Civilian Infrastructure Research Articles

Sequential Fusion Based Approach for Estimating Range Gate Pull-Off Parameter in a Networked Radar System: An ECCM Algorithm

Networked radar is an emerging and effective alternative to traditional radar systems to provide improved performance by fusing information from multiple radars. Further, networked radar systems (NRS) have found numerous deployments in military and civilian infrastructures in recent years. Electronic countermeasures (ECM) like jamming, Range Gate Pull-Off (RGPO), and Velocity Gate Pull-Off (VGPO) generally pose a high risk to the radar systems by injecting intentional interference. This paper proposes networked radar to detect the RGPO ECM attack and estimate the range gate deception parameter of the deceived local track in an NRS. Each radar comprises a local tracker to provide the local estimates (updated state and updated covariance), and these estimates are then sent to the fusion node. Thereafter, a track-to-track association (T2TA) is formulated at the fusion node to detect the deceived tracks using all the available local tracks. For the deceived track, the pseudo-measurements are created using the inverse Kalman filter-based tracklets. All the local tracks except deceived track are compensated and sequentially fused to create a reference measurement. After that, the deception parameter of the deceived track is estimated by using pseudo-measurement and the reference measurement by employing the recursive least square estimator (RLSE). In addition, the proposed algorithm is analyzed for single and multiple RGPO based ECM scenarios. Further, the Cramer Rao Lower Bound (CRLB) for the proposed methodology is derived. The results are quantified with a Position Root Mean Square Error (PRMSE), CRLB, innovation test, normalized estimation error squared (NEES) test, and confidence interval. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed estimation technique provides good performance in the presence of all the local tracks are being attacked by RGPO ECM. Besides, it is evident from the results that estimator efficiency is falling below the 5% tail probability of the chi-square distribution.

The Fundamental Role of International (Criminal) Law in the War in Ukraine

The repercussions of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are reverberating around the world. The multilateral and coordinated response of the international community to Russia’s unprovoked war in Ukraine was immediate and has been waged on multiple fronts. While the world’s major powers are focused on the best strategies to face the ongoing conflict, international humanitarian law and human rights law are violated every day in Ukraine. Innocent civilians are tortured, killed, or obliged to leave their city or country to avoid the worst atrocities, while civilian buildings and infrastructure are destroyed. This article examines the most relevant decisions adopted at the international level and identifies possible solutions to prosecute and punish international crimes perpetrated in Ukraine. International (criminal) law and cooperation between states and international organizations will play a crucial role in the fight against impunity for those responsible for the worst atrocities against the Ukrainian population.

ВИМУШЕНА МІГРАЦІЯ НАСЕЛЕННЯ У ЧАСИ ПОВНОМАСШТАБНОГО ВТОРГЕННЯ РОСІЇ В УКРАЇНУ

Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine on February 24, 2022 began with the bombing of populated areas on the territory of Ukraine and caused massive destruction of civilian (residential) infrastructure. Accordingly, the Russian war against Ukraine led to large-scale migration of the population both to the safer western regions of the country and beyond. Quantitative indicators of forced population migration are disclosed in the article with the help of statistical, analysis and synthesis, comparative and geographical. According to UN data, 11.4 million Ukrainians left their homes in the first months of the full-scale invasion. Today, 4.9 million people live abroad, 7.1 million people have the status of internally displaced persons. But at the same time, 2.3 million people have already returned to Ukraine. The geographical aspects of external forced migration are defined. The largest share of forced migrants from Ukraine was registered in Poland and Germany. The sex-age structure of forced migrants abroad is also determined. Based on the descriptive method, the reasons that prompted Ukrainians to choose the appropriate country are highlighted, namely: preference for a country where migrants have acquaintances or relatives; proximity to the border, i.e. migration to neighboring countries; employment opportunities and social benefits. Quantitative characteristics and geography of resettlement within the country of internally displaced persons are analyzed. Separated groups of the population that are least likely to return to Ukraine. Namely, these are mobile layers of the population; persons who planned to go abroad before February 24; seasonal workers abroad; the population that was under occupation lost their homes or loved ones. Issues of facilitating the return of Ukrainian migrants abroad to their homes are highlighted. That is why it is important to develop a policy aimed at creating favorable conditions for the return of Ukrainians and not to lose contact with them. After a full-scale war ends and the security situation stabilizes, there will be a need to create opportunities for return, primarily in terms of housing and employment.

