Air Defense Force - Combat 2022-202?
Over the previous week, Russia used more than 900 KAB bombs, around 30 missiles, and nearly 500 Shaheds UAVs against various regions of Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky said 02 November 2024. He stressed that most of these strikes have targeted civilian objects and critical infrastructure. “All of these attacks would have been impossible if we had sufficient support from the world in crucial areas: long-range capabilities for our security, truly effective sanctions to prevent Russia from importing critical components for drone and missile production—especially microelectronics—and political decisions that could ruin Russia’s will to wage this war,” Zelensky noted. In the evening of November 2, Russian invaders launched 96 Shahed attack drones and unidentified drones at Ukraine. Ukrainian air defenses shot down 66 of them.
The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed on February 28th, 2022 that it had established “total air superiority” over Ukraine. Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said that the effectiveness of Ukraine's air defense systems had increased from 50% at the start of the full-scale invasion. As of December 2022, Ukraine had increased the effectiveness of its air defense to 80%. The Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Oleksiy Reznikov, said this in a comment to The Guardian. Calling this indicator, he cited the example of a massive missile attack on December 5. Then Ukraine shot down 60 out of 70 missiles launched by Russia. Reznikov noted that this was achieved thanks to Ukraine's use of a combination of air defense systems donated by allies, Soviet-era systems and repurposed mobile machine guns.
The Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces clarified information about the effectiveness of Ukrainian anti-aircraft defense - the high percentage of hitting targets refers only to the type of weapons that Ukraine can shoot down. Yuriy Ignat, the spokesman of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, announced this 13 May 2023 on the air of the Yedyni Novyny telethon. "I want to say about the material in the mass media, and on several resources I have already "suppressed" the euphoria, which you can't get sick from. Because we shoot down 90% of the missiles, as, for example, during the attack on Kyiv, we are talking about the type of weapons that we can shoot down. If we are talking about Kalibr, Kh-101, Kh-555, Shahedi cruise missiles, yes, here the percentage of damage is about 75-80%. It can be 90%, and in some attacks 100%. But it is far not with all the enemy's means of destruction," said Ignat. He emphasized that the Russian Federation has missiles that Ukrainian forces cannot yet shoot down - Kh-22, Kh-31p, Onyx, S-300, as well as guided aerial bombs, etc.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine now have a global information and intelligence network created by the United States and NATO countries in the combat area. This provides the enemy with the receipt (collection) of information about the situation from space, ground and air reconnaissance and surveillance equipment (including early warning radar - AWACS). Figuratively speaking, the enemy sees everything, everywhere and always, day and night.
For this, information is constantly processed, exchanged between command posts, troops, mobile combat groups and crews of man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS). This online coordination makes it possible to deliver massive preemptive strikes against Russian troops. Such interaction is carried out by the Armed Forces of Ukraine at all levels of military command - up to the combat crew.
In addition, such activities make it possible not to use radar stations (RLS) on an ongoing basis, immediately unmasking their positions, but to use NATO data for preliminary input of information about the enemy into the air defense system. Radars turn on only for a short period of time to attack, followed by a change in position. Such tactics threatened significant losses for Russian aviation, which is why it is forced to cling to the ground, operate at low and extremely low altitudes.
Ukrainian officials reported on 29 May 2023 new daytime Russian airstrikes on Kyiv after two nights of intense aerial assaults on the capital city. During the morning hours, debris from missiles intercepted by Ukrainian air defenses fell in parts of the city, landing in the middle of traffic on a roadway, while also starting a fire on a building's roof. At least one civilian was injured. Ukraine said it shot down all 11 ballistic and cruise missiles Russia aimed at Kyiv. But Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram there were explosions in the central part of the city and told people to stay in shelters.
Across the country, the Ukrainian air force said that it shot down 37 out of 40 cruise missiles and 29 out of 35 drones launched by Moscow’s forces. But at least one person was killed and 18 wounded in the attacks, authorities said. Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv's military administration, said Russian forces targeted the city for the 15th time in May.
President Zelensky said "I wish you health, dear Ukrainians! Today, our country went through one of the largest Russian attacks by "Shakhed" - 54 drones at the same time. Almost all of them were shot down... Almost!... Unfortunately, there are hits in Zhytomyr Oblast. We will do everything to help restore what was destroyed. But still, most of the destruction was averted, most of the lives that could have been taken by these "Shahedas" were saved. I thank each and everyone who made this happen! Anti-aircraft missile troops and aviation of the Air Force, air defense of the Ground Forces and our mobile fire groups... Thank you, soldiers!
"During this terrorist attack, quantitatively, the most powerful blow was directed against Kyiv region. 36 drones were shot down within the city of Kyiv and the region. This is how Russia celebrates the day of our ancient Kyiv... Throughout its history, Kyiv has seen various atrocities from invaders. He survived them all, he will survive them all. None of them will be here! Kyiv and all our cities, all of our Ukraine will put an end to the history of Moscow despotism, which has enslaved many different peoples for a very long time. Neither the Shaheds nor any other means of terror that she humiliatingly searches the world will save her.
"I thank everyone without whom it is impossible to imagine the effective resistance of the state, the effective protection of our cities. Thanks to each and everyone who trains our soldiers and who recovers them after injuries. Who produces and supplies weapons. Who provides our logistics and communication. Thank you to everyone who provides Ukraine with intelligence and who spreads the truth about the war and Russian terror to the world. Thank you to everyone who provides our rescue operations after enemy strikes and eliminates their consequences."
The consistent aerial attacks came ahead of an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive that Kyiv leaders have said will seek to reclaim territory Russia seized in eastern Ukraine since it launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Ukraine’s interior ministry said 03 June 2023 that an inspection of the country’s air raid shelters found nearly 900 “unfit for use” and more than 250 locked. The announcement came two days after a family was killed in Kyiv while waiting outside a locked shelter door during a Russian missile attack. The interior ministry said through its press service that of the “over 4,800” shelters it had inspected, 252 were locked and a further 893 “unfit for use”. The ministry said that over 5,300 volunteers, including emergency workers, police officers and local officials, would continue to inspect shelters across Ukraine.
The Kyiv regional prosecutor’s office reported that four people were detained in a criminal probe into the woman’s death outside the locked shelter. The prosecutor’s office said that one person, a security guard who had failed to unlock the doors, remained under arrest, while three others, including a local official, had been put under house arrest. According to the prosecutor’s office, the suspects face up to eight years in prison for official negligence that led to a person’s death.
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