At present, the Russian-Ukrainian conflict has been going on for a period of time, and for the follow-up trend of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the author wrote in the article "How will the Ukrainian crisis evolve in the future?" The last evolution is "unexpected" analyzes five possible outcomes: 1) a short period of time; 2) a long tug-of-war; 3) Europe's involvement in the war; 4) a diplomatic and peaceful settlement; and 5) Putin's personal factors. In this article, the author put forward the idea that "one leaf knows autumn", which means to deduce the development of subsequent events through small differences, for example, through Russia's storage of plasma, it can predict that it may attack Ukraine. Therefore, perhaps we can also grasp the subsequent development of the situation in Ukraine by observing the weapons used by both sides in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
During the "United Courage -2022 Russia-Belarus" military exercise in Belarus, an automatic artillery gun opened fire at the Osipović training ground
There is no doubt that Russia's invasion of Ukraine was the largest conflict in Europe since World War II, and Russia launched a multi-pronged offensive across Ukraine. Russian airstrikes on large areas of Ukraine and large-scale rocket bombardments caused a large number of casualties. So, what weapons are used by the Russian side?
1. Warplanes and missiles
The Russian military has used warplanes and Calibre-Chinese M cruise missiles to attack facilities across Ukraine.
In addition, Russia's "Kalibr" cruise missile, a precision-guided weapon, but in attacks in Kiev and Kharkov, the Ukrainian military installations and government buildings targeted by these missiles were located near residential areas, causing civilian casualties.
The same applies to missiles carried by Russian warplanes that, in attacks, target military infrastructure and also cause collateral damage.
To hit key targets, the Russian military also used Iskander missiles with a range of up to 500 kilometers (about 300 miles) and carried more powerful warheads that could destroy large buildings and some fortifications. Some Iskander missiles were reportedly launched from the territory of Russia's ally Belarus, which has been a staging ground for Russian invasions.
Rockets and artillery
Ukrainian President Selenskiy and other officials have accused the Russian military of indiscriminately shelling residential buildings, schools and hospitals across the country.
Images of Kharkov, Ukraine's second-largest city, verified by the Associated Press, show russian rockets hitting residential buildings, killing and injuring dozens of civilians.
The Soviet-designed Grad (Hail), Smerch (Tornado) and Uragan (Hurricane) multiple rocket launchers were designed to launch powerful rocket salvos to destroy concentrated troops or military equipment. Their use in densely populated areas inevitably leads to major casualties and significant damage to civilian infrastructure.
The Russian military also has a large number of powerful artillery units designed by the Soviet Union, which are strangely named after "flowers", such as the self-propelled 203 mm "Peony" and the 152 mm "Hyacinth" and "Acacia" self-propelled howitzers.
Moscow claims it only targets military bases and infrastructure, but The Associated Press has documented massive destruction of civilian infrastructure and residential areas in Kiev, Kharkov and many other towns in Ukraine. Russian officials claim that the Ukrainian army has widely deployed heavy weapons in residential areas, using civilians as shields, a claim that cannot be independently verified.
Speaking at the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Thursday, U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said, "Most civilian casualties are due to worrying reports of heavy artillery, multiple rocket systems and airstrikes in densely populated areas." Use of cluster munitions against civilian targets. She didn't specify which party might have used them.
Cluster munitions and thermobaric weapons
Ukrainian officials accused Russia of using cluster munitions, an allegation the Kremlin denies.
Such weapons are designed to target enemy forces and weapons over a wide area, and their use in densely populated areas inevitably leads to a large number of civilian casualties.
The heavy flamethrower system is perhaps Russia's most powerful non-nuclear weapon
Cluster bombs, rockets, and shells open in the air, releasing bullets or "bombs" that spread over large areas and hit multiple targets at the same time.
In addition to the initial effects, small bomblets have a high rate of explosion failure, posing a long-term threat of death and disability long after launch.
Thermobaric weapons consist of a fuel container and two separate explosives, the first detonating to disperse fuel particles, and the second detonating dispersed fuel and oxygen in the air, producing shock waves of extreme pressure and extreme heat, in an enclosed space. This makes this weapon particularly deadly to people in enclosed spaces.
The Pentagon has said that Russia's mobile launchers for thermobar weapons have been found inside Ukraine, but their use cannot be confirmed.
Ukraine's arsenal
The Ukrainian military has relied on Soviet-made multiple rocket launchers and howitzers like the Russian military.
It does not have sophisticated long-range precision weapons like Russia's Iskander ballistic missiles and Kalibr cruise missiles.
The Ukrainian military possesses the Soviet-era Tochka-U short-range ballistic missile, which has a powerful warhead but is less accurate than the latest Russian weapons.
In addition to its aging Soviet-made arsenal, Ukraine received a large number of Western weapons, such as the U.S.-made Javelin anti-tank missile and the shoulder-mounted Stinger anti-aircraft missile. Ukrainian officials say the country's military used them to inflict heavy casualties on invading Russian troops.
The Ukrainian military also used a Turkish-supplied Bayraktar drone before the conflict. It released a video showing Bayraktar attacking a Russian military convoy.
Leader of the "Donetsk People's Republic": The drones used in Kiev will be wiped out as much as possible
Here, it is not known whether Ukraine's use of Turkish-supplied Bayraktar drones to attack Russian military convoys will anger Russia's Russian Air Force, which has so far played a low-key role, and if Russia activates its powerful air-space forces, there is no doubt that the Ukrainian crisis can come to an end.
The Russian-Belarusian Su-30SM crew conducted joint patrols