Thread by @ZeroZhvk

The current drone terror attack only shows what ppl are getting tired of repeating (not just me, thankfully): to stop russian terror there's no alternative to providing Ukraine w/long-range weapons capable to deliver retaliation deep into russia or striking russia on our behalf->

It's no military secret that it usually takes several AA missiles to down a single incoming missile, it will always be possible for russians to overwhelm Ukrainian air defense, especially since Ukraine has huge (for Europe) territory and russians can attack us from 3 directions->

Downing a missile/drone is a matter of probability anyway, air defense can only *increase the chances* for *some* people but doesn't safety. Our AA has already fulfilled its main purpose - on the first days of war they didnt allow russians to paralyze & overwhelm the country->

And even when our AA downs 100% of incoming missiles, it doesnt discourage russians from firing even more missiles - they're back there in russia, in safety & can pour death on us largely w/ impunity (intermittent karma like today's Su-34 sadly doesn't change the pattern)->

Air defense can guarantee safety only when it works together with retaliation weapon capable of punishing the terrorist, AA defends our long-range weapons & together they guarantee that russia will suffer intolerable damage in case of an attack->

That is how people in the US or EU can feel safe (for now at least before another, almost inevitable, level escalation by russia), why Ukraine is not allowed to have the same? Why must our people absorb hundreds upon hundreds missiles and drones?->

like written in the article by @CinC_AFU #Zaluzhny - russia's war and terror is driven by impunity provided by Ukraine's lack of long-range weapons and remoteness of russian long-range system bases & strategic centers from Ukraine->

https://twitter.com/ZeroZhvk/status/1567658358726967296

Basically, while russians can hit ANY point in #Ukraine from 3 directions, Ukraine isn't capable of hitting deep enough into russia to retaliate adequately, russians continue to enjoy criminal impunity just as they terrorize us with missiles and drones->

https://twitter.com/ZeroZhvk/status/1567658373679562755

The only way to stop the terror is to deprive russia of this impunity, make war, so far distance and virtual, even more so to them, the perpetrator of genocide, than to you - a foreign observer or us, the victims of this genocidal aggression. Retaliation is a must->

There are two primary options for Ukraine here - either growing own long-range capabilities with the help of West, primarily NATO countries, or have someone else strike russians in retaliation on our behalf. Why is this not happening? Well->

To provide Ukraine w/ long-range missiles, West needs to change its stance towards Ukraine and treat us as a friend and ally, rather than a threat, until this stance is changed, ofc no one will provide us long-range weapons. So far there's no will to accept Ukraine into NATO->

The opposite is also true, we can say thaat as long as Ukraine isn't provided with long-range systems - West still considers us a foreign threat, rather than a crucial ally who saves NATO from having to make an uncomfortable decision - whether to disband or to defend Baltics->

So far, there is no will to accept Ukraine into NATO, even EU, so long-range weapons are so far out of the question that we're left with an even less likely option - someone punishing russians for their attacks again us->

Basically so far we can only say that our only Poland, Baltic States & possibly Czech Republic are any close to being our actual official allies. Otherwise, West basically offers us to absorb the destruction that is sent to us by russia w/o hoping to stop it->

Providing AA means to Ukraine w/o providing long-range retaliation weapons realizes only a portion of potential of the AA defenses that are bing provided, because they're used without Ukraine's own long-range weapons and are more like an extra layer of strategic defense for EU