r/CredibleDefense • u/AutoModerator • 12d ago
Active Conflicts & News Megathread August 27, 2025
The r/CredibleDefense daily megathread is for asking questions and posting submissions that would not fit the criteria of our post submissions. As such, submissions are less stringently moderated, but we still do keep an elevated guideline for comments.
Comment guidelines:
Please do:
* Be curious not judgmental, polite and civil,
* Link to the article or source of information that you are referring to,
* Clearly separate your opinion from what the source says. Minimize editorializing. Do _not_ cherry pick facts to support a preferred narrative,
* Read the articles before you comment, and comment on the content of the articles,
* Post only credible information
* Read our in depth rules https://reddit.com/r/CredibleDefense/wiki/rules
Please do not:
* Use memes, emojis, swear, foul imagery, acronyms like LOL, LMAO, WTF,
* Start fights with other commenters and make it personal,
* Try to push narratives, fight for a cause in the comment section, nor try to 'win the war,'
* Engage in baseless speculation, fear mongering, or anxiety posting. Question asking is welcome and encouraged, but questions should focus on tangible issues and not groundless hypothetical scenarios. Before asking a question ask yourself 'How likely is this thing to occur.' Questions, like other kinds of comments, should be supported by evidence and must maintain the burden of credibility.
43
u/Well-Sourced 12d ago edited 11d ago
Both sides sending waves of drones last night with Russia targeting energy infrastructure all over Ukraine.
Russian invaders attack Ukraine with 95 Shahed drones | New Voice of Ukraine
Russia launched 95 Shahed drones and other decoys in a large-scale overnight attack on Ukraine, the Air Force said on Aug. 27. Russian invaders launched drones from Kursk, Millerovo, Oryol, Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia, and from Crimea. Air defense shot down and disabled 74 Russian drones in the north, south and east of the country.
According to Ukraine’s Air Force, 21 drones struck 9 locations.
Russian drones strike energy infrastructure in Ukraine’s Sumy, Poltava regions | Espreso
On Tuesday evening, August 26, the occupying Russian army launched attack drones against Ukraine
According to the Ministry of Energy, overnight the Russian army attacked energy and gas transport infrastructure in 6 regions of Ukraine. Specifically, targeted destructive strikes hit facilities in Sumy, Poltava, Donetsk, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia regions.
At 01:48 a.m., the head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration, Oleh Hryhorov, reported that Russian troops carried out a massive drone strike on the outskirts of the Sumy community. By morning, information emerged that in Sumy, due to the Russian attack, all facilities of the municipal utility Miskvodokanal were cut off from power and switched to emergency backup supply. Public transport was also affected, with only buses operating on the routes because of the power outage.
According to the head of the Poltava Regional Military Administration, Volodymyr Kohut, Russian troops launched a massive attack on Poltava region last night. Debris falls and direct hits were recorded in the Poltava district. “An energy sector enterprise was damaged. The administrative building, vehicles, and equipment were affected. Fires broke out on the enterprise’s territory. There was also a power outage affecting both residential and business consumers. As of now, the fires have been contained and power supply restored,” the official stated.
Russian forces have struck a processing plant in Donetsk Oblast, destroying a building and causing severe damage to equipment. The plant belongs to DTEK, the largest private energy company in Ukraine. DTEK press service also noted that this is not the first large-scale attack on this plant, which supplied coal to Ukraine’s thermal power generation facilities. Operations have been completely stopped and the plant’s capacities are not fit for operation.
51 Chernihiv Oblast settlements left without power after Russian attack | New Voice of Ukraine
51 settlements were left without electricity In Chernihiv Oblast Novhorod-Siverskyi district following Russian Shahed drone attack, regional governor Viacheslav Chaus reported on Aug. 27. Critical facilities — hospitals, administrative service centers, and municipal utilities — have been connected to alternative power sources. Specialists are dealing with the aftermath of the Russian strike and restore power, Chaus added.
Ukraine sent a wave and hit a pipeline. Their campaign against oil infrastructure continues to produce results.
Drone attack sparks fire in Russia’s Rostov-on-Don | New Voice of Ukraine
A series of explosions rocked Rostov-on-Don, a Russian port city and the administrative center of Rostov Oblast, overnight, the Shot Telegram channel reported on Aug. 27, posting photos of the aftermath. A fire broke out on the roof of a four-story building in the city center.
Acting regional Governor Yuri Slyusar confirmed the drone attack and claimed that air defenses allegedly shot down ten drones over the city of Taganrog, as well as in the Chortkovsky and Millerovsky districts of Rostov-on-Don.
Major pipeline explosion halts Moscow fuel supplies after Ryazan blast | EuroMaidanPress
An explosion occurred on 26 August at the main Ryazan-Moscow oil pipeline in Russia’s Ryazan Oblast, halting fuel supplies to the Russian capital for an indefinite period, Hromadske reported, citing an informed source. The blast happened near the village of Bozhatkovo, according to the outlet’s source. “After a strong explosion on the oil pipeline, a major fire broke out,” the source told Hromadske. Emergency responders arrived at the explosion site several hours later to address the consequences.
The incident has temporarily suspended oil product transportation to Moscow for an unspecified duration. Transneft company representatives are calculating the damage, the source reported.
The pipeline has served a specific military purpose since 2018, when it was repurposed by Transneft to supply automotive gasoline for the Russian army, according to Hromadske’s source. The Ryazan-Moscow pipeline represents one of the primary sources of petroleum product supplies to Russia’s capital. The explosion’s timing and location have disrupted this critical supply route at a time when fuel logistics remain essential for Moscow’s operations.
In the aftermath of the 24 August drone strike, the Syzran oil refinery in Russia’s Samara Oblast about 1,000 km from Ukraine is no longer operational due to the destruction of its most critical equipment. Russian Telegram channel Astra, citing sources in the emergency services, reported that the facility lost the AVT-6 primary processing unit, the L-35-6 secondary unit, and the pump station — all essential for continued refinery operations.
According to Astra, five drones exploded on site on 24 August, three of which directly struck key infrastructure. Five more drones were reportedly shot down on approach. No injuries were reported, as all 240 employees had sheltered during the attack.
The refinery, owned by Rosneft, is one of Samara Oblast’s largest oil-processing enterprises, producing a wide range of petroleum products and supplying fuel to central Russian oblasts and military units. Following earlier drone strikes on 15 August, the facility had already suffered major damage and had suspended crude oil intake and processing. The 15 August attack struck the ELOU-AVT-6 unit, designed for desalting and primary crude oil distillation, and also damaged several storage tanks.
