This is what the Turkish Bayraktar TB-2 leaves in its wake. There were 2 such drones involved in this attack on a Russian armored column north of Kyiv—quite a bargain at just under $2 million a platform (only slightly more than a single Tomahawk cruise missile).
Editor’s Note: This piece was penned by retired Marine Colonel Andrew Milburn, the founder of the Mozart Group.
Sandboxx News has partnered with the Mozart Group to bring you news, analysis, and updates from inside Ukraine’s fight for sovereignty. Led by a retired Marine Colonel, the primary mission of the Mozart Group is to increase the capability and sustainable capacity of the Ukrainian military consistent with U.S. foreign policy. In addition, the Mozart Group aims to protect vulnerable segments of the civilian population in Ukraine.
You can learn more about volunteering with the Mozart Group or about how to donate to them directly by visiting their website here.
Anti-tank weapons are effective because of Soviet design flaws
By contrast, the much-vaunted Javelin and NLAW man-portable anti-tank guided missiles provided to Ukraine in aid packages from the US and its allies, belong to a previous era. They require a man (or two men in the case of the Javelin) to “ambush” armored vehicles within the adversary’s weapons engagement zone. Their high success rate here in Ukraine owes everything to designer defects in Soviet armor.
The Russian BRDMs are made of aluminum alloy, which burns incandescently after contact with a high explosive round. And the manufacturer of the T-72 overlooked one fatal design defect: the tank’s ammunition is stored below the crew spaces without a hardened bulkhead for insulation. Even an RPG-7 round fired from the flank will result in a catastrophic kill more often than not.
Both of these flaws are a result of the corruption and incompetence endemic throughout the Russian Federation military procurement system—and have proven to be a great benefit for the defenders of Ukraine.
Why doesn’t the US produce a blue-collar drone like the TB-2 for export? Well, as all of you are aware, the answers are quite complex. Since July of 2020, there have been no legal restrictions on the export of such a platform. But the US defense industry has no incentive to manufacture a low-cost drone with similar capabilities to the TB-2, and the Defense Department has yet to send a demand signal. Instead, the Turks and the Israelis are allowed to dominate the market—two countries whose national interests do not always overlap neatly with ours.
Where US aid to Ukraine is falling short and why
On a related topic, I have been criticized for my intemperate language in calling out the incoherence of US foreign policy when it comes to Ukraine. I regret using terms that imply that the administration is frightened of Putin and terrified of escalation, but am immensely frustrated that the provision of military aid to Ukraine does not appear to be aligned with battlefield requirements. Instead, we throw money at the problem in the hope that sheer expenditure will bring results. It is a mistake to conflate expenditure and resources with targeted capability. Military aid should be focused on actual requirements—and it is here where US policy breaks down.
The requirement here for long-range precision fires is one example. The US has made no attempt to meet this capability, nor has it fielded logistics drones to meet the Ukrainian military’s requirement to provide penny packet re-supply to units cut off by RF forces. The garrison in Mariupol—the Marines and special operations troops who have fought so tenaciously for the last 2 months—are sending out their last messages of farewell. They are short of ammunition, food, water and medicine. They have some 600 wounded, many of whom are dying of infections unusual for any army in the 21st century. Surrender is absolutely out of the question; no one brings up such a preposterous idea.
It didn’t have to be this way. Helicopters have made it through the Russian ADA defenses, but with every third being shot down, resupply by this means became prohibitively expensive. It would have been a relatively simple task to flood the air with inexpensive decoys, overwhelming Russian air defenses, while a handful of logistics drones delivered vital supplies that would have allowed the garrison to fight on indefinitely. Although such drones are available in the US, no one thought to supply them to the Ukrainian armed forces… and now it is probably too late.
Maximizing US aid to Ukraine requires supervision
Moreover, a policy that simply pushes logistics without any “pull” or supervision to ensure distribution according to prioritization of need simply doesn’t work. A handful of US contractors in-country could have made a world of difference in this regard. Instead, the Territorial Defense Forces in the West are all well equipped while units on the front line go short of everything. Is this corruption? Perhaps—but from what I have seen it’s simply a case of commanders trying to take care of their own, not realizing that there is only a limited amount of US largess to go around.
I am not making these comments simply to vent, nor because I have a partisan agenda. I have considerable experience with planning and executing complex military operations, and want to help. But someone in the administration has to be willing to listen…
You can learn more about volunteering with the Mozart Group or about how to donate to them directly by visiting their website here.
Read more from the Mozart Group and Sandboxx News
- Mozart Group: How American veterans are helping Ukraine win
- The new Russian plan for Ukraine is too ambitious for its own good
- 5 covert actions that could turn the tide for Ukraine, according to a former CIA officer
- Switchblade drones: Giving Ukraine an edge on the battlefield
- US Steps up intelligence sharing with Ukraine
Are you the editor of a news or media outlet who would like to syndicate our Mozart Group content at no cost? We want to spread the word—reach out to us at news@sandboxx.us with “Syndication Request” in the subject line!
Feature image courtesy of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence
Great article, thanks for sharing with us!!!
Hey @Andrew Milburn, I did notice that the UK recently sent (or is planning to send.) Cargo drones to the UAF.
So why do we help the Russians by publishing this information? Why not let them figure it out themselves? Seems pretty stupid and irresponsible to publish this. Freedom comes with responsibility, and this is not showing that at all.
