Missile Attacks Research Articles

Contemporary Mirror Imaging between American and Iranian Citizens: An Exploratory Mixed-Method Research Study

In this study, an exploratory mixed-method approach was employed to investigate the attitudes of Iranians and Americans toward each other, specifically focusing on two critical incidents in their modern history. Drawing from quantitative and qualitative data collected in relation to the hostage crisis in 1979, the missile attack on an Iranian passenger plane (Iran Air 655) in 1988, and the travel ban (Executive Order 13780) in 2018, the study aimed to uncover any changes in attitudes over the course of history. Unlike previous research, the majority of participants had a more balanced and less biased viewpoint toward each other and approached the incidents by considering the consequences and ethical aspects associated with each event. These findings challenge the notion of a mirror image effect, which suggests that people tend to adopt their government’s attitude toward other nations. Instead, participants demonstrated a tendency to rely on their own judgment and critically evaluate information, rather than blindly accepting media narratives.

A STRUCTURAL-FUNCTIONAL MODEL OF THE IMPACT OF ANTHROPOGENIC POLLUTION ON THE PERSONALITY

A STRUCTURAL-FUNCTIONAL MODEL OF THE IMPACT OF ANTHROPOGENIC POLLUTION ON THE PERSONALITY

The ways to overcome the crisis situations in the fuel and energy complex field under martial law (Ukrainian experience)

The article reveals the problems of functioning of the fuel and energy complex of Ukraine under martial law. It was determined that Ukraine faced a crisis in the field of energy security due to Russian terrorist attacks on well infrastructure facilities, as well as the main strategies and mechanisms of response to crisis phenomena in the field of the fuel and energy complex, which are carried out through legislative and regulatory changes, were investigated; analyzed changes aimed at ensuring the security of supply and access of citizens to energy during wartime and preventing humanitarian crises. The article provides an overview of the adopted legislative changes in the field of the Ukrainian fuel and energy complex, defines the role of the Energy Community, which helps Ukraine to restore critical infrastructure objects faster and minimize damage from terrorist missile attacks, and also helps with the logistics of necessary materials to overcome crisis phenomena. It is noted that in order to become more independent in the field of fuel and energy complex in the future, Ukraine needs diversification, energy efficiency and fast renewable energy. From the point of view of diversification, Ukraine needs to increase its purchases of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from such suppliers as the USA, Qatar, Norway, African producers and others. Ukraine was able to pass the heating period 2022/2023. And this result was ensured by the heroic efforts of gas workers, heat workers, electricians, employees of the State Emergency Service, transport and logistics. The power industry held on, albeit at a high cost — unfortunately, there were casualties among repairmen, operating personnel, and engineering staff, not to mention the damaged and destroyed infrastructure At present, the global energy crisis is not over yet, therefore, it is extremely necessary to consolidate the efforts of the entire civilized world to avoid possible negative bifurcations in the further development of the situation, in particular, to prevent options and conditions under which this crisis can turn into a global political crisis Ukraine needs to take into account the energy development trends of the world and Europe and focus on decentralized and distributed "green" energy.

Neuro-psychiatric symptoms in directly and indirectly blast exposed civilian survivors of urban missile attacks

