All posts tagged: ammunition

Repression in Iran, ammunition made in France

Repression in Iran, ammunition made in France

Published by Sam

A two-year investigation by FRANCE 24 has revealed that hunting cartridges produced by the French-Italian ammunition manufacturer Cheddite were used in Iran during the violent crackdown on the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests in 2022. The investigation uncovers how these cartridges are widely available in Iran, despite European sanctions imposed in 2011. It appears the ammunition may have been routed through Turkey, where Cheddite at one point held shares in a weapons manufacturing company. This investigation, broadcast by FRANCE 24, sheds light on the dealings that allowed the ammunition to reach Iranian soil, despite international sanctions. Source link

Ukraine destroys huge Russian ammunition depot

Ukraine destroys huge Russian ammunition depot

Published by Sam

Flames rise during an explosion in Toropets, Tver region, Russia. Screenshot taken from a video posted on social media, Wednesday, September 18, 2024. SOCIAL MEDIA VIA REUTERS A series of powerful explosions destroyed a vast ammunition depot adjacent to the town of Toropets, in the Tver region of Russia, in the early hours of Wednesday, September 18. The Russian army’s 107th arsenal, located 500 kilometers north of the Ukrainian border and storing 240 tonnes of ammunition, was hit by projectiles fired by the Ukrainian army. The explosions were so powerful that they were detected by seismic monitoring systems. The first tremor of magnitude 2.8 were recorded at 3:56 am, followed by seven weaker ones, ranging from 2 to 2.8 on the Richter scale. Numerous videos filmed by local residents and the Russian military documented the immense mushroom cloud rising into the air and its aftermath. Russian authorities reported 17 injuries. A video shot at around 8 am by a local from Toropets (population 11,000) showed dozens of homes with blown-out windows. Incessant explosions can be …

Colombia Missing ‘Significantly’ Less Ammunition Than Reported by President

Colombia Missing ‘Significantly’ Less Ammunition Than Reported by President

Published by skeptic

(Reuters) -Ammunition and weapons missing from Colombia’s army are far less than figures reported by President Gustavo Petro this week, a military report seen by Reuters showed, contradicting his assertions about the loss of Israeli-made anti-tank missiles. Petro said on Tuesday more than 1.6 million bullets were missing from two military bases in the country’s Cundinamarca and La Guajira provinces, as well as thousands of explosive munitions, two Spike missiles and 37 Nimrod missiles.  However, the report cited by Petro only lists 131,000 missing bullets and just under 6,000 explosive munitions. It does not mention any missing missiles. The presidency and the defense ministry declined to comment. Two senior military sources told Reuters the president read from the wrong column in the report, which is why he gave the incorrect figures. General Helder Giraldo, commander of Colombia’s military, said an investigation has been launched to determine the correct quantity of missing ammunition, but denied any missiles had been lost. “It’s not about covering up reality,” Giraldo told journalists late on Thursday, adding that members of …

Colombia’s president says ammunition has gone missing from 2 army bases

Colombia’s president says ammunition has gone missing from 2 army bases

Published by skeptic

Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro speaks during a press conference flanked by Colombia’s Defense Minister Ivan Velasquez, left, and Colombia’s Armed Forces Commander, Gen. Helder Giraldo, at the Narino Presidential Palace in Bogota, Colombia, on Tuesday. Fernando Vergara/AP hide caption toggle caption Fernando Vergara/AP Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro speaks during a press conference flanked by Colombia’s Defense Minister Ivan Velasquez, left, and Colombia’s Armed Forces Commander, Gen. Helder Giraldo, at the Narino Presidential Palace in Bogota, Colombia, on Tuesday. Fernando Vergara/AP BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Tuesday that hundreds of thousands of pieces of ammunition have gone missing from two military bases in the South American country. In a brief statement, Petro said that an inspection this month by the army found that hundreds of thousands of bullets, thousands of grenades and 37 anti-tank missiles were stolen from a military base in the center of the country and another near the Caribbean coast. Petro, the country’s first left-wing president, said the ammunition might have ended up in the hands of Colombian rebel groups, …

Twenty Cambodian soldiers killed in ammunition base explosion: PM | Military News

Twenty Cambodian soldiers killed in ammunition base explosion: PM | Military News

Published by Sam

The blast, which also wounded several soldiers, occurred at an army base in Kampong Speu province, Hun Manet says. Twenty soldiers have been killed in an ammunition explosion at a base in the west of Cambodia, according to Prime Minister Hun Manet. The blast, which also wounded several soldiers, occurred on Saturday afternoon at an army base in Kampong Speu province, Hun Manet said in a statement on Facebook, without giving more details on the incident. Hun Manet said he was “deeply shocked” when he received the news of the explosion at the base in Kampong Speu province. It was not immediately clear what caused the explosion and Hun Manet did not comment on the issue in his post. He offered condolences to the soldiers’ families and promised the government would pay for their funerals and provide compensation both to those killed and those injured. Pictures on social media showed a destroyed one-storey building wreathed in smoke, as well as injured people being treated at a hospital, with residents of a nearby village also sharing …

