The military point 333 | Britain has announced the delivery of 14 Challenger 2 tanks and 30 self-propelled guns: a concrete gesture that at the same time puts pressure on undecided partners
Bloody Saturday in Ukraine, where cities face heavy bombing raids, carries three messages: Despite reports to the contrary, Moscow has plenty of bombs at its disposal; the Ukrainians need other countermeasures to strengthen the shield; The terror campaign remains one of the pillars of Putin’s strategy. Yesterday’s preliminary tally of about twenty dead and dozens missing.
waves
The Russians struck – according to the reconstruction of the Institute for War Studies – in two waves with a total of 33 pieces. In the first, they used S-300 and S-400 anti-aircraft weapons modified for use against ground targets. In this case, the Kiev region, and the starting point was the territory of Belarus. The second salvo was carried out using cruise missiles (KH101, K555, KH22, Kalibr, KH59) launched from bombers and ships on duty in the Kursk region of Russia and the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov. Experts also stressed the likely deployment of Iskander ground-to-ground carriers. Official Ukrainian sources have claimed the interception of 18 cruise missiles and three guided missiles, but argue that they are unable to counter the entire threat, particularly that posed by ballistic devices. When they arrive from Belarus, they only have two minutes, and the trajectory complicates the defensive mission. Not to mention the risk of wreckage or weapon parts falling down after destruction, a kind of friendly fire. Yesterday a senior official said one of the buildings would be damaged in a similar situation, a claim later corrected and denied. The Dnipro Palace was burned out by a KH22 fired from an airplane, the resistance said. Since the beginning of the war, the occupying forces have already used 210 missiles of this model and have not intercepted any of them.
The answer
After each raid that devastates inhabited areas, Ukraine asks for further help from the West. The US will supply one battery of Patriots (necessary to train personnel), a second will arrive from Germany. They are systems designed specifically to stop missiles. Other devices – like the SAMP/T – have to cover low and medium altitudes and attack the kamikaze drones, especially the Iranian Shahed. Israel has leaked the indiscretion of its technological support in favor of Kyiv, which is linked to its wartime experience. However, spears and shields must be in large numbers, and electronic surveillance, partly through NATO aerial reconnaissance, using airborne means outside of Ukraine’s borders and in the Black Sea is also vital. They are valuable sentinels – like the Awacs just became in Romania – but they alone are not enough. Meanwhile, the intelligence continues to monitor Russia’s cooperation with Iran and other countries (read North Korea): it is trying to understand whether Tehran will send new vehicles and what the production capacity is; rates Shahed stocks, over 660 used to date; it does not rule out a future supply of missiles by the ayatollahs. On the other hand, Russian industry still manages to meet the needs of the army, with a frequency that varies between 30 and 50 units per month. The General Staff then proceeds with the scorched earth targeting civilians and infrastructure.
The assistant
On the 20th, members of the pro-Kyiv coalition meet in Ramstein, Germany to decide on new long-term steps. Summit that follows the occupiers’ advance to the east – Soledar – has to look to the future, however, to the possible spring offensives that both sides want to unleash. There will be a lot of talk about tanks, about vehicles that NATO could decide to guarantee. Meanwhile, London has acted autonomously, announcing the delivery of 14 Challenger 2 tanks and 30 155mm AS90 self-propelled guns. A tabloid has added 4 Apache attack helicopters, but there is no confirmation. The patrol of British tanks is a concrete gesture, which at the same time puts pressure on the undecided partners, above all Germany. Berlin continues to veto the sending of leopards, an obstacle preventing countries like Poland and Finland from handing over theirs. Let’s see if the Germans change their minds in the end, green light could start a more extensive program. In fact, France has approved delivery of the AMX 10 (lighter tanks), and the United States is considering the mighty Abrams. In addition to political questions, there are also technical ones. An executive at Germany’s Rheinmetall has warned it will take months to reactivate the Leopards – there are currently around twenty in stock – and they may not be available until 2024. Similar signs had appeared for the tanks available in Spain in poor condition.
January 15, 2023 (change January 15, 2023 | 16:13)
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