Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky has said that Russia is pushing hard to try and erode Ukrainian forces before the F-16 multi-role fighter jets.
Before Western aide arrives, Russian troops are fighting hard “to maximise the depletion” against Kyiv’s forces.
Syrsky said in the Kupyansk, Pokrovsk, Kurakhivska and Vremivka sectors in the Donetsk region, Russian forces have been conducting “active offensive actions of varying intensity.”
He added, “The enemy is well aware that as a result of the gradual receipt of a significant amount of weapons and military equipment from our partners, and the arrival of the first F-16s, which will strengthen our air defense, time will play in our favor and [the Kremlin’s] chances of success will decrease.
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“Therefore, the [Russian force command staff] is currently making every effort to increase the intensity and expand the geography of hostilities to maximise the depletion of our troops, disrupt the training of reserves and prevent the transition to active offensive actions,”
There are fears in the Kremlin and amongst military bloggers that the Ukrainian ‘aviation armada’ of F-16 fighter jets will blitz Russian military targets in Crimea.
Ukrainian forces have destroyed Russia’s air-defence systems which have failed to shoot down US supplied missiles.
US supplied ATACMS which is a ballistic missile have blown up various Russian targets and have a range of 186 miles.
David Axe, a military correspondent for Forbes, said, “The S-400 was designed to have an anti-missile capability, but it obviously doesn’t work.
“Russia’s S-400s can’t defend nearby friendly forces—and they also can’t defend themselves. The more S-400s the Russians stage in Ukraine, the more they’re likely to lose.
The Ukrainian Center for Defence Strategies said, “At least 10 ATACMS missiles were used in the strike, with the Russian air-defence system failing to intercept any of them.”
