Russia’s Terror Bombing Is Devastating Ukraine’s Infrastructure
Although the missiles and unmanned aerial systems sometimes strike actual targets of military interest, most of the time they land on residential buildings.
The Russian military continues to rely on long-range strikes to maintain pressure on Ukraine.
This week, the Russian military conducted a series of long-range attacks against Ukrainian urban centers and critical infrastructure. Moscow’s aim is clear—make life harder for Ukrainians and increase pressure on the Ukrainian government to negotiate.
Russian Long-Range Strikes
Every few months or after a major Ukrainian military strike, the Russian military unleashes a salvo of long-range munitions against Ukrainian urban centers and critical infrastructure. According to the Ukrainian government, the missiles targeted gas facilities and other energy infrastructure. With winter in full sway, Moscow is trying to increase pressure on the Ukrainian government by making the life of its citizens harder.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the Russian forces launched approximately 74 Shahed, Iranian-made suicide drones, as well as 43 ballistic and cruise missiles at targets inside Ukraine. In terms of launch platforms, the Russian military has been using ground, aerial, and naval assets. In the last attack, the main thrust of missiles were air-launched by fighter jets or bombers flying outside Ukrainian air space. As far as types of munitions used, the Ukrainian Air Force assessed that the Russian military fired 27 Kh-101/55SM cruise missiles, seven Kh-22/32 cruise missiles, four Kalibr cruise missiles, four Kh-59/69 cruise missiles, one Iskander-M ballistic missile.
Although the missiles and unmanned aerial systems sometimes strike actual targets of military interest, most of the time, the Russian munitions land on residential buildings, killing and maiming innocent civilians. Thousands of innocent Ukrainian men, women, and children have been killed and wounded by the wanton Russian targeting practices. Moreover, millions of Ukrainians have had to live without basic goods, such as water, food, heat, or internet, because a Russian munition struck critical infrastructure.
If it were up to Moscow’s hand, these attacks would take place every week as a way to maximize pressure on Kyiv and wage a true combined arms campaign. But it isn’t in Moscow’s hard. The Russian military, you see, is struggling to maintain a sufficient stock of advanced long-range munitions. A combination of international sanctions and chronic production issues means that the Russian defense and aerospace industry has had difficulties producing a sufficient number of advanced weapon systems, including ballistic and cruise missiles. The high demands of the conflict have not helped. At some points, the Russian military has cannibalized commercial machines, such as refrigerators, microwaves, and even washing machines, for semiconductors to use on weapon systems.
The Russian military has tried to fill the gap in advanced munitions by using thousands of Iranian-made suicide drones. These unmanned aerial systems have had mixed success. They have had the most impact in tying down Ukrainian air defense resources and forcing the Ukrainian Air Force to waste resources on them.
The Ukrainian air defense is in a much better place than it was when the full-scale Russian invasion began almost three years ago. Still, however, Russian missiles and suicide drones present a deadly threat.
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Shutterstock.
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