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Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine is paying civilians up to $2,400 a month to shoot down Russian drones with whatever they can find
Ukraine's lawmakers have approved a new plan to pay civilians to shoot down drones. A volunteer could get up to $2,400, depending on their level of participation. The proposal says they can use their own vehicles and guns, including hunting weapons. Ukraine has a new plan to pay civilian volunteers up to $2,400 a month to track and shoot down Russian drone threats. The measure, which allows civilians to use their hunting guns and cars to destroy aerial targets, was approved on Wednesday by Ukrainian lawmakers, per Taras Melynchuk, a Cabinet representative in Kyiv's parliament. Melynchuk wrote on Telegram that the program aims to "strengthen the air defense" of Ukraine, and it comes as growing waves of Russian Shahed drones have hammered its cities. A full draft of the proposal, published by parliament member Oleksiy Goncharenko, shows that volunteers can receive up to 100,000 hryvnias, or about $2,426, a month — depending on their level of contribution. The full payout would be a hefty sum for many Ukrainians. By comparison, government statistics said the average monthly salary in Ukraine was 14,577 hryvnias, or about $353, per the last-recorded figures from January 2022, the month before the war began. Data from a local job site that assesses salaries listed in job postings and résumés, shows that the average monthly wage offered in Ukraine had risen to 24,241 hryvnias by June 10. Funds for the air defense volunteers would come from local governments' budgets, and payout amounts are determined by commanders in the Territorial Defense Forces units stationed in the area. These commanders are meant to work with volunteers through a group leader who reports on personnel and activities monthly, the proposal added. The document said that volunteers can use supplies from Ukraine's forces if needed, but also have the "right to use their own vehicles, other equipment, as well as personal hunting weapons, small arms, and other types of weapons and ammunition." Goncharenko said the approved vehicles include personal cars. That's relevant because much of Ukraine's anti-drone defense has relied on units that drive out at night to shoot down Russian uncrewed aerial vehicles with truck- or car-mounted small arms. Officials have said that the country has about 500 such mobile units. They're typically armed with a lot more firepower than a hunting rifle, though; official anti-drone squads often use machine guns such as the M2 Browning. On the other hand, drone units frequently use shotguns to shoot down first-person view drones on the battlefield. Goncharenko added that anyone not mobilized under Ukraine's forces can sign up to volunteer. This new project also aims to bring drone pilots from existing volunteer and paramilitary units under the defense ministry's wing, though they'll need to show a training certificate to be approved. Families of anyone who dies while fighting in a volunteer air defense unit are also eligible for one-time cash payouts and pension benefits that the relatives of veterans get, the proposal added. Ukraine's new volunteer plan emerges as Russia has intensified its night-time drone attacks, which now regularly involve hundreds of Iranian-made Shaheds fired in tandem with dozens of missiles at Ukrainian cities. The approved measure is set to last for as long as two years, or until martial law concludes in Ukraine. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
Ukraine is paying civilians up to $2,400 a month to shoot down Russian drones with whatever they can find
Ukraine has a new plan to pay civilian volunteers up to $2,400 a month to track and shoot down Russian drone threats. The measure, which allows civilians to use their hunting guns and cars to destroy aerial targets, was approved on Wednesday by Ukrainian lawmakers, per Taras Melynchuk, a Cabinet representative in Kyiv's parliament. Melynchuk wrote on Telegram that the program aims to "strengthen the air defense" of Ukraine, and it comes as growing waves of Russian Shahed drones have hammered its cities. A full draft of the proposal, published by parliament member Oleksiy Goncharenko, shows that volunteers can receive up to 100,000 hryvnias, or about $2,426, a month — depending on their level of contribution. The full payout would be a hefty sum for many Ukrainians. By comparison, government statistics said the average monthly salary in Ukraine was 14,577 hryvnias, or about $353, per the last-recorded figures from January 2022, the month before the war began. Data from a local job site that assesses salaries listed in job postings and résumés, shows that the average monthly wage offered in Ukraine had risen to 24,241 hryvnias by June 10. Funds for the air defense volunteers would come from local governments' budgets, and payout amounts are determined by commanders in the Territorial Defense Forces units stationed in the area. These commanders are meant to work with volunteers through a group leader who reports on personnel and activities monthly, the proposal added. The document said that volunteers can use supplies from Ukraine's forces if needed, but also have the "right to use their own vehicles, other equipment, as well as personal hunting weapons, small arms, and other types of weapons and ammunition." Goncharenko said the approved vehicles include personal cars. That's relevant because much of Ukraine's anti-drone defense has relied on units that drive out at night to shoot