Share this page!

Enter URL or ID to Unroll

You can paste full URL like: https://x.com/threadreaderapp/status/1644127596119195649
or just the ID like: 1644127596119195649

How to get URL link on X (Twitter) App

  1. On the Twitter thread, click on or icon on the bottom
  2. Click again on or Share Via icon
  3. Click on Copy Link to Tweet
  4. Paste it above and click "Unroll Thread"!
  5. More info at Twitter Help
Roy🇨🇦 Profile picture
Roy🇨🇦
@GrandpaRoy2
🇨🇦 🇺🇦 Grandfather, OSINT of Ukrainian and Russian sources: FPVs, drone munitions, EW, landmines. ❤️my family (grandchildren!), reading, and Kaja Kallas.
9 subscribers
Jul 17 • 18 tweets • 5 min read
A Russian soldier describes the effects of a Ukrainian FPV “aerial carousel of death” on a road movement, and the obstacles to shotgun use.

“In the Pokrovsky direction in the near rear, we encountered the use of a swarm of drones against us for the first time.
1/ “At the same time, 4 drones were in the air within a radius of 200 meters from the transport. They came in turns, circling around.

The guns saved us. Some of the drones were shot down, some were damaged and because of this they missed the car.
2/
Jul 14 • 10 tweets • 4 min read
Russian CEO of United Aircraft Corporation Alexey Rogozin reveals that Ukrainian interceptor UAVs have already downed over 500 “Geran-2” (Shahed) UAVs.

“It was decided to build a ‘clear sky’ over Kyiv with the help of interceptor drones.
1/ “On July 11, the Kyiv Regional Military Administration officially announced that it was transferring the experimental project to a regular mode. Previously, the system worked in a pilot format - now the first 260 million hryvnias (≈590 million rubles) have already been…
2/ Image
Jul 13 • 14 tweets • 4 min read
Russian milblogger “Obsessed with War” argues the West has little scope to increase missile defenses against UAVs like the Russian “Geran-2” (Shahed), and must commit to the Ukrainian model of UAV interceptors.

“UAV production is the only thing the West can scale up quickly.
1/ “The situation with Western supplies to Ukraine reveals key weaknesses in NATO's defense logistics. Even with the suspended American supplies, it is clear that literally leftovers are being transferred.
2/
Jul 10 • 4 tweets • 3 min read
#Germany has designed a modular plastic trench system based on analysis of the War in Ukraine.
A metal frame allows rapid set-up compared to wooden methods.
"The time savings are colossal. What used to take at least a day is now ready for use in a very short time."
1/ Image
Image
Image "Previously, we engineers often spent several days on site because installing wooden systems required a lot of experience. Now we dig a position, the infantry takes over, and we move on - this saves time and gives the troops more independence."
2/ Image
Image
Image
Jul 6 • 13 tweets • 3 min read
Russian blogger Alexei Zhivoff argues that Ukraine now has excessive diversity in types of drones.

“The Ukrainian Armed Forces are drowning in the diversity of attack drones, but local analysts consider this a bad sign.
1/ Image “This year, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry codified a record 600 types of weapons - including about 250 drone models and another 100 types of ammunition. This is twice as many as last year.
2/
Jul 4 • 16 tweets • 4 min read
A Russian blogger reveals the pressures faced by a net drone operator distracted by many observers while attempting to take down Baba Yagas.

“There is an important point that is rarely discussed out loud - psychological pressure on the operator when using the net launcher.
1/ “When the operator moves to the target, he is already under stress: the interception is live, the broadcast is monitored by commanders, colleagues, sometimes the entire headquarters. Commands are flying into the radio:
2/
Jul 3 • 7 tweets • 5 min read
As Ukraine introduces high speed drone interceptors to defeat Russian “Shahed-136” (Rus: Geran-2) kamikaze UAVs, it should be anticipated that the Russians will react with countermeasures.
The battle between Russian reconnaissance UAVs and Ukrainian FPVs provides a template.
1/ Image Special Ukrainian FPVs began intercepting and destroying large numbers of reconnaissance drones such as “Zala” and “Supercam”.
The Russians first responded with an EW system that detected the video signal of the FPV, and initiated strong jamming in that frequency.
2/
Jul 2 • 4 tweets • 3 min read
A Russian “Chernika-2” (Черніка-2; Blueberry-2) kamikaze UAV was recovered that apparently has autonomous terminal targeting capability.
This cheap foam and plastic UAV has a 100km range and carries a formidable 3.5kg warhead.
1/ Image The capabilities of this drone are roughly similar to the Russian “Molniya-2”, in particular the warhead capacity.
A Russian KZ-6 shaped-charge 3kg demolition device has been frequently used as a warhead for the Molniya, or equivalent such as the KOBCh-2.5.
2/ Image
Image
Jun 30 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
A Ukrainian company called UADamage has developed a machine-learning drone that uses four different sensors to detect landmines.
With day and infrared cameras, a magnetometer, and a ground penetrating radar (in development), up to 10,000 square meters can surveyed in a day.
1/ Image The system is trained with machine learning algorithms to automatically detect explosive objects by analyzing magnetic field maps, combined with the use of a magnetometer.
2/ Image
Jun 28 • 5 tweets • 3 min read
Further information has been released regarding the downed Shahed-136s with imaging guidance and AI capabilities.
Details of materials and electronic components indicate Iranian fabrication.
The camera is an analog thermal imager for both reconnaissance and terrain following.
1/ Image The NVIDIA Jetson Orin AI board is specialized for both video processing tasks and AI.
Information from the camera is compared to stored models to select a target in autonomous mode, or stored maps for terrain following.
Each system is intended to defeat Ukrainian GPS jamming.
2/ Image
Jun 27 • 14 tweets • 4 min read
“Drone war is not the future, it is yesterday.”
A Russian blogger gives advice on surviving under the constant gaze of Mavic drones.

