1/ Tens of gigabytes of secret data on Russia's strategic electronic warfare systems has been hacked by the pro-Ukrainian Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK). They say that Russia's EW shield is "not just fragile - it's full of holes" due to multiple flaws and vulnerabilities. ⬇️
2/ Two weeks ago, the RDK announced that it had obtained a large quantity of data on Russia's EW systems, including technical specifications, diagrams, official correspondence, equipment setup methods, drawings, test reports, and functional information.
3/ RDK commander 'Fortuna' says that "We got more than just the external appearance. We see the internal logic, architecture, connections between nodes, we know who designed it, which companies supplied the units, which research institutes are responsible for the developments."
4/ "We received a number of important military developments along with protocols, engineering solutions and approvals from the Russian Ministry of Defence. In addition, we managed to establish the entire chain of enterprises involved in production and supply.
5/ "And it is also important that all the persons involved in the development and creation of these stations were identified. Upon completion of the operation, the RDK had their names, addresses, car numbers, places of work."
6/ RDK announced in a YouTube video that it had obtained data on the following:
🔺 "ANCHAR-K — a polar warfare naval station. An automated station for electronic suppression of satellite communication lines in Arctic conditions. It is installed on icebreaker-class ships.
7/ "Developed as a response to the vulnerability of the Russian Federation in high-latitude areas."
8/ The system is intended to disrupt signals from satellites, aviation radars and ship navigation. However, the documents obtained by the RDK indicate that it is not capable of resisting Arctic conditions, including wind, cold and icing.
9/ According to the RDK, "When the ship maneuvers, the Anchar loses tracking. The guidance time is more than four minutes. In the event of a failure, the entire system is switched off." Its location is exposed when it is in operation.
10/ 🔺 "OZON-MEI — over-the-horizon. Over-the-horizon radar project using the evaporation waveguide effect. It works by forming a plasma channel in the near-surface atmosphere."
11/🔺 "Tirada-2.3 — "Interference". Satellite communications electronic suppression station. Part of the Tirada-2S complex."
According to the RDK, this is a narrow-target system for disabling satellite communications which uses directional antennas to focus on specific targets.
12/ Operating in ranges from 225 MHz to 15 GHz, it is used to temporarily disrupt communications with US and British military satellites (WGS, MUOS, Skynet).
13/ 'Fortuna' says: "Such a complex jams communications and also generates false signals. For example, a drone flying over the Bryansk region may "think" that it is over Ethiopia. Disorientation and substitution of coordinates occur."
14/🔺 "NMS REP DDV — suppression radio brain. Ground-based mobile station for suppressing long-range satellite communications. Controls other electronic warfare systems. Suppresses FleetSatcom, Milstar, MUOS, etc. links."
15/ The RDK desribes this as a key element of Russian signal suppression technology:
“This is a radio brain, everything depends on it: it determines radiation modes, types of interference, phasing."
16/ However, they say that it has serious flaws. It is reported to be extremely sensitive to weather, vibrations, requires complex settings and a stable power supply. The system copes poorly with combat conditions.
17/🔺 "Software modules, OS, CORVETTE. Operating systems and software modules used for protection and work with electronic warfare. We understand the architecture, but will not disclose all the security details."
18/ The hacked documents also reveal that Russia exploits China's satellites, apparently without China's knowledge. "Russia uses civilian Chinese satellites to cover the calibration of its systems."
19/ "That is, Russian electronic warfare systems are posing as terminals of the PRC’s civilian fleet in the Pacific Ocean. China has not been officially notified of this. If a signal is detected, Russia is betting that the responsibility will fall on the Chinese channel.
20/ "This is a risky game. Sooner or later, China will understand this. And we already know which satellites they “hang on to,” which channels they mimic. This is an extremely interesting and unexpected observation."
21/ 'Fortuna' says that Russian strategic electronic warfare systems suffer from the lack of an operational ecosystem. "This is a huge, overloaded structure, not ready for a real war."
