Russia using intelligence to evade Ukrainian air defenses — expert

Defense Express development director Valerii Riabykh stated this on Espreso TV.

"The enemy should not be underestimated, as it is constantly improving. We have seen this both in the change of tactics of Shahed attacks, as well as in the use of different types of missiles, and in their improvement during combat use.

Missiles penetrate air defense because it does not guarantee 100% protection. At the same time, air defense systems are characterized by the ability to hit most flying targets. Here, we can say that the enemy somehow managed to achieve this, aided by a combination of factors.

It concerns the improvement of the missile itself, in particular the 9M727 cruise missile of the Iskander operational-tactical complex. This is one of the three missiles used by the complex. Additional systems may have been installed to overcome air defense and to build flight routes taking into account the intelligence available to the enemy about our air defense system," Riabykh noted.

According to the military expert, before the attack on the Cabinet of Ministers, there were several consecutive hostile drone attacks and reconnaissance UAV flyovers.

"It should be noted that during even Shahed attacks, Russia aims not only to strike the target, but also to use them for reconnaissance. Some Shaheds have even gained the ability to transmit data, allowing the enemy to better account for the locations of our air defense systems during subsequent attacks. All this could have contributed to the result in question.

However, it must also be taken into account that the enemy has its own problems. The fact that the missile, despite having a powerful charge, did not explode may be due to possible issues such as poor assembly quality or insufficient preparation for actions under conditions of active electronic warfare. On top of this comes the impact of our strikes on the production and development facilities of the aggressor state," Riabykh added.

• During Russia’s September 7 attack on Ukraine, it was not a Shahed drone but a 450 kg warhead cruise missile from the Iskander operational-tactical missile system that struck the Cabinet of Ministers building.

• According to Volodymyr Horbach, Executive Director of the Institute for North Eurasia Transformation, Russia's Iskander-K missile hit the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers building, but did not explode. This saved the government building from serious destruction that the aggressor intended to cause.