BackgroundBlast-explosion may cause traumatic brain injury (TBI), leading to post-concussion syndrome (PCS). In studies on military personnel, PCS symptoms are highly similar to those occurring in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), questioning the overlap between these syndromes. In the current study we assessed PCS and PTSD in civilians following exposure to rocket attacks. We hypothesized that PCS symptomatology and brain connectivity will be associated with the objective physical exposure, while PTSD symptomatology will be associated with the subjective mental experience.MethodsTwo hundred eighty nine residents of explosion sites have participated in the current study. Participants completed self-report of PCS and PTSD. The association between objective and subjective factors of blast and clinical outcomes was assessed using multivariate analysis. White-matter (WM) alterations and cognitive abilities were assessed in a sub-group of participants (n = 46) and non-exposed controls (n = 16). Non-parametric analysis was used to compare connectivity and cognition between the groups.ResultsBlast-exposed individuals reported higher PTSD and PCS symptomatology. Among exposed individuals, those who were directly exposed to blast, reported higher levels of subjective feeling of danger and presented WM hypoconnectivity. Cognitive abilities did not differ between groups. Several risk factors for the development of PCS and PTSD were identified.ConclusionsCivilians exposed to blast present higher PCS/PTSD symptomatology as well as WM hypoconnectivity. Although symptoms are sub-clinical, they might lead to the future development of a full-blown syndrome and should be considered carefully. The similarities between PCS and PTSD suggest that despite the different etiology, namely, the physical trauma in PCS and the emotional trauma in PTSD, these are not distinct syndromes, but rather represent a combined biopsychological disorder with a wide spectrum of behavioral, emotional, cognitive and neurological symptoms.

ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS AND ECONOMIC LOSSES TO GEOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT AND MINERAL RESOURCES CAUSED BY RUSSIA’S MILITARY AGGRESSION AGAINST UKRAINE. UPDATED DATA

Beyond the enormous losses of priceless human lives, extreme economic losses, tremendous impacts on our country’s geological environment have been caused by russia’s military aggression since 2014. In particular, as a result of hostilities and missile attacks, the entire network of large metallurgical and chemical facilities have been completely destroyed, nearly a hundred of oil depots and other fuel storage facilities throughout the country have been damaged, resulting in the contamination of soil, surface and groundwater, vegetation, etc. A number of hydrotechnical facilities were damaged, leading to large-scale flooding, etc. Shelling damaged a number of mining facilities, mineral deposits and other geological sites, such as unique stratotypic cross-sections, geological landmarks, and landscape parks. The objective of this paper is to provide an assessment of environmental damage and economic losses to the geological environment and mineral resource base of the country based on updated satellite monitoring data using remote sensing. Based on the analysis of the map of operating deposits and the updated map of hostilities (impact of shells, missiles, etc.), it was found that as of 13.04.2023, out of 2,164 total mineral deposits in Ukraine (excluding water resources), only 490 deposits (22.6%) are located in the temporarily occupied territories or within 25 km of the frontline. According to the results of the assessments, the following deposits are located in the territories not controlled by Ukraine: 139 hydrocarbon deposits (24%); 175 coal deposits (81%); 67 non-metallic mineral deposits (5.3%); 5 metallic mineral deposits (7%). Thus, the use of geological environment monitoring and remote sensing using GIS tools (in the conditions of lack of access to such objects) plays a key role in obtaining reliable and internationally acceptable data as proof for financial compensation. In this regard, there is a critical need for immediate actions in order to revitalise and reform the geological monitoring system in Ukraine.

Ideal trajectory generation method of missile formation based on Gaussian pseudo-spectrum method

With the increasingly complex combat environment and the diversity of combat tasks, important military targets are surrounded by multi-layer defense. Modern information warfare pays more attention to system confrontation and multi-system cooperative operations,and missile formation to attack targets is the main research content of this paper. For missile wing ideal trajectory generation problems, ensure the attack Angle of time and meet the design requirements, Gaussian pseudo-spectral method is used to generate guarantee missile attacks within the specified time shot on target, at the same time meet the attack Angle constraint at the end of the ideal trajectory, the more missiles cooperative engagement problems into the ideal trajectory tracking problem, avoid the estimate of the remaining time of flight.The main contents of this paper are as follows:(1) Gaussian pseudo-spectral method is used to generate the ideal trajectory model.(2)Use Matlab to simulate the established model.

