Every day since the escalation of the Russian war of aggression on Ukraine, the UK Ministry of Defense publishes its assessment of the situation in the conflict. On August 31, 2023, it is about attacks on Russian territory.
On the Network X, formerly Twitter, the UK Ministry of Defense writes: “On the night of August 29-30, 2023, Russia experienced up to five separate attacks by one-way unmanned aerial vehicles (OWA-UAVs) – the largest attack on Russia since the beginning of the conflict. Explosions were recorded in Moscow, Bryansk, and Ryazan, as well as at the Pskov air base near the Estonian border. Several Russian military transport aircraft were likely damaged in the attack on Pskov. In August 2023, Russia experienced 25 separate drone attacks that were almost certainly carried out by OWA UAVs. Many of these UAVs have reached their targets, which likely means that Russian air defenses are having difficulty detecting and destroying them. Russia is likely rethinking its air defenses in the region between Ukraine and Moscow to better counter these attacks.”
The U.K. Ministry of Defense elaborates on what the recent attacks could mean for Russia in terms of tactics, saying, “Previous attacks on Russian military airfields have resulted in Russian aircraft being redeployed to sites across Russia. However, the recent attacks on Soltsy and Pskov have shown that UAVs have a long range, making further dispersal difficult. It is likely that Russia will need to consider additional air defense systems for airfields it considers vulnerable to drone attacks.”
MImage: Kremlin.ru, Vladimir Putin meeting with government ministers (2022-07-08) 02, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (image size modified)
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