Ukraine’s Big Vulnerabilities: Ammunition, Soldiers and Air Defense

Ukraine’s Big Vulnerabilities: Ammunition, Soldiers and Air Defense

Published by Sam

Ukraine’s top military commander has issued a bleak assessment of the army’s positions on the eastern front, saying they have “worsened significantly in recent days.” Russian forces were pushing hard to exploit their growing advantage in manpower and ammunition to break through Ukrainian lines, the commander, Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, said in a statement over the weekend. “Despite significant losses, the enemy is increasing his efforts by using new units on armored vehicles, thanks to which he periodically achieves tactical gains,” the general said. At the same time, Ukraine’s energy ministry told millions of civilians to charge their power banks, get their generators out of storage and “be ready for any scenario” as Ukrainian power plants are damaged or destroyed in devastating Russian airstrikes. With few critical military supplies flowing into Ukraine from the United States for months, commanders are being forced to make difficult choices over where to deploy limited resources as the toll on civilians grows daily. Even before the disappearance of American assistance — a bill to provide $60 billion in military and …

Czech Defence Group CSG Plans Ammunition Venture in Ukraine

Czech Defence Group CSG Plans Ammunition Venture in Ukraine

Published by skeptic

PRAGUE (Reuters) – Czechoslovak Group (CSG), one of Europe’s biggest ammunition producers, is looking to set up joint ventures to invest hundreds of millions of euros in Ukraine to boost the country’s defence capacities, CSG’s billionaire owner said on Wednesday. The ventures would focus on heavy ammunition and equipment, providing important technology and a way to ramp up production in the coming years, although not an immediate fix to Europe’s drive to get more artillery rounds to Ukraine now, Michal Strnad told a group of journalists. CSG has become an important supplier to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, delivering refurbished T-72 tanks along with ammunition, howitzers and other equipment. Its business has soared with those supplies, along with a renewed focus in Europe on defence spending. Revenues hit 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) in 2022, the latest year available. The 31-year-old Strnad, who grew CSG after taking full ownership from his father in 2018, said the joint ventures (JV) would expand facilities for state-owned Ukrainian defence firms. The Latest Photos From Ukraine “We …

Without More Funds, US Unable to Hit Ammunition Production Goals

Without More Funds, US Unable to Hit Ammunition Production Goals

Published by skeptic

Pentagon —  The United States will not hit its 155-millimeter artillery shell production goals unless Congress passes the supplemental funding bill that’s currently stalled in the U.S. House of Representatives, officials tell VOA. Shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Ukrainian forces began burning through U.S. stockpiles of 155 mm rounds used in howitzer systems, which the U.S. had provided to Kyiv to help defend its territory and citizens. To quickly replenish U.S. stockpiles and keep up with demand for shells in Ukraine, the Pentagon set out to expand American production capacity from about 14,000 units per month before Russia’s invasion to 100,000 rounds per month in 2025. “Without additional supplemental funding, we cannot achieve our goal,” a U.S. Defense Department official told VOA. Plans to increase production The U.S. is currently producing approximately 28,000 155 mm rounds per month, with a ramp-up plan to produce 70,000-80,000 rounds per month by the end of 2024, Pentagon spokesperson Jeff Jurgensen told VOA. But 155 mm shell production will peak there unless additional funds are provided. …

Can Ukraine still win? Why the outcome of the war depends on ammunition

Can Ukraine still win? Why the outcome of the war depends on ammunition

Published by skeptic

After two years of conflict and constant Russian bombardment, the war in Ukraine has reached a near-standstill. Both armies have been stuck in trench warfare for most of 2023 and the beginning of 2024. This is what’s known as a “tactical stalemate”: Neither side has enough soldiers, weapons or ammunition to gain the upper hand. The West is struggling to continue supplying Ukraine with the equipment that is necessary now that artillery exchanges have become the most common method of fighting, in particular with 155 mm artillery shells. Faced with stalling support, Ukraine must find an alternative. 2024 is a year that promises to be decisive in the outcome of the war. List of open sources used in this investigation Thomas Eydoux, Mahé Richard-Schmidt, Elisa Bellanger, Le Monde’s video desk and Sinead McCausland Translation of an original article published in French on lemonde.fr; the publisher may only be liable for the French version. Source link