Intellectual Economic Development: Cost and Efficiency Indicators

Abstract Innovation and economic development go hand in hand. Innovation is the key to economic growth and prosperity. In the current era of globalization, countries that invest in research and development (R&D) and innovative activities are more likely to achieve sustained economic growth and competitiveness in the global marketplace. The purpose of this study is to analyze the values of the International Intellectual Property Index in different countries of the world and compare these data; to establish the relationship between the financial and economic development of the territories, expenses on intellectual research and the international index of intellectual property of the states using different approaches and methods. This article aims to explore the positive experience of intellectual economic development in the world, with a focus on the costs of innovation. The Global Innovation Index (GII) ranks countries based on their innovation capabilities, such as human capital, research and development, institutions, infrastructure, market sophistication, and business sophistication. According to the GII 2021 report, the top five most innovative countries are Switzerland, Sweden, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Korea. All this points to the need for the development of innovative and intellectual developments in Ukraine. Such intellectual developments are of particular importance in the conditions of war and are necessary for strengthening the security indicators of the state, preserving the lives of the population in the conditions of missile attacks and destruction. In the world, intellectual economic development is seen as a key driver of economic growth and competitiveness.

Оцінка стійкості та перспективи розвитку енергосистеми України

Introduction. Energy is a strategically important industry, the smooth and efficient operation of all spheres of the domestic economy depends on its safe and stable functioning. Problem Statement. The energy system of Ukraine provides the economy not only for its country, but also for the countries of the European Union. However, as a result of a full-scale Russian aggression and massive missile attacks, the systematic supply of electricity in certain locations, which took place during peacetime, is being destroyed. Purpose. To conduct the assessment of the energy system of Ukraine before the invasion and destruction due to Russian aggression, to identify the advantages of using blockchain in the energy and climate sectors to restore energy capacities. Methods. General scientific methods, statistical and economic methods of analysis, comparison, and graphic methods are used. Results. Attention is focused on the role of the energy system in the economy of Ukraine. Changes in the domestic energy system and its synchronization with the harmonized EU network are indicated. The reasons for the decrease in demand for electricity after the full-scale Russian invasion have been revealed. Factors indicating a long period of restoration of the power system have been identified. The structure of generation in Ukraine is given and its component capacities are outlined. TPPs of Ukraine and the possibility of importing lignite and hard coal from Europe to ensure their operation are characterized. Emphasis is placed on the development of renewable energy sources in Ukraine. Conclusions. It has been proven that the restoration of the power system must be carried out taking into account the latest IT technologies using the digital ecosystem. Among many digital technologies, blockchain will help support and optimize evidence-based decision-making in the areas of climate and sustainable energy. Blockchain solutions for the energy transition confirm that this technology has a high potential to be used as the “distributed engine” of the energy community, pointing to it as a tool that will radically change the energy sector.

Impact of geopolitical risk on the volatility of natural resource commodity futures prices in China

Volatile natural resource prices greatly affect economic growth, economic volatility, and financial market. Analyzing the factors affecting price volatility is of great significance for policymakers to formulate regulations, for financial institutions to control financial risks and for investors to improve their investment returns. We study the impact of geopolitical risk on the price volatility of coal, copper, crude oil, gold, and iron ore in the Chinese futures market. The paper uses the Geopolitical Risk (GPR) index, the Geopolitical Threat (GPT) sub-index and the Geopolitical Action (GPA) sub-index developed by Caldara and Iacoviello to measure geopolitical risk in broader sense. We utilize the closing prices of the most recently expired futures contracts from their starting trading date to 1 August 2022 to determine volatility represented by conditional variance. The GARCH and CGARCH models are built with the help of the Kalman filtering method and a TVP-VAR-SV model. The results of GARCH model show that geopolitical risk significantly increases the price volatility of coal, iron ore, and crude oil futures; significantly decreases the price volatility of gold; and has no significant effect on the price volatility of copper futures. By CGARCH model, we illustrate that geopolitical risk significantly increases the overall volatility, persistent volatility, and temporary volatility of crude oil; significantly increases the overall volatility and temporary volatility of coal and iron ore futures; significantly decreases the overall volatility and persistent volatility of gold futures; and has no significant impact on all three types of volatility of copper futures prices. The results of the Kalman filter analysis uncover that the response of each commodity volatility to changes in geopolitical risk increases when geopolitical risk is high. Additionally, geopolitical risk has the most effect on the price volatility of copper and crude oil with high external dependence. Estimates from the TVP-VAR-SV model reveal that the short-term impact of geopolitical risk shocks on the volatility of each the futures prices of each commodity is large and of long duration, and the response of commodity futures volatility to the same level of geopolitical risk shocks is higher and longer when major geopolitical events occur such as Paris Terrorist Attack, USA/Iran Tension Escalation, Syria Missile Attack, and Russian-Ukraine War. Moreover, geopolitical shocks have the most effect on the energy commodities of crude oil and coal.

