Two strikes on air bases deep within Russian territory have sparked concerns about Moscows defences . Analysts believe the strikes were a response to Russia's missile attacks on Ukraine .
Kyiv: Two strikes on air bases deep within Russian territory have struck a major reputational blow and sparked concerns about Moscow's defences, according to analysts, as attention shifted to the use of drones in the war between the two countries.Unmanned Soviet-era reconnaissance drones were used by Ukraine on Monday to attack two military air bases in the Ryazan and Saratov zones, which have been carrying explosives at the time.A third Russian airfield in Kursk, which is closer to Ukraine, was set ablaze on Tuesday by a drone strike.Military observers saw the strikes as Kyiv's response to Russia on the same day as Moscow launched another wave of missile attacks on critical infrastructure in Ukraine.It is unknown if Russia would retaliate; it did so shortly after an attack on a major bridge leading to annexed Crimea, which it said was orchestrated by Ukrainian military intelligence There are no locations in western Russia that are outside Ukraines reach, according to Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky, whose social media posts can provide a glimpse of the mood in Russia during the war unleashed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February.Small drones, the threat that was so marginalized, can attack strategic aircraft, according to analysts.If indeed Kyiv did use an old Tupolev reconnaissance drone, it would be impossible to spot the threat and eliminate it, said Oleksandr Musiyenko, another Kyiv expert.
It was not the first time Russia accused Ukraine of using such drones to carry out attacks within its borders, according to the defense ministry in Moscow.Ukraine has been debating the prospect of building a military force, and its defense minister told Reuters that unmanned aerial vehicles and drones were the future of modern warfare.According to the state-run Ukrinform news agency, Russia has used its vast range of long-range missile capabilities to launch wave after wave of aerial assaults on Ukraine's power grid, resulting in major outages in what Kyiv describes as a brutal attempt to undermine the people's resolve to combat.Moscow claims that its assaults are justified. But our armed forces must have a balanced asymmetrical response to Russian Federation missile attacks, he said.Aerial unmanned vehicles are also useful, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is paying special attention to their development.