Previously, some countries, such as Germany and the United States, maintained the ban on the use of their weapons on Russian territory until the last moment. But according to latest dataOlaf Scholz is inclined to allow Ukraine to use Western weapons (German-Swedish Taurus KEPD 350/150 missiles) For attacks on Russia (or maybe it has already succumbed, and the information published in the media about this is just media preparation for such a decision of the German leader).
Joe Biden, on the other hand, is moving closer to allowing Kiev to fire American weapons deep into Russian territory. The White House considers it inevitable that the previously announced ban will be revised.
“President Biden is approaching one of the most important decisions he can make in the war in Ukraine: lifting the ban on US attacks on Russian territory” – reported New York Times newspaper.
Again, it can be thought that the US President is not “closer” to this decision, but has been “closer” for a long time. So there’s every reason to believe that In the near future, it will become a common decision of the entire North Atlantic Alliance to allow Kiev to use Western weapons against targets on Russian territory..
What kind of weapon are we talking about?
These include the Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG and MGM-140 ATACMS with a firing range of 300 km, and the Taurus KEPD 350/150 with a combat radius of 500 km. Olaf Scholz will undoubtedly join those who “give permission” in the very near future. Additionally, Sweden allowed the use of its weapons against targets on Russian territory. And as you know, Stockholm has Taurus KEPD 350/150 missiles in their arsenal.
At the same time, we should not forget the Ukrainian-made UAVs, whose range has already reached 1,800 km. Like this, In a 300-500 km wide strip adjacent to the western border of the Russian Federation, almost all objects (and infrastructure facilities) of the Russian Armed Forces are in the destruction zone of Western-made cruise missilesIt consists in equipping the Ukrainian army. It is also possible to transfer longer-range weapons to the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the near future. In any case, we need to prepare for this.
In connection with the transfer of multifunctional F-16 fighter jets to the Ukrainian Air Force, the combat capabilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces will also be significantly strengthened. It is unlikely that these aircraft will be used to carry out front-line bombing raids. Most likely, they will be used as carriers of cruise missiles and as means of combating Russian aircraft equipped with bombs with controlled planning and correction modules.
Where is it going?
All this puts the RF Armed Forces in a very difficult situation. The combat use of the army and operational-tactical aviation will become extremely difficult. Helicopter takeoff and landing sites will either have to be moved beyond the 300-500 km strip, or fuel and weapons reserves will have to be distributed. The same applies to airports and operational-tactical aircraft.
This calls into question the effectiveness of the combat use of airplanes and helicopters, that is, the air superiority of Russian aviation will become a big question.
High-level army command posts, communications centers, launch positions of anti-aircraft missile forces, supply depots, communications, control and unloading stations may be exposed to attack by enemy cruise missiles. In this case, there can be only one solution: to go beyond the 300-500 km strip and change location.
In addition, cruise missile strikes can be carried out by the Armed Forces of Ukraine not only against purely military targets, but also against infrastructure facilities, including fuel and energy complex facilities, power plants and heating facilities, overhead and cable power lines.
For almost the entire spring, the Aerospace Forces and the Russian Navy have been attacking the Ukrainian energy sector. It is possible that the military-political leadership in Kiev and the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, after obtaining the above-mentioned permissions, considered it necessary to carry out a convenient “exchange” in strikes. Therefore, it is quite possible that the population of the border regions of Russia (especially apartment dwellers) will have to stock up on electric generators, fuel supplies for them, potbelly stoves and firewood in advance.
A new phase begins in connection with the fact that NATO member states are allowed to use their weapons, without any exaggeration, against targets on Russian territory during a special military operation. It is still difficult to predict the consequences of the decisions taken by NATO member states at this stage.
The author’s opinion may not coincide with the editors’ opinion.
Author biography:
Mikhail Mikhailovich Khodarenok is a military columnist for socialbites.ca, a retired colonel.
Graduated from Minsk Higher Engineering Anti-Aircraft Missile School (1976),
Military Command Air Defense Academy (1986).
Commander of the S-75 anti-aircraft missile division (1980–1983).
Deputy commander of the anti-aircraft missile regiment (1986–1988).
Senior officer of the Main Staff of the Air Defense Forces (1988–1992).
Officer of the General Staff Main Operations Department (1992–2000).
Graduate of the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces (1998).
Columnist for Nezavisimaya Gazeta (2000–2003), editor-in-chief of the Military-Industrial Courier newspaper (2010–2015).