The 8 January 2020 theatre ballistic missile attack on US soldiers stationed at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq: case series using a concussion subtypes framework to approach a real-world, chaotic blast-related TBI mass casualty event

ObjectivesThis study aims to describe which concussion subtype(s) result specifically from the explosions of theatre ballistic missiles (TBMs) blast waves, an extremely rare occurrence in modern warfare. We provide feedback...

Time-space consistency strategy for live-virtual-constructive (LVC) integrated simulation environment

Constructing a unified Live-Virtual-Constructive (LVC) integrated simulation environment has always been a major goal in the modeling and simulation (M&S) field, and ensuring the time-space consistency is the foundation of its construction. That is, the inconsistency of time and space expression between integrated subsystems must be solved to achieve accurate and effective information interaction. To this end, this paper analyzes the specific causes of time-space inconsistency of LVC system, and gives the overall solution and the corresponding strategies or algorithms involved, including clock synchronization strategy, space coordinate conversion algorithm, time description conversion algorithm, dead reckoning (DR) algorithm and event causality control method. The relevant research has been verified in the integrated simulation system of missile attacking surface targets, and can provide technical support for the construction of large-scale LVC system.

THE CONCEPT OF ENHANCING ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY THROUGH THE DISPOSAL OF PLASTIC WASTE AND WASTE TIRES

Accumulations of unused plastic waste and wast tires pose a great threat to humanity. Despite the convenience and benefits that products from these materials bring, their waste pollutes soils and water bodies, the atmosphere, and poses a threat to human health. The problem is that plastic and waste tires have a long decomposition time, and their recycling requires significant economic resources and well-established logistics. For example, more than 8 million tons of plastic enter the oceans every year, and used tire landfills are enriched by 7 million tons. In addition, as a result of military actions, the energy and environmental security of Ukraine are under threat. Mass fires, a large amount of generated waste on our lands, missile attacks on infrastructure facilities – all this requires finding ways to increase energy and environmental security. One of the ways to increase the latters is the disposal of dangerous plastic and waste tires by chemical means, as a result of which it is possible to obtain fuel. Therefore, in the article examines the energy potential of obtaining fuel from waste plastic and waste tires in Ukraine. According to the results of the research, the already existing potential for obtaining fuel from plastic and waste tires formed at specially equipped landfills by the end of 2020 amounts to an average of 11,31 and 2,56 thousand tons of fuel, respectively. The annual potential of obtaining fuel from the remains of plastic waste is on average 19,56 thousand tons of fuel, and from waste tires – 6,77 thousand tons of fuel. By 2030, in case of better logistics, it is possible to obtain an average of 275,07 thousand tons of fuel from the collection of accumulated unutilized plastic waste, and an average of 143,59 thousand tons of fuel from waste tires. The obtained values ​​indicate that the improvement of the logistics of plastic and waste tires contributes to ensuring energy saving of their use, improving the health of people and animals, as well as increasing the energy and environmental security of Ukraine and the economy of enterprises.

