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Mark Krutov

@kromark

Sep 11, 2023 • 15 tweets • 6 min read • Read on X

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🧵/ link in the last tweet. During the two raids on the gas rig(s) in the Black Sea, Ukrainian SOF may have captured one of the components of the Russian R-330M1P 'Diabazol' automated jamming complex.

This is the screengrab from the @DI_Ukraine video of the raid, which was made public today. The consignee of the box is Unit 60135, which is the 475th Separate Electronic Warfare Center in Sevastopol.

But what's even more interesting here is the consignor. It's 'Protek' JSC, which manufactures just one but vital thing for the Russian army: the components of the 'Diabazol' automated jamming complex.

This includes the R-330Zh Zhitel electronic warfare jamming communication station, R-934UM and 'Altayets-AM' stations.

Most of the time, we see them truck-mounted, but I'm pretty sure they can also be mounted on platforms like this.

According to @oryxspioenkop, Russia lost at least 13 R-330Zh and one R-934UM systems in this war, all of which were destroyed. Whatever component is in the box, it should be brand new.

https://twitter.com/kromark/status/1540359121408598021

Now 'Neva' radars. Here's my previous thread from 2022 about the Neva-BS Land Surface Surveillance Radars, which Russia installed on the rigs to enhance control over this part of the Black Sea, as we found out together with @pustota.

https://twitter.com/kromark/status/1540359121408598021

Based on what I've seen today in the HUR photos (), I can confirm that the raid was conducted at the 'Crimea-2' rig (formerly known as 'Petr Godovanets' before the annexation of Crimea). t.me/DIUkraine/2836

One photo published by HUR shows a boat with the name of another platform, 'Crimea-1' (formerly known as 'Independence'). I cannot confirm whether the photo was taken at the 'Crimea-1' platform, though.

It's visible in the video that 'Crimea-2' had two radars on top of the tower: Neva-BS and [most probably] Neva-B. Both were removed and taken by the HUR team. mcs.ru/wp-content/upl…

I'm not sure if HUR actually 'regained control' over the four rigs, or even one of them, as doing so would require them to keep people there, making them extremely vulnerable.

At the same time, the new HUR video provides evidence that the Russian MoD's claims about destroying Ukrainian boats near the rigs on August 22 and August 30 were likely false (though to be honest, we already suspected this).

Read the full story here (Google Translate for your language please): svoboda.org/a/reid-za-trof…

https://twitter.com/kromark/status/1540359130027794434

And yes, this wellhead platform is still on fire...

https://twitter.com/kromark/status/1540359130027794434

https://twitter.com/kromark/status/1540359134683578371

What's actually interesting, the photo of the wellhead with a burning gas torch hints that the HUR team probably paid a visit to yet another rig, Tavrida (image by @planet taken on the 1st of Aug.)

https://twitter.com/kromark/status/1540359134683578371

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More from @kromark

Mark Krutov

@kromark

Mar 11

🧵A Russian diplomat, pressured to leave Brussels amid espionage allegations, has been nominated for a key role in the OSCE. Another 19 diplomats were expelled too, with open sources clearly showing their ties to Russian intelligence (and yes, they liked posting on Strava).

But first things first: meet Dmitry Iordanidi, a former deputy head of the @OSCE mission to Bosnia-Herzegovina with deep experience in the Balkans, who was nominated by Moscow to lead the organization’s mission to Serbia.

https://x.com/A_SHEKH0VTS0V/status/1883226518412812679

Russia also nominated Iordanidi to head an OSCE program office in Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Bishkek, and for the same position in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana. I think that falls under the ‘flood the field’ tactic.

https://x.com/A_SHEKH0VTS0V/status/1883226518412812679

Read 24 tweets

Mark Krutov

@kromark

Feb 27

🧵/ link in the last post. Remember Bosnian Serb Davor Savičić, who recruited Serbs to fight in Ukraine? Using a leaked database of Russian WIAs, we found he’s a GRU colonel with personal tag V-0001 ('V' for 'Волки' – 'Wolves' – as his battalion was named after his callsign).

https://x.com/kromark/status/1838161390302802314

It's well known that both 'private' military companies where Savičić fought, 'Wagner' & ‘Redut,’ were overseen by GRU (GU GSH). Previous investigations found several GRU staffers there, but it was never revealed that Savičić is a GRU colonel himself

https://x.com/kromark/status/1838161390302802314

Savičić got a shrapnel wound to his right shoulder on June 17, 2022. At that time, Russian forces were attempting to attack Severodonetsk, while the UAF were counterattacking near Izyum. The exact location where Savičić was wounded remains unknown.

Read 19 tweets

Mark Krutov

@kromark

Feb 21

🧵With my colleagues, we analyzed the Russian Main Military Medical Directorate's database on 166,000 hospitalizations in Russian MoD facilities (Jan 2022–June 2024). It's incomplete but offers insights into the Russian army's dynamics. svoboda.org/a/tysyach-rane…

First things first: THIS DATABASE SHOULD NOT BE USED TO ESTIMATE TOTALS. It doesn't have those hospitalized to civilian hospitals, very limited number of wounded in 'DNR' and 'LNR' hospitals, etc. Thanks to @MassDara and @Mortis_Banned for their comments on the data we studied.

Also, A LOT of soldiers stay for a day or 2 in a field hospital before being sent back to front. They DO NOT MAKE IT TO THIS DATABASE.

Read 20 tweets

Mark Krutov

@kromark

Feb 11

🧵/ Link in the last post. How much information can one get from a single blurred-out police video with the help of OSINT? Let’s find out together. No BS – we're talking 'possible precursors to chemical weapons or nerve agents' here, destined for Russia and seized in Spain.

Back in October 2024, Spanish police reported the seizure of 13 tons of 'chemical products' in the port of Barcelona, destined for Russia. It was claimed to be the result of a two-year-long special operation. 4 people were arrested.
interior.gob.es/opencms/gl/det…

The operation was named 'Probirka' ('test tube' in Russian) and was carried out together with the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) as part of the enforcement of EU sanctions against Russia.
anti-fraud.ec.europa.eu/media-corner/n…

Read 22 tweets

Mark Krutov

@kromark

Jan 10

https://twitter.com/JuliaDavisNews/status/1877707825582916056

🧵Timur Praliev, arresred in the U.S. for illegally crossing the border from Mexico, received an official 'combat veteran ID' as a 'former Wagner fighter' less than a month ago, as we found together with @Mike_Eckel and @CarlSchreck.

https://twitter.com/JuliaDavisNews/status/1877707825582916056

A photo of Praliev receiving his veteran ID was posted on VK on Dec. 12th. The event took place in Bashkortostan: . We found Praliev's empty VK acc., which lists the same YOB as in the U.S. court docs (1993), and one of his friends confirmed that it is him.archive.is/jYw10

What puzzles me most about this story is the timing. On December 12th, Praliev receives his official Russian veteran ID as a 'former Wagner fighter.' By January 10th, Praliev is arrested with a drone in his backpack after crossing into the United States from Mexico. Insanely fast

Read 5 tweets

Mark Krutov

@kromark

Dec 14, 2024

https://twitter.com/kromark/status/1867835766564429988

1/2 Comparison of Dec. 5 and Dec. 10 HR @Planet satellite images of the Russian airbase in Al-Jufra, Libya, shows an Il-76 loading/unloading, as well as newly appeared objects which I hesitate to ID (maybe radars?)