down Russian uncrewed aerial vehicles with truck- or car-mounted small arms. Officials have said that the country has about 500 such mobile units. They're typically armed with a lot more firepower than a hunting rifle, though; official anti-drone squads often use machine guns such as the M2 Browning. On the other hand, drone units frequently use shotguns to shoot down first-person view drones on the battlefield. Goncharenko added that anyone not mobilized under Ukraine's forces can sign up to volunteer. This new project also aims to bring drone pilots from existing volunteer and paramilitary units under the defense ministry's wing, though they'll need to show a training certificate to be approved. Families of anyone who dies while fighting in a volunteer air defense unit are also eligible for one-time cash payouts and pension benefits that the relatives of veterans get, the proposal added. Ukraine's new volunteer plan emerges as Russia has intensified its night-time drone attacks, which now regularly involve hundreds of Iranian-made Shaheds fired in tandem with dozens of missiles at Ukrainian cities. The approved measure is set to last for as long as two years, or until martial law concludes in Ukraine.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Yahoo
A US Navy sailor walked BI through what it was like shooting down a small drone with a .50 caliber machine gun
A US Navy sailor used a .50 caliber machine gun to shoot down a small drone last month. The engagement came during a major NATO exercise focused on naval air defense. It underscores how drones are increasingly becoming a key element of maritime warfare. Petty Officer Second Class Brian Diaz saw the small drone coming in through his binoculars. The US Navy sailor quickly called in the threat and got the go-ahead to open fire on it with his deck-mounted M2 Browning .50 caliber machine gun. A hundred rounds went out in a flash. They found their target, and Diaz, a gunner's mate, scored a direct hit on the drone, sending it crashing into the chilly Atlantic waters below. Sailors on the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Thomas Hudner erupted in cheers. The drone that Diaz shot down with his machine gun did not belong to a real enemy, but the exercise was serious all the same, simulating a threat that warships like the Thomas Hudner could face in the future, as drones are finding a greater role in naval warfare. "Being able to go through the motions just gives me peace of mind, that I know I can do it, come the need to do it," Diaz shared with Business Insider during a recent visit to Thomas Hudner that came on the heels of the warship's participation in NATO's Formidable Shield 25 exercise last month. Formidable Shield is Europe's largest live-fire naval exercise and a key opportunity for allies to train for a variety of air defense scenarios. For the Thomas Hunder, the drills included missile and drone engagements. One day, toward the end of the exercise, a handful of NATO warships lined up to face off against different defense scenarios. Diaz was on watch with the .50 caliber, looking out over the water and waiting for instructions to come through on the radio. Diaz said that his first engagement that day was a remote-controlled boat, simulating an uncrewed surface vessel. It was pretty far out, and he could barely see it. Thomas Hunder engaged with all its weapons systems: the large five-inch deck gun, the Mark 38 machine gun system, and the .50 caliber. Eventually, the five-inch gun hit it. It was later that day that he fought the flying drone, a small quadcopter system. Other warships called in the threat to Thomas Hunder. Diaz recalled that he couldn't see it at first, but eventually, the team spotted the threat and marked it as a contact. The drone started to get closer, at one point 200 meters (650 feet) out, getting well within range of the .50 caliber. Diaz asked for permission from a superior to engage the drone before opening fire alongside another sailor operating a second M2 Browning. "We're both shooting," Diaz said. "Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom." At one point, the other sailor paused to reload. That's when Diaz made the kill. "I think I shot the wing off," Diaz said. "What it does is, it's flying, and it's just sitting there, and it just — donk!" he explained. "There's a little sway, and it's straight into the water." Drones of this size, often just a few inches or a foot in length, are incredibly difficult to shoot down because they're so small and can move erratically in the air. Diaz said he was nervous during the engagement, but the successful hit got the crew fired up. Cdr. Cameron Ingram, Thomas Hunder's commanding officer, told BI that some of the crewmembers were watching Diaz from the bridge wing at the time, wondering whether he would be able to take down the drone. "And then he clips it, and it falls," Ingram said. "The whole bridge wing explodes with excitement," he said, noting that the sailor "walks a step taller now." The exercise underscores how the US Navy is increasingly integrating counter-drone training into its planning as it absorbs lessons from the Red Sea conflict, during which the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen regularly launched drones and missiles at military and civilian vessels operating in the area. The Houthis relied heavily on one-way attack drones like the KAS-04, or Sammad. This fixed-wing drone, which is packed with explosives and can fly long distances, is much larger than a cheap, commercially available quadcopter drone but significantly smaller than a US military MQ-9 Reaper, a