According to Reuters, Ukrainian drone strikes in August have disabled 17% of Russia’s oil refining capacity. The situation has contributed to worsening fuel shortages across Russia and occupied Ukrainian territories, particularly in Crimea, Zabaykalsky Krai, Vladivostok, Buryatia, and Primorsky Krai.
As a result of the attack on August 16-17 on the military unit of the 🇷🇺108th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment and the Baltimore airfield in the settlement of Voronezh, the 76N6 and 30N6 radars on the masts and, probably, the x2 Su-24 were hit, — analysis by CyberBoroshno
2
11d ago edited 11d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
19
u/colin-catlin 11d ago
I don't think there is a truly unbiased source for most of these claims available to the general public. The bigger things often get checked out, but not many of the smaller attacks. I do think these sources aren't too bad, from my reading they are more likely to use less certain language "claimed" and "probable" and fairly often you see follow up with satellite imagery. But I think the intended value here is mostly to paint a picture of trends. Individual claims may be wrong but we can see patterns, i.e. there seems to have been a renewed focus on pipeline and refinery attacks in recent days.
13
u/Glares 11d ago
Not touching the discussion on bias, the other issue with this complaint is that there is typically no other "unbiased" source that is reporting on these minor daily updates except for Ukrainian and Russian ones. Perhaps including a Reuters article for the top events would be decent, but even this took some digging to find and other mainstream outlets don't bother with daily updates like this. The more minor updates however would be mostly lost to time if not for these other reports. There is reduced accuracy/quality with these sources, but if you're following this conflict to this level then you should be aware of this inherent limitation.
27
u/Active-Ad9427 11d ago
They have a bias but they are not propaganda. (everything human ever has a bias)
https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/ukrayinska-pravda-the-ukrainian-truth
https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/euromaidan-press/Russia today on the other hand:
https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/rt-news/comparing those outlets to Russian state sponsored propaganda is not realistic.
10
u/Alexandros6 11d ago
They are definitely biased but is there a consistently reporting reliable source for strikes? I've found several but not that cover everything. If you have one i think proposing it to Wellsourced could be a good change
56
u/Forsaken-Guitar4480 11d ago
Le Figaro reports that the French Ministry of Health has begun urging hospitals to prepare for armed conflict in Europe by March 2026 (Francais)
According to the report, French hospitals are expected to become a rear base for a large scale conflict in the coming months, and host both French and foreign soldiers.
On a separate note, Le Figaro is apparently owned by Dassault Group
40
u/IntroductionNeat2746 11d ago
If anything good comes out of the war in Ukraine, it'll be western Europe actually taking its security seriously, including disaster preparedness and mitigation.
Every country on earth should prepare for catastrophes, including armed conflicts. That's why I wouldn't put much weight on this report. It doesn't necessarily mean the government sees a war as likely, simply that it wants to be prepared if the need be.
21
u/obsessed_doomer 11d ago
If anything good comes out of the war in Ukraine, it'll be western Europe actually taking its security seriously
Honestly I've crystalized the opposite opinion.
With a few bright exceptions, Europe has not been spending these last 4 years in preparation for a war. Which to be fair is going to be a good bet if it doesn't come, but in the contrary case, it's hairy.
13
u/username9909864 11d ago
Since November 2024, they’ve been more serious. It hasn’t been long, but changes have been noticeable. Especially around NATO commitments.
25
u/Forsaken-Guitar4480 11d ago edited 11d ago
Changes have happened, but not at the rate needed if a conventional conflict should arise. Commitments to spending alone are not enough, because it takes 3-5 years to bring manufacturing supply chains online.
And European states remain disjointed around procurement and strategy to this day. For example, look at the FCAS snafu (instigated by the same conglomerate that owns the newspaper reporting the news above), or the status of the MGCS.
That said, it might explain the weakness around EU negotiation with the US over the trade deal. If collectively EU member states feel the risk of a conventional war in Europe spreading beyond Ukraine is moderate to high, placating the US and subsequently purchasing American weaponry makes sense.
Russia is not the behemoth Reddit (or even this subreddit) used to call it back 5-7 years ago, but it is not a paper tiger either. It is still a large country with a very real capacity to inflict pain across much of the Eastern half of the EU in a conventional manner or force an existential crisis for NATO.
A crisis around 2026 would actually be ideal if Russia wishes to fundamentally break NATO - it places any crisis well within the peak campaigning period for US midterm primaries thus making a European war an actual political hot potato, and forces the US political establishment to make a decision around whether to back the EU, pivot East, or make a "Grand Bargain".
5
u/Puddingcup9001 10d ago
Arguably Russia is more dangerous today. Yes they are a bit weak now, but their army now has experienced war for several years. Despite being slow learners, they have learned and will have capabilities they did not have pre 2022. Current NATO airfields are still not prepared to fend off autonomous drone swarms for example.
Pre 2022 we had the perfect counters vs Russian tank swarms, now Russians will likely come in small mobile and covert infantry groups with tons of drones and missiles, which we do not have the perfect counter against.
24
u/scarlet_sage 11d ago
I'm not sure whether this belongs here or in its own top-level post.
On BlueSky (and for all I know, other social media), OSINTtechnical @osinttechnical.bsky.social began a skeet thread with
New from @truth.bsky.social, the U.S. is massing reconnaissance aircraft near Venezuela as the U.S. deploys nearly a dozen ships into the region.
The evidence adduced includes these items (see the thread for more details)
- Puerto Rico now hosts a detachment of Navy P-8A Poseidons. They include AN/APS-154 AAS (Advanced Airborne Sensor) and MUOS satellite upgrade. One with both, which allows them to direct strikes.
- "Earlier this month, the U.S announced that it would deploy a warship and at least one attack submarine to the southern Caribbean Sea."
- But it now includes 3 Arleigh Burkes, and the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group with thousands of Marines.
- And a Ticonderoga-class cruiser and a Los Angeles-class sub.
Unfortunately, I don't know a way to induce BlueSky to show a post and all its descendants. Going to the base post shows a lot of them, but I have to click on some places to get them all. (This might be an imitation of how Twitter worked?}
Has this been discussed by anyone else? Does it look plausible, or like fear-mongering? Is there reason to think that it's aimed at Venezuela in particular, or might it be the Panama Canal, which the Trump Administration has threatened?
37
u/IntroductionNeat2746 11d ago
Is there reason to think that it's aimed at Venezuela in particular, or might it be the Panama Canal, which the Trump Administration has threatened?
It's 100% aimed at Venezuela.