22/ Russia has invested heavily in its EW systems to compensate for its relative lack of satellites, compared to the United States or China. The leak is likely to be a considerable setback, as it will enable Ukraine's Western partners to develop countermeasures. /end
1/ Russian soldiers have now been serving for a longer time than any involuntarily mobilised Russian or Soviet troops since 1888, during the Tsarist period nearly 140 years ago. Not surprisingly, this has led many to complain of 'slavery'. ⬇️
2/ The author of the 'Shelter No. 8' Telegram channel is a Russian soldier who joined the army in 2021. As he points out, the 3 years and 9 months he has served so far is approaching a new record for involuntary service since the end of the Tsarist period.
3/ "In Tsarist Russia, with the introduction of conscription, they served in the infantry:
- In 1881-1888 - 5 years.
- In 1888-1906 - 4 years
- I am here with my 3 years and 9 months.
- From 1906 to 1918, they served in the infantry for 3 years.
1/ Russia is reportedly sustaining exceptionally high casualties in its offensive against the Sumy region of Ukraine. A warblogger says that the battlefield is strewn with Russian bodies. Those who survive are reportedly treated as deserters and told they should have died. ⬇️
2/ 'Belarusian Silovik' writes: "Today I watched several videos filmed by our group, which was semi-encircled in the area of Oleksiivka-Andiivka in the Sumy direction. What meat there is. All the forest plantations are [covered] in bodies."
3/ A soldier with the 40th Separate Guards Marine Brigade (military unit 10103) says that commanders are sending men into suicidal assaults, resulting in casualties as high as 92%, treat those who survive as deserters, and tell them they should have died.
1/ Manpower shortages mean that Russia is sending scarce aerospace specialists, such as aircraft mechanics, to fight as front line infantry. However, these 'Space Marines' – as they are sarcastically termed by the Russians – are even more poorly supplied than usual. ⬇️
2/ A commentary by the Fighterbomber Telegram channel highlights the problems that the 'Space Marines' are facing. Because they are not associated with particular regions, they have difficulties accessing the 'humanitarian aid' that most army units depend on.
3/ "Explanations have arrived as to why the VKS [Aerospace Forces] space marines were left out in the cold in terms of humanitarian aid and on the residual principle with support from the Ministry of Defence.
1/ Two Chechen soldiers among a group who carried out a violent attack on Russian traffic policemen in the Belgorod region have been identified. One of them is reported to be a member of Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov's inner circle. ⬇️
2/ A widely circulated video, which has caused consternation among Russian warbloggers (see thread below), shows Chechens confronting traffic police (VAI) officers at Pyanitskoye in Russia's Belgorod region, 30 km from the Ukrainian border.
3/ The Russian media outlet Agency News reports that the leading instigator, who calls himself the "senior" in the video, is 35-year-old Chechen resident Ruslanbek Tovzaev. It identifies him as an officer of the Terek special forces unit since 2013, renamed Akhmat in 2021.
1/ A video showing Russian traffic police being beaten up by Chechen soldiers, reportedly in the Belgorod region of Russia, has caused confusion among Russian warbloggers. They can't decide which side they hate the most. ⬇️
2/ As 'Two Majors' describes it, "They were driving on the wrong side of the road without licence plates, for which they were stopped. Judging by the situation at the checkpoint, it was clearly not close to the front line."
3/ "A very cool Land Cruiser arrived to the rescue of the violators, and they started beating up the officers."
The video, recorded by the traffic police officer's body-worn camera, shows that the attack seems to be unprovoked. He promises to be polite and asks normal questions.
1/ Tens of thousands of Russian soldiers have gone missing in Ukraine, with relatives clinging to hope that they might still be alive somewhere. The reality, as this video shows, is that their bodies are lying unburied on the front line, which has become a vast charnel house. ⬇️
2/ A Russian soldier has filmed the front line near Kolisnykivka, south of Kupiansk. The Russians held Kolisnykivka briefly in December 2024 before being driven out by a Ukrainian counter-attack. Russia is reported to have recently retaken the village.
3/ The footage shows large numbers of dead Russian soldiers, who have been lying in a forest plantation (likely one of the large plantations adjoining the road and railway near the village) since the winter of 2024 or spring of 2025. Recent satellite imagery shows fires there.