Why Ukraine does not deliver mirror strikes against Moscow: Military expert explains
Photo: Fire at an oil refinery in Moscow (Getty Images)
Strikes on Moscow should not be carried out just as retaliation for attacks on Kyiv. Such strikes must serve a specific military objective, and Ukraine's limited resources are better focused on undermining Russia's military capabilities, Ivan Kyrychevskyi, a serviceman with the 413th Raid Regiment of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces and a weapons expert at Defense Express, said.
Military objectives instead of emotions
According to Kyrychevskyi, after Russian attacks, emotions can make people want the same thing to happen to Russia. He noted that that day the Southern Bridge was struck again.
At the same time, he believes Ukraine needs to distinguish itself from Russia. The degree of civilization in the use of military force lies in having a specific military objective, he said.
He cited the use of several Neptune missiles to destroy a strategically important military plant or a Su-34 aircraft on the ground as examples of justified strikes. He also mentioned long-range drone attacks. According to him, two Russian data centers were hit, including the VKontakte data center, which his regiment struck alongside other Unmanned Systems Forces units.
Why results on the battlefield matter
Kyrychevskyi noted that the Russian state has vulnerabilities, including data centers. According to him, Russia is taking measures to protect its critical infrastructure, but every action has a countermeasure. In his view, deliberately trying to hurt civilians is a different matter, and using scarce resources for that purpose is inefficient.
He also pointed out that even Russia faces resource limits: it launches around 200 piston-engine and jet-powered drones in a large-scale attack. According to him, an enemy that prioritizes terrorizing civilians has limited resources and cannot use them effectively. Therefore, Ukraine, facing an even greater shortage, must learn from Russia's mistakes and concentrate its resources on destroying Russian military capabilities.
Kyrychevskyi gave an example: destroying six aircraft that carry guided aerial bombs, or Su-34s, might not be noticeable in Kyiv, but it means that life in Sumy gets easier. The ideal outcome, he said, is a situation where things get worse for Russia and easier for Ukraine. He emphasized that this was his personal opinion and might not reflect the collective position.
On the night of June 16, Ukrainian drones struck the Moscow oil refinery, sparking a fire at the facility. Ukraine's General Staff said the refinery plays a role in supplying the Russian military and has an annual processing capacity of more than 12 million tons of oil.
Later, a Ukrainian drone attack on September 20 forced the Moscow oil refinery, owned by Gazprom Neft, to suspend operations.
