From GPS-guided bombs to electronic warfare, Russia is improving its weapons in Ukraine

Ukrainian troops are conducting sounding Russian of defense, when spring gives way to the second summer of fighting, and KyivRussian forces are confronting an enemy that has made mistakes and failed in a 15-month war. But analysts say Moscow has also learned from those mistakes and improved its weapons and skills.

Russia has built strong fortified defenses along a 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) frontline, honed its electronic weapons to reduce Ukraine’s drone combat advantage, and converted heavy bombs from its massive Cold War arsenal into precision-guided munitions capable of hitting targets without endangering their warplanes.

The change in Russian tactics, along with increased troop numbers and improved weaponry, could make it difficult for Ukraine to achieve any quick decisive victory, threatening to turn this into a long battle of attrition.

Chairman of the Joint Committee of Chiefs of Administration of the USA, Gen. Mark Milley In an interview with the Associated Press on Tuesday, he said that while the Ukrainian military is well-prepared, over time “it will be a long back-and-forth battle.”

Most of the attention last week was focused on the catastrophic flooding in southern Ukraine caused by the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, which both sides blame on each other.

At the same time, however, Ukrainian forces have launched a series of attacks on several fronts that have so far achieved only modest success against the multi-layered Russian defenses.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that counteroffensive and defensive actions are underway against Russian forces, saying that his command is “positively” set on success. Ukrainian authorities have not announced the start of a full-scale counteroffensive.

A day earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that it had begun, but Ukraine had not advanced and suffered “significant” losses.

sir Richard BarronsA retired general who headed Britain’s Joint Forces Command said the Russian military had built “textbook” defensive lines and adjusted its tactics after a hasty retreat from wide swathes of the Kharkiv and Kherson regions last fall under the brunt of a fast-paced Ukrainian campaign. .

He pointed to Russia’s improved ability to both counter and use drones, and noted that Moscow has learned to keep key assets such as command headquarters and ammunition depots out of artillery range.

“And they sharpened how they can fire at Ukrainian artillery and tanks if they are spotted,” he said. AP. “So, if you put it all together, everyone knows that it will be a tougher fight than for Kherson or Kharkiv last fall.

“People are still using those two successes, which were successes, as benchmarks, which I think is unfair, unreasonable under the circumstances,” he said.

Russia has deployed more troops to defend the long front line, even though many of them may be poorly trained, he said.

At the start of the war, Russian military convoys stretched out for miles to become easy prey for Ukrainian artillery and drones during a failed attempt to capture Kiev, which was seen as a serious mistake.

Then Ukrainian missiles sank the Russian cruiser “Moskva”, the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, which was a severe blow to Moscow’s pride; Kiev rockets hit Russian ammunition depots and command; and in autumn the Kremlin’s forces hastily retreated from vast areas in the east and south.

Despite these setbacks, Russia dug in to defend the large swath of Ukrainian territory it seized early in the invasion. Last month, it claimed control of the eastern city of Bakhmut after the longest and bloodiest battle of the war.

Russia’s fundamental weaknesses remain.

Russian troops continue to suffer from low morale, ammunition shortages, and coordination between units remains poor. A fierce infighting broke out between the military leadership and Wagner’s private military contractor, who sent tens of thousands of mercenaries to the battlefield to lead the battle for Bakhmut.

A major factor that continues to limit Russia’s capabilities is its decision to prevent its air force from entering Ukraine after it suffered heavy losses in the early stages of the war. Her attempts to knock out Ukraine’s anti-aircraft defenses failed. Thanks to the supply of Western weapons, Ukraine is now creating an even more serious challenge to Russian aviation.

Barrons emphasized that it is very important for military leaders in Kiev to continue to keep enemy warplanes at bay so that “there is no counteroffensive at a time when the Russian Air Force suddenly finds its ability and courage and rushes … all over Ukraine.”

Ukrainian military analyst Oleg Zhdanov notes that Moscow has maintained a numerical advantage in troops and weapons, despite any weaknesses.

Although Russia is increasingly drawing on its Cold War-era arsenals, deploying 1950s-era tanks to replace its massive early losses, such old weapons can still work well, Zhdanov said.

“It doesn’t matter what kind of tanks they have; they have thousands,” Zhdanov told AP, noting that Russia has used many of them as stationary weapons on its defensive lines, including in the Zaporozhye region, where they have proven their effectiveness.

He recognized Russia’s success in striking Ukrainian military bases. relying on Moscow agents and collaborators, but said such losses were “tolerable”. He also said that the Russians are increasingly using drones and sophisticated means of electronic warfare to jam drones from Ukraine.

Russia has stopped using the battalion tactical groups it deployed at the beginning of the war and has switched to smaller units, Zhdanov said.

While the Russian Air Force operated in relatively small numbers, it had upgraded its stockpile of bombs to turn them into glider weapons that had proven effective, he said. The 500-kilogram (1,100 lb) bombs, adapted with a GPS module, can cause massive damage.

“The Soviet Union produced these bombs in countless numbers,” Zhdanov said, adding that the Russians dropped up to 50 bombs a day for “great psychological effect.”

One such bomb, accidentally dropped over the Russian city of Belgorod near the border with Ukraine in April, blew up a huge crater and slightly injured one person.

Russian military bloggers hailed the power of the cruise bombs and their ability to hit targets up to 70 kilometers (more than 43 miles) away. One former military pilot reported on his blog that work is underway to convert the 1,500-kilogram (3,300 lb) bombs into glider munitions.

These conversions allow the Russian Air Force to increase its strikes against Ukrainian forces without risking its warplanes.

The Royal Joint Service Institute, a London-based defense and security think tank, listed these cruise bombs along with other improvements in Russian weapons and tactics.

“Although they have limited accuracy, the size of these munitions poses a serious threat,” said a recent RUSI report, adding that Russia is working to improve their accuracy.

Russian engineers have shown skill in building field fortifications and complex obstacles on the front line, including concrete trenches and command bunkers, wire ties, ditches, anti-tank hedgehogs or “dragon’s teeth” and complex minefields, the report said.

The widespread deployment of complex mines for use against tanks and infantry creates “a major tactical problem for offensive operations in Ukraine,” RUSI authors note.

Other Russian improvements noted in the report include better thermal cloaking for tanks; faster deployment of artillery to multiple positions, including integration with drones to avoid casualties; and attack Ukrainian artillery with flying munitions — drones that hover until they find a target.

Such responsive Russian fire represents “the greatest challenge to Ukrainian offensive operations,” according to the RUSI report.

Advanced Russian electronic warfare systems destroyed about 10,000 Ukrainian drones every month, while they were also capable of intercepting and decoding Ukrainian tactical communications in real time, it added.

They also learned how to intercept GPS-guided missiles fired by Western-supplied launchers such as US-made HIMARS, which confused the Russians and caused serious damage, the report said.

The Russian military is “capable of improving and developing its use of key systems”, RUSI said, but noted that it may find it difficult to respond to such quick adjustments by Kiev, which could cause Moscow’s units to “quickly lose coordination”.

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Associated Press writers Danika Kirk in London, Tara Cope in Normandy, France, and Juras Karmanov in Tallinn, Estonia contributed.

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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine-war