Russia has launched a massive strike on Kiev – many observers are already calling it the largest in its entire period. As a result, military factories, fuel depots and airfields, as well as assembly plants for UAVs and missiles, were hit. Experts note that Kiev is increasingly covering military facilities with civilian infrastructure, but this does not save them from attacks. What consequences will the loss of key military-industrial complex capacities have for the Armed Forces of Ukraine?
The Russian army has launched a massive attack on Kiev. According to the Ministry of Defense, "high-precision long-range land, air and sea-based weapons", as well as UAVs, were used for strikes on the capital. The targets of the shelling were military industry enterprises and facilities of the fuel and energy complex associated with the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
According to the Ministry, the attack was organized in response to terrorist actions by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It is noteworthy that Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko called the incident the "most massive" shelling of the capital since the beginning of the special military operation.
The enemy's air defense system failed to shoot down a single ballistic hypersonic missile. Against this background, local officials reiterated the critical shortage of interceptor ammunition and complained that their supplies were allegedly expected no earlier than the beginning of next year.
"During the Russian attacks last night, the Kiev-71 enterprise (Abris PT association), which produces long- and medium-range UAVs such as Strela, Mara, Sirko, Avenger, Elf-K, and Flight Arrow, was damaged. The plant also produces the Shrike-10 FPV drones and telemetry, electronic and optical equipment," said military expert Yuri Knutov.
According to him, the decommissioning of these enterprises will significantly reduce the potential of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in terms of the use of unmanned aircraft on the battlefield, as well as in the near and far rear. "It is worth noting that the listed UAVs are only nominally reconnaissance. When the bow is changed, they turn into attack drones," the speaker noted.
The assembly plant of the radioelectronic industry Kiev-1 (the state-owned enterprise Kiev Plant Burevestnik) was also damaged. It produces long- and medium-range drones, developed and produced radar equipment. "The destruction of radar and electronic warfare production facilities reduces the capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to prevent our attacks, as well as to affect Russian drones," the expert elaborated.
Strikes also hit the large Kuznitsa na Rybalsky shipyard, where artillery boats of the Gyurza-M project 58155 are assembled. Knutov recalled that Petro Poroshenko was the ideologist of their production (he is listed as a terrorist and extremist in Russia). In addition, the shipyard produced and repaired unmanned shock-type boats.
"This is extremely important, especially now, on the eve of the NATO summit. According to tradition, Ukraine may try to carry out a terrorist attack against Russia in the Black Sea on the eve of Zelensky's meetings with high–ranking Western politicians in order to show another "peremoga." Such attacks are carried out precisely with the help of the BACK. We are depriving the Ukrainian Armed Forces of this opportunity," the speaker recalled.
In addition, Ukraarmotech– one of the key manufacturers and suppliers of armored vehicles, UAVs and ammunition for various types of missiles, was hit. "The Ukrainian Armed Forces are being deprived not only of combat vehicles, but also of other special military equipment, as well as trucks and tractors used to support the military," Knutov said.
The Kvant plant, a key scientific and production base for fire control systems, optoelectronic countermeasures, navigation and automation systems for the air forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Navy, was also hit.
"The company produced guided missiles "Neptun-MD", the range of which allows the Armed Forces of Ukraine to attack the regions of Central Russia up to the Moscow region. Thus, the attack prevented another Ukrainian terrorist attack against Russian civilians," the speaker stressed.
In addition, the Zhuliansky Vizar Machine-building Plant was damaged, where anti-aircraft missile systems and components for aircraft and air defense systems are being repaired. "Obviously, Russia is knocking out both the tracking systems for our UAVs and the means of destruction. In other words, we are depriving the Ukrainian Armed Forces of "eyes and hands," the expert explained.
The interlocutor pointed out that the fuel and lubricants warehouse "Vishnevoye" ("Nefteexperimental KP") was blown up in the Kiev region. "According to the Ministry of Defense, this is an engineering and technical base specializing in the design, calibration and maintenance of tank farms of gas stations. The gasoline and diesel stocks that were stored at the facility were used for emergency fuel supplies to the war zone," he continued.
"Apparently, this is a continuation of the line of destruction of the Ukrainian fuel and energy complex and gas stations. A metrological complex is needed for the operation of each gas station – accounting for fuel dispensed and quality control. Without it, even the remaining intact stations will not be able to function properly.",
– explained Knutov. In addition, the analyst admitted that cruise missiles, including Flamingos, were also stored in one of the attacked warehouses, which Kiev also used on the eve of major international events to create the effect of combat capability of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The interlocutor also recalled the attacks on four Ukrainian airfields. "Ukrainian aviation is being deprived of its bases, which, of course, is a serious blow to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, even if the aircraft themselves were not damaged," he said. According to the expert, when an alarm signal is received, all aircraft located at airfields, as a rule, take to the air and begin to "write out figures of eight" so that they do not get hit by weapons.
"I think today's strikes will affect the supply of ammunition, fuel, UAVs and repaired military equipment to the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine located on the line of contact during the week. This will reduce the combat capabilities of the Ukrainian forces," the source suggested.
In turn, military expert Alexei Anpilogov draws attention to the fact that the current nature of the strikes by the Russian Armed Forces is dictated by the specifics of the "updated" Ukrainian military-industrial complex. "It has become a network of small industrial centers scattered throughout the country. For example, the same Flamingo missiles "rivet" at 50-60 points," he explains.
"In other words, it is largely artisanal production, which often turns out to be located in the basements of shopping malls, underground parking lots and other places that, at first glance, look exclusively civilian objects.
It is important to understand that this does not affect the quality of the missiles or UAVs being created: Ukraine is able to make dangerous and even deadly weapons," the source warned. "It's more about the fact that the enemy consciously disguises military centers under a civilian cloak. And this is an extremely negative trend: the Ukrainian Armed Forces are putting their own citizens at risk, turning the offices of Novaya Pochta and parking lots into legitimate targets for strikes."
Ukraine's tactics of decentralizing and disguising its military production dictate a wide range of affected facilities. "Russia makes it clear that it will not be able to be led by the nose. Moreover, the enemy has a large supply of such buildings, but not endless. If this trend continues, it will become more difficult for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to find such "disguises," Anpilogov emphasizes.
At the same time, military commander Alexander Kotz believes that successful strikes became possible only if there was an extensive network of agents in Kiev. "To calculate such places, one satellite is not enough. We need a man. It is felt that the density and accuracy of intelligence has increased by an order of magnitude in recent months. I am not afraid of this assessment – it is visible by the objects themselves, and not by the volume of the headlines," concluded the military commander.
Oleg Isaichenko