Today, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the Cartel de los Soles (a.k.a. Cartel of the Suns) as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. Cartel de los Soles is a Venezuela-based criminal group headed by Nicolas Maduro Moros and other high-ranking Venezuelan individuals in the Maduro regime that provides material support to foreign terrorist organizations threatening the peace and security of the United States, namely Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel.
https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0207
It's outright bizarre that this story hasn't got any traction outside of Latin America, including the US.
29
u/Thoth_the_5th_of_Tho 11d ago
It's outright bizarre that this story hasn't got any traction outside of Latin America, including the US.
It's not that surprising. Trump has threatened to invade Greenland, Canada and Mexico, then forgotten about each a few weeks later. This one might be different, he seems to genuinely dislike Maduro, and Venezuela is isolated and vulnerable in a way Denmark certainly isn't, but even then, there is a high likelihood this amounts to nothing.
10
u/scarlet_sage 11d ago
Nicolas Maduro Moros
I wasn't sure of the name, so I had to look it up: Nicolás Maduro, "serving as the 53rd president of Venezuela since 2013" as Wikipedia puts it.
9
u/Difficult-Web244 11d ago
Trump has recently taken aim at the cartels operating in Central America and Mexico. I'd imagine these actions are more likely aimed at the cartels than at Venezuela, especially because the Trump administration approved drilling deals in Venezuela and has interest in the government's stability.
12
u/Thoth_the_5th_of_Tho 11d ago
If the aim is purely against cartels, what are the surface combatants for?
10
u/PaxiMonster 11d ago edited 11d ago
It's, aah, superficially aimed purely against cartels.
Edit: no, sorry, that's funny but without an explanation it's just sarcasm.
There are two major issues with Venezuela's drilling deals with the US. First, they're not exclusively with the US. Venezuela has also approved similar deals with e.g. China (source), and more generally has been diversifying its partnerships with smaller companies (source) after the US Treasury revoked drilling licenses for a bunch of American companies, including Chevron.
I don't mean to say that they're going at it because of oil. They might, but I'm not following the US oil & gas market in sufficient detail to say if there's a genuine and urgent need that needs to be addressed, even at the price of military intervention. But I think drilling partnerships with US companies no longer afford the Venezuelan administration much immunity towards Washington anymore.
71
u/MilesLongthe3rd 11d ago
Another Russian company is in a dire financial situation, but not one I was expecting.
"The backlog is gone, the situation is critical." Roscosmos enterprise that developed all the USSR's rockets has announced its financial collapse
RKK Energia, the parent enterprise of Roscosmos, founded by Sergei Korolev and which developed all the key Soviet launch vehicles, including Vostok and the still-flying Soyuz, is on the verge of collapse and may be closed. As reported by Gazeta, CEO Igor Maltsev announced this in a mailing to employees on the occasion of the enterprise's 79th anniversary. "The situation is critical: multimillion-dollar debts, interest on loans are eating up the budget, many processes are ineffective, a significant part of the team has lost motivation and a sense of shared responsibility," Maltsev said in his statement. "The groundwork laid by Sergei Pavlovich [Korolev] and developed by our chief designers - Mishin, Glushko, Semenov - has been exhausted by now," Maltsev states. He also writes that "all major projects <…> have missed deadlines" and calls on his colleagues to stop "lying to themselves and others" about the true state of affairs and to start "fighting for the enterprise."
Maltsev does not rule out "closing the corporation" due to "the inability to function normally" and pay salaries and calls on everyone to "discipline" and "coordinated action." He admits that "pulling the company out of the realm of miracles." Founded in 1946 and creating the first artificial Earth satellite, as well as Soviet stations that reached the Moon, Venus and Mars, RSC Energia has accumulated 10.5 billion rubles in net losses over the past 10 years. The company's total debt as of June 30, 2025, reached 168.4 billion rubles and has grown by 17%, or 25 billion rubles, since the beginning of the year. The crisis in the Russian space industry worsened after the start of the war, when Roscosmos fell under sanctions and lost almost all foreign customers.
By the end of 2024, it had carried out only 17 space launches, which was the minimum for Russia since the early 1960s - the era of Yuri Gagarin, when the USSR was the first to send a man into space. Russia is more than 8 times behind the United States, which launched 145 spacecraft into orbit, and four times behind China (68 launches), according to data from the Payloadspace portal. A quarter of a century ago, Russia held a leading position in orbital launches: Roscosmos carried out more than 30 launches per year, compared to 28 for the US, 12 for Europe, and 5 for China (according to data for 2000). But since then, the US has increased the number of launches by 5.2 times, and China by almost 14 times. As a result, Russia has fallen to third place among space powers and is barely ahead of New Zealand, which carried out 13 launches last year.
52
u/FriedrichvdPfalz 11d ago
The Russian civil space program had been critically dependent on financial support from the United States since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Initially rationalized in the West as an investment that would reduce International Space Station costs and prevent proliferation of missile technology by unemployed Russian engineers, temporary US financial support quickly became an expectation. Even after the Russian economy found itself awash in oil revenues in the early 2000s, Roscosmos officials pled poverty and insisted on renegotiation of financial arrangements with NASA at every turn.[8]
Under President Putin, funding flowed into reconstituting the GLONASS satellite navigation constellation and numerous new military space and missile projects, but the civil space program was expected to support itself from “off-budget” sources. The primary source of such revenues under Putin was cooperative agreements, which entailed international partners effectively paying Russia to “cooperate” on various projects. While there were quite a few partners willing to pay for Russian space services, it was NASA’s big budget and devotion to the International Space Station (ISS) partnership that made them the primary source of funding from “international cooperation.” The 2002 US decision to rely on Russia for ISS crew transportation, rather than build a US crew return vehicle, was a godsend for Roscosmos.
As the political relationship soured, especially after the annexation of Crimea in 2014, Roscosmos could continue to raise the price for Soyuz seats while its leader Dmitry Rogozin continued to bite the hand that fed him. Whether Russian leaders were too wedded to the cash flow (and the opportunities for embezzlement) or simply underestimated the capabilities of US industry, Roscosmos appeared to be unprepared when the SpaceX Crew Demo-2 mission succeeded in the summer of 2020. The $90 million Russia received for the launch of astronaut Kate Rubins on Soyuz MS-17 in October 2020 would be the last of the easy money.[9]
There were corresponding reports from2024 and 2023 that outlined the ongoing crisis at Roscosmos.
