New strategy for Russian missile strikes on Ukraine

Today Russia launched its largest drone and missile strike in months against Ukrainian bases, fuel tanks, energy and military infrastructure, and it became clear that Russia is employing new strategies in its air strikes.

The Russians began to massively use “false missiles” to “clear the way” to the target for the real ones. The Ukrainians claim that Moscow launched 122 missiles and 36 drones at Ukrainian targets. Kyiv assertsthat intercepted 87 missiles and 27 drones, according to Chief of the General Staff Valery Zaluzhny.

https://rua.gr/news/european-news/vojna-v-ukraine/59956-samaya-massirovannaya-vozdushnaya-ataka-na-ukrainu.html

Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force Mykola Oleshchuk wrote on his official Telegram channel: “The most massive airstrike” since the start of Russia’s large-scale invasion in February 2022.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the previous largest attack was in November 2022, when Russia fired 96 missiles at Ukraine. This year, according to the Air Force, the highest number of missiles fired was on March 9 – 81 missiles.

The airstrikes began Thursday and continued overnight, hitting at least 11 cities, including the capital Kyiv, and other areas from east to west and north to south Ukraine.

Today Russia launched everything except Kalibr, Air Force spokesman Yuri Ignat said: “We’ve never seen so many targets on our screen at once.” – the press secretary commented on the consequences of the Russian attack.

The question is: did the Russians really use 122 missiles? Did the Ukrainians really shoot down 87 as they claim?The truth is that the Russians have changed their strategy, and now for every cruise missile they launch, they launch four more “fake” ones, which they use as “decoys” for the Ukrainian air defense, and judging by the results, they are successful.

This strategy is not their own, as they copied it from the West, and it was also used in Ukrainian airstrikes.”Stormshadow“on the Crimean peninsula. A Russian landing ship was recently hit hard “Novocherkassk”which, according to Kyiv, carried Iranian Shahed drones.

Therefore, the Russians are now using “decoys” similar to the American ADM-160 MALD (Miniature Air-Launched Decoy). These are special missiles, called “decoy missiles,” designed to “load” enemy air defenses and expose them to real attacks. These are inexpensive, lightweight, air-launched missiles from multiple landing platforms that launch them very close to enemy airspace to fool enemy air defenses into thinking a massive first air strike is imminent.

Thus, by provoking ground batteries to use their radars, EW aircraft collect their electronic signatures and positions, and move on to appropriate countermeasures. MALD decoys can mimic the flight profile and RCS characteristics of real fighter aircraft after launch. The goal is to distract enemy air defenses and hit decoys while leaving room for a real attack aircraft.

As the war progressed in Ukraine, the use of drones was introduced, it was realized that tanks on the modern battlefield could not survive without an active defense system, and the conduct of strike missions was radically changed.

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