Russia’s terrorist attacks on peaceful Ukrainian cities do not affect front line — military expert Serhiy Zgurets 

Ukraine hit by night missile attack

During the night of August 15, at around 4 AM, Russia launched missiles at Ukraine from both the air and the sea. The Ukrainian Air Force counted a total of 28 missiles with different types. Among them, there were 20 Kh-101 and Kh-555 cruise missiles, fired from 11 strategic aviation aircraft. Additionally, a frigate in the Black Sea near Yalta launched 4 Kalibr cruise missiles. Furthermore, 4 more Kh-22 cruise missiles were launched from six Tu-22 M3 long-range aircraft. It's a bit odd that there were four rockets but six planes. This might be because not all missiles could have properly detached from these Russian bombers, possibly due to technical issues. Shahed drones were not used in this attack.

As a result, 16 out of the 24 cruise missiles, including Kh-101,Kh-555, and Kh-22, were destroyed. Ukraine's ability to counter these missiles is quite limited, and the main defense systems that can counter Kh-22s are currently guarding the capital. This raises the concern once again about needing more of these systems to protect other cities in the country.

The enemy used various false targets in an attempt to deceive our air defense system, including electronic targets. This means that the enemy created marks on our surface-to-air missile systems' monitors that could be mistaken for real enemy targets. However, the Air Force's spokesperson, Ihnat, mentioned that they are aware of such tactics and they don't impact the effectiveness of our air defense. Still, the spokesperson emphasized that it would be much better if we had more means to destroy enemy missiles from a greater distance. This underscores the need for more air defense equipment.

Ukraine is receiving support from partner countries, although Europe has limited reserves of powerful air defense systems. Europe, the United States, and NATO primarily rely on aircraft to protect airspace.

Regardless, the enemy's missile strikes are seen as acts of terrorism because they cause harm to populated cities and innocent civilians. These attacks don't have a significant impact on the front line, where there's a different strategic logic and corresponding actions.

The frontline situation

Volodymyr Nazarenko, a senior lieutenant and deputy commander of the Svoboda Battalion in the Ukraine's Rubizh National Guard, shared that his brigade is operating north of Bakhmut in the eastern direction. The whole eastern part of Donetsk region is extremely active. Fighting continues without a break. There are ongoing clashes as the enemy tries to attack and move forward. For over a year, the enemy has been using large amounts of ammunition, causing destruction in all directions. It's worth highlighting the bravery of our soldiers who defend daily despite the intense shelling and destruction caused by the Russian troops.

The senior lieutenant pointed out that the enemy has substantial reserves, including manpower, ‘scrap metal’, ammunition, and weapons. The Russians are willing to sacrifice their soldiers and resources since they can easily replace them. However, our Defense Forces are successfully repelling the enemy's attack attempts.

Regarding cluster munitions, Nazarenko clarified that these are not magical solutions. We shouldn't think that with these munitions, we'll suddenly eliminate everyone. These weapons are effective against enemies in trenches and larger targets. Cluster munitions cover a wider area, increasing the chances of hitting an enemy target with an explosive charge.

The military officer concluded that modern warfare focuses on technology, where manpower isn't the most critical factor. It's a battle of technology, skills, coordination, creativity, intelligence, and strategies to defeat a stronger and larger enemy. Being smarter and having superior technology are crucial to saving the lives of our heroes.

Ukrainian attack drones production

Let's discuss drones used in battles by both sides. The Ministry of Defense recently allowed the use of Osa and Vidsich attack drones. Valery Borovyk, who leads the New Energy of Ukraine Alliance and commands the Bilyi Orel special drone unit, will explain more about this.

Valery Borovyk mentioned that their journey started in 2015 with Ukraine's first kamikaze drone, Yatahan. Unfortunately, during those years, procedures took a lot of time. Today, the Vidsich drone is available for contracts. Osa is a powerful Ukrainian FPV drone. We're producing frames, propellers, engines, guidance systems, and more. Contracting with two strong companies and a promising one is ongoing, which will allow us to scale production from hundreds to thousands, even tens of thousands of drones. This will enable significant impact on the enemy both tactically - on the battlefield - and strategically - up to 40 km and beyond. They're also working on projects for drones that can fly far and carry payloads.

He emphasized the need to fix system defects to make drone production more scalable. Commissioning should take days or at most a few weeks, not months. It's crucial to understand the delays and simplify the process. The military and manufacturers are looking for ways to speed things up. It would be better to have clear procedures where the customer and manufacturer test the drone together on the field, including under electronic warfare conditions and simulated strikes. This way, responsibility is shared, and the admission to operation becomes smoother.

Borovyk added that while permission for two drones has been granted, final signatures are awaited for the Vidsich drone. A three-month process is unacceptable, so the instructions making the process complex need a review. Drones made from Ukrainian parts will be more expensive than quickly assembled Chinese ones costing $500 or $1,000. Ukrainian companies invest in research and development and production facilities. To follow the path of countries like China, Germany, and the US, Ukraine needs to invest in production capacity.

To sum up, Borovyk highlighted the importance of discussing these matters on media platforms and pressuring state bodies to work more efficiently.