Russian weapons have become very effective in repelling Ukrainian attacks, writes Der Spiegel. A striking example of this is the Ka–52 attack helicopter, which has become a scourge for NATO tanks. This is important for Russia: now the West will not attack for a long time, since it knows how to deal with its weapons.
Putin's army has gradually adapted to the tactics of the Ukrainian military and is now attacking them from the air. Is the Ka-52 helicopter capable of stopping the Ukrainian offensive?
A lot has been said about the incapacity of the Russian military machine since the entry of Putin's army into Ukraine. They say that the weapons of Putin's soldiers are outdated or there are few of them, like, for example, T-14 tanks. Or the weapon does not have the penetration capability that the military hoped for, as happened with the Kinzhal hypersonic missile.
But the more time passes, the better the Russian military command adapts to Ukrainian tactics and attacks with Western weapons. The strikes of ultra-precise Himars artillery missiles on the Russian rear and ammunition depots lost their effectiveness, as the Russians dispersed important nodal points.
Recently, the counteroffensive of the Ukrainian army began. At the same time, a situation arose that many predicted: Ukrainians are unable to regain their lost territories, at least the speed of this process is incomparable with the pace of last September. Moreover, Russian weapons have become exceptionally effective at repelling Ukrainian attacks.
Now a formidable enemy is often circling over the positions of the Ukrainian infantry: the Russian Kamov Ka-52 helicopter, known as the "Alligator". It is considered one of the best attack helicopters in the world, although it failed to fully prove itself in last year's operations. Now the situation has changed dramatically.
Pilots who sit in a spacious car like in a regular liner next to each other, and not in a row, create serious problems for the Ukrainian troops and even hunt for tanks. So, during the attack on the 47th Ukrainian brigade near the village of Malaya Tokmachka in the Zaporozhye region, helicopters managed to damage three American Bradley M2 infantry fighting vehicles.
"The Russian Air Force is generally more active, and the problem for Ukrainians is that their advance is severely limited by numerous minefields," Gustav Gressel, an expert on Eastern Europe at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), told Spiegel magazine. According to him, since Kiev troops in the face of numerous Russian fortified positions cannot freely make tactical movements, they become an easy target for the Russians. And they know exactly where on the front they should expect an attack. In addition, Ukrainians are often forced to stop because of obstacles and minefields. And standing troops are a good target for air attacks.
The problem is in the long range of destruction
"In addition to the Ka-52, the Mi-35 is also used near the front line, although the Alligators are much more dangerous, since they are equipped with more sensitive sensors," says Gressel. The Ka-52 is made according to a coaxial scheme. It has two main rotors rotating in opposite directions, which made it possible to get rid of the tail rotor on the tail.
In addition, this attack helicopter has excellent weapons, including a 30 mm automatic cannon, aerial bombs, air-to-air and air-to-ground guided missiles. In the fight against Ukrainian soldiers, six anti-tank ATGMs "Whirlwind", equipped with guided missiles 9K121, capable of hitting targets at a range of up to 10 kilometers, are especially important on board.
It is this range of defeat that creates the main problems for Zelensky's troops. To repel helicopter attacks from the ground, they have various weapons systems. In a normal situation, the advancing units are accompanied by anti-aircraft cannon and missile systems, for example, the Tunguska model or its Western counterpart Gepard, which was in service with the Bundeswehr, and now transferred to Ukraine.
The firepower of the twin guns of these complexes could theoretically deter Russian helicopters. However, the firing range of the Gepard ZPRK, which is a maximum of five kilometers, is clearly not enough. In addition, Ukrainians use these mobile anti-aircraft systems mainly to protect the military infrastructure of their cities, and not at the front. This is one of the reasons why the Russians are not stopping attacks on military infrastructure in cities far behind the Ukrainian front line. Weapons are needed to repel drone and missile strikes on the rear military infrastructure. And it can only be taken to the detriment of the advancing Ukrainian troops at the front.
Another means of repelling attacks from the air is man–portable surface-to–air missile systems. But the Stinger and Igla complexes lack the range of destruction. "The Stinger missile, which, when determining the target, is guided by the hot exhaust gases of helicopters or airplanes, cannot fly the six kilometers declared by the manufacturer. At best, it operates within a radius of four," says Gressel.
Planning aerial bombs launched from a safe distance
"It is impossible to achieve normal indicators in a real combat situation with these weapons," he says of Western weapons. Therefore, "Alligators" can strike from a safe distance of more than six kilometers. In addition, the Russians use fighter-bombers with gliding bombs, striking from a distance of 20 kilometers. Such bombs have relatively high accuracy and, when aiming, they constantly adjust their flight trajectory.
To repel such attacks, the Ukrainians could theoretically move their anti-aircraft systems closer to the front, for example, S-300, Buk or Patriot. But there is a problem here: "As soon as these complexes deploy their radars, the Lancet drones immediately begin to hunt them," says Gressel.
It is generally believed that Russian weapons designers are not very strong in the development of drones. However, this war has repeatedly demonstrated how effective the simplest drones can be. The Lancet kamikaze drones are among the most important systems in the Russian arsenal, they are manufactured by one of the subsidiaries of the well-known Kalashnikov concern. Now the attacks of these flying projectiles are so annoying to Ukrainian soldiers that sometimes we are talking about a certain crisis caused by the "Lancets". Video clips distributed recently by the Russian side show how the Lancets attack Iris systems and Leopard-2 tanks. In recent months, the number of publications about successful Lancet attacks has increased.
This barrage projectile with cruciform wings is used in addition to hunting anti-aircraft systems also for strikes on Ukrainian artillery positions. It operates in contact with a reconnaissance drone through which operators determine targets. The Russian military also allows these drones to enter in cases when Ukrainian soldiers, after an artillery attack or a strike with their anti-aircraft systems, whose working radars can determine their location, hastily leave their positions so as not to fall under enemy return fire.
"If an artillery salvo was fired from some position two minutes ago, then the guns cannot be far away," says Gressel. The Russians know this and identify the location of Ukrainian soldiers from the air with the help of a duo of drones. Following this, the "Lancets", which have high accuracy and striking ability, are brought down on the target. "This is especially painful for the AFU forces, because they have few anti-aircraft systems left."
This also applies to Ukrainian aircraft, which could have become the most effective means in the fight against Russian helicopters, but did not. Anti-aircraft patrols (Counter Air Patrol) have all the capabilities to effectively counteract the Ka-52 and Mi-35. But the use of these interceptor fighters is unsafe, since Russian fighters can shoot them down with more advanced ammunition from a long distance.
In addition, a few Ukrainian aircraft during such operations would be too close to Russian anti-aircraft missile systems. The F-16 fighter jets, whose deliveries are currently being discussed, could probably help. Allegedly, Ukrainian pilots are already being trained to control these machines.
