The major discussions in the defense world last week focused on Ukraine's deployment of Western-supplied weaponry and equipment in Russia’s Kursk oblast. The increasing number of reports confirms that Ukrainian troops are particularly using tanks and armored vehicles in their incursion into Russia. This issue has once again divided the allies, with Spain, Canada, Finland, and Germany not opposing their weapons being used in Russia, while the US and UK have imposed certain restrictions, particularly on the deployment of Storm Shadow and ATACMS. The question remains: what is the priority — Russia’s military capabilities or Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure?
Military transfers to Ukraine and military cooperation:
- Latvia is transferring 500 Latvian-made combat drones to Ukraine.
- Ukraine is soliciting retired NATO pilots with experience on the Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon combat aircraft to fly for Ukraine.
- The U.K. government confirmed that Ukraine has the right to use British-supplied weapons – except for long-range Storm Shadow missiles – on Russian territory. Reportedly British Challenger 2 tanks have been used during Ukraine's cross-border incursion into Russia.
- US is reluctant to allow ATACMS in Kursk Oblast due to limited supply, CNN reports.
- Talks between Ukraine and Biden's administration about supplies of long-range cruise missiles are "in the advanced stages," a source told the Kyiv Independent.
- Ukraine can decide how to use Spanish-supplied equipment, Spanish defense minister says.
- Ottawa confirms Ukraine can use Canada-supplied arms on Russian territory.
- Finland imposes no restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Finnish-supplied weapons, provided it adheres to international law.
- Russian media have circulated images that appear to show German-supplied Marder armored vehicles in the Kursk region. The German defense ministry voiced its position that?once the weapons have been delivered to Ukraine, the German government no longer has anything to do with them. Ukraine is solely responsible for their deployment.
- German media reported that Germany likely won't approve additional military aid to Ukraine this year. On August 18, the German Finance Ministry refuted on reports that Berlin will not provide additional aid to Ukraine.
- Sweden wants to establish a presence in Ukraine by stationing a Defense Materiel Administration (FMV) to assist in purchasing weapons. It may deploy personnel to Ukraine to support defense procurement, maintain donated equipment, and gather insights into its battlefield performance.
- A Danish-Ukrainian tech startup is working to address the critical issue of demining Ukrainian lands using robotics and neural networks.
- Ukraine received six mine clearance vehicles from Japan, which are currently being deployed in Ukraine.
Military production and internal affairs of Ukraine:
- Ukrainian companies account for 80% of army supply contracts, defense ministry says. Contracts with Ukrainian manufacturers have reportedly increased since the Defense Ministry in December 2023 established the State Logistics Operator (DOT), a new procurement agency responsible for all non-military purchases, such as food, fuel, and clothes. Since its founding, DOT has engaged 28 new Ukrainian companies to provide the military with essential supplies.
- Ukraine's Magura V5 naval drones have managed to hit 18 Russian Navy vessels during the full-scale war, according to comments by a member of Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR).
- Ukraine launches new graduate program in drone development. The Digital Transformation Ministry is partnering with the Kyiv School of Economics to launch a master's program training drone engineers to design, test, analyze, and improve UAVs.
- The Parliament of Ukraine will soon consider the issue of legalizing captured trophy weapons obtained during combat operations. The need to regulate this issue was recently voiced by President Zelensky.
- Russian navy trained to target sites inside Europe with nuclear-capable missiles - FT reported.
- Satellite imagery of the Russia-North Korea border suggests an increase in the transfer of coal and oil, likely related to Russian payments for North Korean munitions for the war in Ukraine.
- President of Belarus Lukashenko ordered the transfer of some military equipment from Belarusian units to the Russian military. The recent delivery of Belarusian military equipment is related to "an urgent request from the Russian side" due to losses and a lack of equipment in Kursk Oblast and other areas.
- Iran shows off new Mohajer-10 drone at Russian arms fair. Unlike the Iranian-made Shahed kamikaze drones, the Mohajer-10 is designed to return to base after launch. While it is equipped with missiles to attack enemy targets, it can also be used for reconnaissance, target acquisition, and intelligence gathering, just like the Mohajer-6.
- Russia launched 40 missiles, 750 guided aerial bombs, and 200 combat drones against Ukrainian cities and villages over the past week.
- On August 16, Ukraine lost MiG-29 fighter jet as Russia claims attack on airbase.
- Ukrainian forces 'strengthen' their positions in Kursk Oblast, Syrskyi says. Ukrainian troops control about 1,000 square kilometers of Russian territory and over 80 settlements in the region while continuing to advance, according to the Ukrainian military. On August 15, Zelensky confirmed full capture of Russian town of Sudzha in Kursk Oblast.
- On August 14, Ukraine said it carried out its largest long-range drone strike of the war on four Russian military airfields overnight. The General Staff said that air bases "Khalino", "Savasleyka", "Borisoglebsk" and "Baltimor" in Voronezh, Kursk and Nizhniy Novgorod regions were hit.
- Late in the evening of 14 August, a Russian Tu-22M3 bomber crashed in the Irkutsk region of Russia. There is no indication of any Ukrainian involvement in this incident but it is a positive development for Ukraine.
- Nuclear safety at Zaporizhzhia plant 'deteriorating' after reported drone strike, IAEA warns.
- Russia's Defense Ministry claimed on Aug. 17 that Ukraine is allegedly planning to attack the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant in Russia, which was dismissed by Ukraine's Foreign Ministry a day before.
- Ukraine is not interested in holding Russian territory after offensive, Kyiv says. Kursk incursion aims to divert Russian troops, protect Ukrainian border regions.
- Ukrainian cyber activists from the BO Team together with the Ministry of Defense blocked the work of the Vega Internet provider in the Russian city of Snezhinsk, Chelyabinsk Region, that provides services for the Russian nuclear munitions developer All-Russian Research Institute of Technical Physics.
- Ukraine is working on opening its arms exports. Why is this important during the war? (Bohdan Miroshnychenko for Evropeiska Pravda). Unable to sell all their products domestically, Ukrainian defense companies are relocating their production facilities abroad. This may have prompted the Ukraine's authorities to begin working on the opening of arms exports.
- Why Russia is far outpacing US/Nato in weapons production (Mike Fredenburg for Responsible Statecraft). Russia is?outproducing?all of NATO and the U.S in terms of ammunition, rockets, and tanks, despite having a 2023 defense budget of just $100 billion and a GDP of $2 trillion. Compare this to the combined US/NATO defense budget of?$1.47 trillion?and a combined GDP of about $45 trillion. In short, the United States and NATO allies are prosecuting a war they would like to win, while Russia is prosecuting a war it believes that it has to win — an existential war.
- Opinion: The West’s escalation strategy has failed. Let Ukraine strike Russia (Isaac C. Flanagan for Kyiv Independent). Washington's policy barring Ukraine from striking Russian territory with U.S.-supplied weapons protects Russian air bases over Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.
- President Zelensky showcased Ukrainian-made weapons that are destroying Russian occupiers at sea, on land, and in the air. At sea: Neptune, Sea Baby, MAGURA V5. On land: Bohdana, Stugna, Corsar. In the air: Bober, Morok, Liutyi.
Founder at International Community for Georgia Development and the Progress (ICvGDP)
7 个月It seems, NATO countries don’t want the fast victory. They are waiting for revolution in Moscow, and some arm producers are benefiting from selling their products all over the world. But in the end of the day NATO countries will receive the bombs which goes nowadays in Ukraine and will be forced to use against Russia their own weapons themselves.