'Ukraine disrupts Russia's attack schedule': Expert highlights feature of today's strike
Illustrative photo: Russian forces launched a massive strike on Ukraine (Getty Images)
Russian forces launched a massive strike on Ukraine today, August 26, closer to the morning when the aerial targets were already clearly visible, states aviation expert Kostiantyn Kryvolap in a comment to RBC-Ukraine's YouTube channel.
He reminded that during the attack, the enemy used a very large number of missiles. These included Kh-101s, Kinzhals, Kh-22s, Kalibrs, and a very large number of Shahed kamikaze drones. This weaponry had been accumulated by the enemy for almost a month.
"What surprises me? This time, the attack was shifted closer to the morning, and it was already quite clear to see the Shaheds. We are used to them operating at night," Kryvolap noted.
According to him, this could be another result of Ukrainian defenders' attacks on Russian airfields. Enemy Tu-95s had been returning from Olenya to Engels almost daily, as drones frequently flew to Olenya.
"We have seriously disrupted their schedule. I think this shift is related to the fact that they are not always able to complete their operations as quickly as they would like," the expert explained.
How long does Russia need for a new strike
Kryvolap noted that in today’s attack, the Russians used only 11 Tu-95s, which launched Kh-101 missiles at Ukraine, whereas previously "about 18 aircraft" were involved.
"This means our actions have forced them to reduce the number of aircraft. Either they have been grounded, their flight times have expired, or there were some malfunctions. Therefore, it's very hard to say how long it will take them to recover," the expert explained.
He also mentioned a similar situation with the MiG-31K. If the Russian forces had the capability to deploy six such aircraft, they would have, but only three were detected in the air. Thus, Ukrainian strikes on Savasleyka had an impact.
Kryvolap added that it is still unknown which MiG-31s were affected during the drone attack, but based on today’s strike, it can be concluded that they were likely the MiG-31K carriers of the Kinzhals.
The expert noted that the Russian army might be ready for a new strike within a week if Ukraine does nothing. However, our forces "are not sitting idle" and do not give the enemy a chance to relax.
What preceded
It is worth noting that today, August 26, the Russian army launched a massive strike on Ukraine for the first time in a considerable period.
As usual, the target was civilian infrastructure, specifically energy facilities. The attack has caused power outages in several settlements.
Kyiv was particularly affected. The enemy directed a large number of Shahed drones and missiles at the capital.
