[RD] War in Ukraine: Other topics

[r16]

oh , another nothingburger about the 750 something . Except destroying facilities and stuff if there was to be a post-war ICBM thing , supposedly free of Western control . Like , the war should be won first ? Nope , Russians are bad !

 

[Verbose]

Russians are bad !

Tell the Ukranians that.

 

[r16]

ı will , when the tendency in this place becomes that it is all Ukranians' fault that they couldn't beat a two bit country and so they have to pay their debts To Europeans who shut up many and many Russian trolling operations . Freedom is not FREE!

what ? Thought ı wouldn't ?

 

[banzay13]

Almost 99% of refugees return to the occupied territories because they were unable to establish a normal life in the controlled part of Ukraine, - ex-Deputy Minister for Temporarily Occupied Territories Georgiy Tuka

Unian.net

But one of the my friend, whom I know, from Mariupol, didn't want to return. He live and work in Latvia now

 

[red_elk]

Almost 99% of refugees return to the occupied territories because they were unable to establish a normal life in the controlled part of Ukraine, - ex-Deputy Minister for Temporarily Occupied Territories Georgiy Tuka

Unian.net

But one of the my friend, whom I know, from Mariupol, didn't want to return. He live and work in Latvia now

99% only applies to those who didn't leave Ukraine, obviously.
Refugees who settled in EU or in Moscow are less likely to return.
Also, Mariupol is quite safe now, as the frontline is far enough from it.
Donetsk is still being shelled occasionally, but it got much less often since Ukrainians have been pushed out of Avdeevka.

 

[Strong Reaction]

Joe "Dunning Kruger Effect" Rogan can't stop saying stupid things. He does not know he is being a stooge for Putin.

Joe Rogan rants against Biden, Zelensky for trying to ‘start World War III’

Rogan slammed Biden for recently approving the Ukrainian president’s request to use US-made long-range missiles against Russia to fight off the Kremlin’s invasion.

nypost.com

the response

Joe Rogan accused of spreading ‘Russian propaganda’ by Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko

“You talk about these American weapons being sent to Ukraine, which you believe will lead to the Third World War. So, let me tell you that you’re repeating Russian propagand,” Kli…

nypost.com

“So you’re using the only weapon that Putin really intends to use: propaganda and this weapon really weakens our democracies. Putin’s Russia wants to destroy Ukraine quietly, they want America to stay quiet – not great. A great America is not an America that abandons countries that defend freedom with their lives.”


Klitschko also offered to appear on Rogan’s podcast so they could discuss their disagreements “like free men.”

Joe is a lot of things, including stupid at times, however he is not wholly unreasonable and he has a large audience. If Klitschko did get on his show it'd be a win.

 

[saamohod]

Also, Mariupol is quite safe now, as the frontline is far enough from it.

This Russian propagandon has the audacity to call it "safe". Safe like Warsaw was in WW2 after being captured by the Germans. Or Paris.
Especially safe for tens of thousands of local citizens whom Russia killed during the assault, most of them buried under the rubble of what was their homes. They are safe too, their earthly troubles are over.

Donetsk is still being shelled occasionally, but it got much less often since Ukrainians have been pushed out of Avdeevka.

The same old twisted logic of Russian propaganda. As well as cherry-picking.
As frontline moved away from Donetsk, other Ukrainian cities are being leveled by the advancing Russian army. Chasiv Yar, Pokrovsk, just to name a few. Vovchansk in Kharkiv region ceased to exist as Russia stormed it in May. Kherson is being subject to daily artillery and missile strikes as Russian army is just across the river, along with casual safari hunts on locals as a training for Russian drone pilots and an intimidation/depopulation strategy.
But don't you see people, Donetsk is safer now. Focus on the positives, Russia is a liberator after all.

 

[red_elk]

This Russian propagandon has the audacity to call it "safe".

Yes, it is much safer now, dear Ukrainian propagandon, and people are returning back as your own media admits. No need to be so agitated about this fact.

 

[Broken_Erika]

Russian deserter reveals war secrets of guarding nuclear base​

On the day of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Anton says the nuclear weapons base he was serving at was put on full combat alert.
“Before that, we had only exercises. But on the day the war started, the weapons were fully in place,” says the former officer in the Russian nuclear forces. “We were ready to launch the forces into the sea and air and, in theory, carry out a nuclear strike.”
I met Anton in a secret location outside Russia. For his own protection, the BBC will not reveal where. We have also changed his name and are not showing his face.
Anton was an officer at a top-secret nuclear weapons facility in Russia.
He has shown us documents confirming his unit, rank and base.
The BBC is unable to independently verify all the events he described, although they do chime with Russian statements at the time.