Beyond launch problems and coolant leaks, Russia’s civil space program faces another problem: the ISS. For the past quarter of a century, the station has provided a critical tie between the US and Russian space programs, but that’s winding down, along with plans to retire the giant structure altogether. NASA is investing in next-generation commercial space stations, with modules scheduled to arrive in orbit as early as 2030. Russia has no role in those commercial concepts, nor in China’s new Tiangong station. (...)
Pavel Luzin, senior fellow at the Jamestown Foundation, a think tank focused on China, Russia, and Eurasia, is skeptical; he’s not aware of new space station models, crewed spacecraft, or launch vehicles in the works. It would be optimistic for Russia to even launch a new station in the 2030s, he adds. “Russia is not the Soviet Union,” says Luzin, who is also a visiting scholar at the Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. “Russia will be able to make some large vehicles and Soyuz spacecraft. Russia will be able to launch some satellites. But it will not be an advanced space power. It will not be making steps beyond low Earth orbit.” (...)
Simply put, the Russian space program was in poor shape before the second invasion and got in worse shape afterwards. But even without the war, there was a clear deadline on cooperation via the ISS and launches, as space stations became commercial or national and the US (specifically SpaceX) developed cheap launch capabilities. Beyond that, Russia just wasn't an economic superpower that could afford a proper, modern, civilian space program.The Roscosmos budget for 2020 is just one-third of its 2014 level, at $1.7bn, and is far below NASA’s budget of $22.6bn.
This report is a good, more detailed summary.
14
u/throwdemawaaay 11d ago
Yeah, and beyond even losing NASA, they're now basically fenced out from launching EU and US commercial payloads.
I think Putin will likely just gut what's left of the civilian side and only support the remaining military capabilities he wants, but even there he's going to be severely under budget.
10
u/roionsteroids 11d ago
Energia is a tiny part of roscosmos these days, and doesn't even have a commercial business I think? They just design things for the state as only customer.
Wikipedia lists plans for an upcoming space station after the end of the ISS (which isn't super realistic to take on alone, but they made the plans for one anyway, might end up being a module of an international effort) and a super heavy launcher (also in low demand, for moon and beyond missions that don't exist yet, and likely won't appear anytime soon either).
By the end of 2024, it had carried out only 17 space launches, which was the minimum for Russia since the early 1960s
Objectively false, 2020, 2021 had fewer than 17 launches.
https://planet4589.org/space/stats/out/tab1a.txt
Not that the number is limited or even influenced much by Energia somehow?
What an odd article.
79
u/MilesLongthe3rd 11d ago
https://x.com/evgen1232007/status/1960709965724713413
Russian oil companies report according to international financial reporting standards.
Net profit for the first half of 2025 y/y
RussNeft — 11.8 billion rubles, a drop of 3.2 times! (-69%)
Tatneft — 58.01 billion rubles, a drop of 2.6 times! (-62%)
16
23
u/Gecktron 11d ago
In submarine news
Armyrecognition: India chooses German Type 214 submarine over Spanish S-80
According to information published by the Times of India on August 24, 2025, the Indian government has officially cleared Germany’s Type 214 submarine as the winning design for its long-delayed Project 75 program. The approval allows state-owned Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) to begin contract negotiations with ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) for the construction of six advanced Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) submarines, in a deal worth over 70,000 crore rupees, or approximately $8.4 billion. This decision comes after more than six months of delay and firmly excludes Spain’s competing S-80 design from further consideration.
India has selected the newest version of TKMS' Type 214 class of submarines. Equipped with AIP, these 6 submarines will be build together with the Indian Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders.
The project saw a lot of delays and multiple contenders drop out over the years, including variants of the South Korean KSS-III, the Russian Armur-class, a diesel-electric variant of the French Barracuda-class. In the end it came down to the Spanish S-80 and the Type 214.
5
u/Electrical-Lab-9593 11d ago
how does this work, do they make the acoustics slightly different on export models ? why does it not create a problem for detection, if data is leaked or sold ?
21
u/Gecktron 11d ago
The top of the line submarine of TKMS, the Type 212CD (ordered by Norway and Germany, pitched to Canada) is wildly different than the Type 214 sold to India.
The Type 214 line has been sold to a whole range of countries, including South Korea or Turkey. So while the Indian version is an upgrade, its also not cutting edge.
The Type 212CD is an evolution of the Type 212A, which itself is also different from the 214. The CD uses a very different hull shape than other TKMS submarines.
2
34
u/Well-Sourced 11d ago edited 11d ago
Starting in Lyman where the Russians are pressing through the Serebriansky forest towards Lyman and Siversk.
Russian troops trying to slip into Lyman sector from all sides — Ukraine's 60th Brigade | Espreso [Map]
On the Lyman front, the Russian army is infiltrating in small groups from all sides to distract Ukrainian defenders while massing troops and increasing pressure on Ukrainian positions Maksym Bilousov, the head of communications of the 60th Separate Mechanized Brigade, said this on Espreso TV.
"On the Lyman front, Russia has been actively pressing with small groups since the beginning of the year. Previously these groups gathered roughly ten people and immediately began assaults; now they are trying to infiltrate from all sides, attempting to distract our attention as much as possible by moving from different directions," Bilousov noted.
According to the head of communications of the 60th Separate Mechanized Brigade, the Ukrainian defenders constantly track the Russian troops' movements and destroy them. "Our guys have become very good at detecting enemy movement. We also detect even well‑camouflaged mechanized equipment. In other words, we are actively working to slow the enemy down as much as possible. But it is very difficult for us because the enemy has concentrated a huge number of personnel opposite our positions," Bilousov emphasized.
Russian troops step up activity in Serebriansky forest, shaping battle dynamics near Lyman | Espreso
Russian forces have significantly stepped up activity in the Serebriansky forest on the Lyman axis. After a long period of failed assaults, they managed to advance near Serebrianka and within the forest itself. For months, the situation in the Serebriansky forestry had remained unchanged: Russian troops attacked but without success. This wooded area, covering more than 107 hectares, stretches from the occupied city of Kreminna to the border with Donetsk region. Since autumn 2022, after Kreminna fell to Russian forces, the front line has run through the forest.
Until recently, Russian troops used the dense forest to conceal equipment and approach Ukrainian positions undetected. Fighting there has now moved closer to Siversk — a strategically important city that controls access to the entire region. In recent days, the situation has shifted unfavorably for Ukrainian defenders, as Russian forces achieved limited tactical gains in several areas of the forestry.
Units of Russia’s 164th and 169th motorized rifle brigades continue advancing inside the forest toward the confluence of the Chornyi Zherebets and Siverskyi Donets rivers, in the direction of the village of Dronivka. This complicates the position of Ukrainian troops defending further east along the Siverskyi Donets, even beyond Serebrianka. Current developments suggest Russian forces may soon fully occupy the forestry up to the Chornyi Zherebets River.