СУЧАСНА РОСІЙСЬКО-ІРАНСЬКА СПІВПРАЦЯ ЯК ДЕСТАБІЛІЗУЮЧИЙ ФАКТОР МІЖНАРОДНИХ ВІДНОСИН ТА ЗАГРОЗА МІЖНАРОДНІЙ БЕЗПЕЦІ

The article attempts a comprehensive analysis of modern relations between the russian federation and Iran. It analyses the formation of relations, the basis and reasons for the modern mutual interest of these totalitarian states in deepening cooperation. The main spheres of interaction between them amid full-scale military aggression of the russian federation against Ukraine have been traced. The article considers specific measures and projects aimed at, contrary to international sanctions, expanding moscow's impact on the illegal development of Iran's nuclear, military and technological potential. Considerable attention is paid to the cooperation of these countries with terrorist political regimes on russia's use of Iranian missile weapons to kill Ukrainians and destroy civilian infrastructure. It is proved that the strengthening of cooperation in the military sphere between the totalitarian states of the russian federation and Iran is a significant concern for the international community and poses a threat to international security.

Por um assento à alta mesa! Expressão econômica do poder nacional como fator de influência para a reforma do Conselho de Segurança das Nações Unidas

Concerns over the potential exploitation of cyberspace vulnerabilities to cause logistical inefficiency in matters of national security have endured for almost a quarter of a century. This article updates the stage of this debate and extends the analysis to the reciprocal threats posed by these three areas. A descriptive methodology, grounded on governmental sources, academic papers and news articles, is used to correlate known threats posed by cyberspace to supply chain, and National Security, one to each other, and their possible impacts.  This article demonstrates that, in addition to the well-debated fact that cyberattacks can exploit existing vulnerabilities at different levels of the increasing automation present in logistics systems, posing new threats that can incapacitate military systems or civilian infrastructures related to national security, there is a growing threat posed by logistics to hardware and software products (or cyberspace) and national security, as well as the weaponization of national security decisions made in some countries endanger the cyber (or not) supply chains of other nations, with repercussions on the development of cyberspace itself.

Терроризм и оружие массового уничтожения – опасный симбиоз

Against the backdrop of a sharp aggravation of the international situation, the growth of fundamental contradictions between Russia and Western countries, and the growing disunity of the international community, the terrorist threat is increasing. Its most dangerous manifestations are the attempts already made by terrorists to use elements of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), as well as to seize dangerous infrastructure facilities, including nuclear cycle facilities, the damage or destruction of which could lead to mass casualties. Recently, the threat of terrorist acts against high-risk civilian infrastructure has increased dramatically. Military operations in Ukraine and the concomitant violation of the working rhythm of the nuclear power plant, the weakening of the security system actually open the “gates” to both provocative forceful actions and the intrigues of terrorists or groups interested in escalating the armed conflict. Computer technology and Internet resources provide new opportunities for illegal access to WMD components, which opens up new options, for instance, to the manufacture of the so-called “dirty bomb” and “bomb in the garage”. The growth of international tension not only complicates the coordinated solution of socio-economic problems in the poorest countries of the world, but also contributes to their aggravation, thereby creating conditions for a significant increase in migration flows to the most developed countries. As a result, in these countries and in the world as a whole, prerequisites are created for replenishing the ranks of terrorists. Сoordination of actions of states and international institutions, enhancing the effectiveness of the NPT regimes, of already cooperatively developed and promising measures to combat terrorism can significantly reduce this threat. Without scaling down the level of confrontation between Russia and the West, the possibility of effective collective action in this direction is now significantly hampered. Historical experience, however, shows that deep crises can create the preconditions for a return to dialogue and increased cooperation on security issues.

