1/ Ukraine's attacks on Russia's space communications complexes appear intended to systematically degrade the Russian military's ability to access satellite imagery and communications. Analysts say they'll have a serious impact on military capabilities. ⬇️ 
2/ Ukraine has so far carried out three attacks on Russia's space communication centers (SCCs) in the Moscow and Vladimir regions. The Dubna SCC was hit twice, on 22 and 30 June, and the Vladimir SCC in Gus-Khrustalny was hit on 24 June.
3/ At Vladimir, the main complex's 25-metre parabolic antenna and the antenna on the roof of the Main Hardware and Software Complex were both damaged. The central part of the latter complex also suffered significant damage, along with the Hardware and Technical Building No. 1.
4/ These buildings house satellite modems and multiplexers, as well as the central switching node, to which fibre-optic communication lines with other space centers are connected.
5/ They also house transmission and reception complexes, the central switching cable route of the SCC's antennas, and equipment for cooling the main antenna's transmitters and electronics.
6/ Three other complexes have not yet been attacked – the Medved'ye Lakes centre (Moscow region) and the Zheleznogorsk (Krasnoyarsk Krai) and Khabarovsk (Khabarovsk Krai) complexes have not been hit.
7/ These sites are a more difficult target for Ukrainian attacks, as they are further from the border. They are likely to need the use of long-range drones, of which a larger number would be needed due to their smaller payloads.
8/ Military analysts say that the attacks will hamper secure satellite communications for the Russian authorities and military, as well as disrupting the Russian military's ability to access the global Internet via satellite.
9/ Russian warbloggers acknowledge the strategic significance of the attacks. Vladimir Romanov comments:
"The enemy is systematically and purposefully knocking out the Space Communications Centers of the Russian Federation."
"The enemy is systematically and purposefully knocking out the Space Communications Centers of the Russian Federation."
10/ He complains that "people of retirement age [i.e. the Russian leadership] are constantly expressing their readiness for negotiations and surrendering terrorists from Azov."
'Brothers in Arms' urges readers to "Appreciate the scale of the shitstorm."
'Brothers in Arms' urges readers to "Appreciate the scale of the shitstorm."
11/ "While we're here on the front lines pooling our money for Chinese radios and trying to establish some kind of communication between neighboring forest detachments, the Ukrainians are casually launching their drones hundreds of kilometers into our territory.
12/ "And they're not hitting random targets, but a strategic space communication hub right in the Moscow region.
13/ "Where is our legendary, unparalleled layered air defence system? Where is the impenetrable shield over strategic facilities, which they've been sweetly talking about on TV for years?
14/ "Obviously, it's just a pretty slide for presentations at Frunzenskaya [the Russian MOD HQ in Moscow]. The enemy is methodically, professionally blinding and deafening us at the state level.
15/ "But in the official reports, we'll once again be fed the usual lie that "the air defence system worked as intended, and the grass was damaged by falling debris". We'll keep pretending everything is going exactly according to plan." /end
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
