Kamikaze drone blasts into Moscow skyscraper
Repeated drone attacks on the Russian capital have left Moscow’s elites at risk and exposed Vladimir Putin’s key weakness, an analyst told Daily Express US.
Drones have been raining down on Moscow and the surrounding region on a near-daily basis as the Russian President’s bloody war moves onto his own land.
According to Michael Bociurkiw, global affairs analyst and senior fellow at The Atlantic Council, the “shocking” ease at which Ukrainian drones can penetrate Russian air defences has exposed the “sorry state” Putin finds himself stuck in.
He told Daily Express US: “That the drones are able to so easily and frequently penetrate what’s meant to be to most heavily protected airspace in Russia says plenty about the weakness of their air defences.
“It’s quite shocking. But then again, the lack of preparedness and general incompetence of Russian forces at the start of the war revealed the sorry state of the Putin war machine.”
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On Saturday, a new drone attack on Moscow forced an early morning temporary shutdown of all three major airports serving the city.
Kyiv also claimed four successful strikes were carried out on four Russian Su-30 fighter jets and one MiG-29 at an airfield in Kursk over the weekend.
These were just the latest in a string of attacks in Moscow as Ukraine retaliates for Russia’s relentless barrages across the border.
Bociurkiw added: “The almost daily drone attacks, purportedly sent with the knowledge of the Ukrainian Government, have brought the conflict started by the Kremlin 551 days ago onto the doorstep of ordinary Russian citizens and represents a serious challenge for President Vladimir Putin.
“So too does the frequent closures of the air space around Moscow to commercial aviation. No longer can the ‘Special Military Operation’ be sold as a faraway conflict with limited consequences for the Russian people.
“What’s more, some of the drones have flown over or crashed near areas where the Russian elite reside.”
Meanwhile, Ukraine appears to be making the most of this new-found “advantage” while it persists with its counteroffensive operation.
Bociurkiw said: “The strategy of using unmanned, armed drones in the air and at sea shows how war is being transformed by new technologies.
“With relative ease and at very low cost, Ukraine has been able to open up another frontline whilst it awaits an opportune moment to pierce Russian lines on the ground in occupied eastern Ukraine.
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“On the frontlines, drones have also given the Ukrainians a huge advantage to observe their opponent and target strikes more accurately.”
This comes as Ukrainian troops are reportedly “nearing a significant breakthrough” as part of their major counteroffensive to reclaim Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine.
On Friday, the Ukrainian General Staff said his forces achieved success close to the village of Novoprokopivka and further east near a small settlement called Ocheretuvate.
The General Staff warned Moscow that his units “are consolidating their positions, inflicting artillery fire on the identified enemy targets, and conducting counter-battery operations.”
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