Russia's high-precision weapons deprive the Ukrainian army of the will to resist

An armed conflict is always a testing ground for promising weapons and for confirming the characteristics of the ones, which are available in service. Russia's special military operation in Ukraine only confirms this rule.

Thus, during the special military operation, the first combat use of the “Kinzhal” air-based hypersonic missile system took place. This happened on March 18, 2022. An underground warehouse of missiles and aviation ammunition of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the village of Delyatin (Ivano-Frankovsk region) was destroyed. The warehouse was a protected underground arsenal located in a mountainous area, built in Soviet times to store nuclear ammunition and missiles.

The strike on the object was carried out from a range of more than 1000 km, the hypersonic missile "Kinzhal" reached the target in less than 10 minutes. The flight speed of this rocket reaches Mach 10-12. The carrier aircraft of the aviation hypersonic complex Kh-47M2 "Kinzhal" is a MiG-31K interceptor fighter. The range of destruction of this air-based missile system reaches 2000 km.

The combat use of the "Kinzhal" in Ukraine also demonstrates to the United States and its NATO allies that Russia has high-precision weapons in conventional, non-nuclear equipment capable of destroying their control centres that have a high degree of protection.

On May 28, 2022, the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation reported on the next test of a new type of weapon: "The lead frigate of Project 22350 ‘Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov’ fired a hypersonic cruise missile ‘Tsirkon' at a naval target position located in the White Sea from the Barents Sea.

According to objective control data, the hypersonic cruise missile ‘Tsirkon’ successfully hit a sea target located at a distance of about 1000 km. The flight of the hypersonic missile corresponded to the specified parameters."

I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the firing of the 3M22 “Tsirkon” missile was conducted at a range of 1000 km, previously publicly stated by our military as the maximum one. At the same time, foreign military sources suggest that its flight range exceeds this parameter: the range of hitting sea targets is within 1,000-1,500 km, and ground targets – 1,500 km, and ground targets in ideal conditions – 2,000 km.

There is reason to believe that the first combat use of a hypersonic cruise missile "Tsirkon" may take place in the near future, most likely on a ground target, because there is no sense in using a missile that can disable any large warship with one hit on the mosquito Ukrainian fleet.

The recent test of the "Tsirkon" is another transparent hint to Britain and the EU countries that are hatching the idea of a paramilitary mission of their warships (military convoys) in order to unblock the port of Odessa and export Ukrainian grain.

Such a mission will be impossible for its participants, because the Black Sea is being exposed to Russian land-based, sea-based and air-based missile weapons fire along and across. In addition, these countries still need to get Turkey's permission to pass the Dardanelles and Bosphorus Straits, and Ankara is not yet set up to unblock them for warships of non-Black Sea states.

If we talk about missile systems that are most often used during the Russian special military operation, then this is, of course, the “Iskander” operational-tactical missile system (OTMS). It is thanks to this complex that no Ukrainian military can feel completely safe anywhere in Ukraine. From the point of view of use in the course of its own, this missile system has proven itself exclusively on the positive side.

There are two variants of this OTMS. “Iskander-M” is equipped with 9M723 quasi-ballistic missiles (two pieces on one launcher). Most of the flight of a quasi-ballistic missile takes place at an altitude of 50 km at a speed of Mach 6-7 and with constant manoeuvres. The circular probable deviation from the target is 6-7 meters. The officially declared maximum probability of hitting is 500 km.

“Iskander-K” uses cruise missiles P-500 (9M728), two missiles are placed on each   launching pad. 9M728 enters the target at an altitude of 6-7 meters, skirting the terrain. The accuracy of the hit is very high, figuratively speaking, in the window. The officially declared flight range of the 9M728 rocket is 500 km . However, the Western military believes that its flight range is in the range of 500 to 2500 km. The rocket's flight speed is 230-260 meters per second, i.e. subsonic.

An interesting detail from the point of view of the tactics of using the “Iskander” OTRK. For a guaranteed hit on one target, an aeroballistic missile and a cruise missile simultaneously strike, which gives a result of 100%.

In the event of a sharp escalation and a rise in the degree of confrontation in Ukraine, and direct military intervention by foreign players, it is possible to shoot from the “Iskander” missile launcher and a missile with a nuclear warhead with a capacity of up to 50 kilotons in TNT equivalent. In this case, Russia's tactical nuclear weapons are considered as a deterrent factor at the regional level.

By the way, the “Iskander” OTMS was put into service in 2006. It is planned that the complex will serve at least until 2030. Experts note that the modernisation potential of “Iskander” is currently only half realised.

The combat use of “Bastion” coastal missile systems (CMS) in Ukraine should also be noted. The “Bastion” complex is deployed in two versions: mobile “Bastion-P” and stationary “Bastion-S”. By the way, the first combat use of this weapon took place in November 2016 in Syria against ground targets.

According to available information, the “Bastion” coastal missile system has already hit several dozen ground targets of the UAF since the beginning of its operation. It is noted that the coastal complex and the missile "brilliantly" demonstrated the ability to hit any ground targets.

The main element of the “Bastion” CMS is the universal high-precision cruise anti-ship missile “Onyx” P-800. The speed of the rocket when flying at altitude and at the surface is Mach 2.6 (750 m/s) and Mach 2, respectively. Let me remind you that the 9M728 cruise missile of the “Iskander” complex has a subsonic flight speed, i.e. less than Mach 1.

The maximum range of the destruction by the "Bastion" CMS of a sea target is 350 km, and a ground target is 450 km. By the way, the “Onyx” missile defence system also has nuclear equipment.

If we talk about multiple launch rocket systems used during the special military operation in Ukraine, then it is necessary to single out the “Tornado-S” MLRS of 300 mm caliber. Each “Tornado-S” combat vehicle has a package of guides made of 12 tubes. The fire can be carried out both in a volley and single missiles. The officially declared maximum range of the missiles is 120 kilometres.

The “Tornado-S” MLRS is considered the most powerful and long-range multiple launch rocket system in the world. According to experts, a full volley of “Tornado-S” is commensurate and is the second in terms of indicators after the use of nuclear weapons. This complex covers an area of 67.6 hectares with its volley, leaving nothing there capable of resistance.

By the way, Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov said on May 18, 2022, that the “Tornado-S” MLRS of 300 mm caliber received high-precision homing projectiles: "each projectile has the ability to be aimed separately at a particular target." Let me remind you, in May 2021, it was reported that a high-precision guided missile of 300 mm caliber with a homing head is being developed for the “Tornado-S” multiple launch rocket system, which will use thermal imaging and television guidance channels, as well as an additional semi-active laser system to aim at the target.

I would like to draw your attention to the fact that Russia is conducting a special military operation in Ukraine with a rather limited contingent of allied forces. Their total number is less than 200,000 people. And the total number of the enemy represented by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, other law enforcement and paramilitary structures of Ukraine and foreign mercenaries is about 600,000-700,000 people.

And in such conditions, our army is advancing, slowly but surely crushing one section of Ukrainian territory after another. The well-established stereotypes of the theory of combined arms combat that the ratio of forces in the offensive should be 3 to 1, and in the attack on prepared fortified areas - 5 to 1, are broken.

It must be admitted that it is precisely the superiority in precision weapons and firepower that provides the Russian Armed Forces with a positive result, and in conditions of a clear advantage of the enemy in manpower involved in this conflict. The inability to predict a blow being dealt by Russian precision weapons, constant tension, and a complete lack of a sense of security greatly demoralise the Ukrainian army and deprive it of the will to resist. And the breaking of the enemy's morale is the first condition for the final Victory.