well-known combat drone. US warships, including Thomas Hunder, shot down Houthi KAS-04s. The ships weren't known to have battled any Houthi quadcopters; these threats, however, are something the Navy is training for, especially considering their proliferation in other fights. During BI's visit to the Thomas Hudner, which sailed from England to France last weekend ahead of the D-Day events this week, the watch team spotted a quadcopter drone as the destroyer was setting off on its journey. They closely monitored the drone, which turned out not to pose any immediate danger to the ship. Still, the crew was ready to take action if needed. Ingram said that small quadcopters are "absolutely a threat," even if there are limitations in their capability, specifically endurance, range, and payload capacity. While these drones generally can't carry enough ordnance to effectively disable a destroyer, they could certainly hurt people and do enough damage to potentially force the warship into repairs. "I think there will probably be a desire to weaponize those things, but there are limitations," Ingram said. Destroyers like his don't operate close to the coast. An enemy would have to send the drones out several miles from the shore or have a launching platform closer to the warship. But even then, the payload wouldn't be as heavy as a Houthi KAS-04. It is possible that the ship could encounter one near port. Warships have been attacked pierside in the past, though by other threats. The Ukraine war has demonstrated the effectiveness of quadcopters, small, inexpensive first-person view (FPV) drones, in combat. They are mostly used in engagements on land, but Kyiv has at times integrated these drones into maritime operations, demonstrating that it's still possible to burden a naval force even if the desired target isn't necessarily an expensive warship. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
05-06-2025
- Business Insider
A US Navy sailor walked BI through what it was like shooting down a small drone with a .50 caliber machine gun
Petty Officer Second Class Brian Diaz saw the small drone coming in through his binoculars. The US Navy sailor quickly called in the threat and got the go-ahead to open fire on it with his deck-mounted M2 Browning .50 caliber machine gun. A hundred rounds went out in a flash. They found their target, and Diaz, a gunner's mate, scored a direct hit on the drone, sending it crashing into the chilly Atlantic waters below. Sailors on the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Thomas Hudner erupted in cheers. The drone that Diaz shot down with his machine gun did not belong to a real enemy, but the exercise was serious all the same, simulating a threat that warships like the Thomas Hudner could face in the future, as drones are finding a greater role in naval warfare. "Being able to go through the motions just gives me peace of mind, that I know I can do it, come the need to do it," Diaz shared with Business Insider during a recent visit to Thomas Hudner that came on the heels of the warship's participation in NATO's Formidable Shield 25 exercise last month. Formidable Shield is Europe's largest live-fire naval exercise and a key opportunity for allies to train for a variety of air defense scenarios. For the Thomas Hunder, the drills included missile and drone engagements. One day, toward the end of the exercise, a handful of NATO warships lined up to face off against different defense scenarios. Diaz was on watch with the .50 caliber, looking out over the water and waiting for instructions to come through on the radio. Diaz said that his first engagement that day was a remote-controlled boat, simulating an uncrewed surface vessel. It was pretty far out, and he could barely see it. Thomas Hunder engaged with all its weapons systems: the large five-inch deck gun, the Mark 38 machine gun system, and the .50 caliber. Eventually, the five-inch gun hit it. It was later that day that he fought the flying drone, a small quadcopter system. Other warships called in the threat to Thomas Hunder. Diaz recalled that he couldn't see it at first, but eventually, the team spotted the threat and marked it as a contact. The drone started to get closer, at one point 200 meters (650 feet) out, getting well within range of the .50 caliber. Diaz asked for permission from a superior to engage the drone before opening fire alongside another sailor operating a second M2 Browning. "We're both shooting," Diaz said. "Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom." At one point, the other sailor paused to reload. That's when Diaz made the kill. "I think I shot the wing off," Diaz said. "What it does is, it's flying, and it's just sitting there, and it just — donk!" he explained. "There's a little sway, and it's straight into the water." Drones of this size, often just a few inches or a foot in length, are incredibly difficult to shoot down because they're so small and can move erratically in the air. Diaz said he was nervous during the engagement, but the successful hit got the crew fired up. Cdr. Cameron Ingram, Thomas Hunder's commanding officer, told BI that some of the crewmembers were watching Diaz from the bridge wing at the time, wondering whether he would be able to take down the drone. "And then he clips it, and it falls," Ingram said. "The whole bridge wing explodes with excitement," he said, noting that the sailor "walks a step taller now." The exercise underscores how the US Navy is increasingly integrating counter-drone training into its planning as it absorbs lessons from the Red Sea conflict, during which