Testing of the new weapons is taking place on the front lines where clashes with Ukrainian troops are taking place.
Almost a year after its outbreak, the Ukrainian war continues to surprise the world with new developments.
It is a war that transcends all norms and breaks all red lines, deserving the title of ‘hybrid and comprehensive global war’.
The parties used all military and diplomatic means in the Ukraine war. The effects of the war have thus far transcended the two sides of the conflict, from media and political conflicts dividing the world, to the destruction of energy resources, to the collapse of food supply chains, leaving entire countries and regions without access to food.
What is most evident on the battlefields right now, however, is that the ongoing war is creating new rules and mechanisms that military experts are studying for their future impact and the possibility of developing them in future wars.
These include the active use of mercenaries alongside regular forces and the transfer of the main role in direct conflicts on the lines of contact to ruthless groups that do not recognize human rights law.
These steps have led to a fundamental change in the course of wars between countries, which is likely to have strong repercussions.
In addition, new technologies, such as the widespread use of attack aircraft to strike civilian infrastructure facilities, have become a new lesson in modern martial arts.
According to experts, the parties are racing against time to develop and deploy mechanisms to combat armed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) fleets that carry out ‘simultaneous intensive strikes’ to paralyze the enemy’s capabilities.
Moscow recently announced that it has begun developing this combat technology.
The latest development in this war, which still holds many surprises, came with the announcement that Russia’s ‘Tsar’s Wolves’, a group of military-technical advisors, had entered the front line.
This group, which has a name reminiscent of Tsarist Russia’s wars and efforts to ‘restore’ its lands and past glory, does not consist of ordinary soldiers.
Rather, the Tsar’s Wolves group includes military-technical experts working on the discovery of untested types of weapons and explosive materials.
The war fronts were also the testing grounds for new types of weapons.
Dmitry Rogozin, head of the Tsarskie Wolves Center (Tsar’s Wolves), explained that the center provides the shortest way for private companies and developers to test samples of weapons and equipment on the front line.
The center brings together hundreds of inventors of weapons, military technology and explosives that have yet to be put into practice and need to be tested.
‘What better conditions to test weapons than in a real war’, the Syrian experience answered the question.
Moscow admitted that more than 300 models of modern weapons and equipment were tested on the Syrian fronts. It found some of them unsuitable for real combat and therefore stopped producing them.
For many models of weapons and missiles, it has made numerous modifications after these tests to increase their effectiveness.
But these were the types of weapons and equipment that the military already had, that had already been tested in test ranges before going into a real war.
What is currently being analyzed is the development of weapons and technologies that are still in the innovation process and will be tested directly on the battle fronts.
Rogozin, former head of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), told the state news agency RIA Novosti:
“The Tsarskie Wolves Center, in fact, provides a special opportunity for developers or technology development teams who are enthusiastic and ready to present their own inventions. It gives them the shortest path to the front lines, to conduct large-scale field tests of their inventions.”
The politician, whose name has been mentioned for years as one of the ‘hawks’ of confrontation with the West, continued:
“It is impossible to immediately get 100 percent positive results based on these tests. “But developers receive specific feedback on their technology and can quickly take it into account to improve their inventions.”
The Tsar’s Wolves, created on Rogozin’s initiative, provides military technical assistance to the forces of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, according to the official definition, and the advisers work closely with the developers of various military equipment and systems.
Their main task is the immediate introduction of new models of military equipment and systems in the context of Russia’s military operation against Ukraine.
Last year, Rogozin spent nearly three months in Donetsk with a group of advisers to develop his project, Sarkh al-Awsat has learned.
On December 21, Rogozin was shot and wounded and is currently receiving treatment in Moscow.
“The center has received hundreds of application forms from technical military specialists, developers and innovators, including technical military experts, developers and innovators who have expressed their desire to join the Tsarskie Wolves team,” Vladimir Matveychuk, head of the Tsarskie Wolves Personnel Department, told RIA Novosti immediately after Rogozin’s controversial announcement.
The Russian media do not mention the mechanisms for the application of human rights law on warfare to the activities of this center. This unaddressed issue seems to be the most important topic of the Ukrainian war so far.
At the same time, it is no secret that Moscow is racing against time to replenish its war stocks, which have been heavily used in the war.
Russian officials reject Western data pointing to a shortfall in Russia’s missile stockpile.
Sergey Chemezov, Director General of the Russian state defense industry company Rostec, told Russian media;
“Claims by Kiev and some foreign media that the Russian military is facing a missile shortage are baseless. Rostec has requested the Defense Ministry to increase production of various types of ammunition many times over and has significantly increased production of some models.”
Western media, citing intelligence sources, have reported that Russia has purchased millions of artillery shells and missiles from North Korea.
This is an indication that sanctions have severely limited supply chains and forced Moscow to turn to ‘rogue states’ for military supplies.
“These allegations and others are only part of a biased media campaign,” military expert Alexei Leonkov denied.
Leonkov pointed out that many large companies producing weapons and military equipment operate in Russia, such as Almaz-Antey Corporation, which produces anti-aircraft guided missiles, and Tecmash Corporation, which produces a wide range of artillery and missiles.
In his statement, Rostec Director General Chemezov revealed one of the most obvious consequences of the mass use of UCAVs and the extent of their impact on Russian arms manufacturers.
He said that UCAVs are being designed for special military operations, capable of simultaneously attacking targets in the form of a large squadron.
Rostec General Director said:
“The company’s specialists have designed attack helicopters capable of attacking enemy positions in a squadron of UCAVs for use in special military operations. We are also developing small tactical helicopters for reconnaissance and artillery guidance. They can participate in attacking enemy positions within the UCAV squadron and drop bombs. We are as aware as the Ministry of Defense that this technology will change the course of military operations. We are working and cooperating with the Ministry of Defense in this field. The company is ready to provide UCAVs according to the needs of the Ministry of Defense.”
