Ukraine Equally Hole-And-Corner Testing Terra Firma For Russian Electronic Warfare

By: Yuri Lapaiev

The Organization for Security in addition to Cooperation inwards Europe’s (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine reported at the goal of Oct that 1 of its long-range unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) had gone missing. According to an OSCE location study (Osce.org, Oct 27), the drone disappeared patch flight inwards a higher house a non-government-controlled surface area inwards Donetsk region. The UAV inwards enquiry manifestly experienced signal interference—which the OSCE SMM assessed to endure jamming—while operating at an height of most 7,000 feet (2.1 kilometers).

Coincidentally or not, the UAV went missing entirely 2 days afterward the deputy caput of the OSCE’s SMM inwards Ukraine, Alexander Hug, gave a telling interview to the Washington-based Foreign Policy magazine. Specifically, he stated that patch the OSCE had non detected straight bear witness of Russian interest inwards eastern Ukraine, SMM observers had repeatedly seen diverse types of advanced weapons produced past times Russia, including electronic warfare (EW) equipment. In fact, the SMM has already observed a release of the newest examples of Russian EW systems, such equally the Leer-3 RB-341V, 1L269 Krasukha-2 in addition to RB-109A Bylina, in addition to an anti-UAV system—the Repellent-1 (Osce.org, August 11).


The primary objectives of Russian electronic warfare inwards Ukraine include detecting in addition to identifying the location in addition to origin of radio emissions; suppressing all types of mobile satellite communication (including Inmarsat in addition to Iridium satellite systems, GSM 1900 mobile phones, in addition to jail cellular telephone stations) in addition to satellite-based navigation signals (including NAVSTAR “GPRS” navigation); intercepting in addition to recording vocalization communications; gaining command over radio in addition to TV frequencies; equally good equally jamming enemy UAVs. Russian EW was extremely effective during the outset years of conflict inwards eastern Ukraine, especially due to the widespread lack of encrypted digital communication systems used past times the Ukrainian Armed Forces (see EDM, May 24, 2017; July 19, 2017; April 17, 2018).

But importantly, Russian Federation has likewise used EW capabilities to bear so called “psy-ops” in addition to diversionary operations. In early on 2014, fifty-fifty earlier Russian Federation annexed Crimea or initiated armed separatist activities inwards Donbas, the website Livyi Bereh reported that roughly individuals inwards downtown Kyiv received text messages that said, “You have got been registered equally a player inwards riots” (Livyi Bereh, Jan 21, 2014).

Livyi Bereh, Feb 6, 2015).UNIAN, July 22, 2015). Notably, according to Ukrainian military machine intelligence, soldiers from Russia’s 338th Radiotechnical Regiment (4th Air Force in addition to Counter-Air Defense Army, North Caucasus Military District) were identified operating inwards Donetsk part equally early on equally 2015 (InformNapalm, Apr 11, 2015).

Most recently, according to an anonymous origin inwards the Ukrainian Navy, likewise interviewed past times this author, Russian forces used EW systems inwards an endeavor to suppress communication past times 2 Ukrainian ships, the body of body of water tow Korets in addition to the search-and-rescue vessel Donbas­­, equally they passed through the Kerch Strait on September 23, 2018 (Toinformistoinfluence.com, September 24; TASS, September 25). Ukraine deployed these 2 ships to the Sea of Azov inwards answer to growing tensions amongst Russian Federation inwards this shared torso of water.

According to investigations carried out past times the international volunteer community InformNapalm, at to the lowest degree 12 dissimilar Russian EW systems have got been spotted in addition to documented inwards eastern Ukraine (InformNapalm, accessed Nov 2). All of these systems are Russian-made in addition to none have got always been purchased past times the Ukrainian authorities or officially transferred to Ukraine. Most have got been developed entirely inwards the concluding decade—for example, the R330Zh was introduced inwards 2008, in addition to the Krasukha-2 inwards 2012. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 release of these models were likewise deployed to Syrian Arab Republic concluding September (Interfax, September 24), next the deadly incident when a Russian Il-20 military machine surveillance bird was mistakenly shot downwards past times Syrian air-defense units. The Russian Ministry of Defense blamed the Israeli Air Force for the downing of the Russian bird because Israeli aerial operations had drawn the Syrians into trying to engage. In response, Russian Federation sent additional anti-air equally good equally EW systems into the Syrian house inwards lodge to strengthen its Anti Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) capabilities protecting Russian troops from hostile forces (see EDM, September 27). According to Russian media, these novel EW systems inwards Syrian Arab Republic may include the Krasukha-4, R330Zh in addition to fifty-fifty the newest EW complex Divnomorye (Izvestia, September 25).

Russia has for years used Ukraine equally a testing Earth for its military machine manufacture in addition to novel military machine tactics in addition to capabilities. This is likewise pointedly truthful inwards the instance of electronic warfare. And the 2 major operations it is conducting—in Donbas in addition to Syria—clearly aid buttress 1 roughly other when it comes to EW tactics in addition to strategy. Russia’s wars inwards Syrian Arab Republic in addition to Ukraine should thence non endure looked at inwards isolation.
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