Fear of Ukrainian counter-attack: Russia changes attack tactics

For months, Russia has been bombarding Ukrainian power plants and energy facilities with missiles, kamikaze drones and cruise missiles – to no avail. The country’s critical infrastructure has not collapsed in the long run, nor has Ukraine’s morale. Now the Kremlin apparently realizes that the attacks on civilian facilities are futile – and has changed its tactics.

“Let’s take the last attacks by unmanned aerial vehicles on the night of March 17 to 18 and the night of March 21 to 22. They hit fuel and lubricant bases in Novomoskovsk and Zhitomir, and there were also hits in Yavoriv district,” said Vadim Skibitsky, deputy head of Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence agency. «What were the main goals? The logistics system of our troops and the concentration of our equipment,” Skibitsky explained in an interview with the broadcaster “RBC”.

For Skibitsky, the recent Russian attacks on mainly military targets are an indication of the changed tactics of the Russians. With the onset of spring, attacks on, for example, thermal power plants were no longer of interest to Moscow, according to Skibitsky. In addition, in these weeks Kiev is preparing counter-offensives, which should start in April or May. “That is why the Russians will adjust their targets and focus mainly on military installations, troop concentrations and the logistics of our groups,” Skibitsky said.

However, the Secret Service agent does not expect attacks on civilian targets to stop completely: “There will still be hits on critical infrastructure, such as power plants, oil refineries and companies in the military-industrial complex,” says Skibitsky. “We are analyzing which objects the Russian Federation is exploring. Among them are bridges over the Dnipro, airfields and airports, and supply routes for weapons and military equipment from the West.”

However, Russia has used up about 15 percent of its reserves of cruise missiles, Skibitsky says. Less than ten percent of some types of missiles are now available. According to Skibitsky, Russia cannot fire more than 90 to 110 precision cruise missiles in an attack: “So they started using different types of missiles in combination with drones and balloons to deceive our air defenses. But we are also gathering our forces and strengthening our defensive measures.”

(tons online)