Real-time sensing of war’s effects on wellbeing with smartphones and smartwatches

BackgroundModern wars have a catastrophic effect on the wellbeing of civilians. However, the nature of this effect remains unclear, with most insights gleaned from subjective, retrospective studies.MethodsWe prospectively monitored 954 Israelis (>40 years) from two weeks before the May 2021 Israel-Gaza war until four weeks after the ceasefire using smartwatches and a dedicated mobile application with daily questionnaires on wellbeing. This war severely affected civilians on both sides, where over 4300 rockets and missiles were launched towards Israeli cities, and 1500 aerial, land, and sea strikes were launched towards 16,500 targets in the Gaza Strip.ResultsWe identify considerable changes in all the examined wellbeing indicators during missile attacks and throughout the war, including spikes in heart rate levels, excessive screen-on time, and a reduction in sleep duration and quality. These changes, however, fade shortly after the war, with all affected measures returning to baseline in nearly all the participants. Greater changes are observed in individuals living closer to the battlefield, women, and younger individuals.ConclusionsThe demonstrated ability to monitor objective and subjective wellbeing indicators during crises in real-time is pivotal for the early detection of and prompt assistance to populations in need.

Безпека пішоходів на дорозі у темну пору доби в умовах планових та аварійних відключень електроенергії в Україні

The issue of ensuring the safety of pedestrians during their movement in the dark, in particular in the absence of street lighting (in connection with rolling blackouts and emergency power outages caused by massive Russian missile attacks on the energy infrastructure of Ukraine) was considered, with the coverage of this aspect traffic safety, like the behavior of pedestrian. An analysis of the experience of European countries in the issue of pedestrian safety at night has been carried out. In particular, it was found out that in the legislation of certain European countries (in particular, such as Norway, Great Britain, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the Czech Republic), norms are defined regarding the mandatory use of light-reflecting elements (flickers) by pedestrians in the dark. At the same time, the factors affecting the risk of traffic accidents in conditions of insufficient visibility were considered, in particular, such as insufficient lighting or the complete absence of road lighting, pedestrians not using light-reflecting elements (flickers) or bright clothing, especially at dusk and in night time. Recommendations were also made regarding possible actions to strengthen the safety of pedestrians at the national level during their movement in the dark, in particular in the part related to the introduction of changes to the tasks and measures for the implementation of the State program for improving the level of road safety in Ukraine for the period until 2023 of the year, approved by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated 21.12.2020 No. 1287 (as amended by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated 12.07.2021 No. 706), paying due attention to measures aimed at improving pedestrian safety. Keywords: car, traffic safety, pedestrian, light-reflecting element, flicker.

Features of Self Assessments of the Quality of one's Own Life During the Pandemic and the Beginning of Missile Attacks on the Civilian Infrastructure of Ukraine

Even before the beginning of the military attack of the Russian Federation on Ukraine, the term VUCA appeared in the national information field, which concentrates the basic features of the modern life-being of the society of the 21st century: volatility (Volatility) - due to the urgent need to take into account numerous changing factors; uncertainty (Uncertainty) the real impossibility of predicting the main perspectives; Complexity lack of real understanding of the essence of many events; ambiguity (Ambignity) clear uncertainty of interpretation of a considerable number of life situations. All these separate components of VUCA became even more "sharpened" after 24.02.2022 and could not help but affect the self-assessment of the quality of life (QoL) of somatically healthy young doctors under the simultaneous combined informational pressure of both the COVID-19 pandemic and the beginning of a full-scale war. 44.

Fixed-time anti-saturation grouped cooperative guidance law with state estimations of multiple maneuvering targets

The problem of a grouped multiple missiles cooperative attack on multiple high maneuvering targets with a limited driving force is achieved by an anti-saturation fixed-time grouped cooperative guidance (FxTCG) law based on a sliding mode fixed-time disturbance observer (SM-FxTDO) in this study. First, the state estimation of each high maneuvering target within a fixed time is achieved by designing a sliding mode fixed-time disturbance observer. Second, the group cooperative guidance law is designed by using fixed-time theory, which can ensure the group consensus of multiple missiles strike times within a fixed time under the condition of input saturation. Then, the fixed time stability of the multi-missiles system is proven by using the bi-limit homogeneous theory and the Lyapunov function. Finally, the simulation results show the superiority of the designed observer and cooperative guidance law. The proposed observer can more effectively and accurately estimate the state of the high maneuvering target than the ESO. The proposed cooperative guidance law expands the number of attack targets and makes each group of multiple missiles attack the corresponding high maneuvering target under the conditions of an input saturation within a fixed time compared to the single-target cooperative law.

