Reznikov: Support from space gives results on the battlefield

The Minister of Defense of Ukraine stated that the use of ICEYE satellites gives its results on the battlefield. Only in the first two days of work, it helped to detect and destroy Russian equipment worth more than the satellite’s purchase cost.

Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksii Reznikov. Source: bbc.com

Results of the work of the Ukrainian satellite

The Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksii Reznikov published a post on Facebook in which he told about a working meeting with volunteer Serhii Prytula and representatives of his department and the Main Intelligence Directorate. They discussed the practical results of using the ICEYE satellite in the war with Russia.

The Minister called the purchase of a satellite with donations from the public an unprecedented project. According to him, all the hopes of the Ministry for strengthening space intelligence assets have been justified. He thanked the team of the Serhii Prytula Foundation for bringing the idea to life, and Ukrainian businessman Max Poliakov for his very important assistance.

According to Reznikov, the satellite provided the Armed Forces of Ukraine with an important advantage. After all, Russians do not have such opportunities. And it is only thanks to the quality of our defense that we can defeat an enemy that outnumbers us.

Ukraine uses SAR satellites

Reznikov noted that in the first two days the satellite allowed to detect and destroy about 60 units of enemy equipment hidden in vegetation. This was done thanks to the use of a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) installed on the ICEYE satellite. Its radio waves can pass through some interference, and the nature of the signal reflection allows distinguishing metal objects from stone.

SAR-satellite of ICEYE. Source: defence-ua.com

The implemented project allows to quickly bring the information received from satellites to the commanders of the troops. Now the purchased satellite is constantly working on covering events in Ukraine, and it is possible to connect another 20 as needed.

What advantages does the use of satellites give Ukraine

According to Reznikov, the use of SAR satellites gives three main advantages to the Ukrainian troops. The first is the ability to combine their images with data from optical satellites, including the one that Max Poliakov acquired in the spring. This is especially useful in winter, when the battlefield is covered with clouds and snow.

The second advantage lies in the ability of the Ukrainian military themselves to identify targets for surveillance. Currently, systematic monitoring of the areas of combat operations in the south and east is being carried out.

The third advantage is the speed of analysts’ response to requests from the military. The Russians simply cannot react quickly to the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ ability to determine their positions. In conclusion, the Minister thanked the volunteers for their support, which makes it possible to complement the large-scale work of the Ministry to provide the army with everything necessary. According to him, they allow performing tasks flexibly. The Ministry of Defense has some interesting ideas that can become people’s projects.

According to www.facebook.com

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