Three days after troops poured over Ukraine’s borders, Vladimir Putin announced that Russia’s nuclear deterrence forces had been ordered into a “special mode of combat service”.
Anton says that combat alert was in place on day one of the war and claims his unit was “shut inside the base”.
“All we had was Russian state TV,” says the former officer, “I didn’t really know what it all meant. I automatically carried out my duties. We weren’t fighting in the war, we were just guarding the nuclear weapons.”
The state of alert was cancelled, he adds, after two to three weeks.
Anton’s testimony offers an insight into the top-secret inner workings of the nuclear forces in Russia. It is extremely rare for service members to talk to journalists.
“There is a very strict selection process there. Everyone is a professional soldier – no conscripts,” he explains.
“There are constant checks and lie-detector tests for everyone. The pay is much higher, and the troops aren’t sent to war. They’re there to either repel, or carry out, a nuclear strike.”
The former officer says life was tightly controlled.
“It was my responsibility to ensure the soldiers under me didn’t take any phones on to the nuclear base,” he explains.
“It’s a closed society, there are no strangers there. If you want your parents to visit, you need to submit a request to the FSB Security Service three months in advance.”

Anton was part of the base’s security unit - a rapid-reaction force that guarded the nuclear weapons.
“We had constant training exercises. Our reaction time was two minutes,” he says, with a hint of pride.
Russia has around 4,380 operational nuclear warheads, according to the Federation of American Scientists, but only 1,700 are “deployed” or ready for use. All the Nato member states combined possess a similar number.
There are also concerns about whether Putin could choose to deploy “non-strategic”, often called tactical, nuclear weapons. These are smaller missiles that generally don’t cause widespread radioactive fallout.
Their use would nevertheless lead to a dangerous escalation in the war.
The Kremlin has been doing all it can to test the West’s nerves.
Only last week Putin ratified changes to the nuclear doctrine - the official rules dictating how and when Russia can launch nuclear weapons.
The doctrine now says Russia can launch if it comes under “massive attack” from conventional missiles by a non-nuclear state but “with the participation or support of a nuclear state”.

Russian officials say the updated doctrine "effectively eliminates" the possibility of its defeat on the battlefield.
But is Russia’s nuclear arsenal fully functional?
Some Western experts have suggested its weapons mostly date from the Soviet era, and might not even work.
The former nuclear forces officer rejected that opinion as a “very simplified view from so-called experts”.
“There might be some old-fashioned types of weapons in some areas, but the country has an enormous nuclear arsenal, a huge amount of warheads, including constant combat patrol on land, sea and air.”
Russia’s nuclear weapons were fully operational and battle-ready, he maintained. “The work to maintain the nuclear weapons is carried out constantly, it never stops even for one minute.”
Shortly after the full-scale war began, Anton said he was given what he describes as a “criminal order” - to hold lectures with his troops using very specific written guidelines.
“They said that Ukrainian civilians are combatants and should be destroyed!” he exclaims. “That’s a red line for me - it’s a war crime. I said I won’t spread this propaganda.”
Senior officers reprimanded Anton by transferring him to a regular assault brigade in another part of the country. He was told he would be sent to war.
These units are often sent in to battle as the “first wave” and a number of Russian deserters have told the BBC that “troublemakers” who object to the war have been used as “cannon fodder”.
The Russian embassy in London did not respond to a request for comment.
Before he could be sent to the front line, Anton signed a statement refusing to take part in the war and a criminal case was opened against him. He showed us documents confirming his transfer to the assault brigade and details of the criminal case.
He then decided to flee the country with the help of a volunteer organisation for deserters.
“If I had run away from the nuclear forces base, then the local FSB Security Service would’ve reacted decisively and I probably wouldn’t have been able to leave the country,” he said.
But he believes that, because he had been transferred to an ordinary assault brigade, the system of top-level security clearance failed.
Anton said he wanted the world to know that many Russian soldiers were against the war.
The volunteer organisation that helps deserters, “Idite Lesom” ['Go by the Forest', in English, or 'Get Lost'] has told the BBC that the number of deserters seeking help has risen to 350 a month.
The risks to those fleeing are growing, too. At least one deserter has been killed after fleeing abroad, and there have been several cases of men being forcibly returned to Russia and put on trial.
Although Anton has left Russia, he says security services are still looking for him there: “I take precautions here, I work off the books and I don’t show up in any official systems.”
He says he has stopped speaking to his friends at the nuclear base because he could put them in danger: “They must take lie-detector tests, and any contact with me could lead to a criminal case.”
But he is under no illusion about the risk he is himself in by helping other soldiers to flee.
“I understand the more I do that, the higher the chances they could try and kill me.”
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9dl2pv0yj0o