At the same time, Russian troops have intensified offensive actions near Serebrianka in Donetsk’s Bakhmut district. They control high ground near Bilohorivka, creating challenging conditions for Ukrainian defenders. Moscow’s main objective remains eliminating Ukraine’s presence in the forest and pushing toward the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration.
Western intelligence reports note a shift of fighting westward, toward Siversk, which is expected to become the scene of the fiercest battles in the coming weeks. Siversk, situated on the Bakhmutka River and its tributaries, is surrounded by resource-rich terrain — including deposits of dolomite, quartz sand, chalk, and clay. This economic significance adds to Russia’s military motivations.
Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief General Oleksandr Syrskyi recently reported growing Russian pressure in northern Donbas and on the Lyman front. According to Ukraine’s General Staff, Russian troops launched 17 attacks since the start of the day near Novomyhailivka, Hrekivka, Kolodiazi, Novoselivka, Zelena Dolyna, and toward Yampil and Serebrianka. Ukrainian forces continue to put up heavy resistance, conducting counterattacks when possible.
Analyst Kostyantyn Mashovets of the Information Resistance group reported that Ukrainian counterattacks eliminated a Russian tactical penetration near Katerynivka–Hlushchenkove and that defenders continue to hold Karpivka and Ridkodub. There are also reports that Ukrainian troops either retook or pushed Russian forces out of Hrekivka, leaving it in a contested “gray zone.”
On the Siversk axis, Russian artillery fire has intensified, with daily shelling rising to 170–180 strikes. Moscow is attempting to outflank Siversk via the forest to gain fire control over Sloviansk with tube artillery. Military expert and retired Ukrainian colonel Oleh Zhdanov noted that Russian forces are trying to bypass Sloviansk and Kramatorsk along the Donetsk administrative border. “They understand they cannot take these cities, even if they flatten them,” Zhdanov said, adding that Russia seeks a large flanking maneuver. Still, he emphasized that the Lyman axis remains one of Ukraine’s strongest defensive lines.
Russian infiltrators crawled through the forest all night — at sunrise, a Ukrainian tank found them | EuroMaidanPress [Map]
Russian forces continue to push towards Torske from all sides, but Ukrainian defenders from the 63rd and 60th Mechanized Brigades are defending proactively. They are preventing the enemy from consolidating or entrenching inside the settlement by targeting Russians during their deployment to the frontline.
In the nearby Serebryanski Forest, Russian troops have pushed deeper through its natural cover to move into Torske by maintaining as small a profile as possible and crawling past Ukrainian positions at night. However, the Russians failed to stay undetected throughout the day, and geolocated footage shows a Ukrainian tank firing at close range into their positions in the ruins of the settlement. The infiltrators tried to seek cover in the trees but were followed by the armored vehicle and eliminated with another series of devastating shots.
Lyman direction: The situation near Zarichne is tense, the enemy is pressing from the side of Yampolivka & trying to cut off access to the village itself. Our fighters are holding the defense with determination for now, but the activity of the pigs is high + shelling and attempts of sabotage groups infiltration are intensifying. Zarichne remains under control, but the enemy is trying to shake the flanks.
Near Kolodyazi, our fighters hold the western outskirts, the enemy has not fully entrenched yet, the fights are localized and the situation changes daily. The forecasts for this settlement are bleak; soon even more bastards will be pulled here & then a retreat will be necessary (if possible)...
In the Shandryholove area, the enemy does not ease the pressure, positional battles are ongoing here, there is no calm. In the settlement of Serednie, the Russians are also infiltrating with sabotage groups, our fighters have to maintain a strengthened defense. The fights here are more about exhaustion than breakthrough.
The pigs also continue to press in the Serebriansky forest, storming in small groups under the cover of artillery and aviation. We had to abandon some of our positions deep in the forest, the enemy advanced and is trying to consolidate. Our units withdrew to more convenient lines closer to the Siverskyi Donets, where it is easier to hold the defense and inflict losses on the occupiers. They are now coming in waves, we are working on them with drones, mortars, and artillery. The forest itself now looks like continuous debris and craters from explosions. The situation remains tense: the enemy is advancing slowly but at the cost of heavy losses.
The situation in the Lyman direction, held by the 63rd brigade, is difficult. The enemy continues to attack with an incredible amount of infantry and, unfortunately, has made some advances. However, they cannot secure their positions. Because our soldiers continue to accomplish the main task – taking down this scum in droves. A fresh batch from our UAV pilots – 17 occupiers who either didn’t receive reinforcements or didn’t make it to their positions at all.
Ukraine’s unmanned systems unit Signum destroyed a Russian МSTA-S 152mm self-propelled artillery system using an FPV kamikaze drone in the Lyman sector.
(Part 2 Below)
22
u/Well-Sourced 11d ago
Second part rounding up the rest of the Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, & Zaporizhzhia fronts.
DeepState: Russians occupy two villages in Dnipro Oblast for the first time | EuroMaidanPress [Map]
The analytical project DeepState reported on 26 August that Russian forces have occupied the villages of Zaporizke and Novogeorgiyivka in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, marking the first occupied settlements in the region. According to DeepState analysts, Russian troops established control over the two villages, while Russian forces also advanced near Shevchenko, Bila Gora, and in Oleksandro-Shultyne.
The occupied villages lie at the junction of Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts’ borders. They became the first settlements in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast to fall under Russian army control.
Russian troops advance near Zarichne and Kotlyne in Donetsk Oblast, and near Olhivske in Zaporizhzhya | New Voice of Ukraine [Map]
Russians made advances in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhya oblasts, the DeepState analytical project reported on Aug. 27. Analysts reported that Russian forces advanced in Zarichne, Kotlyn, and near Kolodiazy in Donetsk Oblast. The Russian army also made gains near Olhivske in Zaporizhzhya Oblast.
The Russians have managed to make advances in the Zaporizhzhia direction, specifically in the settlement of Stepnohirsk, where they have taken positions in the southern and southwestern parts of the village.
Pokrovsk direction: Our units are conducting clearing operations in the Pershyi Travnia (Leontovychi) area. We have not fully secured it yet, as isolated pockets of enemy resistance remain. There are also risks of repeated attempts by sabotage and reconnaissance groups, now from the side of the microdistricts, so accordingly, the lines north of Shevchenko village in the fields and forest belts need to be strengthened and blind spots covered.
