Russia uses decoy missiles in war of attrition on Ukrainian air defense – ISW

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported the information.

On December 9, a Russian military blogger reported the use of Kh-55 cruise missiles by Russian forces, similar to the modernized Kh-101 missile. The purpose was to "mislead and exhaust Ukrainian air defense."

Analysts highlight that decoy missiles contributed to the failure of Russian missiles to hit any targets in Kyiv, as they were intercepted by air defense. The blogger expressed difficulty for Russian forces to launch enough Kh-55 decoy missiles due to the limited number of Tu-95 and Tu-160 bombers.

The ISW notes past use of Kh-55 missiles and other variants as decoys to overwhelm Ukrainian air defense and create shortages of high-precision missiles.

Ukrainian military observer Kostyantyn Mashovets mentions increased aerial reconnaissance by Russian forces before large-scale strikes in eastern and southern Ukraine. On December 8, seven reconnaissance flights occurred, a significant increase from previous days.

Mashovets suggests the aggressor's army aims to challenge Ukraine's limited air defense ahead of an expected large-scale winter missile campaign.

Ukrainian forces lack sufficient air defense systems to cover the entire territory as tightly as Kyiv.

• During the December 8 missile attack, 19 Kh-101 and Kh-555 missiles were launched at Ukraine, with 14 intercepted by air defense.