A gripping new nighttime video captured along Ukraine’ s Black Sea coast offers a vivid depiction of Kyiv’ s forces expending vast amounts of ammunition as they intercept a series of Russian assaults on Odesa. This remarkable footage, widely circulated on social media platforms, seemingly portrays tracer rounds emanating from rapid- fire, small- caliber anti- aircraft weaponry.
Military and arms expert David Hambling, speaking to Newsweek, speculated that these scenes could be attributed to the utilization of Gepard dual- cannon anti- aircraft guns, potentially supplied by Berlin, firing at a staggering rate of around nine rounds per second per gun.
Despite its circulation, Newsweek has been unable to independently authenticate this video and has initiated communication with Ukraine’ s General Staff for an official statement.
In the early hours of Monday, Oleh Kiper, the regional governor for Odesa, disclosed that Russia had launched a trio of onslaughts against the port city. These strikes included a total of 15 kamikaze attack drones and eight sea- launched Kalibr cruise missiles.
This consistent barrage of missile and drone assaults from Russia has increasingly concentrated on Ukraine’ s Black Sea region. This shift in focus has been attributed to Moscow’ s failure to extend the Black Sea grain deal in the preceding month. In response to these attacks, Ukraine has been fervently requesting additional air defense systems from its Western allies, seeking to safeguard its urban centers and vital infrastructure from the threat of Russian missile and drone attacks. This also includes an appeal for a boost in ammunition supplies.
Oleh Kiper conveyed on the messaging platform Telegram, ” Our air defense forces destroyed everything, ” noting the consequential collateral damage, including structural harm to numerous buildings and vehicles, as well as the ignition of several fires.
Mykola Oleschuk, head of Ukraine’ s air force, disseminated distinct footage on Monday that purportedly depicted the German- manufactured Gepard anti- aircraft gun alongside a Ukrainian S- 300 air defense system in operation during the early morning hours in Odesa.
While smaller- caliber weapon systems, such as the Gepard, exhibit efficacy against slow and low- flying drones, they are considerably less effective against rapid cruise missiles, as pointed out by Hambling. Nonetheless, defenders may be banking on the prospect of creating a formidable barrier of firepower to intercept low- altitude incoming missiles.
Germany has furnished Ukraine with 46 self- propelled Gepard anti- aircraft guns, in addition to supplying over 21, 000 rounds of ammunition. Contemporary systems like the Gepard often incorporate radar- guided mechanisms, which offer a markedly improved chance of countering cruise missile threats. However, these systems necessitate a brief period of line- of- sight to function optimally.
The Gepard, manned by a three- person crew, is an armored, all- weather self- propelled anti- aircraft weapon featuring twin 35mm machine guns. It shares its chassis with the Leopard 1 main battle tank.
Amidst the chaos, Ukraine’ s Culture Ministry revealed that the Russian strikes on Odesa during the night had inflicted damage on approximately 30 cultural heritage sites. Notable casualties included the city’ s National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater.
In a previous incident in late July, a Russian missile struck Odesa’ s Orthodox Christian Transfiguration Cathedral, following what Ukrainian officials claim was a 19- missile barrage. The cathedral, described as ” practically destroyed, ” drew attention to the escalating cultural casualties. While Russia denied responsibility, instead attributing the strike to a Ukrainian air defense missile, the incident underscores the broader impact of the ongoing conflict.
by: mbevimbevi