I agree with you Phillip. This has been a problem long before anything ever happened in Ukraine. The news agencies and reporters are all wanting to sound so important and getting the story all wrong and no corrections when they do step on their D!@ks.
This type info should not be aired, pepoles lives are at risk.
Wow you guys should brief the Ukrainian army on internet Opsec. Your counter intel skills are really impressive.
About corruption, and about the armament of the hollow part of the truth. Only we (I am from Ukraine) have a pseudo-republic with 10,000 fighters in the southwest and north (northwest) of Belarus. with which the attack on Kyiv was organized. and so we have a circle of western borders 2 enemy groups that have not yet crossed the border and according to intelligence, they “maneuver” may be worth exposing the rear? Okay, now the question is, before this war started, Mr. Biden flatly refused to decide / say anything about the Budapest Memorandum. If you insist, I will not communicate with you. Now the United States is also saving its reputation and Biden’s reputation because the security memorandum was violated not only by the Russians but also by the United States, and Britain simply overthrew the United States, Germany and France politically when the prime minister arrived in Kyiv. By the way, Germany as well as Hungary knew about the invasion. Wengram was promised in 5 years the lands of Ukraine for sabotage in the NATO system. Russia is now in a difficult situation and they cannot give in, and the United States is also on its nerves. for losing Ukraine will be a blow and any security treaties from the United States will cost nothing. I am writing through an interpreter, I hope the meaning of what I want to tell you will be clear
Being.veitnam marine.0311.1967.68.I think all opinions.reguarding.this wasteful conflict.are valid..go to the WALL.
every we start hauling all the water..
So sad to see so called “American patriots” parroting the words of Putin and his poodle (trump) . This is pivotal moment in world history and it is essential that democracies stand their ground. This battle will spread to all corners of the globe if it is not defeated in Ukraine.
I congratulate and support Mr Milburn in his endeavours.
No one is parroting any Putin talking points but it is a shame.that you as well as others are being so easily lead astray by the shame of a war. At any given time you can kit up and go over but ask yourself this, why would Putin invade the Ukraine? Maybe after years of being warned.by him as well as the previous Russian president not to forget our previous diplomats that NATO expansion eastward will escalate tensions between the Eat and West. Oh, BTW, that issue was noted as far back as the early to the mid 1990’s.
NATO is a defensive alliance! All this talk about expansion of NATO eastwards is only propaganda talk from Putin! He knows NATO never invaded a sovereign country. Putin did it many times The west should stop to spread this Putin narrative. When Poland would not become a member, we would have another invasion by Putin. This is why Putin started the war, Ukraine is not NATO member! Budapest Memorandum us a Real document. The is no written contract supporting no NATO membership in the East of Europe!
Where do you get your Zelensky “corruption “ intel, I think you are just another sheep of Fox News to just say he’s corrupt with zero evidence . It’s all subjective , corruption, we don’t push the war crimes philosophy because we have commuted dozens of corruption and war crimes in Vietnam , I’m not complaining as I was there in the 1970’s special op missions , tgg gf ant just the way it is As foe Zelensky , he’s just a tv and movie comedy guy , the suddenly the president , he had no time to be corrupt , not a political guy sat all. He a good guy by all accounts, in a terrible position being attacked by tgg he r second largest military in the world , he needs our help , as if Those Russian bastards win, it’s extremely dangerous for the U.S. and Europe , like in this story , WE are the ones screwing up with the weapons he MUST have
Why are we in Ukraine in the first place? Zelensky and Putin are both corrupt. I’m not defending Putin, but we have broken every promise to the Russians since 1989 about not expanding NATO eastwards. Furthermore, the Ukrainians have been shelling the Donbas region, where there are many ethnic Russians, before this war began. I’m a USMC veteran myself, but I refuse to fight for the military industrial complex and Zionism anymore. I suggest you look at Smedley Butler ‘s book, “War is a Racket” He was right.
Every single word of what you just said is 100% incorrect. We failed the pact we signed with Ukraine in 1994 The Budapest Memorandum where the United States signed a pact with Ukraine if Ukraine gave up all its Nuclear defense weapons the United States and Russia would not invade and would protect the National Sovereignty of Ukraine. Ukraine agreed to disarm its Nuclear Defense trusting the US and Russia would not invade and would protect Ukraine. Russia tried to have the United States disarm its Nuclear weapons between 2008-2014 for which the Pentagon said “NO.” Since then China, Russia and Iran have been conducting Nuclear exercises against the United States. Any country that disarms its Nuclear weapons will lose a conventional war if the opposing country uses Nuclear weapons. Example: United States and Japan 6,9, August 1945. Japan surrendered to the United States. The Budapest Memorandum was broken when Vladimir Putin ordered the Russian military to Annex (take by force) Crimea Ukraine 2.4 million Ukrainians. 1/5 the size of Florida square miles. Then Putin proceeded to invade eastern Ukraine, and now war to take the entire country. After Ukraine, Russia has publicly stated it will take Moldova which has no military. War crimes committed in Ukraine will put Putin on trial if he is arrested eventually. Until then the United States will honor the Budapest Memorandum and assist Ukraine killing the invading Russian forces that are exterminating, raping and murdering innocent women, children and families. I hope this sheds light on current events.
L/Cpl Miller here…Please Respond…IPF, OUT
My feeling is that a lot of these weapons will end up in the hands of terrorists world wide.
Do you mean like Afghanistan?
Stop spreading your fears! Uctaniand are already using them and very effective! All this fears is a good way to influence public to support Putin