 

[banzay13]

Russian deserter reveals war secrets of guarding nuclear base​

On the day of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Anton says the nuclear weapons base he was serving at was put on full combat alert.
“Before that, we had only exercises. But on the day the war started, the weapons were fully in place,” says the former officer in the Russian nuclear forces. “We were ready to launch the forces into the sea and air and, in theory, carry out a nuclear strike.”
I met Anton in a secret location outside Russia. For his own protection, the BBC will not reveal where. We have also changed his name and are not showing his face.
Anton was an officer at a top-secret nuclear weapons facility in Russia.
He has shown us documents confirming his unit, rank and base.
The BBC is unable to independently verify all the events he described, although they do chime with Russian statements at the time.

Three days after troops poured over Ukraine’s borders, Vladimir Putin announced that Russia’s nuclear deterrence forces had been ordered into a “special mode of combat service”.
Anton says that combat alert was in place on day one of the war and claims his unit was “shut inside the base”.
“All we had was Russian state TV,” says the former officer, “I didn’t really know what it all meant. I automatically carried out my duties. We weren’t fighting in the war, we were just guarding the nuclear weapons.”
The state of alert was cancelled, he adds, after two to three weeks.
Anton’s testimony offers an insight into the top-secret inner workings of the nuclear forces in Russia. It is extremely rare for service members to talk to journalists.
“There is a very strict selection process there. Everyone is a professional soldier – no conscripts,” he explains.
“There are constant checks and lie-detector tests for everyone. The pay is much higher, and the troops aren’t sent to war. They’re there to either repel, or carry out, a nuclear strike.”
The former officer says life was tightly controlled.
“It was my responsibility to ensure the soldiers under me didn’t take any phones on to the nuclear base,” he explains.
“It’s a closed society, there are no strangers there. If you want your parents to visit, you need to submit a request to the FSB Security Service three months in advance.”

Anton was part of the base’s security unit - a rapid-reaction force that guarded the nuclear weapons.
“We had constant training exercises. Our reaction time was two minutes,” he says, with a hint of pride.
Russia has around 4,380 operational nuclear warheads, according to the Federation of American Scientists, but only 1,700 are “deployed” or ready for use. All the Nato member states combined possess a similar number.
There are also concerns about whether Putin could choose to deploy “non-strategic”, often called tactical, nuclear weapons. These are smaller missiles that generally don’t cause widespread radioactive fallout.
Their use would nevertheless lead to a dangerous escalation in the war.
The Kremlin has been doing all it can to test the West’s nerves.
Only last week Putin ratified changes to the nuclear doctrine - the official rules dictating how and when Russia can launch nuclear weapons.
The doctrine now says Russia can launch if it comes under “massive attack” from conventional missiles by a non-nuclear state but “with the participation or support of a nuclear state”.

