Ukraine will receive old missiles stored in US and other countries - military expert Zgurets

FrankenSAM system (Frankenstein Air Defense)

Ukraine will receive versions of platforms that can use Sidewinder missiles. This is a short-range missile for fighter jets that is used in air combat but can be launched from a ground launcher. The US-made RIM-7 missile can also be adapted to the Buk system.

We are guided by Mark Milley's statement that such samples will be transferred in the near future, and this is exactly the area where these systems can be used to combat enemy cruise missiles and unmanned attack drones such as Shahed.

"This is a new area of activity. We tried to reach an agreement with our allies before the war, but they would not agree to a meeting on joint production because the country was not a member of the Alliance. There were certain restrictions then, but now the situation has changed. Countries such as the Czech Republic and Poland used launchers of Kub and Buk anti-aircraft missile systems. At one time, around 2018-2019, they offered to present them at exhibitions, but we didn't need to do so at the time. Now, of course, we are working on this and there are already practical developments in terms of using, adapting, modernizing these launchers of all types of complexes for Sea Sparrow and Sidewinder missiles. This is very good, because such systems as NASAMS, IRIS-T are based on air missiles," said Ihor Romanenko, founder of the Let's Close the Skies of Ukraine Charitable Foundation, Deputy Chief of the General Staff (2006-2010), and retired Lieutenant General on Espreso TV.

ATACMS on Russian forces in Luhansk and Berdyansk

New details are emerging about the first use of ATACMS missiles against Russian aircraft at airfields in Berdyansk and Luhansk. This was a complete surprise for the enemy and has become a historic event. De facto, the Ukrainian Armed Forces became the second ATACMS operator in history to use these missiles in actual combat, after the US army.

According to Romanenko, this event had been expected for almost a year. Obviously, the secret part of the agreement between the presidents worked, the decision was made back in August.

Romanenko noted that the missile was an old, cluster missile, but it hit the targets that were selected. These were strikes on aircraft and air defense systems, weapons depots at airfields. Three missiles hit Berdyansk and two hit Luhansk.

As you know, the United States has delivered the first version of ATACMS ballistic tactical missiles with a cluster warhead to Ukraine. These are M-39 missiles with a range of 165 kilometers. Thanks to the publication of The New York Times, the number of missiles we received from the first batch has also become known. Officials said that the United States had handed over about 20 ATACMS missiles to Ukraine. One of the conditions for the use of ATACMS missiles is that they cannot be used to hit the territory of the Russian Federation. We hope that following these missiles, we will receive another version of the M-39A1 missiles, which have a range of 300 km, also in cluster munitions.

20 missiles from the United States is not enough, we need hundreds, not only missiles with cluster warheads, which destroy manpower in the first place. For example, in the south, we need to break through the defense, the second "Surovikin line," where there are concrete engineering structures.

Romanenko noted that from a military point of view, the United States is aware of the need for this. The question is to what extent our military and political leadership will convince us of the need to use them at least against targets in the temporarily occupied territories. I think the requirement was not to use them against military facilities on the territory of the Russian Federation. But we are keeping our promises on weapons, so the question is the quantity and quality of weapons.

Frontline situation

What happened on October 10 in Avdiivka was certainly massive, there hasn't been this much equipment since the beginning of the year, but it was expected for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This was stated by Andriy Serhan (call sign "Khokhol"), an aerial reconnaissance officer with the 59th Detached Infantry Brigade named after Yakiv Handziuk. 

According to him, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been repelling attacks for a year, standing in the trenches and waiting for the enemy to come to destroy us. The invading Russian troops have suffered losses and the Ukrainian Armed Forces have not lost their positions. The 59th Brigade is in place and will probably be able to move forward in the near future. Due to the fact that our brigade has a fairly powerful reconnaissance unit, it detects targets ahead of time, when the Russians are just approaching. The unit determines the coordinates in advance and destroys the targets using them. That's why the artillery performed well.

Serhan emphasized that in recent days the Russian army has started working in smaller groups. There are no more columns like there were before.