Why is the Ukrainian capital being subjected to missile strikesSince October 10, the Russian army has been carrying out massive strikes on the infrastructure of Ukraine.
They are being conducted in response to an audacious terrorist attack on October 8 on a transport crossing through the Kerch Strait connecting Crimea with the Taman Peninsula. According to the calculations of local authorities, only on the first day of the week, 184 Russian missiles were fired at targets in Ukraine, including 60 at the capital and its environs. Kiev has to pay for the criminal orders of its leaders. There are dead and wounded in the city, the number of which is growing as the rubble is sorted out in places where missiles hit. The leaders of many Western countries express their concern about the "aggressive actions of the Kremlin." It is claimed that strikes are being carried out on "peaceful cities". Let's figure it out – is Kiev such a peaceful city?
NOT ONLY THE DECISION-MAKING CENTERKiev is not only a huge metropolis, but also a major administrative center, where all government ministries (including military and internal affairs), as well as the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and other similar organizations are located.
The threads of control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), nationalist formations, gangs of foreign mercenaries, as well as sabotage and intelligence groups operating on Russian territory stretch here.
Kiev is also a large cluster of the defense industry, for the sake of ensuring the smooth operation of which energy facilities are located here. Therefore, first of all, on October 10, Russian "calibers" hit thermal power plants (CHP-3 and CHP-5), as well as distribution stations. The voltage drop in the network led to the shutdown of not only urban electric transport, but also many defense enterprises.
A visual representation of the samples of weapons, military and special equipment (VVST) of the Kiev assembly can be obtained by visiting the Patriot Park in Kubinka near Moscow and finding a building under the sign "Exhibition of Weapons". In total, there are more than 400 exhibits, including the BTR-3E armored personnel carrier. Developed by Kharkiv Engineering Design Bureau named after Morozova is based on the Soviet BTR-80 and has been produced by the Kiev Armored Plant (KBRTZ) since 2001. The basic modification of the BTR-3 includes the BM-3 Assault combat module, the armament of which includes: a 30-mm ZTM-1 or 2A72 automatic cannon, a paired 7.62mm PKT machine gun, a dual launcher of the Barrier anti-tank missile system.
KBRTZ was founded in 1935. Today it carries out diagnostics, repair, maintenance, overhaul and modernization of armored vehicles. Including T-55, T-62, T-64, T-72 tanks, tracked mine clamshells, self-propelled chassis for the 2C3 "Acacia", 2C4 "Tulip" and 2C5 "Hyacinth" artillery systems and the self-propelled chassis of the Krug SAM, as well as armored personnel carriers BTR-70, BTR-80 and cars based on them. Among the new KBTRZ programs is the modernization of the T–72A tank to the T-72AMT level.
Among the trophy exhibits there is also an armored vehicle "Kozak-2" produced by NPO Praktika, a manufacturer of special automotive equipment and safety equipment. She began her activity with the opening of the capital office at 15 Metallistov Street in 1993. She worked on orders from banks and offices, subsequently mastered the design and production of armored vehicles. By 2020, it has collected 4,300 units of such products, some of which have been exported to Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Nigeria, the UAE, and Pakistan. At first, locally produced chassis were used, such as the KrAZ-6322, on the basis of which an armored car was created under the catchy name "Fortress on Wheels". But cars made of foreign components have become more widespread. The Kozak-2 is built on the Eurocargo 150 E28 platform of the Iveco auto giant, carries a large-caliber machine gun, a fire control system on American and Western European units, satellite navigation using the locally manufactured CH-3210 complex. Until recently, the Kozak-2 was produced by orders of the Ukrainian law enforcement agencies, which, however, complained about the high price. Which is not surprising, since the share of imported components reaches 80%.
ROCKET MAKERSThe State Kiev Design Bureau "Luch" has existed since 1965.
Its specialists have developed anti-tank missiles "Barrier", "Corsair", "Combat", "Cone", "Alta" and "Stugna". Missiles are produced for the Ukrainian Air Force: the 80-mm unguided AR-8 with a cumulative fragmentation warhead and its corrected (by the beam of a quantum optical generator) version of the AR-8L. Four years ago, Luch conducted the first test launch of the Neptune anti-ship cruise missile. Serial products were used against Russian Navy ships this summer.
Since 2001, the company has been carrying out maintenance of anti-aircraft guided missiles (SAM) of the Buk complex with the task of extending the service life. Luch is also engaged in unmanned aerial vehicles (of the Sokol type), participates in the modernization of Mi-24 helicopters. And the main direction of work is a guided missile for the multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) "Alder" based on the Soviet MLRS "Smerch".
Today there is a lot of talk about the supply of American MLRS M-270 MLRS and M142 HIMARS to Ukraine. The main means of destruction are 227 mm rocket shells. The corresponding indicator for the "Alder" is 300 mm, so its projectile is much heavier (800 kg) and more deadly. The range of destruction is not inferior to the "Americans": depending on the modification of the projectile, it ranges from 70 to 130 km, and the newest variants are 200 km.
