Expert Discloses With What AFU Hit Aerodrome In Berdyansk

Why did the Russian air defence "overslept" the attack?

On the night of October 17, the Armed Forces of Ukraine launched strikes on helicopters and equipment of the Russian occupation troops at the airfield near the temporarily occupied Berdyansk.

What could the AFU hit the airfield in Berdyansk, where, according to Russian propaganda, the occupiers' aviation was destroyed? Charter97.org talked to a well-known Ukrainian military and political observer Oleksandr Kovalenko about this:

- It could be a Storm Shadow or SCALP-EG cruise missile. We don't have any other means of defeat to hit that far away right now. Therefore, the strike was carried out by one of these two options. Although these missiles are identical in terms of functionality.

- What are the capabilities of the missiles you mentioned?

- They can hit at a distance of up to 300 kilometres. These are air-launched cruise missiles up to sound type. In Ukraine, they are used by Su-24 frontline bombers. In general, their carriers are different, but we have them adapted to the Su-24.

I will single out two main unpleasant moments of these missiles for the Russian air defence. Firstly, they fly most of their flight at ultra-low altitudes - 30 metres above the ground.

It is very difficult for Russian air defence systems to detect and destroy objects at such heights.

Secondly, each of these missiles is itself a stationary electronic warfare system. That is, it can both fight the interference that is introduced against it and create this interference itself. That is why their interception is a very big problem for the Russian air defence.

- Recently, Russian aircraft have been hit time after time. Are the Russians not able to defend it properly?

- Yes. That's right. They can't intercept these missiles properly. It's a big problem for them.

- Is there any way they can solve it in the near future?

- Only by improving the characteristics, improving their missiles, but as we realise, they cannot do that.

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