Army Technology lists five of the top tweets on land warfare in Q2 2022 based on data from GlobalData’s Aerospace, Defence and Security (ADS) Influencer Platform.

The top tweets are based on total engagements (likes and retweets) received on tweets from more than 170 land warfare experts tracked by GlobalData’s ADS Influencer Platform during the second quarter (Q2) of 2022.

1. Rob Lee’s tweet on Ukraine receiving more precision-guided munitions

Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the non-partisan foreign policy thinktank Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI), tweeted on Ukraine receiving more precision-guided munitions in the coming weeks, including Excalibur artillery rounds and loitering munitions. This would make offensive operations more difficult, and with the Ukrainian army being able to better target Russian command and control positions more effectively. Lee shared an article on the US providing intelligence to Ukraine that has helped target and kill many Russian generals, according to many senior US officials. About 12 generals were killed on the front lines by Ukrainians, the article detailed.

The US provided the location and other details about the Russian military’s mobile headquarters. Ukrainian officials used that geographic information to intercept communications that alerted and guided the Ukrainian military to carry out artillery strikes and other attacks on senior Russian officers, the article further noted. The sharing of intelligence was part of America’s shift in stance from restraining at first to increasing its support for Ukraine in the form of heavier weapons and billions in aid for a war perceived to last over months.

Username: Rob Lee

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Twitter handle: @RALee85

Likes: 3,667

Retweets: 541

2. Tyler Rogoway’s tweet on Czech Republic to transfer armoured vehicles to Ukraine

Tyler Rogoway, an aviation and military expert, shared an article on the Czech Republic to transfer 56 upgraded BMP-1 armoured vehicles to Ukraine. The Soviet-era’s ex-East German BMP-1s supposedly changed hands four times before they arrived in Ukraine, the article highlighted. The Ukrainian government continued to appeal to countries to provide necessary military assistance to fight Russian forces off and push them back further in the sixth week of the conflict. On 4 April 2022, German authorities declared that they had assessed a planned transfer of 56 Pbv-501 infantry fighting vehicles, which are advanced ex-East German BMP-1s, from the Czech Republic to Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian President and other officials had been publicly requesting countries to provide military support in the form of more tanks and other heavy armoured vehicles, anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles, and other weapons and equipment, to fight the Russian invasion, the article detailed.

Username: Tyler Rogoway

Twitter handle: @Aviation_Intel

Likes: 3,383

Retweets: 461

3. Mick Ryan’s tweet on Russian forces trying to cross the Siverskyi Donets river

Mick Ryan, a retired Australian army major general, shared an article on the Russian forces trying to cross the Siverskyi Donets river using the pontoon bridge but destroyed as it resulted in the loss of the battalion tactical group and some critical engineer equipment and more. The Russians were trying to encircle the Ukrainian troops in Lysychansk to the southeast, a key part of the battleground, but were not being able to do so without crossing the river successfully, the article noted. Days after massive losses, the Russians were still trying to do cross the river according to Ukrainian officials.

The Russians needed eight ten-metre bridges sections to cross the river, they further added. The area lacked visibility due to field and forest fires and smoke grenades. However, the Russians had managed to construct the pontoon bridge, and also mount seven parts of the bridge while moving some troops and vehicles over the river, sources revealed.

Username: Mick Ryan, AM

Twitter handle: @WarintheFuture

Likes: 2,341

Retweets: 271

4. Shashank Joshi’s tweet on Russian equipment losses during the Ukraine invasion

Shashank Joshi, a defence editor and former senior policy fellow at Renewing the Centre, part of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, shared an article on Russia having lost more tanks than what existed in the entire British Army, and 65% more instead, and as much as France’s total tank fleet during the Ukraine invasion. The scale of Russian destruction was such that the documentation did not even include all the kit left behind in the Kyiv oblast, which included 2,242 equipment in total, 1,142 had been destroyed, 41 damaged, 233 abandoned, and 826 captured.

About 594 tanks were destroyed from the total of 972, about 39 were damaged, 51 were abandoned, and 288 were captured, according to the documented report on destroyed vehicles and equipment, the article further detailed. However, small arms, anti-guided missiles (ATGMs), Man-portable air-defence systems (MANPADS), drones, loitering munitions, trailers, civilian vehicles, and rundown equipment were not included in the list.  

Username: Shashank Joshi

Twitter handle: @shashj

Likes: 345

Retweets: 127

5. Nicholas Drummond’s tweet on Poland’s requests for hundreds of HIMARs

Nicholas Drummond, a defence industry analyst and land warfare specialist, tweeted on Poland purchasing approximately 500 HIMARS launchers. The country seemed to understand the importance of artillery in deep battle, and indicated that it had no intention of letting Ukraine losing the war, Drummond added. The potential procurement plan by the Polish military has been termed as the Homar/HIMARS programme, which assumes that the Armed Forces would get the capability to strike targets deep in the enemy territory. The systems may be used  to incapacitate any offensive action planned against Poland, the article further detailed.

The second purpose of such systems is to act against the enemy’s long-range artillery assets. A number of rocket artillery and ballistic missiles have been used by Russia against Ukraine, such as the BM-27 Uragan, BM-30 Smerch systems, and the Tochka-U missiles that date back to the Cold War, as well as the new Tornado-S, Tornado-U, Uragan-1M, or Iskander systems. In response, Ukraine used the Vilkha system, a heavy multiple rocket launcher, in limited capacity. Kyiv requested for the US-made MLRS systems to fill in the gap, the article highlighted. A third dimension of the HIMARs procurement was to act against high-value assets (HVAs) behind enemy lines, and destroy all enemy command posts, aircraft or helicopters on the ground.

The Homar procurement, if implemented at the scale announced or even at half its scope, is expected to be one of the costliest programmes pursued by the Polish Armed Forces ever, the article further noted.

Username: Nicholas Drummond

Twitter handle: @nicholadrummond

Likes: 275

Retweets: 48