Russia Has Escalated its Missile Attacks on Ukraine

Between 01:40 and 03:45 on 16 February, Russian occupation troops launched a massive missile strike on residential and critical infrastructure. The Russians fired 32 air and sea-launched cruise missiles at Ukraine. Twelve X-101/X-555 cruise missiles from two Tu-95ms strategic bombers from the Caspian Sea area, eight Kalibr cruise missiles from a frigate from the Black Sea area, 12 X-22 cruise missiles from six Tu-22m3 long-range bombers from the Kursk area and two X-59 guided air missiles from two Su-35 tactical aircraft from the Melitopol area were used. The Ukrainian Armed Forces destroyed 14 Х-101/Х-555 cruise missiles, Kalibr, and 2 X-59 guided aviation missiles using its air force assets.

Unfortunately, some of the X-22 cruise missiles reached their targets, hitting critical infrastructure. Currently, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have no air or missile defence systems capable of destroying this type of missile. In addition, in order to exhaust the Ukrainian air defence, Russia carries out combined attacks with missiles and drones, improving its deception tactics each time. For instance, on February 12, the occupiers used balloons with angled deflectors in Ukraine during an evening attack. An angled reflector is a device in the form of a triangular angle with metal or glass mirrors that reflect the rays falling into it. They are used, among other things, to create jamming and decoys for radar systems. Apart from the air defence depletion mission, there is also the view that these balloons carried out reconnaissance operations. It is likely that these objects can linger in one place and collect information about a certain area for a long time. The main problem in using these balloons for the anti-aircraft system operator is that he sees them as an unidentified object. And if there are many such balloons, they will simply blind the monitors and hide the real targets - the Shakheds or cruise missiles.

The targets of the recent strike were critical infrastructure, but often the target coordinates of the missile are residential buildings. The Russian occupiers struck a critical infrastructure facility in Lviv Region. In Pavlograd, Russian missiles destroyed seven private houses and damaged an industrial facility. Airstrikes were also recorded against a critical infrastructure facility near Kropivnytskyy. Two missile strikes were launched against Kremenchuk. Drones appeared in the Poltava area.

Putin fights with peaceful Ukrainians, his aim is to intimidate and kill Ukrainians in order to stop the resistance. Thus on the evening of February 16, Russia launched several S-300 missile strikes against Kharkiv. Attacks were recorded in the Osnovyanskiy and Kievskiy districts of the city, and the blast caused damage to the workshops of an enterprise.

As a frontline city, Kharkiv is particularly vulnerable to Russian C-300 and Iskander missiles, which are fired at close range. The tricky thing about these missiles ("С-300") is that the distance is not great and they fly quite fast along a ballistic trajectory. The enemy moves into position stealthily, deploys the complex or rocket artillery and launches strikes. It is not always possible to warn civilians about these attacks. Russia has completely destroyed the Saltivka district in Kharkiv - it has practically ceased to exist. Before the war, more than 300,000 people lived in the North Saltivka district. Now about 70% of the multi-storey houses there are beyond reconstruction. To secure the city, air defence alone is not enough - long-range missiles are needed to "push back" enemy firing points in the Belgorod region.

Urgent supplies of Western weapons to the Ukrainian Armed Forces will help save tens of thousands of Ukrainians' lives and save the country's infrastructure. This is a vital necessity not only for the Ukrainian people, but also for the security of Europe.