shelling and drone attacks by 🇺🇦 forces took their toll.
1/15 I have been working on unraveling the 🇷🇺 logistics networks in the Luhansk area since the beginning of jan. When different geolocated videos showed convoy's of armoured vehicles moving towards the frontlines in Luhansk & Donetsk
2/15 These convoy's peaked my interest, and since the 🇷🇺 logistics machine heavily relies on railway, the most obvious place to start is at the railway hubs it still can use in Luhansk. There are only a handfull which suits the need of the 🇷🇺 forces & are outside of HIMARS reach
3/15 in S Luhansk the railway route between the towns of Dovzhansk(Sverdlovsk) and Rovenky, has 4 stops that would be out of HIMARS reach, but only two of those are connected with the highways into Luhansk city and onto the frontlines.These are Dovzhansk (Sverdlovsk) and Rovenky