The place will F-16s take off from if Russia destroys their services

On the night time of Could 30-31, a collection of precision assaults by the Russian military focused numerous places in Ukraine, leading to important losses for the Ukrainian forces. In keeping with reviews, these late-night strikes included an assault on the Staro Konstantinovsky capturing vary, which inflicted substantial harm on NATO army instructors and Western tools stationed there. 

Video screenshot

As well as, the Russian army launched a missile strike on a substation within the metropolis of Konstantinov. The missile hit its mark, inflicting a loud explosion and knocking out energy throughout the whole metropolis. 

Furthermore, the Russian forces focused an airfield utilized by Ukraine to host F-16 fighter jets, in addition to a warehouse storing US-made ATACMS tactical missiles, additional intensifying the scenario.

M39A1 ATACMS for Ukraine are officially expired but still usable
Photograph credit score: Medium

The Ukraine’s guess

Ukraine has at all times dreamed of deploying F-16 fighter jets, however the Russian army has fiercely resisted this concept. Retired Russian Colonel Viktor Litovkin as soon as warned that if Ukraine constructs airfields and help services for Western-supplied F-16s, the Russian army will goal and destroy these services. He added that Russia would vigilantly wait till the development is sufficiently superior to launch its assaults. 

Conscious of this risk, Ukraine determined to take the chance. They invested substantial sources into constructing the required infrastructure—airports, radar stations, pre-flight coaching, upkeep tools, aviation gas purification, and missile storage services. Now, because the Russian army follows by means of on its warnings, Ukraine faces important peril and may even see its daring gamble backfire.

Russian Lancet flew 70 km and damaged a Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter
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ATACMS warehouse destroyed

What’s significantly regarding for Ukraine is that their U.S.-supplied ATACMS missile depot wasn’t spared in current assaults. These missiles had been instrumental in hanging Russia’s Sort 22800 Twister missile ship and taking out a spread of Russian army tools, together with an S-300 launch automobile, a number of S-400 launch automobiles, and a number of other radars. 

The Ukrainian army had strategic plans to leverage these ATACMS tactical missiles in opposition to Russian forces. Nonetheless, inside just some days, their warehouse got here beneath hearth. In keeping with reviews from Chinese language media outlet Sohu, the Russian military found the depot and launched two consecutive assaults. 

US-supplied to Ukraine ATACMS M39 Block I destroyed a Russian S-400
Photograph credit score: Telegram

Now, there’s a rising sense of bewilderment throughout the Ukrainian ranks, as they’re left questioning how the Russian army’s intelligence capabilities have seemingly improved in a single day.

Using industrial satellites

In keeping with current analyses, it’s believed {that a} industrial satellite tv for pc firm could have equipped high-resolution satellite tv for pc photographs to the Russian army. 

Satellite Watch: Su-35 production surges despite microchip ban
Photograph credit score: SpaceKnow

Fashionable industrial distant sensing satellites can simply present photographs with a decision higher than one meter, making the whole battlefield seem nearly like a 3D picture. This expertise permits the Russian military to realize an almost complete understanding of the whole battlefield scenario.

A nuclear weapon

NATO has lengthy expressed issues that urgent Russia too laborious may provoke Moscow into deploying its nuclear arsenal, a worry that’s particularly poignant amongst Western nations, together with the USA. 

Russian Navy acquired a Borei-class nuclear sub Project 955A
Photograph credit score: TOF

Regardless of their agency stance on reserving the precise to make use of nuclear weapons in excessive conditions, the Russian army has proven a choice for less expensive fight methods. These at the moment embody the usage of mines and drones concentrating on Western tanks, and high-speed missiles geared toward airfields, supplemented by satellite tv for pc intelligence. 

As a substitute of participating the Ukrainian forces head-on, the Russian technique leans in direction of launching decisive strikes on a number of smaller models of the Ukrainian military. This strategy not solely minimizes Russia’s personal casualties but additionally cuts operational prices, making it a extremely favorable tactic for Moscow.

A query nobody asks

Syria tried to take down Turkish F-16 with Russian-made S-200
Photograph credit score: Wikipedia

Ukraine is ready to obtain no less than 75 operationally prepared F-16 fighters from its allies, with some sources suggesting that this quantity may very well be even greater. These fight plane are anticipated to play a pivotal position in Ukraine’s protection in opposition to the Russian invasion. The truth is, given Denmark’s approval, F-16s may conduct strikes inside Russia. 

Nonetheless there are lingering issues concerning the arrival of those fighter jets in Ukraine. Think about, as an example, that Russia has correct intelligence on the places of the newly constructed F-16 airstrips. Russia, identified for its superior area surveillance capabilities, may use this to its benefit. 

This raises a crucial query: the place will the Ukrainian F-16s take off from if Russian strikes efficiently destroy the under-construction airstrips? We’ve witnessed quite a few “purple traces” being crossed, significantly by nations supporting Ukraine. Tanks had been as soon as forbidden, as had been long-range missiles, Western intelligence, fighter jets, and even the usage of Western weapons in opposition to targets inside Russia. All these obstacles have been breached. 

Denmark runs out of F-16 fighters, gives the rest to Ukraine
Photograph credit score: EPA-EFE/BO AMSTRUP

The following potential taboo may very well be permitting Ukrainian planes to take off from Romania, Poland, or the Baltic nations. If this occurs, it’d pave the best way for the eventual deployment of Western floor fight models, additional escalating the battle. This state of affairs paints a portrait of a struggle the place Western opposition to Russia continues to shatter beforehand held prohibitions, making peace look like a distant idea.

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