Hydra report February 2024
March 17, 2024This month’s In Focus analyzes the Islamic State campaign against the general elections in Pakistan. The campaign included intensive dissemination of propaganda materials calling for a boycott of the elections and maintaining the known tone against the Pakistani regime and the...
Mobius 16/2024 – New RC Initiation System for Russian Sensor-Based Booby Traps, Ukraine
March 13, 2024On January 10, 2024, online documentation appeared of a PIR sensor-based initiation system reportedly found in Sumy Oblast, in northeastern Ukraine. According to the publication, this device was used to initiate a directional fragmentation charge, resulting in the deaths of...
Mobius 15/2024 – IED Attacks in Burkina Faso and Niger
March 12, 2024Since early 2023, jihadist activity in the Sahel countries, particularly Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali, has significantly expanded, taking advantage of the ongoing political instability in the region. During this escalation, a noticeable surge in the use of IEDs is...
Mobius 14/2024 – Small Directional Fragmentation Charges, Ukraine
March 10, 2024In early February 2024, Russian sources disseminated images showcasing an anti-personnel directional charge resembling the MON-50 Claymore-type mine, indicating that Ukraine had commenced production of its own directional AP mines, designated as VNP-50.In the Ukrainian combat arena, most of the...
Mobius 13/2024 – Improvised Electronic Proximity Fuses for Weaponized UAVs, Ukraine
March 10, 2024In late January 2024, a Ukrainian volunteer group shared two video tutorials on its Telegram channel, detailing the usage of its improvised proximity fuses named “Laser Deton.” The group produces two types of fuses: one designed for improvised loitering munitions,...
Mobius 12/2024 – Sticky IED Found in Afrin, Syria
March 3, 2024On January 20, 2024, a child noticed a suspicious object in a pile of garbage on the sidewalk of Jindires Street in the central area of the city of Afrin, in Aleppo Governorate, northern Syria. Security forces and bomb technicians...
Mobius 11/2024 – The Use of Unmanned Ground Vehicles in Ukraine
March 3, 2024The use of unmanned ground vehicles by both Ukrainian and Russian forces during the war in Ukraine has significantly increased in recent months. Just like armed UAVs and improvised loitering munitions, unmanned ground platforms are produced by various organizations, including...
TGA0777 – Zircon 3M22 Missile Attack, Kyiv, Ukraine
March 3, 2024On February 7, 2024, evidence of the aftermath of a Russian missile strike on Kyiv indicated the potential use of the 3M22 Zircon supersonic combustion ramjet-powered cruise missile. Analysis of fragments from the missile revealed markings suggesting, with a high...
TGA0776 – The Emergence of Improvised Bomblets in Burkina Faso
February 26, 2024During January 2024, two separate incidents of improvised bomblets reportedly released from drones were documented in Burkina Faso, marking the first recorded appearances of this weaponry in the country. These incidents represent initial evidence suggesting the alleged use of armed...
