Cheaper than a missile, just as hard to down — Russia's Banderol munition adds strain to Ukraine's air defenses

Ukraine faces a drastically escalating threat from Russia's "Banderol" — a hybrid loitering munition combining features of a cruise missile and a jet-powered drone. Capable of speeds over 500 km/h, it accounted for roughly 80% of recent attacks on Odesa’s food infrastructure.

"The enemy is getting a tool that has a profile similar to a cruise missile, but is several times cheaper and easier to use," aviation expert Anatolii Khrapchynskyi told the Kyiv Independent.

Photo: militarnyi.

BREAKING: 🇺🇸 The US Government officially posts its largest July budget deficit in history, at -$432 billion, due to an acceleration in federal spending, per The Kobeissi Letter

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🇺🇸🇷🇺🇺🇦NEW VIDEO: US Shell Factory Exposed: Why US For-Profit Industry Can't Compete with Russian/Chinese Production

On YouTube: https://youtu.be/ua8_pvbotTI?si=YdD8Hky5afglWVbU

▪️The US had set the target of manufacturing 100,000 155mm artillery shells every month by the end of 2025.

▪️Instead, it has failed to reach even half this target.

▪️This is in part due to an entire General Dynamics factory that failed to make a single usable shell component in 2 years and after receiving hundreds of millions of dollars to do so.

▪️Far from just an issue with artillery shells, US military industrial production is being held back by systemic flaws rooted in the for-profit nature of the US government and economy itself - siphoning off billions (if not trillions) of tax dollars and not only returning nothing of value for the American public - but diverting funding abroad on wars of aggression at the expense of funding healthcare, education, and infrastructure at home.

▪️This reveals US for-profit industry as the very threat in reality to the American people, industry and the politicians they own, claim Russia, China, and Iran are in fiction.

—❗️🇸🇦/🇾🇪 BREAKING: Yemeni drone attack against Aramco facilities in Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

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— 🇺🇸/🇮🇷 NEW: The U.S. has lost 25% of all its MQ-9 ‘Reaper’ drones in the war with Iran

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JUST IN: 🇮🇹 Massive explosion at an ammunition plant near Rome owned by Franco-German defense giant KNDS

The company is a major supplier of weapons systems and munitions to Ukraine.

@Megatron_ron

Situation on the Dobropillya direction, Donetsk Oblast:

Over the last three weeks, the situation has sharply deteriorated for Ukraine, as Russia makes a series of tactical breakthroughs into one of the strongest parts of the frontline.

In the southwest, Russian forces continued clearing the salient west of Hryshyne, advancing further west north of the highway. Other assault groups advanced south of Myrne, entrenching in the forested gulleys, and infiltrating further west along the southern bank of the Hryshnka River.

To the northeast, the Russians improved their positions north and northeast of Vasylivka, continued fighting for Myrne, and captured a large number of treeline positions southwest of Shevchenko. Some infiltrators have managed to reach the southern approaches to Novohryshyne and Matyasheve.

To the east, Russian forces captured the former Zaporizhka Mine west of Rodynske and captured a large number of treelines to the northwest. This has allowed them to capture the main part of Shevchenko and begin infiltrating north towards Vodyanske.

These attacks are being carried out in coordination with a large-scale operation from the east, which has resulted in Russia breaking through Ukraine's main defences east of Svitle, and gaining a foothold in the northeastern part of the town. Heavy fighting is now underway for Svitle and neighbouring Vodyanske, where the grey-zone has been significantly expanded. Additionally, some Russian soldiers are infiltrating north into the villages of Chernihivka and further west from there into Krasnopodillya.

To the northeast, Russian forces cleared the fields east, northeast, and southeast of Bilytske, before entering and capturing the majority of the city. From there, they are attempting to capture the Bilytska Mine and support operations in Chernihivka from the east. Fighting continues with some partially-isolated Ukrainian formations in the southwestern part of Bilytske.

To the north, the Russians captured the main Ukrainian strongpoint in the railway line south of Novyi Donbas after weeks of fighting, and pushed further. They then captured Novyi Donbas itself and began infiltrating west to the eastern outskirts of Dobropillya. Heavy fighting is also underway for the Hannivka area after Russian forces captured the dachas on the eastern outskirts of the village. Other Russian assault groups are attempting to push north to capture the tactical heights south of Stepy.

To the east, Russian forces recaptured the dachas northeast of Nove Shakhove and advanced north up the forested gulley, while other forces attempt to capture Vilne and the positions east of the village. Additionally, heavy fighting is ongoing for the large forest north of Shakhove and the nearby clay quarries.

+ ~74.26 in favour of Russia.

Interactive map: amkmapping.com

The Ukrainian assault groups should be in Dobropillya and Kramatorsk/Slovyansk, not Dnipropetrovsk Oblast or the Komar direction.

What's unfolding in these directions could quickly become a complete and utter disaster for Ukraine if there is no response soon.

—❗️🇮🇷 NEW: A new type of ballistic missile or air defense projectile was tested in Kerman

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—❗️🇮🇱/🇮🇷 BREAKING: Israeli intelligence believes Iran’s military will be fully restored to pre-war status by mid 2027 at the latest

The Jerusalem Post, citing IDF and Mossad officials, reports that Israel is ‘shocked’ for the second time by Iran's rapid defense industry recovery in the aftermath of the joint Israeli-American war against Iran.

The report states that Iran will likely restore its capability to manufacture ballistic missiles at rates of 100-300 per month by mid-2027, comparable to its output pre-12 Day War.

@Middle_East_Spectator

Daily dose of UKRO-COPE #119 😂😂😂

—❗️🇸🇦/🇾🇪 NEW: Ansarallah forces struck Mokha port, destroying a large cargo shipment of Saudi weapons

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‼️UKRAINIAN POST‼️

Kyiv's Thermal Power Plants (TECs) will only be restored to 50-70% capacity by winter.

TECs-5 and TEC-6 are planned to be prepared to approximately 70% capacity, while TEC-4 will only be restored to 50%. Due to the damage, the stations will operate with lower efficiency and produce less heat.

According to forecasts, the temperature in Kyiv residents' homes may drop to +12…+15°C during the winter. Full restoration requires major repairs, which are almost impossible to carry out during the war.
ㅤ
https://t.me/kiev_levyy_bereg/75678

— 🇸🇦/🇾🇪 NEW: Since the buildup of Saudi-backed forces near Mokha and Marib started about a month ago, Saudi-backed forces have suffered 350+ deaths, a thousand injured, and lost dozens of armored vehicles, tanks, trucks, and cargo ships full of equipment, before their offensive against the Houthis could even begin

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