On the night of March 21, 2024, the enemy again attacked Kyiv with ballistic and cruise missiles. According to Ukrainian Air Forces Kremlin used two Iskander-M ballistic missiles (KN-23) / Kh-47M2 Kinjal, as well as 29 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles from 11 strategic bombers Tu-95MS. Attack was repelled with anti-aircraft missile units of the UKR Air Force and mobile fire units. As stated by Military administration of Kyiv city, all Russian missiles were shot down in the Kyiv region, with 13 casualties reported in the capital due to the falling fragments of the anti-aircrafts missiles. Some residential buildings caught fire, a kindergarten and a church were damaged.
This time attack was repelled with modern Western air defense systems. As President Zelenskyy wrote in his Telegram: “Russian terrorists do not have any missiles that could break the defense of the “Patriot” and other sophisticated Western systems.”. He also pointed that Ukraine need more of such systems to protect civilians from Russian missile terror.
But there is another aspect – Kremlin is still able to produce cruise missiles, despite all the international sanctions. For example, in February, Russia used its newest Kh-69 guided aircraft missile. This fact demonstrates, that Russian defense industry not only produces older equipment, but also developing new, including long-range capabilities. And this creates a future threat not only for Ukraine, but also for the whole Europe.
Therefore, if Western countries can ensure that the sanctions regime is actually implemented, it will not only help to stop missile attacks like today’s attack on Kyiv, but also make it impossible for such attacks to be launched against Vilnius, Warsaw or Berlin.
So far, there are no signs that Moscow has completely abandoned its aggressive plans. On the contrary, there are growing signs that Putin is not planning to stop with Ukraine and may be preparing an attack on NATO countries, as warned by leading experts and military officials. Recently, the Institute for the study of war highlighted that Putin’s attempts to set conditions to stabilize Russia’s economy and finances are most likely part of Russian financial and domestic preparations for “a potential future large-scale conflict with NATO and not just for a protracted war in Ukraine.”
There is still time to stop the Russian war machine before it is too late. And now it only requires political will, not a sophisticated and very expensive air defense systems.