Russian officials say the updated doctrine "effectively eliminates" the possibility of its defeat on the battlefield.
But is Russia’s nuclear arsenal fully functional?
Some Western experts have suggested its weapons mostly date from the Soviet era, and might not even work.
The former nuclear forces officer rejected that opinion as a “very simplified view from so-called experts”.
“There might be some old-fashioned types of weapons in some areas, but the country has an enormous nuclear arsenal, a huge amount of warheads, including constant combat patrol on land, sea and air.”
Russia’s nuclear weapons were fully operational and battle-ready, he maintained. “The work to maintain the nuclear weapons is carried out constantly, it never stops even for one minute.”
Shortly after the full-scale war began, Anton said he was given what he describes as a “criminal order” - to hold lectures with his troops using very specific written guidelines.
“They said that Ukrainian civilians are combatants and should be destroyed!” he exclaims. “That’s a red line for me - it’s a war crime. I said I won’t spread this propaganda.”
Senior officers reprimanded Anton by transferring him to a regular assault brigade in another part of the country. He was told he would be sent to war.
These units are often sent in to battle as the “first wave” and a number of Russian deserters have told the BBC that “troublemakers” who object to the war have been used as “cannon fodder”.
The Russian embassy in London did not respond to a request for comment.
Before he could be sent to the front line, Anton signed a statement refusing to take part in the war and a criminal case was opened against him. He showed us documents confirming his transfer to the assault brigade and details of the criminal case.
He then decided to flee the country with the help of a volunteer organisation for deserters.
“If I had run away from the nuclear forces base, then the local FSB Security Service would’ve reacted decisively and I probably wouldn’t have been able to leave the country,” he said.
But he believes that, because he had been transferred to an ordinary assault brigade, the system of top-level security clearance failed.
Anton said he wanted the world to know that many Russian soldiers were against the war.
The volunteer organisation that helps deserters, “Idite Lesom” ['Go by the Forest', in English, or 'Get Lost'] has told the BBC that the number of deserters seeking help has risen to 350 a month.
The risks to those fleeing are growing, too. At least one deserter has been killed after fleeing abroad, and there have been several cases of men being forcibly returned to Russia and put on trial.
Although Anton has left Russia, he says security services are still looking for him there: “I take precautions here, I work off the books and I don’t show up in any official systems.”
He says he has stopped speaking to his friends at the nuclear base because he could put them in danger: “They must take lie-detector tests, and any contact with me could lead to a criminal case.”
But he is under no illusion about the risk he is himself in by helping other soldiers to flee.
“I understand the more I do that, the higher the chances they could try and kill me.”
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9dl2pv0yj0o

I know his hame.
He is Hans Christian Andersen

 

[red_elk]

Or Maxim Maximovich Isaev

 

[Sarin]

You can tell that it's true by the effort Russians make to deny it.

It's very telling that you consider a news about a Russian with a conscience "a tale".

 

[Gedemon]

Russia’s nuclear weapons were fully operational and battle-ready, he maintained. “The work to maintain the nuclear weapons is carried out constantly, it never stops even for one minute.”

Comparing US, UK, France and Russia defense budget, I must confess I agree with red_elk and banzay13 here, that doesn't seem possible.

 

[Ordnael]

Enter ‘Oreshnik’​

Enter ‘Oreshnik’

The first combat use of Russia’s new IRBM — which Russian President Vladimir Putin called unstoppable — has drawn scrutiny from Western military experts.

www.reuters.com

(you should really open the link and "watch the article" copy, pasting it here wouldn't make it justice)

 

[EvaDK]

Enter ‘Oreshnik’​

Enter ‘Oreshnik’

The first combat use of Russia’s new IRBM — which Russian President Vladimir Putin called unstoppable — has drawn scrutiny from Western military experts.

www.reuters.com

(you should really open the link and "watch the article" copy, pasting it here wouldn't make it justice)

I think this is my favorite bit from the article:

Lewis cautioned that given the expense, using this type of ballistic missile to hit Ukraine might be more a psychological tactic than a military one. "If were inherently terrifying, (Putin) would just use it. But that's not quite enough," Lewis said. "He had to use it and then do a press conference and then do another press conference and say: 'Hey, this thing is really scary, you should be scared.'"

 

[Thorgalaeg]

Russia trying to scare with basically a step forward from the German V2 (which would now be called Hitler's hypersonic missile apparently). The most incredible thing is there are people who buy it, including some media outlets.

 

[Ordnael]

Truly warriors on a different front...glory to the heroes!
(it's worth checking the link for the pictures)

Meet the energy workers battling to keep the lights on in Ukraine​

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/meet-energy-workers-battling-keep-lights-ukraine-2024-11-29/

Nov 29 (Reuters) - When Russian missiles hurtle towards the Ukrainian power plant and employees scramble for the bomb shelter, a handful of workers stay above ground in a control room protected by sandbags to keep the system running manually.
The facility, the location of which energy officials asked Reuters not to identify for security reasons, has been pounded by missiles this year in an aerial assault on the grid that Russia renewed this month as the war's third winter sets in.

"When there are attacks, we stay here even though we know there are missiles coming at us ... To say we're not afraid is not true because we are all living, normal people and we are afraid," said Serhii, 52, a shift leader who has worked at the plant for over 30 years.
Outside the control hub is a vast machine room that has holes in its walls and extensive damage after missile strikes, the most recent of which were on Nov. 17 in this facility.

