Russia’s biggest air strikes in Ukraine in two weeks The Russian army arrived with a ship full of missiles and fired about 200 missiles at Ukraine. Most of these destroyed Ukraine’s air defenses, but some fell and exploded. The extent of the damage is unclear. Ukrainian forces destroyed several drones and missiles.
The Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine, Valery Salushnyi, said that all but 15 of the 69 missiles fired at Ukraine yesterday were destroyed. Ukrainian air defense systems shot down 21 cruise missiles near Odesa, the regional administrator of the Black Sea region, Maxim Marchenko, said. However, due to some missile attacks, electricity and water supply crisis in the city.
There are conflicting figures from the Ukrainian government on how many missiles Russia has fired. A senior Ukrainian official has accused Russia of launching more than 200 missiles aimed at destroying vital infrastructure and killing civilians on a large scale.
Russia used sophisticated missiles to attack Ukraine. Initial reports indicate that various variants of the Caliber, one of Russia’s best ever cruise missiles, have been used to attack different areas in Ukraine. Caliber is a long-range cruise missile developed by Russia to compete with the American-made Tomahawk.
Developed in the 1990s and first used in combat in 2015, the standard can be fired by ships, submarines or ground forces. A version that can fly is being tested. In 2017, Russia used Caliber cruise missiles to destroy terrorist bases in Syria. The attack was carried out from the sea. Palmyra, a base of terrorists in Syria, was destroyed by warships and submarines.
Russia’s main weapon is still the Caliber cruise missiles that were used to carry out airstrikes in Syria years ago. The reason is that they can travel up to 2,000 km. It is also reported that the range varies depending on the target.
This is the first time since the mission in Syria that Russia has used such precision missiles continuously for air strikes. Caliber cruise missiles which have been successfully tested several times are supplied by Russia under the name ‘Club’ to other countries. Vietnam and India currently use the service of this missile.
Russia is testing not only missile technology but also new bomb technology. Russia’s RBK-500 SPBE-E is a bomb that could replace the US CBU-105. As the 500 in the name suggests, this bomb has a strike capacity of 500 kg of explosives. It also contains 15 small bombs with separate detectors. This is also used to attack IS bases.
Experts say it has enough capacity to destroy 15 tanks. Another important feature is that the target can be controlled by human and equipment recognition. Therefore, it does not pose a danger to people living in them.
∙ Caliber missiles shocked the world
Caliber cruise missiles used by Russia to launch airstrikes in Syria shocked the world recently. The reason is that they can travel up to 2,000 km. The Caliber missile launched from the Caspian Sea in 2017 to hit Syria had a range of 1,500 kilometers (932 miles). The missile was used to fight IS terrorists. This missile also wreaked havoc in Idlib province, which was under the control of Al-Qaeda.
Thirty feet long and weighing up to 2.3 tonnes, the Caliber can carry up to 500 kg of explosive or thermonuclear warheads, making it an excellent weapon for precision target engagement. This outstanding missile is Russia’s perfect answer to European countries and the United States, who tease that their missile technology is decades behind. Through this, they have been able to prove that their technology is not far behind. But American defense experts say the Caliber missile has failed to deal with terrorists.
English summary: Russia launches a new wave of missiles into Ukraine