the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen regularly launched drones and missiles at military and civilian vessels operating in the area. The Houthis relied heavily on one-way attack drones like the KAS-04, or Sammad. This fixed-wing drone, which is packed with explosives and can fly long distances, is much larger than a cheap, commercially available quadcopter drone but significantly smaller than a US military MQ-9 Reaper, a well-known combat drone. US warships, including Thomas Hunder, shot down Houthi KAS-04s. The ships weren't known to have battled any Houthi quadcopters; these threats, however, are something the Navy is training for, especially considering their proliferation in other fights. During BI's visit to the Thomas Hudner, which sailed from England to France last weekend ahead of the D-Day events this week, the watch team spotted a quadcopter drone as the destroyer was setting off on its journey. They closely monitored the drone, which turned out not to pose any immediate danger to the ship. Still, the crew was ready to take action if needed. Ingram said that small quadcopters are "absolutely a threat," even if there are limitations in their capability, specifically endurance, range, and payload capacity. While these drones generally can't carry enough ordnance to effectively disable a destroyer, they could certainly hurt people and do enough damage to potentially force the warship into repairs. "I think there will probably be a desire to weaponize those things, but there are limitations," Ingram said. Destroyers like his don't operate close to the coast. An enemy would have to send the drones out several miles from the shore or have a launching platform closer to the warship. But even then, the payload wouldn't be as heavy as a Houthi KAS-04. It is possible that the ship could encounter one near port. Warships have been attacked pierside in the past, though by other threats. The Ukraine war has demonstrated the effectiveness of quadcopters, small, inexpensive first-person view (FPV) drones, in combat. They are mostly used in engagements on land, but Kyiv has at times integrated these drones into maritime operations, demonstrating that it's still possible to burden a naval force even if the desired target isn't necessarily an expensive warship.
Daily Mirror
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Close to a million Russian troops dead or injured in Vladimir Putin's war
Russian losses in Putin's war on Ukraine are staggering - but the Kremlin is preparing a fresh offensive even whilst talks are ongoing to achieve a peace settlement Russia has lost close to a million troops to death or injury in the war in Ukraine, latest intelligence estimates declare. The number of troops put out of battle in ferocious clashes stands at 986,080 - with a staggering 1,140 killed or injured and taken from the frontline in just 24 hours. In addition, intelligence analysis suggests, Moscow has lost 10,865 tanks and almost 40,000 drones to Ukraine's defence of the invasion. Ukraine has destroyed 1,172 anti-aircraft systems, 372 warplanes, 336 helicopters, 28 warships and boats and even a submarine. The staggering claims of Russian losses have led to Moscow having to recruit as many as 14,000 North Korean soldiers who have also suffered losses. It is believed at least 1,000 of Kim Jong-Un's troops are believed to have died in battles in Russia 's effort to drive Ukraine invading troops out of Kursk. It comes as Russia is believed to be building up a huge force of 50,000 assault troops in readiness for a new Summer offensive near Sumy, in Ukraine's north east. Kyiv has confirmed Moscow forces have managed to capture four villages close to the region's border with Russia. It is believed the Kremlin has ordered a buffer of several miles in the region. But the Sumy regional governor stated that the residents of these settlements had been evacuated long ago, and "there is no threat to civilians." The attack on Sumy was originally planned for last year but was interrupted by Ukraine's mini-invasion into Russia's Kursk region. Ukraine is also believed to have suffered significant losses although there are no official figures available. Recently, the Ukrainian military also warned that Russia may be preparing new attacks on Kharkiv as Moscow gathered its troops close to the border with the region. Fighting has intensified along all of Ukraine's frontlines, stretching for over 800 miles and across multiple regions of the country. This week Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky s aid Russia mobilises around 40,000 to 45,000 men for its military every month, while Ukraine mobilises about 25,000 to 27,000. He said it is yet another indicator of Moscow intensifying its war efforts despite numerous calls from Kyiv, Brussels and Washington to agree to an unconditional ceasefire. Zelensky added: "When the US sends signals that it wants to do something positive with Russia, then Russia ramps up its mobilisation.' It comes as Ukraine's weapons developers are pushing forward with making futuristic defences using artificial intelligence. One breakthrough has been the 'robot tank' officially dubbed the Sky Sentinel which is a high-power .50-caliber M2 Browning machine gun which shoots down missiles and drones. Fitted onto a turret the device is placed near the frontline and independently of humans once it is programmed, it detects, tracks, calculates the trajectory of incoming weapons and fires. It can engage moderately fast, low-flying targets moving at speeds of up to 500mph – enough to intercept Russia's 'Kamikaze' Shahed drones, which operate at less than 120mph.
