Ukraine's Pilots Flying Soviet-Era Jets Use iPads To Launch New NATO Weapons

Continuing the innovative and lethal combination of Soviet-era equipment used by Ukraine with the modern weapons they are being supplied by NATO, Ukrainian Air Force pilots flying Soviet and Russia fighter jets have iPads in their cockpits which allow the Russian planes to launch modern missiles and rockets. JL 

Thomas Newdick reports in The Drive, Warzone:

The Ukrainian Air Force is using iPads, or similar tablets in the cockpits of its Soviet-era jets to enable rapid integration of modern Western air-to-ground weapons. "The Ukrainians have a lot of Russian and Soviet-era aircraft. Working with the Ukrainians, we’ve been able to take many Western weapons and get them to work on their aircraft controlled by an iPad (used) by the pilot. And they’re flying it in conflict a week after we get it to him.” Such a setup, with a pylon adapted for the weapons being employed and paired with a tablet, would not need any wiring. The pylon contains hardware that handles this with a short-range wireless device, like Bluetooth, connecting with the pad in the cockpit.

Ukraine Destroys Russian KA- 52 Attack Helicopter At Moscow Airport

That a helicopter was destroyed is noteworthy but less important than that Ukrainian military intelligence was able to do so by penetrating a Russian military airport in the supposedly heavily defended  Moscow area. JL 

Dinara Kalilova and Kateryna Denisova report in the Kyiv Independent:

A Russian multirole helicopter Ka-32 was destroyed at the Ostafyevo airfield in Moscow overnight on April 26 as a result of a Ukrainian military intelligence operation. The Ostafyevo airfield, located in Moscow's southern suburbs, is owned by Russia's Defense Ministry and operated jointly with Gazpromavia, which is part of the country's state-run energy giant Gazprom.

Russian Attacks West of Avdiivka "Marginal,' Unlikely To Be 'Operationally Significant'

Russian attacks west of Avdiivka launched in the face of Ukrainian ammunition shortages are now being termed 'marginal,' and unlikely to result in an operationally significant penetration. 

Ukraine has built strong defensive lines further west which are stronger than those to which they retreated after the withdrawal from Avdiivka. With more US and NATO supplies now arriving, those defenses will be even tougher. JL 

The Institute for the Study of War reports:

Recent Russian gains northwest of Avdiivka have been marginal, with Russian forces advancing at most roughly five kilometers in depth since April 18. Russian forces continue offensive operations west of Avdiivka but have so far only achieved gradual marginal gains west and southwest of Avdiivka. Russian forces will have to replenish and reinforce attacking units and will not be able to maintain the tempo of offensive operations required to advance. Russian forces will likely continue to make tactical gains northwest of Avdiivka, but are unlikely to develop into an operationally significant penetration, let alone cause the collapse of the Ukrainian defense west of Avdiivka.

US, Ukraine Develop New M1A1 Tank Tactics To Counter Drone Threat

Widespread use of FPV drones has made the use of armored vehicles considerably more risky than in previous conflicts. 

Ukraine has temporarily withdrawn its tanks from the front as it works with the US and NATO allies to develop new tactics which will make tanks deployment less vulnerable and more effective. JL 

Vira Kravchuk reports in Euromaidan Press:

The US agreed to provide Ukraine with 31 Abrams tanks in January 2023. (But) battlefield dynamics have changed considerably since then, due to the significant presence of Russian surveillance and hunter-killer drones, which made it challenging for Ukraine to protect the tanks from being quickly detected and targeted. Ukraine has sidelined the tanks from the front lines for the time being as the US will now collaborate with the Ukrainians to develop new strategies.

Many US Women Choose Permanent Contraception After Dobbs Abortion Ruling

The political implications of the Dobbs decision were apparent within months as Americans angry at the arrogant abridgement of their rights - which polls had made clear for years - voted overwhelmingly to defeat Republican candidates for office up and down the ballot. 

The broader socio-economic implications are now coming into better focus and reveal the life-changing decisions Americans feel forced to make in the wake of extremist right wing policies. These decisions may affect birth rates, employment, immigration and global economic competitiveness. JL 

The Economist reports:

On june 24th 2022 America’s Supreme Court ruled, in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organisation, to let states set their own laws on abortion. Since then 14 have banned abortion completely. The journal of the american medical assoc study found a sharp jump in permanent contraceptive procedures among both men and women in the months after the Dobbs decision. Some feared a broader crackdown on contraception. That would suggest permanent contraception, rather than a temporary method, is becoming more prevalent among young people. The decisions that Dobbs is forcing on young Americans may affect their lives in ways that were not widely anticipated.

Ukrainians At Krasnohorivka Stop "Garage Tank" With Mines, Drones

The Russians are experimenting with more armored vehicle anti-drone defenses. Ukrainian soldiers call one of them the 'Garage tank' because it looks like it carries its own garage.

Another is called 'the Barbecue' because it has metal grills all around it. A major problem with that one is that there is only one 'door' to the grill, which in the tank's rear. Soldiers who can't get to it fast enough after a drone attack get 'barbecued.' So far, none of the Russian solutions to FPV drones, including electronic jammers, appear to work. JL 

Militarnyi reports:

A Russian tank with a giant anti-drone superstructure tried to storm the positions near Krasnohorivka. A colossal sheet metal structure was installed on the Russian tank, supplemented by an electronic warfare system to protect against attack drones. Mine trawls were also attached to the tank to clear the track. Following a style previously observed in Russian operations in Syria, this tank led a column of several IFVs as they advanced to break through Ukrainian positions. The Ukrainian military was still able to stop this tank

Russian Oil Refining Drops To 10 Month Low, Exports Down To 6 Month Low

Ukraine's strategic bombing with drones and missiles of Russia's oil refining and export capabilities is beginning to have a significant impact on its economy, which may not be sustainable since Russia produces little else of value to world markets. JL 

Artur Kryzhnyi reports in Ukraine Pravda:

Russia's average daily oil refining rate fell to the lowest weekly level in ten months after Ukrainian drone attacks hit major facilities. Russian ports' weekly exports of petrol dropped to 54,000 tonnes, a six-month low. Russia's high-octane fuel production fell for the fourth consecutive month due to the refinery repairs caused by the UAV attacks. "The decrease in shipments is due to the ban on the export of gasoline introduced by the Russian government, which began to operate on 1 March of this year." Russia has requested Kazakhstan to be prepared to deliver 100,000 tonnes of petrol due to fuel shortages