On the Myrnohrad front, progress is not developing as actively, but our fighters have secured Mykolaivka and are conducting planned combat operations without haste!
In the Rodynske area, the enemy has again activated the “Rubicon” using the Molniya-2 UAV over the private sector in the northern part. We do not allow the enemy into the city itself, but the cemetery, mine, and park area in the northeast remain under their control. Pressure on the outskirts does not subside, fights are localized, and the situation is tense.
Kostiantynivka direction: North of Poltavka, the enemy continues to press with small groups, managing to advance slightly. At the same time, their sabotage and reconnaissance groups tried to sneak into the Sofiivka area, but the group was quickly detected and destroyed!
The settlement of Katerynivka is currently under enemy control, with main forces entrenched in the southern part. The northern and northeastern parts remain unstable—the enemy regularly loses their "meat" there. Some groups try to infiltrate towards Kleban-Byk, but the southern part remains a gray zone for now; the occupiers have not been able to hold it.
Shcherbynivka is almost completely under enemy control. Fighting continues only for the outer houses in the north; the rest of the settlement has effectively been taken by the enemy, who are trying to establish positions there.
In the Oleksandro-Shultyne area, the situation is more complicated: the enemy is trying to consolidate in the western part but suffers steady losses in the center and near the church. Our Cossacks hold the defense and do not allow them to reach key lines.
A Russian tank was taken out in Oleksandro-Kalynove.
-1
u/IntroductionNeat2746 11d ago
Reading about how Russia has seemingly embraced the infiltration tactic, I honestly can't help but wonder how long it'll be until we start seeing Russian infiltrators performing suicide bombings in Ukranian rear.
I realize it sounds very non credible, but pragmatically, being sent to walk alone through the night hoping to infiltrate Ukranian controlled areas with very little hopes of reinforcements or even achieving anything isn't that much less dire anyway.
15
u/A_Vandalay 11d ago
Why would those Russians perform suicide attacks when it would be far more effective to equip them with multiple drones or missiles, meaning each soldier can conduct multiple attacks.
The main value of these infiltration tactics is to disrupt the enemy’s rear area preventing logistics and movement to allow for pressure to be applied to the front. So key to this tactic is time. The longer your troops can hold out in those forward areas the more damage is done to the enemy. Wasting troops on suicide attacks completely negates this. Further more, suicide attacks are generally embraced by groups that lack more sophisticated means of attack. Such as artillery missiles or drones. Russia has no shortage of these and would certainly understand equipping a soldier with several drones is going to be far more effective than trying to resurrect the imperial Japanese anti tank lunging mine.
7
u/Glideer 11d ago
Strategically, forcing Ukraine to strengthen its front lines to prevent infiltration is even more important than the direct effects.
To tackle this new problem, Ukraine first has to find more infantry somewhere, and then expose those troops to the heaviest enemy fire by deploying them to the first line.
Wherever Russian infiltration succeeds, Ukraine has to send its scarce elite units to counterattack, exposing those valuable soldiers completely to Russian drones and artillery.
27
u/Well-Sourced 11d ago
Drones and the electronic battlefield in which they operate is still the most dynamic front both in the air and on the ground.
Ukrainian drone developers and manufacturers from the Wild Hornets workshop have upgraded their Sting anti-aircraft drone, allowing it to break a new speed record. If earlier it accelerated to 315 km/h, now the ceiling has grown significantly. The creators did not disclose the new performance result but made a telling video showcasing the fruit of their effort.
Regardless, in this case, speed is not the goal in itself; it serves a very specific purpose: the effective interception of Russian reconnaissance UAVs and Shahed-136 killer drones. A higher flight speed not only enables the interceptor to catch up with its target faster, but it also helps the operator take down the threat before it escapes the interceptor's operating range, limited by the maximum communication distance and battery capacity.
New Veres-2 EW System Equips Ukrainian Units Against Enemy Bomber Drones | Defense Express
The Ukrainian company UkrSpecConsulting has reported the successful delivery and deployment of its new Veres-2 portable electronic warfare (EW) station to several brigades of the Defense Forces of Ukraine, with positive feedback received from the units. "This system is an effective means of countering warhead-carrying Mavic and Autel UAVs. The capabilities of Veres-2 exceed the performance of other directional equipment available to the unit within the same frequency ranges. Veres-2 disrupts enemy UAV missions at ranges of 1,000 to 2,000 meters," a brigade commander noted after employing the jammer in combat.
The system interferes with enemy drone onboard receivers by simultaneously suppressing operator control signals and satellite navigation channels (GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou) through active noise-like interference. The operating frequency bands include 1160–1280 MHz, 1560–1630 MHz, 2400–2500 MHz, 5160–5280 MHz, and 5725–5850 MHz.
The system's signal-generating modules and multi-band antenna array can be remotely controlled via its system controller, allowing operators to adjust range selection, signal polarization, and direction of interference. In active suppression mode, the Veres-2 provides at least 60 minutes of autonomous operation on battery power, or continuous use when connected to an AC supply. The full system weighs under 20 kg.
Beyond passing the full test cycle, the Veres-2 also underwent additional evaluation by EW specialists before being introduced to combat units. According to the head of Ukraine's EW specialist school, "In conditions close to real combat scenarios with the use of enemy UAVs, the short-range Veres-2 system from UkrSpecConsulting demonstrated high efficiency and stable performance across all declared frequencies and distances." The instructors highlighted the system's reliability and resistance to dust, moisture, and low temperatures, all crucial for field use. They also noted the "intuitive control interface, which allows one to master the system quickly."
The school's conclusion was that the specifications declared by UkrSpecConsulting had been fully confirmed in practice, and that Veres-2 is suitable for broad adoption across Ukrainian military units to counter UAV threats. Further combat deployment has since validated these findings in practice. In addition to its technical specifications, however, the reliability of delivery timelines and communication with the manufacturer are also important. UkrSpecConsulting adds that Veres-2 is only one of several EW systems it is providing to the Ukrainian Defense Forces. Other developments, adapted to the ever-shifting landscape of the battlefield, are currently undergoing final testing.
The Ukrainian company First Contact, in cooperation with the German firm GSMK and with the support of the German government under the "Ramstein format," has delivered the first batch of FC.K tactical mobile electronic warfare systems to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The systems successfully passed NATO codification and certification, confirming compliance with international standards.
As part of the initial delivery, 30 systems have already been handed over to the Ukrainian military. They are approved for operation and integrated into units to counter enemy UAVs. Early testing in combat conditions demonstrated their high effectiveness, Defense Express reports, citing First Contact.
