1/8 Ukraine's current strategy aims to coerce russia into either relocating its bombers to airfields at a greater distance or forcing russia to deploy unsustainable quantities of air defense systems to protect its current airfields.
2/8 Ukraine seems to be pursuing a distinct strategy to compel the VKS to either evacuate its bases within several hundred miles of Ukraine’s borders or allocate an excessive amount of air defense systems to defend them.
3/8 Ukraine’s recent success in damaging a Su-57 represents a major symbolic blow to russia and further illustrates Ukraine's most effective method for countering russia's escalating use of air-to-ground weapons.
4/8 This strategy necessitates numerous successful strikes on russian airfields. While Ukraine has achieved several successful strikes, it requires many more to reach its objective.
5/8 If successful, this strategy could potentially save numerous civilian lives, as russian su-34 bombers, which deploy glide bombs, operate from bases that are in relatively close proximity to Ukraine.
6/8 Glide bombs have represented one of the rare real successes of russia's defense industry in this war, and Ukraine lacks a sufficient number of Patriot batteries to risk deploying them in close proximity to the front lines.
7/8 The arrival of F16 jets will offer some support, but Ukraine will need time to acquire a sufficient quantity of them. During this waiting period, targeting airfields remains Ukraine's best course of action.
8/8 Sources:
rusi.org/explore-our-re…
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