The smell of burning hung in the air during a recent Reuters visit, as water dripped from a damaged roof.
Missile parts lay on the floor, twisted metal sheets were stacked up to the side and broken pieces of equipment were strewn around. Workers in grubby overalls busied themselves with repairs and clambered over a damaged power unit.
Serhii, who declined to provide his surname, and his fellow workers see themselves as on the front line of a crucial battle in the 33-month-old war with Russia - to supply millions of people with power despite the attacks.

Russia, which denies targeting civilian infrastructure but views the Ukrainian power system as a legitimate target in its war, has inflicted major damage on energy facilities since it began a spate of attacks on the grid in spring.
The facility is one of five remaining thermal power plants owned by DTEK, Ukraine's largest private power provider, which provided a quarter of the country's electricity needs before Moscow's February 2022 invasion.

As well as the location, DTEK asked Reuters not to disclose certain details about the plant, including the amount of electricity it currently produces, saying such information could help Russia conduct future strikes.
The facility, which typically provides electricity and heating to hundreds of thousands of people, has undergone major repairs throughout much of the year. The November attacks created more urgent repair work.

"We've been set back six months," said Oleksandr, 52, a senior worker at the plant.

'WINTER WON'T BE EASY'​

Russia unleashed its second big attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure this month on Thursday, triggering deep power cuts across the country.
After the two waves of attacks, the outlook for Ukraine's energy grid has worsened at a volatile moment in the war, with Russian troops advancing in the east and Donald Trump preparing to enter the White House on Jan. 20.
Ukraine repaired some of its energy infrastructure that was hammered in the spring and summer, putting it in what had looked like an unexpectedly strong position for the looming winter, industry sources said.
But now they say the damage inflicted on Nov. 17 and Nov. 28 has set them back significantly, raising the prospect of long blackouts and other outages in the depths of winter. Temperatures are already hovering around 0 Celsius (32 Fahrenheit).
One industry source said that, despite the setbacks, Ukraine would be able to handle the looming challenges.
The workers interviewed by Reuters at the plant said they would do their best.
"This is our front, some of the guys have a front in the east, our front is here. Our task is to ensure that our Ukraine has electricity, that it functions in full," said Serhii.

Ukraine’s World War I-Style Drone-Hunting Warplane May Be Back In Action​

Ukraine’s World War I-Style Drone-Hunting Warplane May Be Back In Action

The shotgun-armed Yakovlev Yak-52 reportedly returned to flight over Odesa.

www.forbes.com

After a four-month absence, Ukraine’s World War I-style drone-blasting propeller plane may be back in action over Odesa.

The piston-engine Yakovlev Yak-52 trainer, a 1970s-vintage Soviet leftover, reportedly returned to the sky over the port city on the Black Sea on Tuesday to chase down Russian surveillance drones.

The 2,900-pound plane—a pilot in the front seat and, presumably, a shotgun-wielding gunner in the back seat—“expended 1,000 liters of fuel and had to land for more mid-fight,” according to “Kale,” a Ukrainian navy sailor in Odesa.

In five hours of maneuvering, the 180-mile-per-hour Yak-52 reportedly shot down at least one Orlan drone. The Orlans fly over Odesa to spot targets for follow-on attacks by long-range missiles. A Yak-52 costing at most a few hundred dollars per flight hour is an efficient way of shooting down drones that themselves cost around $100,000.

There’s no official confirmation of the Yak-52’s return to flight since the plane last appeared over Odesa in July. But then, there’s never been much official information on the Yak-52’s daring patrols over the port city.

In a heady three months starting in May, the piston plane shot down at least a dozen Russian drones. Fans of the barnstormer posted videos and photos of the Yak-52 in action and on the ground. A growing number of kill markings on the side of the old trainer spoke to its effectiveness as a drone-hunter.

It worked so well that the Ukrainian intelligence directorate began training gunners to hunt Russian unmanned aerial vehicles from locally-made Aeroprakt A-22 sport planes.

Admittedly, it’s strange that the Yak-52 reportedly burned 1,000 liters of fuel during its purported long sortie over Odesa on Tuesday. The most capacious version of the Yakovlev trainer has a maximum fuel capacity of 280 liters.

If the Ukrainian aviators really did burn around three full loads of fuel, returning to base at least twice to top off, they must’ve been flying hard—climbing, diving and turning—to draw a bead on the Orlans.

