by Andrea Pinto
Russia has launched a massive attack in Ukraine, firing 120 missiles, 36 Shahed-class drones, unmarked devices and putting at least 20 strategic bombers into flight. The targets included civilian buildings and strategic locations: there were numerous victims and damage. The Ukrainian response was immediate with 70 drones penetrating Russian airspace, impacting the cities of Bryansk, Belgorod, Tula, Tver and even the region around the capital Moscow.
The Russian authorities issued the bulletin: 21 deaths, including two children and significant damage to buildings. The Kremlin responded by stating that "this will not go unpunished." The Russians accuse Europe, the United States and Britain of encouraging the Kiev attacks.
A small boat packed with explosives was sent remotely by the Ukrainian military to the northwestern sector of Crimea. It could be a new and advanced version of the Mamai, the deadly kamikaze boat used several times in the Black Sea. In response, the Russian Navy moved three units with missile capabilities. Currently, Russia is pursuing tactical and strategic objectives in a methodical manner, responding to the sinking of an amphibious assault ship in the Crimean port. Russian forces are testing enemy defenses, identifying attack points.
Russia is very active in all domains, land, sky, water and cyber, through sophisticated means but also through the use of outdated and cheap weapons. The Ukrainians, on the other hand, are showing some difficulties because they are starting to run out of ammunition and especially soldiers to send to the various fronts spread across a territory as vast as that of Ukraine. Kiev's air defenses, in the last few hours, have failed to intercept all the Russian missiles, highlighting the limit of the counter-offensive in the face of a military force, the Russian one, which is apparently inexhaustible.
The promised Western aid is slow in arriving due to internal resistance from various governments and the lack of men to send to the front; this could prove to be the true Ukrainian Achilles' heel which will never, ever be able to get the better of a military superpower that continues its perpetual military campaign in Ukraine, managing to keep other hot zones of the earth at bay, weaving military alliances and bilateral economic-commercial agreements with the Asian axis, led by Xi's China.
British and French supplies of Storm Shadow/Scalp have enhanced Ukrainian strike capability, enabling repeated strikes against Moscow's Black Sea Fleet. However, greater availability of resources is needed to intensify missions. Experts had predicted the use of missile strikes alongside drone strikes, highlighting stockpiling and steady production.
Further analysis suggests that new shipments of heavy ammunition are arriving from North Korea, providing a continued advantage to Russian forces and limiting the ability of Ukrainian units to respond. Some observers add a "political" note, underlining that Vladimir Putin could intensify military action to consolidate a position of strength in the spring, especially if support from allies were to slow down.
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