Aha Dua Permata: Powerful Russian Weapons Tear NATO Hardware to Shreds in Ukraine

Powerful Russian Weapons Tear NATO Hardware to Shreds in Ukraine

©Russian Ministry of Defence

The ongoing Ukrainian 'counteroffensive,' which has been dragging on for three months now, has essentially confirmed that Western military hardware is not superior to Russian weaponry.

Instead of witnessing Ukrainian crack assault brigades smashing through the Russian defensive lines with the help of vast quantities of Western military hardware supplied by NATO, the regime in Kiev and its sponsors watched instead as well-entrenched Russian forces methodically obliterated everything thrown at them.

So what tools does Russia use to repeatedly humble the Ukrainian war machine backed by the entire financial and military might of the United States and NATO?

Air Power

While some Western masters of military strategy and tactics have attributed Kiev’s failings on the battlefield to the dastardly shrubbery, there were also those who pointed at factors such as Russia's distinct advantage in the air.

One weapon in particular, the Ka-52 attack helicopter commonly referred to as "Alligator," has made quite a name for itself, striking at Ukrainian armor and vanishing before the enemy manages to muster a response.

Even if it ends up taking flak, literally, Ka-52 can often endure the punishment and make it back to base thanks to the helicopter's impressive plating.

A screenshot of a video depicting a Ka-52 attack helicopter hitting Ukrainian positions.

Russian drones have also proved quite adept at dealing stinging blows to Ukrainian military assets.

The Lancet-3 loitering munitions, for example, have become a veritable headache for Ukrainian officers thanks to their uncanny ability to deliver precise and crippling blows to armored vehicles, radar stations and even air defense systems.

Mines

When Ukrainian forces rushed towards the first Russian defensive line, they quickly hit a snag in the form of extensive minefields carefully prepared for their arrival by the Russian forces.

This additional layer of defense, which helped turn the Ukrainian advance into a bloody slog for the Kiev regime forces, was made possible in no small part thanks to the mobile mine laying system ISDM Zemledeliye employed by the Russian troops.

Essentially a set of tube launchers mounted on a military truck, Zemledeliye (which means "agriculture" in Russian) can rapidly cover a vast swath of land with mines by launching them from a distance of up to 15 kilometers, with the weapon system operating akin to a multiple launch rocket system - one that fires mines instead of rockets, that is.

UR-77 Meteorit mine clearing vehicle
©Sputnik / Mikhail Golenkov / Go to the mediabank

The type of mines Zemledeliye can launch varies from POM-3 anti-personnel fragmentation mines to PTM-4M anti-tank mines.

And when Russian forces themselves need to navigate an enemy minefield, that’s when UR-77 mine clearing vehicles come into action.

Based on tracked chassis, the UR-77 can launch mine-clearing charges that extend into a long line before detonating, effectively destroying any mines in an area about 90 meters long and 6 meters wide.

Artillery

Since the launch of the Russian military operation in Ukraine in February 2022, the Ukrainian forces have learned the hard way exactly how efficient and deadly Russian artillery is.

The destructive might of this particular branch of the Russian Armed Forces became especially evident during the Ukrainian "counteroffensive" when those Ukrainian troops who managed to make it past the minefields often get taken out by artillery fire before they can come to grips with Russian forces.

The Russian forces employ a wide array of artillery pieces to achieve these results, including the Msta-B and Giatsint-B 152mm towed howitzers; Akatsiya, Giatsint-S and Msta-S 152mm self-propelled howitzers; and the Tyulpan 240mm self-propelled heavy mortar that is capable of lobbing 130 kg shells at targets up to 18 kilometers away.

MSTA-S self-propelled howitzer during equipment demonstration at the International Military-Technical Forum “ARMY-2015” in Moscow region
©Sputnik / Evgeny Biyatov

Despite the fact that many of these weapon systems were developed and adopted during the Soviet era, they proved to be quite effective against the supposedly superior Western military hardware.

Russian troops also use multiple launch rocket systems like the 122mm BM-21 Grad and Tornado-G, the 220mm BM-27 Uragan and the 300mm BM-31 Smerch.

Watch Russian Tanks Wipe Out Ukrainian Strongholds

Russian T-90M "Breakthrough" tanks ravage Ukrainian defenses as the counteroffensive stalls. On Thursday, Russian forces successfully destroyed strongholds with Ukrainian troops in the Krasny Liman direction.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has published footage of Russian tank crews striking Ukrainian positions, destroying strongholds together with Ukrainian troops in the Krasny Liman direction.

Tank crews work in cooperation with reconnaissance units and drone operators to hit targets more accurately and spend less ammunition.

The T-90 tank was introduced into service in 1992 and since then has become the world's best-seller due to its state-of-the-art characteristics. While the tank has been upgraded multiple times over the years, the modern T-90M Proryv ("Breakthrough") version is one of the best tanks in the world and is widely used in the special operation zone in Ukraine.

The counteroffensive attempt launched by the Kiev regime is coming to its inevitable end. Encouraged by its NATO partners, Ukraine has sacrificed a vast part of its human resources.

Now, with the most resourceful people either having fled abroad or having died for nothing, Ukraine has to resort to defense, which is difficult considering the colossal losses in troops and Western military equipment, as well as the sinking morale of the Ukrainian soldiers who desert en masse to save their lives.

Watch Russian Pacific Marines Repel Ukrainian Attacks

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Ukraine has failed to achieve any meaningful goals during the counteroffensive attempt and has sent tens of thousands of its citizens to their deaths on the battlefield. Nevertheless, it relentlessly continues to challenge Russian defensive lines.

Russia's Defense Ministry released footage showing Pacific Fleet marines repelling numerous Ukrainian attacks near Ugledar. The Marine Corps, supported by artillery fire, thwarted all offensive attempts by Ukrainian troops.

Ukrainian militants undergone extensive training in NATO countries and are equipped with new, including top-notch Leopard 2 battle tanks. However, it turned out that these armored vehicles are just as susceptible to burning as anything else, and every new attempt by Ukrainian troops to launch an attack results in devastating losses within their ranks.

According to the latest data from Russian Ministry of Defense, Kiev had lost more than 66,000 troops and 7,600 pieces of military equipment since the beginning of the counteroffensive.