DESIGNING THE ARCHITECTURE OF KINDERGARTENS WITH THE INCLUSION OF CIVIL DEFENSE FACILITIES (BOMB SHELTERS)

The problem, which project designers did not think about for a long time, broke into our peaceful life in the early morning of February 24, 2022. On the way of the enemy’s movement, in the cities and villages of Ukraine, people faced the same problem – the pervasive absence of bomb shelters. Based on world experience, there is an urgent need to start building civil defense facilities in Ukraine as soon as possible. As today’s war has shown, the aggressor mostly poured out his fury on civilian infrastructure objects. His attention was especially focused on the buildings intended for the most vulnerable segments of our society: kindergartens, hospitals, orphanages, maternity homes, etc. The students of the current year of study were given the task within the course design of a small kindergarten to propose a solution to the design problem: to think about the object’s location; concealing it from the enemy; availability amidst extreme evacuation; arrangement of a sufficient number of exits; provision of emergency communication links; operational characteristics in peacetime, etc. An effective process of brai n working on the poblem has begun. The article is illustrated with the materials of the 2022 course projects of the second-year students of the Faculty of Architecture of NAFAA: Angela Kubrak, Katya Yezhova, Liza Andrusenko, and Katya Ivanchenko.

Cyberspace, Logistics and National Security Threats, Not Necessarily in that Order

Concerns over the potential exploitation of cyberspace vulnerabilities to cause logistical inefficiency in matters of national security have endured for almost a quarter of a century. This article updates the stage of this debate and extends the analysis to the reciprocal threats posed by these three areas. A descriptive methodology, grounded on governmental sources, academic papers and news articles, is used to correlate known threats posed by cyberspace to supply chain, and National Security, one to each other, and their possible impacts.  This article demonstrates that, in addition to the well-debated fact that cyberattacks can exploit existing vulnerabilities at different levels of the increasing automation present in logistics systems, posing new threats that can incapacitate military systems or civilian infrastructures related to national security, there is a growing threat posed by logistics to hardware and software products (or cyberspace) and national security, as well as the weaponization of national security decisions made in some countries endanger the cyber (or not) supply chains of other nations, with repercussions on the development of cyberspace itself.

VIOLATION OF FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS AS A RESULT OF MILITARY AGGRESSION OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AGAINST UKRAINE IN 2022 AND MECHANISMS OF BRINGING WAR CRIMINALS TO LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY

The publication covers the issues of violation of fundamental rights and freedoms in Ukraine as a result of military aggression of the Russian Federation which started on February 24, 2022, and also investigates mechanisms of bringing war criminals to legal responsibility. It is noted that wars are the coevals of humanity. This is evidenced, in particular, by the legends and myths of the peoples of the world, the inherent landscape of which is war. Some of the wars we know led to the self-determination of peoples and the formation of political nations, their exit from the colonial dependence of empires and the development of nation-states. Other wars asserted or strengthened authoritarian regimes, and became a prologue to the death of not only states and peoples, but also of entire civilizations. At the same time, at all war times there was a total negative impact on the individual and his fundamental rights, beginning with the right to life, liberty and dignity, and ending with the newest groups of human rights and freedoms – informational, environmental, gender, etc. In ancient times wars were declared not only to the hostile state or city-polis and their armed militia, but also to all inhabitants. From the Renaissance and to the 19th century the tendency to humanize wars becomes noticeable, when states begin to fight with states and not with the population. Under the influence of H. Grotius’s doctrine on the law of war, the laws and customs of war are developed in international law, implying humane treatment of prisoners of war, prohibition of murder, torture and attacks on honor and dignity of civilians, inadmissibility of destruction of civilian infrastructure, etc. The relevant international customs and rules of war were enshrined in the late 19th century – early 20th century in the Geneva Conventions and the Hague Conventions. The horrors of World Wars I and II forced to rethink the reliability of international humanitarian law and to strengthen it in the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Geneva Convention of 1949. However, the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the massive and brutal violation by the aggressor state of international humanitarian law and fundamental human rights and freedoms demonstrated the formality of international conventional and institutional mechanisms to protect the postwar world order. The main violations of international laws and customs of war by the Russian army in the temporarily occupied territories and in the areas of military operations, which grossly violate the rights of Ukrainian civilians to life, honor and dignity, freedom of movement, etc., as well as the rights of Ukrainian military prisoners, are analyzed and systematized. It is emphasized that an important way to restore and strengthen international guarantees of fundamental human rights and freedoms during the war is to bring to justice all persons who committed war crimes in Ukraine during the Russian military aggression in Ukraine. Perspective institutional models of inevitable punishment for these crimes are substantiated. The importance of judicial experts in the mechanism of forming the evidence base, which will be used in international courts against war criminals, is emphasized.

