A military expert told how to counter Russian attacks and what is needed for this.
Last night, the Russian Federation attacked Zaporizhzhia. As reported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, the Russians carried out 7 strikes (preliminarily – with KABs) on the territory of the regional center and the district.
Damaged due to impact 13 residential buildings, two educational institutions, vehicles. Injured 21 person, one of them is a child.
The enemy began to attack the city with guided aerial bombs, which he had previously used on the frontline cities – Kharkiv, Kherson and Sumy.
TSN.ua asked a military expert why Zaporozhye was added to this list, how to counter enemy attacks and whether guided air bombs will be dropped on other cities.
Advancing the enemy and improved anti-aircraft guns
According to a military expert Igor Romanenko, this happens due to the fact that the enemy is advancing to the west and it has not yet been possible to stop him.
“Our defenders managed to break the pace of the enemy’s advance in the Pokrovsky and Kurakhovsky directions, but equally the enemy is advancing, in particular, in the Vremivsk direction towards Zaporozhye. For Russians, this regional center is of fundamental importance. Let me remind you that the only regional center they managed to capture was Kherson, which the enemy lost. Now getting to Kherson across the Dnipro River is a very difficult task. And here Zaporozhye has become closer for them, so they use the opportunity to attack the city with advanced guided aerial bombs.” – says TSN.ua Igor Romanenko, military expert, retired lieutenant general and deputy chief of the General Staff (2006–2010).
The expert adds that the enemy is improving its guided aerial bombs, increasing their range capabilities. The Russians use bombs in 250, 500, 1000 kg and even 3 tons.
Consequences of the shelling of Zaporizhzhia / Photo: Telegram channel of the head of Zaporizhzhia OVA Ivan Fedorov
How to counter guided aerial bombs
Ihor Romanenko notes that we need to actively oppose the use of KABs, because they have enormous destructive power, which we can see from the consequences in Zaporizhzhia.
“First of all, we must strike ground targets – enemy warehouses where guided aerial bombs are stored, as well as on the airfields where the carriers of the KAB are based. It is very important to destroy them on the ground, as well as fight them in the air, when the plane has to launch bombs,” says Ihor Romanenko.
Lifting of the ban on airstrikes in the Russian Federation
He adds that for striking enemy ground targets required missile weapons, for which there is now a real struggle.
“We must demand it from our allies, and also produce our own weapons. It is necessary lift all bans on striking Russian airfields, and above all in relation to those where guided aerial bombs are stored and their carriers are located – Su-24 and Su-34″, – assures Ihor Romanenko.
What can stop the use of guided bombs
The expert adds that it is necessary that the Americans finally give us long-range JASSM air-to-surface cruise missiles, to be able to strike the ground targets of the enemy – warehouses with anti-tank missiles and enemy aircraft.
“These missiles can be launched from F-16s, which we received from European partners in small quantities. The Americans, by the way, are holding back the process of further transfer of fighters, although it is known that Ukraine has prepared for them 20 pilots. But to hit enemy ground targets, American missiles are needed. Without them, the F-16s will not be effective and the escalation will continue. The Russians will continue to use guided aerial bombs with impunity, because there is nothing we can do to stop them,” Ihor Romanenko explains.
How to destroy a threat in the air
As for the fight against the Russian KABs, when they are already in the sky together with the carriers, then according to General Romanenko, they need to be shot down by long- and medium-range anti-aircraft missile systems.
“It can be done thanks to Patriot and SAMP/T, and shoot down with fighter jets. But let me remind you that we received obsolete missiles before the F-16 fighters: AIM-9 – their range is only a few tens of kilometers – and missiles AIM-120 with a range of 110 kilometers. At the same time, the Russians are using missiles R-37 with a range of 300 kilometers. Of course, they can shoot down our planes and set new records with them. This is the situation in the fight against Russian guided aerial bombs,” says the military expert.
He adds that it is possible use missiles from the Swedish Gripen, which have a range 200 kilometers, as well as American long-range air-to-air missiles 160-180 kilometers, but the Americans do not allow us to use them.
The consequences of the shelling of Zaporizhia / Photo: “Suspilne Zaporizhia”
Is there a threat to other cities
When asked which other Ukrainian cities, besides Zaporozhye, could be attacked by Russian air defense systems and whether the enemy could use them to attack the Dnipro, the expert said that everything depends on the situation at the front.
“Previously, the Russians did not attack Zaporizhzhia with guided aerial bombs. But the enemy managed to advance closer to the city and improve their means of defeat – to increase their range. That’s why Zaporizhzhia came under the crosshairs, what happens next depends on the situation on the front line,” Ihor Romanenko concludes.
Earlier, TSN.ua reported that a child was among the victims: the State Emergency Service spoke about the situation after the attack on Zaporozhye.
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