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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| 'They tried to get it five times.' 'Dagger' reached Storm Shadow carriers |
| 2023-12-16 |
| Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. By Sergey Adamov [REGNUM] Russian Aerospace Forces attacked the Ukrainian aviation base "Starokonstantinov" in the Khmelnitsky region in western Ukraine. According to local authorities, the explosions near the air base occurred at 15:00 local time. At the same time, Ukrainian sources report the use of Kinzhal hypersonic missile systems. The results of the attack on the airfield were not reported. However, a number of Telegram channels suggested that aircraft were hit at the facility. At the Starokonstantinov airbase, two flights of Su-24 front-line bombers are based, converted into carriers of Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG guided missiles. In total, the Ukrainian Air Force has from six to ten such aircraft at its disposal, which are used to attack civilian infrastructure facilities in Russia. Previously, attempts had been made several times to “get” the base, but the Ukrainian command managed to hide the vehicles and transfer them to another airfield. The use of the Kinzhal hypersonic missile system could deprive the command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces of the opportunity to transfer aircraft, said IA Regnum a military veteran, retired Russian Aerospace Forces officer. “As far as I can remember, they tried to get the base five times. But the enemy drives planes from place to place, or hides them in fortified hangars. “The Dagger does not provide such an opportunity to hide,” the interlocutor explained. When launching from border areas, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have three to four minutes to react. And even if the enemy detects the missile at the moment of launch, if later, there is no time left at all, the expert notes. It is noteworthy that missiles can maneuver when approaching a target, so the command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces may not fully know which object is the target of the attack. Ten minutes after the raid on the Starokonstantinov base, the Ukrainian Air Force launched a retaliatory attack. At approximately 0:30 local time, amissile strike was launched on Mariupol. Donetsk representatives at the JCCC (Joint Center for Control and Coordination of Issues Related to War Crimes of Ukraine) reported that the city was struck by Storm Shadow missiles. The target of the attack was a warehouse of construction materials on the territory of a local concrete plant and a mobile boiler room. It can be assumed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces still have Storm Shadow cruise missile carriers at their disposal. However, it is possible that the Dagger’s strike still reached its target. “It looks more like the strike on Mariupol is more likely revenge. They haven’t hit the city for six months, the targets were obviously unsuccessful, noted the source of IA Regnum. —As if on emotions. I would assume that someone or something at Starokonstantinov was picked off. The question is quantity.”. But even the loss of one or two aircraft is already critical for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. They simply don’t have and won’t have any more, the interlocutor added. As long as the West slows down the supply of F-16 fighters to Ukraine, Kyiv can only count on Soviet-made aircraft. Earlier, a number of Western media reported that the Ukrainian Air Force is suffering from a shortage of combat-ready vehicles, spare parts and ammunition. The Su-24 bombers available to the Armed Forces of Ukraine were produced more than forty years ago and have not undergone high-quality maintenance. Often one machine is assembled from two or three bombers. Two or three successful strikes on Ukrainian Air Force air bases could deprive Kyiv of the ability to use even those limited reserves of guided missiles that were transferred by “Western partners.” |
| Posted by:badanov |
| #2 Scuttlebutt says they capped F16s |
| Posted by: Slenter Panda4300 2023-12-16 19:45 |
| #1 So they're throwing shit at each other and nobody knows the effect. Guess why munitions are short. |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2023-12-16 14:18 |