Territory 1000km Deep Into Russia Under Attack: New AFU Capabilities Revealed

This completely reverses the rules for the invaders.

Russia will have to reorganize its air defence system after the explosions at air bases. It is profitable for Ukraine, because the Russian Federation needs to use the resources that it uses in the war against the Ukrainians to achieve the goal.

Oleh Katkov, a weapons expert and the editor-in-chief of Defense Express, expressed this opinion on the air of the Apostrophe TV.

“Why are these explosions strategically important? The fact is that as of 2021, Ukraine’s ability to conduct a remote war against the Russian Federation was estimated at 120 km range: this is the Tochka-U missile range. This was the estimated result by the Russian Federation regarding the ability of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to deliver long-range strikes. And if we assume that the attack on air bases was carried out precisely by the Strizh, whose flight range is up to 1000 km, it means that the entire European part of Russia is in the affected area,” says the military expert.

This reverses the rules for Russia, he says, because it will have to completely reorganize its air defence forces.

“NATO has long-range cruise missiles, but they would strike from the west or from the north, but not from the south, not from Ukraine. And this means the need for Russia to reorganize its entire air defence, turn the fighters that are now attacking Ukraine into air defence fighters, and pull back the air defence systems so that they cover Engels, Ryazan, Kazan and other important cities. That is, there were a large number of rear areas that were not covered from the south axis in Russia. And this is an extremely positive process, because any resources, especially fighters and air defence systems, they are huge, but limited when we remember the area that they must protect,” Katkov explained.

He also dismissed some speculation that a long-range drone recently announced by the UkrOboronProm could hit the Engels air base.

“As for the talk that this could have been the drone announced by the UkrOboronProm, then most likely it was not the one. Because, with a high degree of probability, it will be a screw UAV, given its public characteristics. And also by comparing its flight range, payload and the form of transformation from reconnaissance to strike drone. What flew over Engels moved on jet thrust and at high speed, so most likely we are talking about another version, perhaps it really was the Strizh. And this is the best thing that could be done with this outdated drone, which, in my opinion, has every chance of becoming a cruise missile, because it has a range of up to a thousand kilometers and a speed of up to 1100 km/h and a minimum flight altitude of 10 meters. That is, it is an ideal candidate for turning into a cruise missile,” said Katkov.