It has been almost three and a half years since the Russia-Ukraine conflict started. Since the Russian army crossed the border on February 24, 2022, this matter has not stopped. At the beginning, Russia advanced very quickly, quickly reaching the edge of Kiev and taking some places in the south, such as Kherson. Ukraine was not idle either. It used urban street fighting to buy time, and the West quickly sent a lot of anti-tank missiles.
In March, Russia withdrew from the vicinity of Kiev and turned to eastern Donetsk and Lugansk, where there would have been separation forces. In May, the Mariupol steel plant was finally occupied, but a lot of people were wounded and civilians also suffered a lot of crimes. In the summer, Russia controlled a lot of the area of Helsinki, but Ukraine used U.S.-sponsored Hamas rockets to bomb logistics, and Russia had to adjust the position. In September, Ukraine came to Harkov with a wave of rapid attacks, recovered Imzhou and Kupiyansk, and Russia rushed to announce the mobilization of 300,000 reserve troops.
In the blink of an eye, in 2023, Russia spent several months in Bakhmut, fighting from January to May, and spent a lot of money to win it, losing more than 20,000 soldiers. Ukraine began a major counterattack in June, mainly rushing towards Zaporozhye and the south. The troops broke through Russia's first line of defense and arrived near the village of Robodiny, but the second minefield and artillery net blocked the way. In September, the Ukraine Air Force killed several Russian aircraft, and Russian missiles hit the port of Odessa, affecting food exports. In October, Russia besieged Afdivka, but Ukraine would not retreat until February 2024. There was not enough ammunition. The West agreed to give F-16 aircraft, but the delivery was delayed and air support could not keep up.
In the spring of 2024, Russia opened a new battlefield in the northern part of Kharkov, occupying part of Volvchansk, and Ukrainian troops fought back, with heavy equipment destroyed by both sides. In May, Russia pushed to the outskirts of Donetsk's Pokrovsk, blowing down Ukrainian positions with a slippery bomb. In August, Ukraine raided Kursk, covering hundreds of square kilometers, and Russia pulled people from the east.
In September, Russian drone attacks increased, targeting power plants and power outages in many parts of Ukraine. In October, Russia said it hit hundreds of Ukrainian drones a day, and Ukraine bombed the supply of the Crimean bridge with ATACMS missiles. Western intelligence reports said Russian tanks fell from 3,000 to less than 1,500 from the previous war and had to use the old T-62 top frontline.
By 2025, Russia will occupy more villages in the east in January, such as Toretsk, using Iranian ammunition to support the offensive. Ukraine received the first batch of F-16s in February, but the pilots did not practice enough and had limited performance. In March, Russian missiles hit the Kiev government building, injuring dozens of people. In April, Ukraine drones bombed Russian oil depots, causing fuel supply problems. In May, Russia approached the Zaporozhya nuclear power plant, amid international concerns about safety. In June, the two sides changed positions in Luhansk, and Russia used thermocompression bombs to clear the trenches. In July, Ukraine's anti-drone system knocked out the Russian Shahed group, but Russia produced more than 6000 aircraft per month, and Ukraine's air defense could not withstand it.
In August, Ukraine built a bridgehead fortress on the east bank of the Helsinki River, and Russian artillery destroyed the east of the cross. In September, Russia broke defenses at Kupyansk, taking a few points. In October, the Russian Defense Ministry said 281 Ukrainian drones and two guided bombs were destroyed a day, and the Ukrainian general parliament said in the past 10 days that Donetsk was recovered somewhere. On October 26, Kiev was attacked by airstrikes, killing three people and wounding 32 people, and U.S. and U.S. new sanctions.
Trump tried to mediate and met the Russians many times since January, but the territorial affairs were stuck and they couldn't reach an agreement. Russia wants to recognize the occupied land, and Ukraine wants to return to the 1991 border. The conflict lasted for more than 1,300 days. Russia accounted for 20% of Ukraine, with more than one million casualties on both sides and millions of civilians running away. Russia's equipment losses a lot, tanks and armored vehicles are lost a lot, and although Western aid is available, the political situation is limited.
Russian military website Topwar said in an article in August 2025 that if China could support weapons, the most important thing was not rocket launchers, but four types of China armored vehicles. This list was a bit surprising.
The first is the 99A main battle tank, this guy based on the 99th type modified, armor rebuilt, defended better, and also resisted the tank. The key is the laser active interference system, can disrupt the enemy laser measurement, heat imaging, range of 4,000 meters, can use 1.2 million times. on the battlefield first eliminate the enemy reconnaissance equipment, can be hidden. strong mobility, firepower, targeting, high information, is the main force of the Chinese army. Russian tanks are old, many Soviet goods, in the information war, so look at this.
