Missiles used in Russia's August 26 attack on Ukraine's HPPs: targets and consequences. Serhiy Zgurets' column

Russian attack on August 26

On August 26, during the night and morning, Russia launched a combined attack on Ukraine using drones, ground-, air-, and sea-based cruise missiles. Over 100 missiles and approximately 100 Shahed-type attack drones were deployed. Ukraine's Air Force has yet to release detailed information on the methods of attack or statistics on the interception of missiles and drones. In July and August, Russia primarily used Shahed drones and a limited number of missiles. It appears Russia was stockpiling missiles for the attack on that day. Fifteen regions of Ukraine were affected by the missile strikes.

Russian troops once again targeted Ukraine's energy facilities, attempting to destroy the Kyiv HPP. According to Defense Express, several missiles were used in the attack: a Kinzhal, two Kalibr missiles, and one Kh-101 missile. Of these, the Kinzhal, one Kalibr, and the Kh-101 missile were shot down. However, one Kalibr missile hit a transformer station at the Kyiv hydroelectric power station.

Ukrainian officials confirmed that there was no breach of the dam and no critical damage to the Kyiv HPP. The dams are designed to withstand numerous strikes and ballistic missiles. However, Russia is now focusing on targeting the most vulnerable areas of the hydroelectric power plant.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that there are two concrete decisions that Ukraine's partners can make to help put an end to Russian terror as soon as possible. First, it is to confirm Ukraine's right to conduct long-range strikes against all legitimate military targets deep into the territory of the Russian Federation. I think we are talking about the possibility of using ATACMS to a depth of 300 kilometers. This is something we desperately need. Secondly, it is an agreement to use the capabilities of Ukraine's partners to shoot down missiles and drones approaching their airspace.

Today, one of the drones or a cruise missile flew into Polish space, but Poland did not shoot down this unmanned aerial vehicle. Now they are trying to find out what happened again, because it is not the first time Russian missiles have entered the space of a NATO country, but there is almost no reaction.

Palianytsia drone missile

While Ukraine has not been authorized to use ATACMS, it is working to expand its arsenal of domestic weaponry for targeting Russian positions, airfields, and military facilities. On Independence Day, the President of Ukraine announced the first use of a new drone missile called Palianytsia. The available video footage is complex, making it challenging to distinguish between ballistic missile technology and the Palianytsia drone missile. The video includes fragments related to the development of ballistic missiles at the Southern Machine-Building Plant.

A diagram of the Palianytsia drone missile reveals that it has a range of up to 600 km. The video clarifies that the missile's development aims to target Russian positions deep within Russian territory. This development was completed in just a year and a half. While detailed technical data is not provided, the creation of such a system is significant. The focus now is on ensuring that Ukraine's military effectively utilizes this new weapon to strike Russian occupying forces and demonstrate its capabilities.

I hope that the Palianytsia drone missile will follow in the footsteps of long-range and FPV drones, which have proven to be reliable tools for Ukraine's military. These drones have become essential for both deterring and destroying enemy forces.

The work of Ukrainian drones on the front line

Yuriy Fedorenko, commander of the Achilles unmanned aerial vehicle battalion of the 92nd separate assault brigade named after Ivan Sirko from the Kharkiv direction, said that Russia periodically launches massive attack and assault operations, and recently has been using armored and lightly armored vehicles. Russia is not fulfilling its tasks in the Kharkiv region, and the Ukrainian Defense Forces are countering it quite reliably in a unified and coordinated manner. As for the Russian manpower, most of them are being eliminated on the way, and the rest are being met by Ukrainian assault units and effectively destroyed. During the assault, the occupying Russian forces lose more than 70% of their lightly armored vehicles. During the last assault, 12 units of Russian military equipment were eliminated, i.e. these are so-called sheds - armored personnel carriers, tanks, which are welded on top with metal protection. Behind this protection is Russia's assault infantry, which is also being destroyed.

The battalion commander highlighted that unmanned systems have significantly improved logistics, allowing for the safe delivery of provisions, ammunition, and supplies to the front line without risking personnel. Additionally, UAVs now enable strikes against Russian forces at much greater distances than in the summer of 2023, including within Russian territory. This advancement is attributed to the modernization of Ukraine's UAVs, the expansion of government programs, and sustained support for enhancing the Ukrainian Defense Forces' capabilities. Despite facing bureaucratic challenges and internal hurdles, both the military-industrial complex and private companies are receiving funding and developing resources, ensuring that Ukrainian defenders have the essential tools to carry out their missions effectively.

The officer outlined the critical role of UAVs on the battlefield, noting that one unit can deploy up to 50 FPV drones during daylight hours, achieving the destruction or damage of 30 enemy targets based on current statistics. If Ukraine's unit had 100 drones available daily, they could potentially target 50-60 Russian positions effectively. The officer emphasized that there will never be an excess of reconnaissance and attack drones, highlighting a similar challenge for Russia, which struggles to fully equip its troops with UAVs. Therefore, the greater the number of reconnaissance and strike drones available to Ukrainian forces, the better they can identify and engage enemy targets, enhancing their operational effectiveness.

Fedorenko emphasized that Ukraine is now ahead of Russia in modernizing FPV drones, namely, adding automatic guidance, which should additionally bypass electronic warfare, and increase the effectiveness of using FPVs. Speaking of fiber optics, this development is not unique to Russia. A number of companies in Ukraine also create such developments that are used on the battlefield. Therefore, these means will be used for certain tasks not only by the occupying Russian forces but also by the Ukrainian Defense Forces. We are confident that the electronic warfare systems will be synchronized as much as possible and will enable Ukrainian defenders to minimize the impact of electronic suppression by using friendly electronic warfare.