Online time-varying navigation ratio identification and state estimation of cooperative attack

An online navigation ratio identification model based on the gated recurrent unit (GRU) and a state estimation extended Kalman filter (EKF) are proposed under the scenario in which multiple enemy missiles attack a stationary target using a time-cooperative guidance law. The navigation ratio identification is solved as a dynamic problem, and the time-varying navigation ratios of each missile, instead of the effective navigation constants and cooperative gains, are identified in this paper. In other words, the simplified assumption that the true value is within a known finite set, which is generally adopted in a conventional identification-estimation scheme such as multiple-model adaptive estimators (MMAEs) or interacting multiple-models (IMMs), is discarded. To increase the training speed and identification accuracy, the improved multiple-model mechanism (IMMM) is adopted, and a multiple-model layer, in which regimes representing different values are set, is connected behind a conventional neural network. Since the navigation ratios are identified online, the connections between missiles are decoupled, and only one filter is required for each missile. This could greatly reduce the computational burden of onboard computers. The effectiveness of the proposed online identification model and the performance of the state estimation filter are demonstrated through numerical simulations.

Manoeuvre decision‐making of unmanned aerial vehicles in air combat based on an expert actor‐based soft actor critic algorithm

AbstractThe demand for autonomous motion control of unmanned aerial vehicles in air combat is boosted as taking the initiative in combat appears more and more crucial. Unmanned aerial vehicles inability to manoeuvre autonomously during air combat that features highly dynamic and uncertain manoeuvres of the enemy; however, limits their combat capabilities, which proves to be very challenging. To meet the challenge, this article proposes an autonomous manoeuvre decision model using an expert actor‐based soft actor critic algorithm that reconstructs empirical replay buffer with expert experience. Specifically, the algorithm uses a small amount of expert experience to increase the diversity of the samples, which can largely improve the exploration and utilisation efficiency of deep reinforcement learning. And to simulate the complex battlefield environment, a one‐to‐one air combat model is established and the concept of missile's attack region is introduced. The model enables the one‐to‐one air combat to be simulated under different initial battlefield situations. Simulation results show that the expert actor‐based soft actor critic algorithm can find the most favourable policy for unmanned aerial vehicles to defeat the opponent faster, and converge more quickly, compared with the soft actor critic algorithm.

Significant Hearing Loss Found in Ukrainian Refugees

Significant Hearing Loss Found in Ukrainian Refugees

Russia's Hybrid Warfare in Ukraine Threatens Both Healthcare & Health Protections Provided by International Law.

Hybrid Warfare is on display because of the unjustified Russian invasion of Ukraine. This is characterized by numerous crimes against civilians as seen vividly during the occupation of the town of Bucha where rape, torture, murder, and looting seem to reflect Russian military policy, leadership, and command guidance. Of particular concern is the threat to hospitals and health care as well as vital life support. Numerous hospitals have been damaged and destroyed. Hospitals are not tactical military targets and targeting health care facilities and personnel ignores traditional jus in bello and ignores numerous conventions established to stabilize the global order. The Russian-proclaimed "special operation" in Ukraine has been characterized by barbarian warfare in which the Russian military uses weapons against the civilian population and civilian infrastructure. The aggressors have embarked on a purposeful terror campaign through infrastructure attacks, which are of little military value except to demoralize the nation's people. This is evident with Russian missile and drone attacks on electric, water, and health care in Ukraine. Warfare now and in the future may be increasingly aimed at demoralizing civilian populations and reducing the will of the people and their government to resist. The Ukrainian invasion clearly shows that this use of hybrid warfare should be met with a strong reaction of the international community at the earliest possible stage, especially the supposedly peace-loving neutral countries, or else the future is expanded unlawful and barbaric military conflict.