The second is the 04A infantry fighting vehicle, which is used in partnership with the 99A. The body is welded with steel, with low points to reduce the missile area, and an observation window in the front. The artillery system was modified with reference to Russian BMP-3, and its accuracy was better. There are 8 missiles in the car to hit reactive armored vehicles or low-flying targets from a long range. The fire control system has been upgraded to provide all-weather long-range operations with fast response and high hits. There are also the captain's independent stable perimeters and new thermal imaging cameras, with far and clear night vision. Russian infantry combat vehicles are vulnerable to drone missiles on the battlefield, and the 04A's observation system helps maintain the upper hand at night or in bad weather.
The third is the ZBL-08 wheeled infantry combat vehicle, developed in 2006, the 2009 National Day parade lighted up. The cabin has a shooting hole, the infantry can fire power support from the inside, the nurse. divided into six modules: power transmission to manipulate the operation of the vehicle weapons, can assemble the substrate, multi-purpose. Tyres have central air discharge, can adjust air pressure for a few minutes, full steel wire safety vessel, the bullet can also run 30-40 kilometers per hour. against Russia, help to cope with different war situations, less injured people.
The fourth is the ZTL-11 wheeled assault cannon, which the Russians saw in the joint exercises in 2021, the tower of 105 mm low-pressure wiring cannon, 1 km through 560 mm armor, without the composite armor defense 12.7 machine rifle, plus the defense 25 mm armor.
With a stable fire-controlled ballistic computer jet pressure control, strong information, suitable for city street battle. Russian officers at the time very much liked, said to research 125 mm rocket. Russia did not have this wheeled assault cannon, the Soviet Union tried failed, the future local battle needed wheeled.
These were chatted by netizens, but judging from the Russia-Ukraine War, Russia's most urgent thing is drones, and rocket launchers have to get out of the way. Drones don't need people to go to the battlefield, soldiers are expensive, and it's best to win without harming others. Tanks and rockets need to be fired, and weapons are useless without people. The drone is controlled remotely. If it is lost, it will lose money and aircraft to protect manpower. For example, Russian suicide drones are cheap, powerful, small and intelligent, and have the lowest cost and the greatest damage with warheads.
War is cruel to people, and we hope for peace. Russia needs to switch to drones and use them more after 2025. Russia fires hundreds of aircraft a day, and Ukraine also increases its demand for ground equipment. Trump's mediation continues, there is no solution to the territorial dispute, and the war drags on and suffers. Soldiers 'lives are precious, weapons cannot replace people's protection, and all parties suffer heavy losses. They only hope for a ceasefire and calm.
The equipment shortcomings exposed by the Russian army in the conflict make people see the true face of modern warfare. Although ground forces such as tanks and infantry fighting vehicles are still the main force, their survival rates are getting lower and lower in the face of saturation attacks from drones and long-range missiles. The 99A laser jamming system sounds high-end and can destroy enemy optical equipment 4,000 meters away. This can indeed help Russian tanks survive a little longer in the complex terrain of the Ukrainian front line.
Think about Russia's T-72 series. Many of them are from the last century. They are low in informatization and are easily targeted by Javelin missiles. The introduction of 99A is not only to supplement the quantity, but also to upgrade the technical level to avoid suffering big losses on the informatization battlefield.
The design idea of the 04A jet jet jet is quite practical, drawing on Russia's own BMP-3, but China is more sophisticated, fire-controlled all the weather, the missile can hit low-flying targets. Now in the Russian-Ukrainian warfare, the jet jet jet is often bombed by drones, the soldiers are in danger. The 04A heat imaging and stabilizer, can allow the team to detect the threat at night, and react earlier.
ZBL-08's wheeled design, mobility is highlighted, modularization can be configured according to the task. In the mud road and urban battlefields in Ukraine, the wheeled tanks are sometimes stuck and the wheeled car runs faster. The gear pressure regulation system is practical, the bullet can not be removed. When Russia is attacked by Ukraine in Kursk, if there is such a car, it responds faster and less land.
The ZTL-11 assault cannon, the 105mm cannon is strong in armor, the information equipment is well equipped, the city warfare is suitable. Russia has no similar wheeled fire support, the Soviet era has failed. Now the local warfare is more, the wheeled is fast, the squad fills empty. In 2021, the Russian eye-warming exercise, wanted to make its own 125mm version, but so far there is no shadow.
But then again, no matter how good these equipment is, it depends on the actual situation of the battlefield. What Russia lacks most is actually drone production capacity and air defense. Iran Shahed helped a lot, but Ukraine responded with Western missiles. Rockets like the BM-30 are fierce, but they are highly exposed and consume manpower. Remote operation of drones has low cost and has become mainstream. Russia produces thousands of aircraft every month, but the shooting rate is high and needs to be made up.
In general, the list is unexpected, but logical. Russia needs to modernize ground forces to resist the era of drones. China's equipment is cost-effective and donation is difficult. but peace is the way out, and no one wins in war.