A military analyst summed up the fallout from missile strikes launched earlier this week by Russian forces against Ukraine, saying they represented a “monumental failure” that achieved just the opposite of what Moscow had hoped.

“It’s hard to explain how stupid Russia’s ‘retaliatory strikes’ on the Kerch Bridge really were, even if you ignore the outright attacks on civilians,” said military analyst Tyler Rogoway, who is also the editor-in-chief of a military website. Combat zone”.

Then he sums up the consequences of the rocket attacks on Kyiv and several Ukrainian cities on Monday, point by point:

1) The Russians wasted the precious cruise missiles they had left to attack targets of no military importance.

“Fighting a war they are losing, one where they have never achieved air supremacy and where they cannot attack most of the country with their air power, they are using their only weapon that can hit these places against insignificant targets to show ‘mighty’ in terms of insane violence for home audiences. Even in this respect, the effects were weak,” the military analyst explains.

2) This decision significantly accelerated Ukraine’s acquisition of a modern integrated air defense system from the West.

A “monumental failure” for Russia, Rogovey notes, adding that Moscow should completely deny what Ukrainian anti-aircraft capabilities will be after receiving such systems.

He says that it will still be possible to attack targets in Ukraine with drones and missiles, even the best integrated air defense systems will be difficult to stop them.

But obtaining such a system would make it extremely risky for any Russian aircraft to operate over Ukraine and even beyond, effectively nullifying any Russian hopes of achieving air supremacy.

“Now it’s a pipe dream, but in the future it will become almost impossible,” emphasizes the editor-in-chief of “Battle Zone”.

The Russian missile attacks did not hit any military targets

3) Ukraine’s acquisition of such a system also means that the drones that Moscow’s armed forces have, and other unmanned aerial vehicles that they may acquire from Iran in the future, will become less effective and can operate in a smaller radius.

4) The attacks did not achieve any tactical or strategic objective.

“No one,” Rogovey notes, adding that the war continues, Ukraine mourns its dead and must pay reparations, but other than that, the attacks were an empty show that showed more weakness than strength.

5) Europe will invest heavily in air and missile defenses across the continent.

“A huge thing. Moscow hated it [sistemul de apărare împotriva unor rachete balistice] Aegis Ashore,” says the analyst, referring to Deveselu’s shield, adding that the ability of the Arrow 3 and Patriot systems to cover 14 European countries with an anti-aircraft “umbrella” is on a completely different level.

We will remind, on Thursday, Germany and 13 NATO countries, including Romania, signed a protocol on the joint purchase of air defense systems, such as Arrow 3 and Patriot.

Russia’s actions brought Ukraine and its NATO allies closer together

6) Such large-scale investments will give a powerful impetus to technological development and strengthen Europe’s air defense precisely in the face of specific threats posed by the armament of the Russian armed forces.

“Don’t underestimate it, huge amounts of money will fuel what’s to come,” Rogovey notes.

7) The missile attacks launched by the Russians earlier this week have brought all NATO allies closer to each other and to Kyiv again, and many countries have already announced that they will send new weapons to Ukraine to fight against a common enemy.

The editor-in-chief of “The War Zone” says that this close cooperation between NATO allies is the biggest threat to Russia.

“And the Russians were incredible architects of the very thing I despise. Yes, this campaign of long-range airstrikes compared to the explosion on the Kerch bridge was something different, but not “4D-chess”, – concludes the military analyst.

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