Month: January 2024
Increasing Losses: Ukrainian Air Defense Downs russian Su-34 Fighter Jet in Luhansk Region
Su-34 fighter-bomber of the russian Air Force / Open source illustrative photo
Ukrainian air defenses shot down a russian Su-34 fighter-bomber in the sky over the Luhansk region on January 29, as announced by Andrii Kovalev, a spokesperson for the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, on national television on January 30.
He clarified the information about the losses of the russian federation in the war against Ukraine over the past day.
In total, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the russians have lost 332 aircraft and 324 helicopters.
The downing of the Su-34 jet is the most recent incident in an increasing trend of russian planes being shot down. This includes an A-50 military observation plane earlier in January, which is reported to have cost $330 million to produce. On the same day in January, there were also reports of damage to an Ilyushin Il-22 plane operating as an airborne command post.
Another Su-34 burned at the Shagol airfield during the night before January 4th.
Recall that at the end of the year, the Ukrainian military managed to shoot down five russian military aircraft in just a few days: on December 22, three Su-34 supersonic fighter-bomber aircraft were destroyed in the southern direction, and on December 24, in the Mariupol direction, the Ukrainian military shot down another Su-34, as well as the Su-30 that attacked the Odesa region.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported in December 2023 that the increase in aircraft losses has prompted russia to alter its aerial strategy, leading to a reduction in the number of sorties flown by russia’s Air Force.
en.defence-ua.com
ZEV Technologies – MSM ShotShow 2024
IDF announces system for neutralizing tunnels without harming groundwater
Israeli soldiers walk through an iron-girded tunnel close to Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip, December 15, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
The IDF announced a new method to flood certain Hamas tunnels in Gaza with seawater.
There have been rumors almost since the beginning of the war that the IDF would flood Hamas terror tunnels with seawater in order to neutralize the ongoing threat to the IDF ground operations in the Gaza Strip.
In December, The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel had begun pumping seawater into the tunnels in an operation called “Atlantis.” The report contained images that claimed to show the IDF pumping water into a tunnel in the northern Gaza Strip. At that time, the IDF only admitted to testing the idea but would not admit to using the method as one of its tools for neutralizing the tunnel threat.
One concern about the original method was the eventual contamination of groundwater used for agriculture in Gaza.
The IDF’s latest announcement revealed it has developed a system to identify which tunnels are suitable for flooding without affecting the groundwater in the area.
The system involves locating suitable tunnels and installing the necessary pumps and pipes, ready to use, in order to neutralize terror tunnels in the Gaza Strip, according to the IDF statement.
The IDF said it took time to develop the system and train its soldiers how to the use of the equipment. However, the IDF spokesman did not clearly state in what tunnels the method is being used.
The IDF spokesman explained that significant work was carried out, including an analysis of the characteristics of the soil and water system in the area, among other things, to ensure that the groundwater in the area would not be affected.
A lingering concern pertains to the potential presence of hostages within the tunnels. Presumably, the IDF will only employ this method to pump large volumes of water into tunnels where it has been confirmed that no hostages are present
The method appears to be most effective in tunnels situated close to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Some of the tunnels under cities, such as Khan Younis, contain blast doors, elevator shafts, and move in different directions, all limiting the use of the water pump system for neutralizing a tunnel rapidly.
Flooding the tunnels represents another tool for IDF troops to combat the challenges they are facing when fighting Hamas terrorists in Gaza, along with explosives, robots, drones, airstrikes and strategic ground operations.
allisrael.com
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