Ukraine War Update NEWS: Military Aid News

"This is where the free market economy actually is beneficial here because you've got people that want to make a profit going.... and it is not about profiteering it's not about saying oh this is this is moneyed interests trying to start a war and this is all about the money no but this is a war that's been started you've got Ukraine fighting for its existence and the free market can come to its aid".

Hello Team

🎦 00:00-00:16⏩

Jonathan welcomes viewers to the channel for the second part of his daily Ukraine War Update focusing on military aid. This is the B part for 17th June 2024 - the first part focused on battlefield news.

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Latvia sends first batch of drones to Ukraine as part of Drone Coalition

🎦 00:16-02:30⏩

Jonathan reports that Latvia has become one of the first countries to provide drones to Ukraine as part of the Drone Coalition. It's not clear what type of drones they are or their capabilities, but this will provide valuable feedback to Latvia (and other Drone Coalition members) on what works well in a real-world combat environment. Jonathan highlights that it is in the best interests of all Drone Coalition members to support Ukraine as they can test their equipment and make improvements based on feedback from the Ukrainian armed forces. Jonathan believes that membership of the Drone Coalition will become increasingly important for countries who want to ensure their own national security in the future.

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German Equipment Deliveries to Ukraine

🎦 02:30-09:38⏩

Jonathan thanks regular commenter "Germinator Ukraine" for their summary of German military equipment that has been (or is planned to be) delivered to Ukraine:

• Steady flow of Leopard 1A5 tanks (upgraded with new fire control systems) with 60 to be delivered by the end of the year
• 42 Vicent-1MC mine clearing tanks have now been delivered - these were pledged at the end of 2022.
• 20 Marder 183 infantry fighting vehicles have been pledged and are expected by September 2024 at the latest, these are being overhauled and upgraded and will be the first German-made IFVs sent to Ukraine.
• 6 Westland Sea King helicopters will also be delivered to Ukraine. The UK have already supplied three of these - they are old but reliable.
• A third Patriot battery will also be supplied to Ukraine.
• Over 240 Vector drones
• 15 Cheetah self propelled anti-aircraft guns (Dutch upgraded Gepard anti-aircraft systems) will be delivered by the end of the year.

Jonathan notes an addendum from Germinator Ukraine reporting that Rheinmetall is planning to supply Skyranger 35 turrets on Leopard 1 chassis for use by Ukraine. A recent video showed a Skyranger turret mounted on a Panzer 87 (Leopard 2 tank). Jonathan is impressed with Germany's contribution to Ukraine's defence, particularly their consistent, high quality, high level support. Whilst the USA is the largest contributor of military aid, Germany has done a fantastic job, especially in the first seven months of the war when US aid was slow to materialise. The recently opened Rheinmetall maintenance hub in Ukraine is now repairing Leopard 1 tanks and Marders, with plans for Leopard 2 repairs at a later date.

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BAE Systems/Bofors Trident Mark 2 Air Defence System

🎦 09:38-15:24⏩

Jonathan reports that Swedish media is reporting that Bofors (BAE Systems) has launched the Trident Mark 2, a new 40mm air defence system. BAE Systems Bofors is a collaboration between BAE Systems (UK) and Bofors (Sweden). The Trident Mark 2 is designed to protect against modern airborne threats (including drones) and is based on a Bofors 40mm L70 automatic cannon. Jonathan digresses to point out that the rush to supply Ukraine with military aid is in part driven by free market economics - companies like Rheinmetall and BAE Systems are in competition with each other. BAE System's announcement of the Trident Mark 2 follows Rheinmetall's announcement about the Skynex system and Skyranger 35 turrets that are being supplied to Ukraine. This competition is ultimately a good thing for Ukraine, as it will lead to the development of more advanced and effective weapons systems. The Trident Mark 2 has a rate of fire of 300 rounds a minute (5 rounds per second) and a range of 12km. This is significantly more than the Gepard system which has a 5km range. Jonathan speculates that the Trident Mark 2 system (like the Skynex system) can be mounted on a platform or vehicle and that four systems could be deployed at the same time to protect a 96km sq area. Jonathan believes that any new military equipment that is announced is likely to be in the context of the Ukraine War, as companies will be looking to showcase their systems and Ukraine will be looking for the best possible equipment to defend itself. He predicts that the Trident Mark 2 will likely be sent to Ukraine for testing in the near future.

