Russian bombers are suspected to have been destroyed by Ukrainian drones again
On August 21st, the Ukrainian Defense Express website reported that after a Ukrainian drone attacked the Soltsi Air Force Base in the Novgorod region of Russia on the 19th and destroyed a Tu-22M3 supersonic long-range bomber, the Ukrainian military drone attacked the Shekovka military airport in Kaluga, Russia on the morning of the 21st, suspected of destroying another Tu-22M3 bomber. At present, the Russian authorities have not responded.
How much damage may Ukraine's drone attack cause to Russia? What impact will the Ukrainian army's drone tactics bring to the Russia-Ukraine conflict?
Why does the Ukrainian army want to destroy
Russian Tu-22 bomber?
According to a previous report by TASS, on August 15th, Yuri Ignati, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force Command, stated in a program that Ukraine's air defense system is unable to intercept the Kh-22 heavy supersonic anti-ship missile launched by the Russian Tu-22M3 bomber. He also stated that during the entire Ukrainian crisis, Ukrainian air defense forces were unable to successfully intercept a Kh-22 missile.
In the view of military observer Liang Yongchun, Ukraine's successive attacks on Russian Tu-22M3 bombers were mainly aimed at destroying its air combat advantage against the Ukrainian army and easing the combat pressure on the front line.
Liang Yongchun:
The Tu-22M3 strategic bomber is currently the largest missile carrying bomber used by the Russian military on the Russian Ukrainian battlefield, capable of launching various air to ground missiles, posing a great threat to the Ukrainian military.
According to reports, after the attack on the Russian Air Force base, a group of bombers have begun to withdraw and deploy, which clearly weakens the firepower suppression effect of the Russian army on the front line against the Ukrainian army.
The Ukrainian military has achieved certain results in both political and military aspects in this round of drone tactics.
Why is Russia using drones
Are you struggling with interception issues?
On August 18, 2023 local time, in Moscow, Russia, buildings were damaged after a drone attack
After the attack, an official from the Intelligence Agency of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense stated that the Ukrainian intelligence agency will continue to carry out various tasks, including attack missions on Russian territory.
At present, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has lasted for one and a half years. In late spring and early summer this year, Ukraine launched a counterattack with the support of the United States and the West. In recent weeks, as part of its counterattack, Ukraine has successfully launched multiple drone attacks against Russia.
Liang Yongchun believes that in order to eliminate Ukraine's drone threat, Russia should not only increase technological investment, but also strengthen personnel control.
Liang Yongchun:
Drones have low flight altitude, small targets, and are difficult to detect. Russia has a vast territory, many high-value targets, and limited anti drone forces and resources. For Russia, the difficulty of defending drones is indeed significant.
How did the Ukrainian army manage to manipulate drones to fly such a long distance and conduct precise bombing of Russian fighter jets? The Russian military believes that the US military provided satellite reconnaissance and navigation technology support. In addition, the Ukrainian military's battle report stated that they infiltrated Russian territory and, with the help of some Russian personnel, completed the air raid at close range. This is worth pondering.
Forts are often breached from within, which is even more alarming.
Ukrainian drone tactics
Will it affect the direction of the Russia-Ukraine conflict?
Data image: Ukrainian soldiers testing drones
Analysis suggests that Ukraine may launch similar drone attacks against Russia more frequently in the future.
When talking about what impact this will have on the situation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Liang Yongchun said that this round of UAV attacks in Ukraine is mainly a kind of psychological warfare, which has little impact on the battlefield situation.
Liang Yongchun:
At present, the situation is in a stalemate, and it appears that Ukraine is attacking and defending Russia. However, the Ukrainian army is progressing slowly on the front battlefield, so they have increased the intensity of drone air strikes, causing Russia to be a bit flustered.
This is also a psychological battle by the Ukrainian military, attempting to shake the Russian side's fighting will on the one hand, and on the other hand, to enhance the confidence of the United States and NATO and continuously increase aid.
Of course, Russia is also engaging in psychological warfare. Putin recently announced that last year, Russia's economic size surpassed Germany, ranking fifth in the world, and it will also generate a fiscal surplus this year. This is clearly shouting to the United States and NATO: Russia can continue to fight in Ukraine, can you?
Ukraine's drone tactics are effective locally, but overall, if the Ukrainian army cannot attack the Russian defense line, then these airstrikes will ultimately be meaningless.
