Ukraine is able to regularly attack military targets in Russia

Let me ask rhetorically: why are airports in Russia still operational, unlike those in Ukraine?

Do we not have the capability to regularly and consistently attack military targets, thereby forcing Russia to effectively halt passenger air traffic?

"I’ll state this with full responsibility: we do have such capabilities. The issue is that there seems to be no demand for such action from the leadership. Why is this the case?"

Russians, who can still fly domestically without hindrance, perceive themselves as victorious in the war. They feel like the stronger side, having preserved the integrity of their airspace. In contrast, Ukraine appears stuck in the 19th century without air traffic — a situation that makes us seem weaker in the eyes of outsiders. This perception emboldens others to exploit us. Ultimately, even our own population may see us as weak because of this.

Is this not obvious?

"Why do the Russians attack us with cheap decoy drones day and night, overloading our air defenses, forcing us to expend precious ammunition, draining the resources of mobile fire groups, and distracting operators? And yet, we don’t employ the same tactics against them. Why have the Russians been doing this for six months now while we’ve failed to take symmetric measures? Are we really that smart, or are we just that passive?"

There have already been numerous instances of Russian air defenses targeting Ukrainian drones, causing destruction in major cities and the Moscow region. For example, the Pantsir air defense system, which likely shot down an Azerbaijani plane, once struck a residential building with a missile last year.

For the second year in a row, I’ve been advocating through every possible security agency for regular and cost-effective attacks on Russian targets. Yes, it’s crucial to destroy oil refineries and bomb airfields, but we also need to achieve parity in the number and scale of drone attacks on Moscow’s rear areas. For that, we need, at the very least, the will to act.

I repeat: affordable means exist, and appropriate technical solutions are available.

Source

About the author: Ihor Lutsenko, journalist, and Ukrainian soldier.

The editorial board does not always share the opinions expressed by blog authors.