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Canada allocates $15m to return of Ukrainian children deported to Russia

🎦 15:24-15:45⏩

Jonathan reports that Canada has allocated $15 million to help return Ukrainian children who have been deported to Russia. The announcement follows reports of Ukrainian children being listed for adoption on Russian websites under fake identities.

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France begins training Ukrainian pilots on Alpha Jet aircraft

🎦 15:45-19:20⏩

France has started training 26 Ukrainian pilots. The training is taking place at an undisclosed airbase in southwest France, and is expected to take two years. The pilots are being trained on Alpha Jet aircraft which have been fitted with dashboards that imitate those found in F-16s. The first group of pilots are due to be certified in September 2024 and will then move on to a base in Romania where they will train on F-16s. However, this was before the announcement that France will supply Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets, so it is unclear how this will affect the training schedule. The training programme has been condensed from 18 months down to 6 months, at the request of the Ukrainian Government. Jonathan points out that such a drastic reduction in training time is likely to have a negative impact on the quality of the pilots.

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Ukraine recruits prisoners into its armed forces

🎦 19:20-19:49⏩

Jonathan reports that more than 2,750 Ukrainian prisoners have been released from prison and have signed a contract to join the Ukrainian armed forces. Many are already receiving military training. The Washington Post reports that at least 4,000 prisoners are expected to volunteer in the first round of recruitment. Jonathan believes that this is good news for Ukraine.

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New Ukrainian Stalker 5.0 Surface Drone

🎦 19:49-20:17⏩

Jonathan reports that a new Ukrainian surface drone - the Stalker 5.0 - has been introduced in Odesa. The drone, which is capable of reaching speeds of 55-75km/hr, can carry 150kg of explosives.

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Russia to Increase Efficiency and Coordination of Military Equipment Production

🎦 20:17-28:07⏩

Jonathan discusses comments from Samuel Bendit about the recently appointed Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu's plans to increase the efficiency and coordination of military equipment production. Shoigu is encouraging the MOD to work with volunteers who have been supplying drones and other equipment to the front line. Jonathan notes that Ukraine has had great success using volunteer groups (both inside and outside of Ukraine) to supply drones. He gives an example of a conversation he had with a volunteer called "Mark B" who explained how they identify and purchase suitable drones (e.g. from eBay), arrange for them to be checked over by experts and then transported to the front lines, with the entire process being transparent and accountable. Jonathan contrasts this approach with the Russian MOD which he characterises as being slow-moving and bureaucratic. Jonathan doubts that Russia will enjoy the same level of success as Ukraine in mobilising volunteers to supply drones and other equipment, as Russia does not have the same level of moral support from the international community. Jonathan believes that the Russian MOD recognises that they need to improve their procurement processes (particularly for drones) and that Shoigu's appointment (who has a background in economics and industrial production) is a sign that Russia is trying to address these deficiencies. Shoigu wants to avoid duplication of effort and is looking at ways to streamline procurement by selecting a small number of volunteer-led startups and scaling up their production. However, some volunteer groups have criticised this approach, as they believe that it will stifle innovation. Jonathan believes that Russia's efforts to improve coordination of drone production is bad news for Ukraine, and that it is only a matter of time before Russia starts to make significant progress in this area.

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Russian Wally UGV and Recruitment of Foreign Fighters

🎦 28:07-30:43⏩

Jonathan discusses a video shared by Samuel Bendett which shows a Russian "Wally" Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV), which has been designed to provide electronic warfare support to assault groups. Jonathan notes that Russia appears to be developing more UGVs than UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, or drones) and that this is likely because UGVs are a relatively new technology and Russia is keen to catch up. Jonathan refers back to a story that he shared in a previous video about a Somali man who was recruited by the Russian army whilst on a tourist visa in Russia. The Somali man claims that he was enticed by the promise of a large salary and was not aware that he would be sent to fight in Ukraine. Jonathan suggests that the man was a victim of "klepto-mobilization" where people are tricked or coerced into fighting for Russia. Jonathan believes that the Russian military is increasingly reliant on foreign mercenaries because they are more expendable than Russian troops.

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Wrap Up

🎦 30:43-30:53⏩

Jonathan thanks his viewers for watching and asks them to like, subscribe, and share the video.

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