FC.K is a tactical mobile complex designed to detect and jam drone control channels as well as video and telemetry links between UAVs and their operators. The system is mounted on the Kozak armored vehicle produced by Practika Research and Production Association. This vehicle-based deployment enables operation in high-risk zones while protecting the crew from FPV drones and other threats. The complex supports remote operation, allowing tasks to be carried out without the operator being near the antenna.
FC.K features multiple jamming modes, a modern control system, and advanced software with cryptographic information protection. A key capability is its function for detecting, analyzing, and locating cellular network base stations — a technology developed by GSMK, a global leader in crypto security.
"This project is the result of long-term engineering and international cooperation. We are grateful to our partners from GSMK and the German government for their support. FC.K is about protection, mobility, and technological superiority," said Valerii Borovyk, founder of First Contact and a military serviceman. The company added that it continues to expand production and integration of electronic warfare systems in cooperation with the Ukrainian military and international partners. According to First Contact, this marks another step toward building a nationwide defense ecosystem against drones.
During a live demo, visitors remotely operated a ground robot on a training field near Kyiv—almost 2,000 kilometres away—proving the system's long-range control capability. "We wanted to show that distance is no longer a barrier," Ark Robotics COO Denys Hlushko told Defender Media.
The Frontier System is an AI-driven platform for managing robotic fleets with minimal human involvement. Designed to improve frontline efficiency and safety, it provides commanders and operators with a single encrypted interface for real-time video and telemetry from the battlefield. The system supports thousands of aerial, ground, and naval drones, keeping operators far from the frontline.
Although still a prototype, the platform is compatible with both Ark Robotics’ own products and unmanned systems from other manufacturers. At DALO EXPO, visitors tested control of Ukraine's Targan UGV and an in-house ground robot built by Ark Robotics.
In July, the volume of cargo delivered to the front line using ground robotic systems increased by more than 80% compared with June, Ukraine's General Staff has reported. Ukrainian forces also plan to create ground robotic systems companies in every combat brigade. They will carry out tasks in logistics, fire missions, mining, and the evacuation of the wounded, which will help save more lives.
A group of Ukrainian soldiers from the 57th Motorized Infantry Brigade held positions in Vovchansk (Kharkiv direction) for 173 days
The group entered to repel further attacks by Russian soldiers in November 2024, and left in April 2025.
When storming the positions of the Ukrainian soldiers, the Russians used infantry, drones, threw grenades, fired mortars and tried to poison them with chemical agents.
Food and ammunition were delivered to the Ukrainian soldiers by drones.
36
u/Gecktron 12d ago
In ammunition production news:
ESUT: Rheinmetall builds ammunition plants in Bulgaria
At a meeting between former Bulgarian Prime Minister and leader of the ruling GERB party Boyko Borisov and Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger in Düsseldorf on 26 August, the two sides agreed to build two ammunition factories in Bulgaria. Borisov announced this on Facebook. One factory will be used to manufacture powder and cartridges, while the other will produce artillery ammunition.
The powder factory is intended to strengthen Bulgaria's independence in ammunition production in order to create a stable pillar within NATO. The other factory is expected to produce at least 100,000 rounds of 155 mm ammunition per year, according to the announcement.
If all goes according to plan, the new factories in Bulgaria can be expected to start production within two years.
Rheinmetall and Bulgaria want to build a powder and an ammunition plant to further boost the countries ammunition production. The new 155mm ammunition plant is set to start production within 2 years, and produce up to 100.000 rounds annually. So far, Bulgaria has provided a considerable amount of soviet calibre rounds. The 155mm plant will also help providing ammunition for NATO calibres.
The powder plant also joins the other massive powder plant in the region currently under construction in Romania.
What is interesting are the finishing remarks by the two representatives:
‘This is just the beginning,’ said Papperger, hinting at further joint projects. ‘We have more projects in the pipeline,’ confirmed Borissov. More information will be provided at a later date.
Bulgaria already ordered IRIS-T SLM, which Rheinmetall isnt involved with. With powder and ammunition also already covered, the only things left to cooperate are either SKYNEX and vehicles. With Bulgaria still using T-72s and BMPs, there might be a potential for KF41 Lynx and KF51 Panther.
13
u/SerpentineLogic 11d ago
Energetics (and nitro cellulose) have been an acknowledged bottleneck in European artillery shells production for some time. Good to see at least a partial uplift there
13
u/For_All_Humanity 11d ago
If one looks at the Bulgarian military and their equipment, they’re basically still a Pact military. Their main service weapon is still 7.62x39mm! Now, they have a large industry already geared towards Pact equipment, so it makes sense.
It’s going to be interesting to see how their military transforms over the next decade. They’ve got multiple modernization programs going in and I think having production of NATO standard equipment/platforms in country will help accelerate their transition.
25
u/shash1 11d ago
Its going to be rough. We have a ton of Russian sympathizers in both society, politics and the army. For god's sake they were crying and ripping their shirts over the BTR-60 rust buckets that we sent to Ukraine recently, calling them "Brand new, never touched, much better than western euronazigayshit". Mig-29s were kept for many years because of lobbyism and so on and so forth. Basically we are still in the 40 years in the desert process with no Moses in sight.
3
u/Prestigious_Egg9554 11d ago
The Bulgarian government for the past 30 years has been refusing to invest in pretty much anything.
The MIC struggled because of that and a lot of project for Westernization got wiped out. It's honestly wonder it survived so long.
Now that the money is pouring we will see things moving... finally.4
u/roionsteroids 11d ago
It's honestly wonder it survived so long.
Didn't Bulgaria produce (and still do, taking a glance at Arsenals website) a lot of RPG and mortar rounds, grenades, and things like AP mines (fallen a bit out of favour, but it is what it is) - things that are in great demand in large parts of the world?
As long as they have permission to trade with countries that others might be unwilling to supply, they'll always stay in business with just those staple items that haven't changed much over the decades.
5
u/Prestigious_Egg9554 11d ago
The neat part about it is that the people that REAAAAALLY wanna buy those stuff are usually sanctioned up the ass and it's really hard to sell them and do actual work with them (especially legally).
Yeah, some countries buy some stuff but it's usually in small quantities and they prefer second channels or second hand stuff.
The two gulf wars were probably the hardest hit for the industry as Iraq was an absolute top buyer of Bulgarian produced stuff (in general soviet consumer, but the Bulgarian MIC was heavily relligned on it) and we never really recovered from the loss of it.
