October 29, 2024: The IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) and UA (Ukrainian Army) have a lot in common these days. Both are fighting violent opponents and are the only two such wars underway at this time. The IDF is fighting Islamic terrorist groups Hamas in the south and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon. Hamas and Hezbollah both use a lot of tunnels to protect their personnel and weapons from Israeli air strikes and artillery fire.

The Ukrainians are using locally manufactured suicide drones containing explosives to attack weapons storage sites and manufacturing facilities as well as fuel depots and refining operations. This denies Russian troops weapons and ammunition to use against Ukraine. Attacks on Russian fuel supplies have often left Russian troops with limited fuel supplies and limited use of their armored vehicles and trucks. Russian trucks have long been in short supply because the Ukrainian consider these trucks important targets. Without a lot of trucks to move supplies of munitions and fuel, as well as troops and other supplies, the fight inside Ukraine is difficult to sustain. Russia has lost so many trucks that they have been seizing Ukrainian and Russian commercial vehicles, including vans and personal automobiles, to carry troops and supplies.

One thing the IDF and UA have in common is Russia as an enemy. Russia has since 2015 maintained and expanded their Khmeimim air base in western Syria. Nearby, Russia has a naval base at Tartus. On October 3rd this year an Israeli air strike destroyed a warehouse where Iranian and Russian rockets and missiles were stored. These weapons had recently been flown in from Iran and Israel destroyed them because Iran supplies most of the rockets Hezbollah uses to attack northern Israel. These rockets and missiles are moved by truck to southern Lebanon. Some Israeli warships were off the coast at this time and may have launched some of their land attack missiles.

Standard Russian military practice is to store weapons in underground bunkers. This was not the case in Syria or Ukraine. Ukrainian drones recently destroyed a large stockpile of rockers and missiles Russia had received from North Korea. These were stored above ground and when these weapons exploded, the fires could be seen many kilometers away. The explosion in Syria was not that large because the number of rockets and missiles was smaller.

All nations use bunkers for munitions storage. In the Middle East these bunkers are also used for headquarters and housing. Israel recently killed the leader of Hezbollah, who was living in an underground bunker. An Israeli warplane launched an American 910 kg bunker buster bomb equipped with GPS guidance that reached and detonated in the Hezbollah bunker.