МІФОЛОГІЯ ВІЙНИ: МИСТЕЦЬКІ ОБРАЗИ ТА СМИСЛИ

In scientific research, the artistic images and meanings of the mythology of the Russian-Ukrainian war; their influence on the society and cultural space of Ukraine and its image in the world are outlined and broadly classified. The research focuses on the events after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia on February 24, 2022. The mythology of war has several vectors. First of all, it is the creation of new myths and an appeal to the archetypal images of Ukrainian culture, to the archaic layers of our worldview, actualized in the conditions of a fullscale war. Through art, you can convey the images of a new mythology that is being created before our eyes. Today, the Cyborgs (defenders of the Donetsk airport), the militarized image of Taras Shevchenko, have already become the core images of the mythology of the Russian-Ukrainian war. The full-scale invasion gave rise to new images and meanings: The Ghost of Kyiv, Bucha, Azovstal, Chornobaivka, Zmiiny, Zmiiebaivka Red Forest, Patron Dog, Crimean Dog, Bavovniatko. Among the characteristic features of artistic reflections of war events, the following can be distinguished: "glamorization" of war images, their humorous and satirical depiction and interpretation; dehumanization of the enemy (Orcs, Russians, Rashists); a powerful array of song creativity (the curse song "It will be like the witch will say!" became especially popular); creative depiction of acute social problems caused by the war (experience of war by women, children, less mobile groups of people, animals); creative understanding of the personal experience of war. It has been proven that russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the occupation of territories, the destruction of civilian infrastructure, and the abuse of peaceful people became the impetus for serious worldview changes for many Ukrainians. It can be argued that russian aggression contributed to the process of Ukrainization. This also affected art reflections, especially among singers, artists, and actors. In this research, the author only outlines certain trends and vectors of the mythology of the war, which were reflected in art practice.

Urban Warfare and Cultural Heritage

Urbanization is a relentless trend: while cities grow and expand, armed conflicts spill into urban areas, making cities the battlefields of our time. This has warranted the creation of new warfare tactics, which challenge the basic principles of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), and cause devastating consequences to civilian population, hospitals, schools, infrastructures, and cultural heritage.After having secured a thorough definition of “urban warfare”, still lacking in international law, this paper will explore the legal and political consequences that this phenomenon entails, paying particular attention to the protection of urban cultural heritage.During urban warfare, cultural sites are often destroyed as specific military targets, especially by Armed Non-State Actors (i.e. Palmyra) or transformed into battlefields (i.e. Aleppo and the Damascus Citadels). Moreover, urban cultural heritage is increasingly suffering the reverberating effects of armed attacks, as shown in Sana’a, Mosul, Raqqa, Gaza, Sabratha, Lubumbashi and Donetsk.To contrast this scenario, a reassessment of local, national, and international regulations is required. The 1954 Hague Convention and its Protocols, together with the 1977 Additional Protocols to the 1949 Geneva Conventions, oblige States to guarantee the protection of cultural heritage but lack any specific provision concerning urban warfare, where it is actually more threatened.Guaranteeing accountability for perpetrators of violations is also crucial. With reference to the destruction of mausoleums in Timbuktu in 2012, the International Criminal Court referred to armed attacks against urban cultural heritage as a war crime for the first time. No other judgments like this were made by the ICC though, regardless of the letter of intent signed with UNESCO (2018), still poorly implemented to date.This paper sets out to outline innovative and concrete solutions to guarantee the protection of urban cultural heritage, particularly through a better implementation and/or a revision of the relevant local, national, and international regulations. It will also explore effective ways to strengthen accountability mechanisms, thereby guaranteeing deterrent effects to future violations. Lastly, the role of international and regional organizations will be analyzed, with a view to propose pioneering practices, such as the establishment of a permanent annual forum for cooperation.

Overview of attacks against civilian infrastructure during the Syrian civil war, 2012–2018

BackgroundHundreds of thousands of people have been killed during the Syrian civil war and millions more displaced along with an unconscionable amount of destroyed civilian infrastructure.MethodsWe aggregate attack data from...

