Burnt tanks, helicopter carcasses, charred buildings… There have been many images since the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine on February 24, which reflect the violence of the clashes between Russian and Ukrainian forces. Selection of the weapons used on both sides to better decipher the military situation.
- The Javelin anti-tank, symbol of the Ukrainian resistance
Inferior on all counts, from the number of soldiers to that of armored vehicles, Ukraine can however count on weapons delivered by the West. Among them, anti-aircraft batteries, so-called “kamikaze” drones which explode on contact with their target and which can destroy light armored vehicles, Stinger missile launchers, as well as the famous Javelin missile launchers sent by Washington.
These have become one of the favorite weapons of the Ukrainian military. To the point of appearing in a “meme” circulating on social networks, held by Mary Magdalene, an emblematic saint of the Orthodox tradition. This anti-tank weapon can pierce the most sophisticated armor in the world, including that of Russian T-90 tanks.
- Russian hypersonic missiles
On March 19, Russia claimed to have used a Kinjal missile to destroy an underground weapons warehouse in western Ukraine. Described as “hypersonic”, it is part of the new generation of missiles, presented by Vladimir Putin four years earlier. According to experts, their employment in Ukraine is a first. What is it exactly?
We reports, in a previous article, that there are two categories of hypersonic system. The HCMs, first: cruise missiles capable of flying much faster than the classic version. Then, the HGVs: gliders dropped in low orbit by ballistic missile, capable of surfing the high layers of the atmosphere, at an altitude of several tens of kilometers, changing course and carrying out avoidance maneuvers. The latter are therefore less likely to be detected than an intercontinental missile, whose bell-shaped trajectory, sometimes beyond a thousand kilometers in altitude, is more predictable.
Among these new generation missiles, pell-mell, the Kinjal (“dagger”, in Russian), very maneuverable and supposed to challenge anti-aircraft defense systems; the Avangard (“vanguard”, in Russian) capable of changing course and altitude at very high speed, making it “virtually invincible” according to Vladimir Putin; or even Zircon (from the name of a mineral used in jewelry) which reaches both sea and land targets.
A fight of David against Goliath? Before the start of the war, the fleet of the Ukrainian army had just under 200 aircraft, according to the study of military powers compiled by Global Fire Poweragainst almost ten times more on the Russian side, with its 1,800 aircraft listed.
NATO very quickly announced that it would not set up a no-fly zone over Ukraine, so as not to be considered by Russia as a co-belligerent. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has therefore repeatedly urged Western countries to strengthen his country’s air defense. Latest statement, Saturday March 26, in a video message where, somewhat irritated, the Head of State indicates that “Ukraine would only need 1% of NATO planes […] and wouldn’t ask for anything more.”
Among the Russian arsenal responsible for bombing, we can notably cite the Sukhoi Su-34 aircraft. The first examples of this tactical fighter bomber, with anti-ship capabilities, were delivered to Russia in 2012.
In addition, in the sky, the battle of drones is also raging. kyiv thus asked on March 19 to the Chinese manufacturer of drones DJI to no longer supply machines to Russia. Ukrainian troops, for their part, can count on the Bayraktar TB2 drone, the flagship of the Turkish military industry. This machine with a wingspan of 12 meters and weighing 650 kg can fly for twenty-seven consecutive hours at more than 220 km/h. His skills: “missile transport, reconnaissance, target strike”, we explained in a previous article.
Since the start of the offensive, Russian bombs have hit several towns across the country daily. Among them, weapons of mass destruction, denounce the Ukrainian authorities. Example: thermobaric bombs, also known as “vacuum bombs”, suspected of having been used by Moscow. CNN journalists notably filmed the transport into the heart of a Russian convoy of thermobaric weapons mounted on tanks, on February 26.
The Russians are also suspected of having used cluster munitions in several civilian areas, which are prohibited by international law. Ukraine has also recently denounced the use of phosphorus bombs by Moscow on civilians. A prohibited practice although these weapons are this time legal.
Also in the Russian military arsenal, the Grad (“hail” in Russian) rocket launcher, with a maximum range of 40 km, or the Iskander, a ballistic weapon capable of firing up to 500 km, both used at the beginning of the offensive according to several observers.
- The fear of chemical and biological weapons
This is the obsession of Westerners: the use by Russia of chemical or biological weapons. US President Joe Biden promised, Thursday, March 24, a “response” from NATO in the event of the use of chemical weapons by the Kremlin. For its part, before the UN Security Council, Moscow accused Ukraine of having dangerous biological laboratories, without ever providing evidence. Enough to feed a war of stories between the two camps. In principle, the use of these weapons is strictly prohibited by international law.
But what are these weapons of mass destruction? We speak of a chemical weapon when a “chemical product is used to intentionally cause death or damage by its toxic properties”, according to a definition given by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Biological weapons, they, according to the definition of the United Nations, are “complex systems which disseminate pathogenic organisms [NDLR : virus, bactéries, champignons, etc.] or toxins, to harm or kill people, animals, or plants. They generally consist of two parts: an agent and a vector.
A few days after the start of the war, and while the Russian army encountered unexpected resistance from the Ukrainian forces, Vladimir Putin announced that he was putting all the components of the “nuclear deterrent force” on alert, triggering a chorus of international protests.
Among the weapons that can carry a nuclear charge, Russia could notably have the Poseidon underwater drone. The device would be able to move more than a kilometer deep, at a speed of 110 to 130 km / h while remaining invisible to detection systems, according to a source within the Russian military-industrial complex , quoted by the official Russian agency Tass.