Cold War Era M113 Armored Personnel Carrier Meets Ukraine's Drone Era Needs

If ever an armored vehicle earned the sobriquet 'war horse,' it is the M113 armored personnel carrier. Designed in the 1950s, it has seen heavy use in a variety of wars, including Vietnam, Israel's Six Day and Yom Kippur conflicts, and now in Ukraine. 

It's continued use in the drone era stems from its mobility, survivability and the vast inventory, so other countries can give it to Ukraine as they transition to newer models. Among its benefits are its ability to move off road, key to Ukraine fighting and, interestingly, as a means of safely transporting drones, their teams and infantry closer to the front for deployment. JL

Vikram Mittal reports in Forbes:

On a battlefield where drone technology evolves so rapidly that systems become obsolete within weeks, a platform designed in the 1950s continues to see widespread use. This reflects how the M113’s mobility, simplicity, adaptability, and ease of mass production align with the current high-intensity, attritional fight. NATO country deliveries combined with those provided by the U.S. to Ukraine (add up to) 1,900 M113s. In Ukraine’s threat environment, the M113 balances survivability, mobility, and lethality against Russian artillery and FPV drones. Its armor is sufficient to protect against shrapnel, grenades, and smaller drone-mounted munitions. Its powertrain can support the weight of counter-drone add-ons. (And) the M113 is a difficult target due to its speed and mobility off-road where it can transport FPV and bomber drones to forward areas to be deployed. 

With Russian Wounded Evacuation "Unlikely," 62% of 100,000 Recent Casualties Dead

Russian losses have become so severe - 100,000 casualties over the past three months, 62% of whom are dead - that morale among frontline troops is declining, according to Russia's own assessment. 

Russian troops are aware that if they are wounded, evacuation is unlikely. An unofficial soldiers' guide, obtained by Ukrainian intelligence, advises troops to 'finish off your wounded comrade, then yourself.'

The ratio of wounded to killed in battle is historically about 2 wounded for every one killed - the opposite of the current Russian experience in Ukraine. That the battlefield has become so lethal for Russian soldiers at this point in the war and that the bleak forecast is known to Russian troops, suggests a degraded military capability. JL

The New Voice of Ukraine reports:

As of mid-March, Russia lost nearly 100,000 troops on the front line over the previous three months. Constant pressure from fiber-optic drones, precision bomb drops, and artillery has created conditions in which Russian troops increasingly understand that evacuation is unlikely. A new unofficial “instruction manual” circulating within Russia’s army advises: finish off your wounded comrade, then take your own life. Russia's own battlefield loss ratio has shifted so that of 100% of Russia’s total battlefield losses, 62% are killed and 38% are wounded. 90% of Russian losses on the battlefield were caused by Ukrainian drones.

Russia's Cascading Failures On 2 Fronts Spell Disaster For Kremlin's 2026 Plan

It was bad enough that the Ukrainians anticipated, held off and then counterattacked against Russian efforts in the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk region, even trapping a significant Russian force inside Huliaipole whose breach the Kremlin had touted as a major territorial gain. 

But to make matters worse, the Russians then attempted an armored assault on the Lyman sector in the east - and were literally slaughtered. These twin failures not only disrupt the Kremlin's war plan for this year, but call into question Russia's ability to ever prevail against Ukraine. JL

David Axe reports in Trench Art:

Moscow's plan for a quick march on Zaporizhzhia city, 80 km west of the current front line in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, are in disarray. Ukrainian forces  forces counterattacked. The 95th Air Assault Brigade cleared the gray zone of hundreds of Russian infiltrators —and then turned east. A month later, the 95th was within mortar range of Russia's base in Uspenivka, 14 km north of Huliaipole. The Russians not only lost their momentum, they fell back. Similarly, exhausted after (fighting in) the ruins of Pokrovsk, the Russians attempted to restore their flagging offensive by massing armored forces for a fresh push at Lyman. The Russian's mustered 500 troops, 28 armored vehicles, 100 motorcycles and ATVs. (But) the Ukrainians were prepared: when the smoke cleared, they counted 405 Russian casualties including at least 288 killed in action. “Zero advance.”

In Landmark Verdict, Jury Holds Meta Responsible For Its Platform's Content

Until yesterday, no plaintiff had ever been able prevail in trial against the extremely wealthy tech companies about whether they could be held responsible for the content on their platforms. That changed with the verdict in New Mexico. There are thousands of similar lawsuits pending in California and in federal courts. 