The social-political challenges of internal displacements in Ukraine

Migratory threats which are connected with mass internal inter-regional migrations, caused by the annexation of Crimea and military aggression in Donbas by Russia, have been disclosed in the article. The social-political and psychological threats of large-scale forced displacement are determined. Traditional migrations are mainly due to social-economic factors and the independent voluntary choice of participants in these processes regarding the intention to move, dictated by the freedom of choice of the person. Instead, forced displacements are caused by immediate threats to life and health. Analyzing the factors of migratory attraction, the cluster analysis was performed using the k-means method and using the STATISTICA program. The results of cluster analysis show that in large regions the level of IDP migratory activity is higher and the impact on the formation of demographic capital is more significant. It does not affect the number and composition of the population as a whole, but causes changes in its location, gender, and the age structure of the inhabitants of individual regions, is a consequence and an important factor of regional differences, directly related to industrialization and urbanization, rural depopulation. In terms of volume, internal migration significantly outperforms international migration. Measures for the proper formation and development of demographic potential at the macro level are proposed. Without proper regulation, forced displacement becomes a growing burden on host communities' ability to provide basic services, destroys civilian infrastructure and community cohesion, undermines public investment in reform, and creates insecurity, hopelessness, and despair among large populations that can easily become national and global risks.

Analytical study on impact strength of steel fibre reinforced concrete

In Recent years, there has been an increasing tendency to build resilience to the impact of civilian and military infrastructure due to the increasing number of attacks or calamities. An alternative solution is to improve the impact resistance of such structures is to incorporate different types and dosages of fibres into the concrete that can greatly reduce the damage of concrete structures due to the impact load. This research work focuses on the experimental setup based on Drop Weight Test-Ac1 544. The objective is to build a model for impact energy using variation in plain concrete and fibre reinforced concrete. Furthermore, this research work investigates and describes the impact resistance of fibre reinforced concrete to calculate the reliability of model. Lastly this analytical study is based on testing an experimental model using various mathematical and statistical methods.

Colonial capitalism, boundary demarcation and imperial placemaking in South Arabia

This study analyses the means through which indigenous stakeholders and British imperialists competed for influence in the shaping of Aden’s built environment, thus complementing a robust body of literature highlighting the importance of the port city within the framework of the world capitalist system. Yet in much of the historiography highlighting the colonial port city as an object of historical analysis, the coast of South Arabia – and the city of Aden in particular – remains overshadowed by the wealthy port cities of the Eastern Mediterranean. Crucially, the imperial politics of demarcation and development found in Aden grounds for experimental placemaking, a process consisting of military and civilian infrastructure projects and the securitisation of territory both within and beyond Aden’s walls. Attempts to territorialise space through the imposition of hard borders and infrastructure exemplify the colonial embrace of geo-spatial abstractions, a process that occurred alongside the consolidation of direct rule within Aden and the concurrent projection of capitalist market forces into the hinterland. British incapacity created room for local agents of change to contest the construction of colonial space; attempts to integrate Aden and neighbouring polities into the imperial orbit entailed negotiation, compromise and occasionally the use of violence.

Safeguarding Civilian Internet Access During Armed Conflict: Protecting Humanity’s Most Important Resource in War

A recent spate of governmental shutdowns of the civilian internet in a broad range of violent contexts, from uprisings in Hong Kong and Iraq to armed conflicts in Ethiopia, Kashmir, Myanmar, and Yemen, suggests civilian internet blackouts are the ‘new normal.’ Given the vital and expanding role of internet connectivity in modern society, and the emergence of artificial intelligence, internet shutdowns raise important questions regarding their legality under intentional law. This article considers whether the existing international humanitarian law provides adequate protection for civilian internet connectivity and infrastructure during armed conflicts. Concluding that current safeguards are insufficient, this article proposes a new legal paradigm with special protections for physical internet infrastructure and the right of civilian access, while advocating the adoption of emblems (such as the Red Cross or Blue Shield) in the digital world to protect vital humanitarian communications.

