What are kamikaze drones and why is Russia using them in Ukraine? | | Ukraine

The increasing use of Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones by Russia reflects both strengths and weaknesses.monday morning Drone bombing in central Kyivin two clusters during the morning rush hour, showing how weapons can cause destruction and terror in a capital city that, until a week ago, had not been attacked for months.

The Shahed-136 first entered the war in September and has been described as a kamikaze drone, but given its 50kg payload, it’s better thought of as a small cruise missile with relatively limited destructive power. Good. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had purchased 2,400.

Justin Bronk, an air force specialist at the Rusi think tank, says drones are “difficult to intercept consistently”, but air defenses always have a chance because their airspeed is slow compared to cruise missiles. “In the end, they Russia It will cause more civilian and military casualties in Ukraine, but it will not change the course of the war,” he said.

This is the second large-scale attack on Kyiv in a week. Last Monday, in response to an explosion at the Kerch Strait Bridge to Crimea, Russia unleashed a deadly hail of missile and drone strikes aimed at Kyiv and other major cities.

The bloody success of last Monday’s attack – which killed an estimated 15 people that day alone – and today’s destruction reveal the limits of Kyiv’s air defenses. It’s not clear why it took so long, but the US last week swiftly delivered the first two of eight promised Nasams air defense systems, which are believed to be enough to protect the Pentagon. I responded by saying that

But while the attack on Kyiv is making headlines around the world, the military utility is near zero and, alone, has a meaningful psychological impact on a largely determined civilian population in the country. No. Especially after Vladimir Putin said there was “no need” for a major attack on Ukraine, the attack has caused not only fear but also anger.

Their use also seems to indicate that Russia is running out of guided missiles.Western officials said Friday they had broadly agreed Ukrainian rating Moscow has depleted about two-thirds of its inventory, leaving only 124 of its 900 medium-range Iskandars. “I think it’s about right,” he said, although it’s impossible to verify such a conclusion.

there were Some suggestions on monday morning While full details have yet to be confirmed, Russia may be looking to partially target energy sites in the capital. Beginning, there are growing signs that Russia is seeking to target Ukraine’s energy and other power grids.

This point also applies to nationally feared advocates, who are calling on people to reduce their electricity use in the evenings between 5pm and 11pm. Last month, power supplies to Kharkov, Kyiv and Lviv were hit by a Russian strike.

Drones like the Shahed-136 are more effective against static targets than the military, and for Russia the devastating impact on Ukraine could be greater. At the same time, Russia is keen to halt advances on the Ukrainian battlefields, at least until heavy rains in late autumn are expected to cause some kind of pause.

Calls to evacuate civilians from Russia’s Kherson province last week may have been billed merely as temporary by a local government officialbut it is the next step in a gradual retreat from the west of the Dnieper, whose forces have been retreating since the beginning of the month.

Ukraine launched a counterattack, which had been pressing against the Russian front since early September, with little real success until early October. Kherson city to the new front north of the village of Mylove.

If it was an attempt to rationalize the front line, it has clearly not been successful in light of the withdrawal announcement.In some western districts, there is speculation that Kherson itself could be recaptured as early as next week. There was. Very optimistic.

Russia may simply be arming itself in the city’s defense of the city, allowing its front lines to shrink in a costly fall battle to tie up Ukraine. , is easier than the open countries around it, creating a dilemma as to how far Kyiv is willing to blast its way to success.

But for now, we should focus on the front lines of an almost eight-month-long war in which Ukraine appears to be taking the lead on land. Russia also continues to come under pressure in the northeast of the front, with Ukraine attempting to advance towards Kreminna after capturing Lyman and the transport hub Svatove.

Nothing else works in Moscow. Russia is throwing mobilized conscripts from her 500,000 conscripts to the front lines. The first depressing report came out The number of forced recruits who die after receiving minimal or no training in places such as Lyschansk.

Currently, Ukrainian frontline progress is not rapid, but it is progressing steadily, and concerns remain that Russia, under pressure, will resort to stepping up targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure. there is. View, influence.