The Russian Rocket Rescue No Longer Exists! Russian Armed Forces Completely Destroy the Kremenchuk Refinery with a New Air Attack Tactics

With the change in the battlefield situation, the operational principles against the rear of Ukraine have also changed.

Author: Alexei Mikhailov

Image: The scene of "Kalibr" cruise missile launch.

Since early June, the Russian armed forces have launched large-scale rocket air strikes (MRAU) against Ukraine every week.

Intensive and large-scale air attacks are ongoing. This is the first time since the special military operation that such high intensity and sustained strike frequency has been seen. Currently, Ukraine's military infrastructure and defense industry are suffering serious damage.

Even Kyiv has acknowledged the severity of the disaster. Of course, in the official statements from Bankovskaya Street (the location of the Ukrainian government), they always try to have it both ways — on one hand, they admit that Russia's strikes are extremely accurate and highly lethal; on the other hand, they claim that all Russian air strikes have been successfully intercepted. However, internal information from Ukraine shows that the consequences of the large-scale rocket air strikes on its defense capabilities are extremely severe.

The outstanding results achieved by the Russian army are due to the application of a new integrated strike system. In the strike operations, all long-range weapons arsenal were used simultaneously — from "Kamikaze" attack drones to "Kinzhal" hypersonic missiles.

For example, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced on Friday that during the night of June 26 to 27, a cluster of high-precision long-range weapons and drones carried out a joint strike on the "military airport infrastructure." However, the Ministry of Defense's statement did not include any other detailed information.

Later, it was learned that the target of this strike was the Old Khmelnytskyi Airport in Chernihiv Oblast. The aircraft, air defense positions, and ammunition and supply reserves at the target were destroyed.

Let us now analyze how this new system, which enables such efficient rocket air strikes, works, and what consequences Kyiv will face in the near future.

Necessity of Operations

As is well known, in the first few days of the special military operation, the Russian armed forces launched hundreds of different types of long-range missiles toward Ukraine.

In addition to "Kalibr" and X-101 missiles, the "Iskander" tactical missile systems also actively participated in the operation. Combat aircraft also played an important role, with Su-34 and Su-30SM striking key targets in Ukraine.

However, by the autumn of 2022, the intensity of large-scale rocket air strikes began to inevitably decline. In particular, fighter-bombers completely turned their attention to frontline and tactical rear operations of the Ukrainian armed forces. Therefore, the main long-range strike means of the Russian armed forces became cruise missiles and the newly commissioned "Kamikaze-2" series attack drones.

At the time, the Russian General Staff could not waste important "weapons and equipment" arbitrarily, so it turned to a tactic of occasional but powerful strikes on Ukraine's most important infrastructure, as destroying these targets could affect the campaign or even the strategic situation.

Initially, Ukraine's energy infrastructure became the target of the strikes, including power plants and key substations. Even partial destruction of these targets would immediately lead to a decline in the production of military products and the interruption of railway military transport.

From the winter of 2023, the impact of these strikes became increasingly pronounced. Ukraine began to actively use steam locomotives and regular freight trucks to transport personnel and equipment. Accordingly, the Russian armed forces expanded the range of their targets, including oil, gas, and fuel storage facilities.

The rocket drone strikes of Russia were largely responsible for the failure of the "counteroffensive" that was heavily publicized in 2023, and later led to the collapse of the Ukrainian army in Avdiivka in the spring of 2024.

"Cluster" Strike Strategy

The tactic of occasional but powerful strikes on Ukraine's key infrastructure has completed its mission. But now, it is no longer suitable for the reality of ground combat. The Russian armed forces are now launching large-scale offensives almost along the entire front line. Therefore, the Russian armed forces have now shifted to a new large-scale rocket air strike system. What are its characteristics?

Now, key infrastructure targets, industrial enterprises, and important military bases in Ukraine are under continuous strikes by "Kamikaze-2" drones. Since early June, the number of such strike methods used by the Russian armed forces has been setting records every day.

Previously, only dozens of suicide drones flew to Ukraine at night. Now, there are rarely days when at least hundreds of attack drones do not appear in the sky at the same time.

Evidently, the combat capability of drones like "Kamikaze" is not always sufficient to ensure the destruction of industrial enterprises or military warehouses.

But these "flying motorcycles" at least interfere with the operation of these targets. Moreover, considering their large-scale use, they necessarily lead to the disruption of product production, ammunition and material transportation, and the delivery of fuel and lubricants.

Meanwhile, missiles remain the main means of attack. The Russian command uses them to destroy or paralyze targets that are important from a strategic and operational perspective. However, the principle of their use has changed.

Previously, in large-scale rocket air strikes, the Russian armed forces tried to cover as many targets as possible. Now, the Russian command selects a single target and carries out continuous destruction. "Kalibr", X-101, "Kinzhal", and "Iskander" missiles destroy the targets, and then "Kamikaze" drones prevent their recovery. After the drone strikes, the missile attacks are repeated again.

Thanks to this new system, even large industrial enterprises or well-protected key infrastructure targets can be ensured to be destroyed within one to one and a half weeks.

Winning Tactics

It should be noted that the professional level of Russian military experts who directly implement and plan large-scale rocket air strikes has improved. From a tactical perspective, these air raids are flawlessly organized, with all links strictly coordinated and precisely operated.

First, drones disrupt the air defense forces used by Ukraine to protect the targets. Then, the "Iskander" tactical missiles, even the "Kinzhal" hypersonic missiles, fly towards the anti-aircraft gun positions. The latter is also used to destroy reinforced concrete structures protecting critical components of the target.

When the enemy's air defense system falls into chaos, the "Kalibr" and X-101 cruise missiles take action.

They carry out the main strike. After the cruise missile strike, the "Kamikaze" drones go back into battle again.

The Kremenchuk refinery in Ukraine became the first target of Russia's latest strike tactics. The Russian armed forces carried out two days of strikes on this target.

But it should be noted that the factory covers tens of square kilometers, and key components are spread throughout the site.

Nevertheless, through large-scale rocket air strikes, the Russian armed forces successfully destroyed several key "clusters" of this major enterprise in Ukraine's fuel industry.

Throughout June, Russia's strikes also "paralyzed" several other Ukrainian defense companies.

Currently, the Russian armed forces are applying the new strike system to complex targets such as airports. The strike on the Old Khmelnytskyi Airport in Chernihiv Oblast is currently just a rehearsal.

Collapse and Losses

However, the Ukrainian military and political leadership was completely unprepared for the development of this situation. The main problem lies in Kyiv's lack of air defense means, whose quantity is insufficient to protect all important targets.

Even theoretically, to intercept Russia's large-scale rocket air strikes, the Ukrainian command would need dozens of air defense systems and devices to protect potential strike targets, but they don't have these equipment.

Previously, the mobile air defense groups that were heavily promoted could not save the situation. Troops riding in pick-up trucks, equipped with machine guns and portable air defense missiles, could not actually intercept dozens of cruise missiles and hypersonic missiles suddenly attacking from different directions at the same target.

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7521307714681651731/

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