Cyber War - Trends and Technologies

Cyberspace has become an indispensable part in which special operations such as cyber war or warfare take place. The role of special war as the use of so-called soft power was emphasized. The country's number of potential adversaries in cyber warfare is unlimited, making highly endangered aspects of cyber civilian infrastructure, which is essentially military readiness, including the mobilization of forces through the civilian sector, also a likely target. A special type of cyber war or warfare is hybrid warfare. This type of warfare is increasingly resorted to because it is extremely cheaper than the conventional method of warfare and at the same time brings exceptional results. The first thing that affects cyber security policy analysts comes with the issue of neutrality, as well as the huge variety of assessments about future attack and defense technologies. There is also a consideration that the new (problematic) cyber technology will be deployed in a short period of time, in time periods, in just a few days in terms of warnings. Second, is the trends in cyber-attack and defense technologies and who is following those processes. Third, decision making technology having in mind high-performance computers, technologies that are well known, although rapidly evolving, are increasingly seen as a basic means of managing cyber defense at the national military and security level, as well as a new weapon in the hands of opponents. Fourth, role of intelligence in planning future scenarios for defense against hybrid or any other cyber threat/s.

Cantonment of troops and housing service in Belarus (mid 1850s – mid 1870s)

The article reveals the essence of one of the phenomena of the era of Alexander’s reforms which on the scale of the Russian Empire was most common in Belarus but until now has not become the subject of research by Belarusian historians. According to the sources identified in the archives and book repositories of Belarus, Russia, Lithuania the military post due to the special geostrategic position of the Belarusian provinces in the mid 1850s – mid 1870s was an integral attribute of the daily life of hundreds of thousands of their inhabitants. In the present study is the first to assess the extent of involvement of the population in Belarusian provinces in support of troops of the Russian Empire housing allowance, sets out the principles and forms of army civilian infrastructure and food within the housing service, the role of local civil administration and selfgovernment in the cantonment of the troops on the ground. For the first time most of the used ones are mentioned.

Rapid Deployment of National Guard Alternative Healthcare Facility With Isolation Unit Capabilities in Response to COVID-19.

ABSTRACTAt the direction of Governor Phil Scott, the Vermont National Guard rapidly erected a 400-bed alternative healthcare facility field hospital to increase the state’s medical capacity early in the COVID-19 pandemic when information was limited and cases were rapidly rising across the country. This case study reviews the preparation and management of the alternative healthcare facility’s first COVID-19-positive patient assigned to the 50-bed COVID-19 isolation ward. Despite austere conditions with rudimentary improvements to a nonstandard facility, the ad hoc team composed entirely of members of the Vermont National Guard successfully oversaw patient care from admission to discharge while maintaining a zero-percent transmission rate to staff. While the local civilian medical infrastructure was never overwhelmed and patient census at the facility remained low, this case study highlights the capability of the National Guard enterprise as a community response to pandemic crises.

Humanitarian challenges and the targeting of civilian infrastructure in the Yemen war

Abstract Many modern conflicts, from Iraq to Yemen, have emerged as brutal wars in which state and non-state actors directly and indirectly target a wide array of civilian infrastructures, including water, energy and food systems. Similar to many twentieth-century wars, a common feature of the wars in the Middle East and North Africa in the twenty-first century has been the ‘civilianization’ of war, as civilian casualties far outnumbered battlefield deaths. We explore the targeting of civilian infrastructures in the Yemeni war (2011–2019) to explicate the connections between conflict, hunger and disease. We draw upon interviews with UN and humanitarian organizations, an original database tracking civilian infrastructure destruction, and a variety of print sources to document the extent and spatial distribution of the targeting of water, energy, agricultural and health systems in Yemen. We elucidate how the conduct of the Yemeni war has undermined human security and livelihoods and has created ethical, logistical and organizational challenges for humanitarian organizations and for advancing peacebuilding efforts. We find that after the 2011 popular uprising, some non-state actors targeted the energy sector; however, the scope and intensity of wartime targeting of civilian objects, particularly those associated with agriculture, fisheries and health, increased significantly once the Saudi-led coalition entered the war in 2015. Loss of livelihoods, internal displacement, currency depreciation, and blockades and sieges further intensified the wartime spread of hunger and disease. The targeting of civilian infrastructures significantly hinders peacebuilding efforts to restore basic services, rebuild livelihoods and strengthen governance mechanisms.