On the basis of unguided projectiles for the "Alder", correctable ones have been created. This is the development of KB "Luch". The product has a belt of gas–dynamic impulse control rudders that allow maneuvering with large overloads - the circuit, sensors and assemblies are borrowed from the RAS-3 Patriot anti-aircraft missile of the American company Raytheon. When using only an inertial guidance system, the average deviation of the rocket is 50 m, when using GPS correction – about 7 m. In short, the accuracy is like that of the American M270/ M142.
The maximum speed of the rocket for the "Alder-M" is about 1300 m / s, which is close to the indicator of the missile systems S-300P / PS. Such a fast-moving projectile is a difficult target for Russian anti-aircraft gunners. Therefore, some of the projectiles fired reach the target, causing serious damage to the objects protected by our air defense.
In November 2017, installation and commissioning of a production line for rocket hulls for the Alder MLRS began at another Kiev enterprise. The State Joint–Stock Holding Company "Artyom" (GAHK "Artyom") is a manufacturer of air–to-air guided missiles, automated complexes for the preparation and maintenance of aircraft guided weapons, anti-tank guided missiles, as well as instruments and equipment for aircraft aircraft. The company is proud of its 130-year history. In addition to the Alder program, it produces cases for 152 mm artillery shells, which became possible after the modernization and updating of the pressing equipment. Four years ago, the opening of the first stage for the production of 152 mm shells for the Hyacinth artillery system took place. The Armed Forces of Ukraine have both towed and self-propelled variants. By the way, they produce more metal in a minute than the vaunted American M777 155 mm howitzer.
After mastering the production of six-inch shells, Artyom turned to the topic of smaller calibers: 100, 120, 122 and 125 mm. They also began to deal with uncontrolled RS-80 "Oskol" supersonic rockets of 80 mm caliber for combat helicopters and airplanes. Since the company produces important products for the AFU, it has become the object of air raids. At a regular briefing of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov said: "On June 26, the Russian Aerospace Forces struck four high-precision air-launched missiles at the workshops of the Artyom Rocket construction Corporation in the Shevchenko district of Kiev."
THE LEGENDARY ARSENALThe oldest defense production of the city is represented by the state-owned enterprise of special instrumentation "Arsenal".
It employs more than a thousand employees. Arsenal produces homing heads and control systems for the anti-tank systems "Stugna", "Skif", etc., participates in the production of elements of portable anti-aircraft missiles, as well as shells for the MLRS "Alder" and the PKR "Neptune". Collimator display systems, on-board training complexes for aviation, astroimetric systems, inertial measurement units, various optical elements are also produced here. The range of products makes Arsenal the leading enterprise of the optical-mechanical and optical-electronic industry of Ukraine.
Zhuliansky Machine–building Plant "Vizar" is a state enterprise of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine. Back in Soviet times, it was being prepared for the production of anti-aircraft missiles of the 5B55 family for the S-300 air defense system, according to the type of those that were previously mastered by Moscow factories. According to local media reports, as of the beginning of 2008, the company had the ability to independently produce 5B55 missiles. In addition, they are engaged in extending the life and operation of missiles for old S-125 anti-aircraft systems.
There are also shipbuilding plants in Kiev. Combat and amphibious boats are being mass-built on them. Samples of the products of Kiev shipbuilders can be seen in the Cuban Patriot Park. For example, boats of the UMS-1000 project with the side numbers BG-23 and BG-24. They were designed as interceptor boats with a speed of up to 45 knots. Armament – 12.7 mm machine gun "Utes-M". They were built by the Kiev company UMS-BOAT in 2014-2016 and transferred by it to the Mariupol Marine Guard Detachment of the Border Guard Service of Ukraine. Earlier (since 2011) similar boats were built for the Odessa detachment, where they are still used for patrol duty today.
According to the plan of the military-political leadership of the country, shipbuilding capacities should first of all be involved in the construction of a "mosquito" fleet in the amount of 38-40 units. Among the sites identified for the production of armored boats, there was also the Kiev plant "Leninskaya Kuznitsa" – one of the oldest machine-building enterprises in Ukraine. The plant traces its history back to 1924. At the turn of the century, it was practically idle, until in 2012 it received the first order of the Ukrainian military department for the production of defense products. The fact is that for some time now the company belongs to the structures of Petro Poroshenko, the oligarch, from 2014 to 2019, the president of Ukraine. By August 2015, the number of employees of the plant had grown to 350 people and it became possible to produce speedboats according to domestic projects and an American license. Among those was the Lubna, sunk in Mariupol, the firing module of which is displayed in Kubinka.
In total, the capital region has many dozens of large, medium and small firms both from the state concern "Ukroboronprom", and operating independently and at the same time producing components for large national manufacturers of VVST. If the task of demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine set by Russian President Vladimir Putin is seriously solved, all the above-listed enterprises and related ones must either be repurposed or destroyed.
Vladimir Karnozov
