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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia | |
| 'We have nothing to oppose Russia.' Kyiv recognizes a serious problem | |
| 2024-01-12 | |
| Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Andrey Kots [RIA] After a series of attacks on military infrastructure, Kiev publicly admitted that the Ukrainian air defense system, in fact, failed. But the point is not so much in the shortcomings of Western air defense systems, but in Russian tactics. THREE STRIKES The first blow was struck on the night of December 29. Experts started talking about a response to the rocket attack on Feodosia a few days earlier. However, it soon became obvious that the operation had been planned well in advance: this was evidenced by both the scale of the attack and the variety of precision weapons involved. Speaker of the Ukrainian Air Force Yuriy Ignat admitted: “We have never seen so many targets on our monitor.” According to him, Russia has used all types of high-precision missiles, except for the sea-based Caliber cruise missiles. According to the Kyiv Ministry of Defense, 158 attack weapons took part in the attack - 122 missiles and 36 drones. The air defense shot down, as the Ukrainian Armed Forces assured, 114 air targets. However, video evidence published on social networks refute this. Explosions that night thundered throughout Ukraine. Missiles and drones hit Odessa and the Odessa region, Lvov, Kharkov, Dnieper and Kyiv. Moreover, if in the fall and winter of 2022 the targets were mainly energy infrastructure facilities, this time they targeted military-industrial complex enterprises, ammunition depots, and military equipment storage sites. This was later confirmed by the Russian Ministry of Defense. “The target of the strike was achieved, all designated targets were hit,” the department reported. “As a result of the strike, the production and repair of military equipment and ammunition was stopped, and the transfer of Ukrainian Armed Forces reserves from the western regions of Ukraine was stopped. As a result of the disruption of railway transportation, foreign weapons supplied to the Ukrainian Armed Forces were blocked in the rear areas." On January 2, a large-scale attack was repeated. This time, the main targets were military-industrial complex enterprises in Kyiv and Kharkov. According to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russia launched a strike with 40 long-range Geran drones, 110 cruise missiles of various types and 12 Iskander ballistic missiles. They allegedly intercepted 107 air attack weapons, including all ten hypersonic Kinzhals. However, no evidence was provided. On the eighth, military-industrial complex facilities were attacked in Kharkov and the region, Zaporozhye, Krivoy Rog, and Novomoskovsk. Official Kyiv reported less optimistically this time: 26 out of 59 missiles and drones were intercepted. HUNTING FOR AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS Ukrainian air defense clearly cannot withstand: during such attacks, anti-radar missiles are launched simultaneously with high-precision missiles in order to target the signal of a working radar. It inevitably flies at the positions of the anti-aircraft gunners - enemy air defense systems have been and remain among the highest priority targets. Each complex is very expensive for Kyiv, so the Ukrainian Armed Forces carefully hide the damage caused. But many experts, even in the West, believe that the losses are very high. “The two major attacks on December 29 and January 2 were absolutely devastating,” says British military analyst Alexander Mercouris. “It is obvious that the Americans and Ukrainians, as well as their Western allies, are shocked by these attacks. There is ample evidence of the destruction of at least two Patriot air defense missile batteries in Kyiv, not counting industrial enterprises and strategic facilities." Of course, SAM personnel also die or are injured. There are not so many specialists in Ukraine capable of working with Western air defense equipment. These losses hit the defense capability of the Ukrainian Armed Forces almost more than the destruction of the air defense system itself. ROCKET HUNGER
Such generosity does not always evoke understanding in the West. The New York Times recently noted that the United States will not be able to supply Ukraine with missiles for the Patriot air defense system, costing two to four million dollars per unit, until Congress decides on funding. “There really is a shortage of anti-aircraft guided missiles, no one is hiding it,” Yuri Ignat said during the telethon. “That’s why such concerns appear in the Western press. I think our Western partners are well informed about the state of affairs with our air defense systems. We have spent a lot missiles, repelling the massive attacks of recent days." Earlier, he also reported that the Kh-32 supersonic air-launched cruise missiles, accelerating up to 5,400 kilometers per hour, cause a particular headache for Ukrainian anti-aircraft gunners. So far, not a single one has been shot down - this is officially recognized in Kyiv. That is, even the most advanced Western air defense systems are powerless against them. The key feature of the X-32 is its extensive ability to overcome air defenses. Firstly, the rocket flies with a ceiling of about 40 kilometers. No anti-aircraft gun in the world is capable of intercepting a target at such a height. Secondly, in the final phase, the X-32 attacks in a steep dive, which makes it difficult to detect - many systems do not “see” directly above them. Thirdly, the radar of this missile is characterized by increased resistance to electronic warfare. And most importantly, the X-32 is mass-produced by industry. Ukraine, which does not have a developed military-industrial complex, is completely dependent on Western supplies. And there, judging by statements from official platforms and “stuffing” in the media, Kyiv began to openly become a burden to many. More from regnum.ru Ukrainian Air Force speaker Ignat: Kyiv will not be able to shoot down all Russian missiles The Ukrainian army does not have enough means to shoot down all Russian missiles. This was admitted on January 11 by Ukrainian Air Force representative Yuriy Ignat during a telethon. “It is clear that we do not have enough resources to shoot down the thousands of missiles that Russia currently has in its warehouses,” he said. Ignat instead proposed striking missile launchers of the Russian Armed Forces. As Regnum reported, on January 9, Ignat said that Ukrainian troops are experiencing a serious shortage of guided anti-aircraft missiles. However, the volume of current Western supplies cannot cover these needs, he added. Earlier in the day, the American Military Watch Magazine wrote that air defense systems cannot shoot down Russian missiles. Journalists noted that international analysts doubt reports from Ukrainian sources claiming that the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ air defense forces previously successfully intercepted attacks from Russian Kinzhal missiles. More from korrespondent.net Zelensky reproached the West for the lack of air defense President Vladimir Zelensky reproached Western partners that if they had given Ukraine more powerful air defense systems, people would not have died from massive Russian ballistic missile attacks. The head of state announced this at a press conference in Riga on Thursday, January 11. “How can you live peacefully and sleep if you understand that you have dozens of such systems (Patriot – ed.), and if Ukraine were given seven systems today, people in Kharkov, Kherson, and Odessa would not die? Is this normal to live with?’ he said. Zelensky noted that he does not understand this attitude of the West. The president also drew attention to delays in the supply of Western weapons. According to him, many Ukrainians are dying while Ukrainian troops are waiting for this help. Simultaneously with criticism, Zelensky thanked Western partners for their support. Let us recall that Zelensky previously said that the Russian Federation, with its large-scale shelling, is trying to break the spirit of Ukrainians, therefore priority No. 1 is to strengthen the air defense and armament of Ukraine. | |
| Posted by:badanov |
| #3 ^ You can bet LM and Raytheon have some reps there collecting data on that. |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2024-01-12 14:58 |
| #2 I was reading Russia has started to successfully deploy flares and other decoys with their cruise and ballistic missile launches to thwart anti missile defense systems. |
| Posted by: mossomo 2024-01-12 14:04 |
| #1 Russian books a ‘huge threat’ to Ukraine – official |
| Posted by: Grom the Reflective 2024-01-12 12:25 |