Fresh photos and videos may provide further insight into this possible new round of Yak-52 sorties. But then, there’s reason to believe the Odesa crew and its boosters might refrain from enthusiastically posting. After the Yak-52 become internationally famous this summer, Russian forces apparently attempted to destroy the plane by lobbing missiles at what may have been its home airfield back in July.

The subsequent disappearance of the Yak-52 from social media seemingly implied the plane had been badly damaged. Maybe it was damaged and underwent repairs through the fall. Maybe it escaped damage—and its crew decided to lie low for a while. Maybe it was never at that airfield the Russians bombarded.

In any event, it’s drone-hunting season again, if Kale’s information is accurate.

 

[Verbose]

I think this is my favorite bit from the article:

Lewis cautioned that given the expense, using this type of ballistic missile to hit Ukraine might be more a psychological tactic than a military one. "If were inherently terrifying, (Putin) would just use it. But that's not quite enough," Lewis said. "He had to use it and then do a press conference and then do another press conference and say: 'Hey, this thing is really scary, you should be scared.'"

A piece of technology known since decades, one we already knew the Russians had, delivered six in themselves pretty dumb explosive devices to six points on the ground in Dnipro in one of the most expensive ways possible. Yes.

The point clearly is not to put bombs on targets in any kind of convenient or cost-efficient manner – Russian has several choices about how do that way easier. What it might do is try to shut up some of the increasingly strident questions being asked in the west if the Russian ICBM:s even work still? They are supposed to. Going into this was in 2022 no one anywhere breathed even a sliver of a doubt they did – but the spectacle of watching Russia fight this was for going on three years has set off that kind of speculation.

 

[Thorgalaeg]

In any case the fact they had to use a brand new prototype to achieve such trivial 'feat' puts in doubt the functionality of the whole russian ICBM and IRBM arsenal.

 

[Ordnael]

Ukraine’s Sea Baby Drone Boats Shoot Back Now​

Ukraine’s Sea Baby Drone Boats Shoot Back Now

The drones damaged Russian helicopters in a Dec. 5 gun battle.

www.forbes.com

Ukraine’s unmanned surface vessels—18-foot Sea Babies and Magura V5s—have wreaked havoc on the battered Russian Black Sea Fleet this year. In separate raids on Crimean anchorages in February, May and June, the explosives-laden USVs sank a corvette, a landing ship, a patrol boat and a tugboat.

After those sinkings, the Black Sea Fleet was down to no more than two-thirds of its pre-war strength.

Determined to protect what’s left of the fleet, the Russian navy has stiffened the defenses around naval bases in Crimea and southern Russia. The approaches to these bases are now patrolled by armed Mil Mi-8 helicopters and Raptor patrol boats, among other assets.

To give the satellite-guided Sea Babies and Magura V5s, respectively operated by the Ukrainian internal security service and the main intelligence directorate, a fighting chance against the gun- and missile-armed Mi-8s and Raptors, the Ukrainians have begun upgrading their USVs.

Some can launch rockets or small aerial drones for standoff attacks. Others sail into action with remote-controlled machine guns and surface-to-air missiles for self-defense.

A pod of the gun-armed Sea Babies motored into the Kerch Bay between Crimea and Russia on Thursday night and engaged in a spirited close fight with the bay’s Russian defenders. Videos from the battle depict Sea Babies opening fire on Russian helicopters and patrol boats.

“Intercepted Russian radio transmissions indicate that there are killed and wounded on board the helicopters,” the Ukrainian security service reported. “The helicopters themselves have received significant damage and now require major repairs.”

It’s not clear whether any of the Sea Babies survived the fight, but according to the security service, other Ukrainian drone boats got through the Russians’ defenses and damaged a barge supporting repairs to the oft-targeted Crimean Bridge spanning the Kerch Strait.

It’s apparent from the videos of the battle that the Sea Babies’ gunfire isn’t terribly accurate while the USVs are bouncing on choppy water. The drones are already equipped with ballistic fire controls and automatic targeting algorithms, but these systems may need improving.

What’s important is that the Sea Babies can now put up a meaningful fight as they churn toward their targets. Until recently, the Sea Babies and Magura V5s were all but defenseless. They depended on the cover of darkness and their low profile to evade detection, and evasive maneuvers to avoid destruction when they were detected.

That Ukraine’s drone boats can now fight their way to their targets is an ominous development for what’s left of the Black Sea Fleet.