This is significant both due to the outcome which focused on one of the world's red-lines - child abuse - and to the timing. The combination of wealth-flaunting tech bros dabbling in politics primarily for their own benefit and the rise of AI, which has captured the public's ire for its proponents' casual disregard (not to mention outright lies) about the impact on jobs, incomes and personal data, has arguably brought to an end a generation's worth of public support for unfettered technology. The public and many of its elected representatives increasingly see the tech industry and its leaders as self-serving and greedy. This means that juries are likely to increasingly find for the people suing tech. And though it would be premature to count out the heavily funded tech companies and their battalions of well-compensated lawyers, this verdict may mark the beginning of a shift in liability which has far-reaching financial consequences not just for responsibility, but for issues such as ownership of intellectual property on the free access to which the tech business model is significantly based. JL

Erin Mulvaney and Meghan Bobrowsky report in the Wall Street Journal:

The jury found Meta liable for misleading consumers about the safety of its platforms and endangering children. The case was among the first to test whether social-media  companies should be held responsible for content posted on their platforms. This is the first time a state has prevailed at trial against a major tech company for harming young people. The case was one of dozens of similar lawsuits filed by state attorneys general against Meta and other platforms. Separately, a jury is deliberating in a similar case in a Los Angeles court,  one of thousands of similar individual lawsuits consolidated in a California court. Additionally, more than 2,000 lawsuits are pending in federal court by individuals and school districts.

19 Year Old Russian Conscript Passed Intel To Ukraine Resulting In 150 Killed

A 19 year old Russian university student, conscripted against his will and then deployed, despite a promise of better treatment, to the Ukrainian combat zone contacted Ukraine's "I Want To Live" program. 

Resentful of his treatment by the Russian military, he provided coordinates and other intelligence to the Ukrainian military before escaping to Ukrainian lines. He was passing along information about his own unit which resulted in the deaths of 150 Russian soldiers and the wounding of another 50, including four drone crews and four mortar teams. While unusual, his defection reinforces ongoing revelations about discontent in Russia's frontline units. JL

 
Anzhelika Kalchenko reports in Militarnyi:

A 19 year old Russian soldier who served in the 102nd Motor Rifle Regiment of the 150th Division passed the coordinates of his own unit to the Ukrainians, resulting in strikes that killed 150 and wounded 50. He had been conscripted for mandatory service despite being enrolled at a university and despite then signing a contract for warrant officer training, was deployed to a combat zone. He contracted the Ukrainians through the "I want to live' program but wanted to harm the Russian military. For 80 days, he passed on coordinates of positions, equipment, and movement of units from the 102nd Regiment. After several attempts, he made his way to Ukrainian positions, covering 20 km in difficult conditions.

Why the Iran War Is Constraining Russia In Ukraine and Europe

Early analyses of the US and Israeli attacks on Iran purported to show that the primary beneficiary was Russia due increased oil prices and attention deflected from its faltering invasion of Ukraine. 

But that appears to have been short-term thinking. In a geostrategic sense, Russia - already found wanting by its inability to win in Ukraine - has now lost two of its key global allies, Syria and Venezuela. With Iran now under attack and military capabilities degraded, Russia's incapacity to do more than provide intelligence has undermined its standing as a serious alternative to western power. It also weakens the potential threat the Kremlin has attempted to create to Europe because with US aggression and European steadfast, defiant support for Ukraine, Putin's bluff has been called. JL 

Suzanne Loftus reports in The National Interest:

Analysts argue that rising oil prices and US attention to the Middle East gives Russia an advantage against Ukraine. While it may prove true in the short term, this overlooks a strategic consequence of the US’ employing coercive diplomacy and military force to reshape power balances. Degrading Iran’s military capabilities and weakening the regime, contributes to a weakening of the geostrategic ecosystem that helped Russia withstand Western pressure since its invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin frames its war in Ukraine as part of a struggle against Western domination in which Russia has positioned itself as an alternative to Western powers. (But) Russia's limited support for Iran is overshadowed by Ukraine’s military and technical aid. Moscow's inability to do more for Iran demonstrates its limits. Moscow may be operating in an environment of increased constraints on its behavior, discouraged from attempting to test NATO

Amazon For Lethal Goods: Ukraine Units Order Own Drones From Gov't Market

Necessity has driven the Ukrainian military to innovate in ways that improve efficiency, effectiveness - and lethality. 

Among the latest - and most impressive - are online 'marketplaces' where units in the field can order the type and number of drones they need based on the threat, opportunity, weather conditions and locale. The order is placed using the unit's account and is delivered in 5 to 10 days. This has supplanted the military bureaucracy which is too far away from the constantly evolving drone war at the front to keep up with new developments. And it is one of the reasons why the Ukrainians have had such success so far this year. JL

Maria Varenikova reports in the New York Times:

Militaries have long standardized their arsenals, simplifying mass production, training and supply. (But) in the age of drones, drone technology evolves too quickly for military bureaucracy to keep up. Ukraine has responded with decentralized procurement, matching supply to demand that can vary depending on the place and time. It is expanding the variety of drones, and allows troops to choose their own weapons, resembling a consumer market, an Amazon for lethal goods. The government has set up two websites to allow combat units to choose from hundreds of military drone models, according to their needs. A commander can place the order, paying with his unit’s account. The system places the order with the manufacturer, generates the paperwork and arranges for the drones to be shipped. They usually arrive within 5 to 10 days. “I can order any device sitting in a dugout.”