The UK Ministry of Defence has released a new intelligence update on Ukraine, highlighting Russia’s continued struggle to establish air superiority after three years of conflict.
Despite possessing technological and numerical advantages, Russia’s Aerospace Forces have failed to dominate Ukrainian airspace, leading them to use tactical aircraft like the Su-34 as airborne artillery instead.
The report also details Ukraine’s successful use of uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) in striking Russian military targets and infrastructure within Russian territory. Ukrainian drone strikes have increased in frequency, targeting oil refineries and critical military depots.
“Ukraine has successfully used UAS against military targets and infrastructure in Russia with increased regularity, including multiple recent strikes on Russian oil refineries,” the update stated.
A notable success came in September 2024, when Ukraine struck four Russian strategic ammunition depots, including a facility in Toropets, hundreds of kilometres from Ukraine. The UK MoD report describes this as the largest loss of Russian and North Korean-supplied ammunition during the war.
The assessment highlights Russia’s ongoing vulnerability to Ukrainian strikes, suggesting that Moscow is struggling to protect its strategic sites from attack while maintaining front-line operations.
“Such Ukrainian successes highlight Russia’s continued inability to protect strategic military sites from attack, as well as indicating the challenge confronting Russia to protect its infrastructure balanced against protecting its operations at the front line,” the report noted.
The intelligence update underscores Ukraine’s evolving capability to strike deep into Russian territory, as well as Russia’s failure to adapt to the growing drone threat.
I guess Taïwan, Japan, Philipines and many other countries are taking notes of the tactics used by Ukraine. Rely on home made products before all. Have attritable air assets. These are key takeovers
Russia’s such a super power and threat to the world. It lost a naval battle to a country with no navy and and air war to a country with no Airforce.
Europe could not possibly defend itself from Russia with out the USA.
🤔
100% correct.
It’s very true Jim
When asked by Trump could the UK take Russia on?
The answer should have been probably and if not we would cause them huge disproportionate casualties that they wouldn’t be able to fight anyone else for a long long time.
I look forward to starmer sending the uk military so we can see if you are correct
Multi Account Ulya turns up again. I see through you as I always have. You turned up rather instantly a few weeks ago, it said much at the time. What other names do you post under ? I reckon at least 10 ?
You are far too clever for me Freddie, pick whatever name you like. More importantly, when are you coming to Ukraine? I’m waiting. Looking forward to the excuses
Don’t try it on son.
There was no day 1 SEAD from Russia who were looking for Ukraine to surrender before it became a full blown Ukraine. Had they done so and taken out infrastructure, the war would’ve been over before it had begun. Russia are also choosing not to attrit their air force. I think that this assessment is misleading. Russia gave air superiority, but not air dominance. Once the war is over and they manage to source foreign components, they will rearm very quickly, being in war economy mode. Imagine them pouring these resources into peactime. They manufacture more artillery shells than the… Read more »
I guess the other lesson for the UK is to ensure we have a robust air defence system.
Wedgetails and typhoon outer layer
SAMP/T Aster 30s intermediate layer with ballistic missiles defence capability
Land Ceptor medium-short range
Radar guided guns and direct energy weapons for short range and anti drone work
ECM/ECCM point defence/ MANPADS
We need to get back to a multi layered defence system able to tailor it’s response to a threat. So drones get dealt with by guns or direct energy weapons and missiles are shot down by a suitable interceptor.
Israel are the best example. Iran sent 180 ballistic missiles (many of them ‘hypersonic’). Not a single casualty. The Iron dome did its job. It’s the gold standard. If anything, we’ve seen that non-stealth fighters are out of date in contested airspace. I laugh at when people say that aircraft carriers are defenceless, when proper multi-layered air defences are proven at defending fixed targets. The real issue for the West are cheap drones. The Houthis in the Red Sea have blocked 70% of global shipping, which is catastrophic for the global economy. That’s the reason that Europe has austerity; the… Read more »
Each new War brings new tactics, Russia’s Black Sea fleet found them selves cut off with no escape or re-enforcements, whilst many minds were focussing on how to neutralise their threat. The Russian Airforce was never prepared to face the massive support given by the west. The Russian Army was led by really inferior generals with outdated tactics and even more outdated weapons yet, here we are 3 years later and Russia has much new territory and a powerful ally in North America. As a witness to events in the White House yesterday, I would say that Russia has been… Read more »
The minerals deal was agreed under Biden. Trump just took credit for it. It’s obvious that this is meant as a kick up the arse for Europe who (excluding the UK, Nordics and Baltics) truly wanted Ukraine to finish the war early.
Any peace agreement is going to be backed by American logistics. The fact that Starmer and Macron are negotiating an occuptation force with Trump says it all.
Trump is backing nothing. His only proposal is to take control of Ukraine’s Wealth and there is not one piece of evidence that his great friend Putin will cease his Egotistical war against them. This is a sell out, a grand deception just like all his other lies and disgusting history. Adulterer, Porn Actress Shagger, Liar countless times, Dodgy dealings, more lies, the list is endless.
America needs to wake up sooner that later.
But it has achieved geo-political and diplomatic superiority over America. In a month.