Large-scale "cotton" in Russia. Ukrainian Defense Forces attacked refineries, chemical plants, and an airfield
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Ukraine
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Large-scale "cotton" in Russia. Ukrainian Defense Forces attacked refineries, chemical plants, and an airfield

Large-scale "cotton" in Russia. Ukrainian Defense Forces attacked refineries, chemical plants, and an airfield
Source:  Ukrainian Pravda

On the night of January 14, the Defense Forces carried out attacks on Russian enterprises, oil refineries (refineries), and ammunition depots, including at Engels airfield.

Points of attention

  • Ukrainian defense forces launched an attack on Russian facilities, such as oil refineries and ammunition depots, resulting in widespread fires and destruction.
  • The attack hit facilities such as a chemical plant, bomb depots, and an oil refinery, causing serious consequences for Russian manufacturing enterprises.
  • Ukrainian troops successfully concentrated destructive strikes aimed at reducing the combat capabilities of Russian strategic aviation, including Tu-160 bombers.
  • The actions of the Ukrainian forces were an example of high coordination between intelligence, missile forces, rocket artillery, and unmanned systems, which led to the successful completion of the operation.
  • According to reports, Ukrainian forces successfully struck key targets at Russian military facilities, which led to the limitation of the Russian Federation's combat capabilities.

What is known about Ukraine's large-scale attack on Russian military facilities?

According to sources, among the affected facilities:

  • Aleksinsky Chemical Plant (Tula Region): a large fire broke out there after a drone strike.

  • Ammunition depots at Engels airfield (Saratov region): depots of aerial bombs (FABs), guided aerial bombs (CABs), and cruise missiles were hit.

  • Saratov Oil Refinery: a large-scale fire was recorded on the territory of the refinery.

As a reminder, on the night of January 14, the Russian authorities reported a massive drone attack on a number of regions of the Russian Federation. The attack resulted in large-scale fires at the refinery and the plant. It was noted that a total of 12 regions of the Russian Federation were attacked.

Ukraine confirms strike on chemical plant in Bryansk region

According to the command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' SBS, the Bryansk Chemical Plant produces:

  • gunpowder, explosives and components for rocket fuel;

  • ammunition for artillery, MLRS, aviation, and Kh-59 cruise missiles;

  • weapons for TOS-1 "Tosochka" and the remote mining system "Zemledeliye".

The plant also carries out major repairs of the Grad, Uragan, and Tornado-G MLRS.

The operation was a model of coordination between intelligence, missile forces, rocket artillery, and unmanned systems. The drones successfully distracted Russian air defenses, opening the way for missiles that accurately hit the main targets. Long-range UAVs then destroyed substations and other critical infrastructure at the plant.

Russian Engels airfield attacked by Ukrainian drones for the second time

According to the 14th Separate Air Defense Regiment, as a result of the strike on the territory of the "Krystal" oil depot, tanks with rare aviation fuel, which is used for Tu-160 bombers, caught fire.

It is these aircraft that Russia uses to attack the civilian population of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian military noted that a several-day operation aimed at reducing the combat capabilities of Russian strategic aviation has been successfully completed.

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Ukraine
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Kursk operation. The Russian army uses "ridiculous" technology from World War II

The Russian army resorts to old methods of warfare
Source:  Forbes

Forbes columnist David Axe drew attention to the fact that Russian occupiers in the Kursk region began using a long-forgotten World War II technology to cross rivers.

Points of attention

  • Modified BTR-D amphibious vehicles used by the Russian army remain vulnerable to Ukrainian weapons.
  • Ukrainian troops are actively attacking bridges and spans in the Kursk region, blocking the enemy's advance.

The Russian army resorts to old methods of warfare

As the expert recalled, during World War II, some armies, including the British, attached metal spans to the upper part of tank chassis and used the resulting "funny bridges" to quickly cross gaps.

Despite the fact that 80 years have passed since then, the Russian army does not shy away from using “ridiculous” technologies to retake its own territories from the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

In the Kursk region of western Russia, Russian airborne troops deploy modified BTR-D amphibious vehicles in the same way: piling what looks like wooden flooring onto 13-ton tracked vehicles and rolling them into rivers. As they sink into muddy riverbeds, the vehicles’ makeshift surfaces act as bridges, says David Axe.

The analyst draws attention to the fact that the BTR-D are most active on the western edge of the Kursk salient.

What is important to understand is that in order for Russian soldiers to attack Ukrainian Armed Forces fighters in and around the village of Dar'ino, they must first cross the Snagost River.

What this technology looked like during World War II (Photo: Imperial War Museum photo)

Why the Russian Army's Technology Is Not Effective

As David Axe notes, in the Kursk region, the Ukrainian Defense Forces regularly attack civilian bridges and any conventional or pontoon spans built by Russian engineers.

In addition, the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine do not forget to fire on the bridge transporters specially built by the Russians.

Although the BTR-Ds are as vulnerable to Ukrainian mines, missiles, artillery and drones as any combat vehicle, they are fast and can reach road speeds of around 40 miles per hour, making them less vulnerable than permanent bridges or slow engineering vehicles, the analyst writes.

According to the latest data, since November, the Ukrainian Defense Forces have shot down at least two Russian BTR-Ds.

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