It has been barely kept alive by random orders here and there.This is why Ukraine is so important for the MIC - it is a massive backlog order that we are allowed to produce for
5
u/ChornWork2 11d ago
I'm surprised that building a facility for 100k rounds/yr capacity is an efficient scale. Or is this adding 155mm production line to an existing munitions plant?
8
5
u/Prestigious_Egg9554 11d ago
VMZ and Arsenal have pretty massive production already.
The talk coming from the director of VMZ is of very sharp increase of the salary and secure financial situation for the company for the next decade
2
11d ago
[deleted]
1
u/AutoModerator 11d ago
If this comment has been deleted, it is likely due to Reddit blacklisting the .RU domain. Post as text or find another source in an entirely new comment. This is a site wide issue, and not a choice of this CredibleDefense moderators.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
4
u/camonboy2 11d ago edited 11d ago
Sorry if this is not allowed here, but apparently there's been another f35 crash.
Seems like almost every year there's such an incident. Do we have any data on what is the most common failure of the f35. Also is the frequency of such incidents normal? Up to what point can we say they are just not very reliable? Do we have reports on SU57 incidents?
PS just a layman
46
u/Coat_Dry 11d ago
https://www.pacaf.af.mil/Portals/6/documents/3_AIB%20Report.pdf?ver=z-QJglR9Qm7slupMlo6zeA%3D%3D
The crash happened in January, it’s making the news because the crash report released today. Hydraulic fluid iced up due to being 1/3 water, computer placed the aircraft into ground mode which left it uncontrollable.
Older fighters wouldn’t have the same sort of issues the F-35 has i.e fly-by-wire system issues like the January F-35 crash. However there have been 5 F-18 crashes in the past year which is still less than many other fighters. 141 F-14s were lost in accidents. The F-35 has 4.8-7.5 hours of maintenance per flight hour whereas the F-14 had 20+. People are concerned about the F-35’s sub-62% mission capable rate but the F-16C is 64% and F-16D is 59%.
Overall it doesn’t seem to me the F-35 is a negative outlier. It’s cheaper than the F-15EX despite the stealth advantages, reasonably low-maintenance and affordable to fly($40k-ish per flight hour for the A model).
25
u/ilonir 11d ago edited 11d ago
I agree with everything you have written except that the readiness rates are fine. They're not. The mission capable rates of the F-35 are only similar to the F-16 and F-15 due to the very old age of those fleets.
https://www.cbo.gov/publication/61482
The availability rates of a brand new F-35A (the cheapest and simplest variant) are about the same as a twenty-two year old F-16 or F-15. A seven year old F-35A has lower availability rates than a thirty-two year old F-16. Yes, you read that correctly - a not-even decade old F-35A has lower availability rates, on average, than an F-16 that's 80% of the way through it's intended service life.
Cost per hour paints a similar picture. The F-35A is very roughly 50% more expensive per flight hour than an F-16, and the same cost as a F-15. (Unfortunately, they do not provide cost per hour in terms of aircraft age.)
Now, is the F-35 a more capable aircraft? Yes. Are fifth gen's harder to maintain? Yes. Is the F-22 just as bad? Yes. However, it is objectively more expensive and less reliable than fourth gen aircraft, and not by a small amount.
2
u/Cassius_Corodes 11d ago
I wouldn't really assume that age would have much impact on readiness rates unless preventative maintenance was not being done correctly.
18
u/ilonir 11d ago edited 11d ago
I can think of a few reasons that readiness rates might degrade with age.
Older aircraft are less mature. Fighter jets are usually upgraded throughout their service life, allowing later production lots to remedy issues found on early aircraft.
Spare parts become less efficient to source. This is a big driving factor behind low F-35s readiness rates. If you have multiple versions (Blocks) of an aircraft in service, that potentialy means multiple supply chains for the same aircraft.
Airframe fatigue. Both F-16 and F-35A where designed to have 8000 hour service lives. Fighter jets live hard lives, and aluminum & composits - the primary materials with which airframes are constructed - have linear, gradual fatigue behavior. So rather than kicking the can at 8000 hours, they tend to degrade more steadily over their service life.
Loss of skilled labor. When a technology becomes semi-obsolete or oudated (see mech radar), you might expect to see less and less trained personnel in that field.
Whatever the exact reasons, it's not unusual for an aircrafts readiness rate to drop 20-50% by the end of its lifespan.
16
u/HereCreepers 11d ago
Something like 700 F-16s have been lost during its service life and I imagine that a lot of other 4th-gen fighters have similar loss rates, so one an F-35 or two being lost in exercises each year doesn't strike me as abnormal for an airframe produced in large numbers and is in active service over an extended period of time. The Su-57 only dubiously meets one of those criteria at this point in time, so it's unsurprising that there aren't any reported losses outside of prototype accidents.
18
u/Shadow_Lunatale 11d ago
If you look at the service numbers, the F-35 has currently more than 1200 units in active service, with more than 600 in the US military alone. With an estimated 20 to 30 units of the Su-57 in use by Russia, the plane reliability cannot be compared at all. Even if we completely exclude combat scenarios, of wich we have only a few confirmed uses of the Su-57 shooting long distance ordonance at ukrainian targets from russian air space, the training flight hours per plane already differ much. And with more flight hours, more can happen.
Another point is that all currently operated Su-57 are in the Russian military, wich is known for not officially reporting issues and severe problems in order to keep up the image of a strong, capable military, just as demanded by their leadership. So if i.e. an Su-57 had a crash landing somewhere deep in Russia, it is unlikely we would ever read about it in western media. On the other side, if an accident happens in the Western world, the respective military is likely reporting it to the news as well as the official part of the investigation on how the accident happened.
12
u/scatterlite 11d ago
You shouldn't read too much into this, as yes accidents are relatively common for combat aircraft in active service. You can look at the records of other aircraft, like for example the F-15, to see a long list of accidents. They tend to become less common over time as technical issues are resolved and experience with the aircraft increases.
Also no reason to compare to the SU-57 with its tiny production run.
0
11d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
14
u/csgoober_mang 11d ago
(new + refurbished/gutted for parts) = total
This is a massive strawman and follows a trend of you posting months old information to start a random thread of semantics.
words words words words words limit limint words limit words
•
u/AutoModerator 12d ago
Continuing the bare link and speculation repository, you can respond to this sticky with comments and links subject to lower moderation standards, but remember: A summary, description or analyses will lead to more people actually engaging with it!
I.e. most "Trump posting" and Unverifiable/Speculatory Indo-Pakistan conflict belong here.
Sign up for the rally point or subscribe to this bluesky if a migration ever becomes necessary.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.