“How to survive under the ‘bird’: the fight against small surveillance UAVs.
1/ Image “Where there is Mavic, there is death. This is not a joke, but the everyday reality of the front. Small enemy reconnaissance aircraft fly without days off or holidays. Here's how not to become a meatball in their reports.
2/
Jun 25 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
Ukrainian fortifications have changed greatly from battalion defense areas with huge strongholds that were used at the beginning of the war.
General Syrskyi explained that after the experiences of the defense of Bakhmut the army moved to company strongholds, then platoon ones.
1/ Image In an interview Syrskyi said:
“Now we see that the most effective position is the maximum for the separation. And mostly these are groups of trenches, even the so-called "fox burrows", which make it impossible for the enemy to use strike drones.
2/ Image
Jun 24 • 14 tweets • 4 min read
An experienced Russian sniper explains the dramatic changes for snipers brought about by drones.

“Complete destruction of ‘invisibility.’
Previously, a sniper could lie under camouflage for hours, blending into the terrain and being virtually invisible to ground infantry
1/ “Now even the most experienced sniper is a target for an ordinary quadcopter with a good camera and thermal imager.
Drones with thermal imagers see through bushes, grass, smoke and light cover.
2/
Jun 21 • 7 tweets • 4 min read
Russia has published a manual for fiber optic FPV operations.
Included are procedures for windy conditions, such as not laying fiber on trees or power lines that can move and break the cable, and reducing altitude to 1-2 meters to reduce bowing out of the cable.
1/ Image Rivers are best crossed at the narrowest place where the cable can be slung over the water from trees on each bank.
Otherwise the cable is laid on the water while crossing the river at a 45° angle with the current.
2/ Image
Image
Jun 20 • 4 tweets • 3 min read
“Madyar” has made Russian drone operators his priority target.
The new Commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces and his points system for drone units awards 25 points for a destroyed drone operator and 12 for a wounded one.
For a killed soldier 12 points, 8 for wounded.
1/ Image
Image Destruction of enemy personnel is more important than equipment.
8 points for a tank, 8-10 points for an MLRS, and only 4-6 points for an air defense system!
Each claim must be supported by video and verified before points are allocated.
2/
Jun 16 • 16 tweets • 3 min read
A Russian description of the “trench blues”, a state of malaise and ill-health peculiar to long periods on the line in a dugout.

“The body here exists in a mode of permanent mobilization of all systems: the immune system fights a constant stream of pathogens from dirt, …
1/ “…overcrowding, unsanitary conditions; the nervous system - with the continuous stress of expectation; the endocrine system - with hormonal storms of fear and tension; the muscular system - with physical inactivity, giving way to explosive overloads during anxiety.
2/
Jun 16 • 6 tweets • 3 min read
The commander of a Ukrainian anti-UAV mobile fire group explains new Russian Shahed tactics.

“Often, the Shahed groups fly in pairs with the Lancets, which attack the MIGs at accessible distances - primarily in the Sumy and Kharkiv directions.
1/ “For the Lancet, this is a priority target.

The Shaheds have increasingly begun to scatter submunitions in the form of small tubes.
‘You don't even hear them fall, and then 20 minutes after the flight, an explosion occurs.’
2/ Image
Jun 14 • 9 tweets • 3 min read
A stinging indictment of the Ukrainian State by “Victory Drones” leader Maria Berlinska for failing to provide proper munitions for drone units.

“Volunteers who are engaged in prosthetics ask me in a post on Facebook - why do our fighters' hands tear off from drones, …
1/ Image “…they lose their eyesight?
And what to do about it.
I answer.
Drones explode in the hands for a number of reasons.

There are three main reasons:

1. The state did not provide ammunition for drones, so the fighters are forced to make SVP [warheads] on their own.
2/
Jun 11 • 12 tweets • 3 min read
Another prominent Russian blogger admits that Ukraine is dominating in small drone warfare.
“War Gonzo” (Semyon Pegov) says:

“Why we need to win the battle for the ‘small sky.’
1/ “Periodically, the Russian segment of Telegram posts messages about problems that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are having with drone supplies. A quick analysis of what is happening on the ground shows a completely opposite picture.
2/
Jun 11 • 14 tweets • 4 min read
Sergey Chemezov, CEO of Russian defense and industrial conglomerate Rostec, is not impressed with Western armored vehicles including the Bradley IFV.

“We study all the trophies that come our way. If we come across something useful, of course, we add it to our ‘piggy bank’.
1/ “Sometimes we look and realize that the equipment is good, but completely inapplicable in our reality. For example, the German Leopard tank is made at a high level: modern components, a fire control system, a powerful engine, although with strange temperature restrictions.
2/ Image
Jun 10 • 6 tweets • 5 min read
Russia is pulling ahead of Ukraine in the crucial field of drone autonomy as witnessed in the “V2U” kamikaze UAV.
Autonomy is the inevitable pathway drone warfare will follow, and Ukraine must not let the Russians lead this race.
1/ Image The V2U has been seen operating in close groups of up to six.
With a Jetson Orin AI developer onboard computer with advanced machine learning potential, this UAV may be used in developing basic swarm capabilities.
2/ Image