
All things Russia, international security, old literature & new tech. Author. PhD from @warstudies.
oajonsson.com
Joined April 2011
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Vissa har frågat, och det är rasande kul att kunna säga att min bok om den ryska generalstaben även kommer ut på svenska med Mondial om ett par veckor!
Pass på att köpa den signerad och 64 kr billigare än den engelska upplagan (länk nedan).
Varför är den ryska ledningen så besatt av hotet från icke-militära medel? Jo, för de ser det som västs främsta strategi.
Nu kan man se hela lanseringen av min bok Den ryska generalstaben med försvarsministern Pål Jonson och tidigare C MUST Gunnar Karlson @Forsvarshogsk
Oscar Jonsson retweeted
Over the past few days, Ukraine has struck at least four plants producing components in the Russian missile (and broader) supply chain:
October 23: The Proton plant in Oryol, hit by Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG cruise missiles. Proton produces optoelectronics and electronic components for Iskander-M, the S-71K Kover cruise missile, and Pantsir-S1.
October 24: The Tolyattikauchuk plant in Tolyatti, hit by long-range drones. Tolyattikauchuk produces isobutylene, reportedly a feedstock for solid rocket propellant. Satellite imagery appears to show two damaged isobutylene process units.
October 25: The AVISMA plant in Berezniki, hit by long-range drones. AVISMA produces about 96 percent of Russia’s titanium sponge, used in alloys for missiles and combat aircraft.
October 25-26: The Energia plant in Yelets, hit by Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG cruise missiles. Energia makes batteries for Iskander-M and is reportedly Russia’s sole producer of batteries for glide-bomb guidance kits.
We will have to see how much of a dent this makes in Russian missile output. Previous strikes on Russian component manufacturers appear to have had limited effects. However, Russia has not previously faced successive strikes on different parts of the supply chain within a short period of time, including attacks using heavy missile systems.
Good read!
Hur fungerar relationen mellan Rysslands högsta militära ledning och den politiska nivån?
Jag fick gästa brödrafolket Finlands Yle och prata om ledning och min bok Den ryska generalstaben.
Om ni vill ta era surt förvärvade riksdagsarvoden och köpa en bok hittar ni den här bokus.com/bok/9789180029292/…
Man blir lite nyfiken på hur V:s pressavdelning resonerat. De har haft en månad på sig att mediaträna, arbeta igenom svar och svar på följdfrågor osv. men landar i att ”vi ger korta icke-svar, ” bryter intervjun och sen vinner vi. Tjolahopp!”.
Oscar Jonsson retweeted
A senior Ukrainian commander told me he lost more than $1 million in drones the first night StarShield went out. The next 3 days, speeds remained so unstable they canceled almost all ops striking RU logistics to protect Ukrainian infantry in the kill zone nytimes.com/2026/10/21/world…
Oscar Jonsson retweeted
Just finished @OAJonsson’s superb new book 'The Russian General Staff' (review forthcoming in @SurvivalEditors). Among many insights on Russian military culture, this one stuck with me:
“Russian wars often follow a pattern in which worst-case scenarios drive decision-making, but planning is characterized by best-case assumptions."
Oscar Jonsson retweeted
It's been a good week for Putin. In recent days, Trump has:
* Struck a diesel deal lifting some sanctions
* Restricted Starshield for Ukraine
* Cut intel warnings of Russian missile launches against Ukraine for several days
* Canceled Lindsey Graham sanctions
* Demanded Ukraine dump Zelensky
* Absolved Russia for helping Iran fight the US
* Pushed Europe to resume buying Russian gas
Oscar Jonsson retweeted
The Vampire system is probably the most cost effective existing solution against cruise missiles and high-speed jet drones. Here is why.
For those new to the system, it takes existing battle tested Hydra 70 mm rockets with seekers and off-the-shelf optics to make a capable SAM out to a few kilometers. It has optional integration with Link-16 for network coordination, electronic warfare systems for jamming+passive detection, and modern radars. The whole package can be mounted on any vehicle or physically deployed in a container.
The biggest advantage of these and similar systems is the off-the-shelf nature. The Hydra 70 rockets are an upgrade from a 1940s design with newer propellant that has been upgraded in 1972. It has a very proven track record with multiple producers of compatible rockets including the Canadian CRV7 and Turkish Cirit. Further, there are more than a half dozen seeker options by different developers. That is a very diverse supply chain by defense standards.
The cameras are also relatively common with multiple possible vendors. These could be stripped from other legacy military and commercial systems if necessary.
Latest costs are reported in the $20,000-$30,000 range per missile. This is a cost advantage over jet OWA drones.
Given that it can be put on the back of standard pickup trucks and small boats really lowers the threshold for force integration and costs. Defenses can be rapidly moves around populated areas for local point defense.
The small size of the rockets allows dozens of reloads to be carried in the truck. The ~25 pound weight also means a single person can reload the system. This is a major advantage over larger SAMs.
These systems can be stored for years in a compact form and deployed only when needed to defend cities.
A less mentioned advantage is it can be fired against ground and maritime targets. Same vehicle can provide defense against almost any mid-tier threat.
Its biggest drawback is lack of range. While Hydra missiles have a high peak velocity sufficient to stop cruise missiles, it has sufficient energy/g's over limited ranges ~1 km. Its range is longer versus lower speed Banderols and Geran-5s but jet drone interceptors can defend a wider area against those threats.
I expect more competitors soon, but the VAMPIRE and similar systems will likely be a very common battlefield and city defensive system. These are a "write the check" solution to jet drones.
Ukraine needs more and so will the West.
Oscar Jonsson retweeted
Satellite pictures obtained by @avivector show absolute devastation at the Borisoglebsk Air Base, Voronezh region, in Russia. They show that at least three likely four Su-34 air frames have been completely destroyed. Scorch marks indicate that more planes might have been damaged.
We are now recruiting 1-2 post-docs to our burgeoning Russia programme with a focus on military capability and/or Russian warfare.
Spread the word and ping anyone suitable @Forsvarshogsk
Oscar Jonsson retweeted
Throttling Starshield in the middle of the night, with no warning, is no way to handle things. It harms Ukrainian soldiers in the foxhole and in bunkers. Harms strikes against Russians in occupied areas. Harms countering Russian drones of many classes. Gets people killed./
Ukraine accuses Elon Musk’s SpaceX of disrupting its military operations by limiting Starlink internet services, hampering their battlefield communications and drone capabilities. nbcnews.com/world/ukraine/uk…




















