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6 days ago
- Politics
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Russia's ‘Pearl Harbour' has left Putin's attack plans in tatters
Wars have always forced innovation. From Hannibal at Cannae and Alexander the Great at Gaugamela to the SAS commandos of the desert campaign in the Second World War, tactical breakthroughs have shattered enemy complacency and changed battle strategy for ever. Sunday's extraordinary Ukrainian attacks against Russia's strategic bomber force – arguably one of the most important raids in the history of modern warfare – will have a similar effect. The rules of war have just been rewritten, and the consequences will be felt globally. The most immediate impact will be felt in Russia, where the illusion of invincibility that hung over its long-range aviation fleet has been so spectacularly sundered. Officials in Kyiv reckon they have destroyed or damaged up to a third of Russia's most prized air assets, planes that have wrought devastation in Ukraine for so long. The two principal consequences of Operation Spider's Web, as Ukraine has christened it, can be broken down into the psychological and the strategic. Both will shape the way Vladimir Putin is able to wage war. Perhaps most significantly, the raid will complicate Moscow's strategy of raining bombs on Ukrainian cities. Russia has been reliant on its Tupolev bombers, which can fly thousands of miles and carry nuclear or conventional warheads, to conduct large-scale cruise missile attacks. Moscow will find this harder to do if it has lost a significant number of its strategic bombers, according to Fabian Hoffman, a missile technology expert at the Centre for European Policy Analysis, a Washington-based think-tank. 'To generate this type of force power, you need these big bombers that can carry multiple cruise missiles,' he said. 'If you take out the bombers, then you really limit Russia's ability to launch these types of attacks.' During the largest sorties, multiple bombers take to the air to fire dozens of cruise missiles from different locations in an effort to overwhelm Ukrainian defences. For such missions to succeed, Russia has to operate a strict rotational system: for every bomber in use, a second is undergoing short-term repairs, while a third is in long-term maintenance, according to military analysts. Russia has relatively few strategic bombers, with most independent experts estimating no more than 90 in operation. Ukrainian officials said on Monday that their army of quadcopter drones had destroyed 13 Russian aircraft – 12 of them strategic bombers – a figure echoed by Russian military bloggers. Another two dozen may have been damaged, though to what extent remains unknown. Credit: Via Reuters Given the scale of the raid, it seems likely that while Russia will still be able to mount cruise missile attacks on Ukraine, it may have to do so with reduced frequency and intensity. In addition, Russia will be forced to divert resources to protect facilities far from the front, straining its war machine. The psychological consequences are just as significant. For more than a week, Ukraine has endured some of the most intense Russian bombardment of the war. Its frontline cities lie in ruins, while Russian forces have been advancing relentlessly – if glacially – for more than a year. The brazenness and ingenuity of Operation Spider's Web will lift spirits, just as earlier Ukrainian spectaculars did. The sinking of the Moskva, flagship of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, in 2022, and the maritime drone assaults that forced the Russian navy largely to abandon the Crimean port of Sevastopol are the most memorable of these. Operation Spider's Web – in which the jewels of Russia's air force exploded into fireballs 2,600 miles from the Ukrainian border – may well eclipse both. The mission will likewise damage morale in Russia. It did more than burn planes: it also scorched Russia's national confidence. Moscow will not be able to replace its losses quickly or easily. The Tu-95 and Tu-22 bombers that made up most of the losses are no longer being produced. Russia is still making the Tu-160 – the largest and heaviest bomber in the world – but production is so slow that one or two enter service each year. The losses may also force Moscow into making choices it would rather avoid. Russia's long-range bombers fly around the world to menace the edges of Nato airspace and maritime waters. Putin may now have to sacrifice his desire to project military power globally in order to maintain full aerial pressure on Ukraine. This dilemma will be welcomed in Western capitals – yet Ukraine's June surprise will be causing sleepless nights outside Russia. Military planners everywhere will now be fretting about the security of their own air forces. Many Western countries have concentrated their air assets in ever fewer bases to save money. Aircraft are frequently parked on aprons with no protection from the skies. Western governments now face the unpleasant prospect of having to invest heavily in hardened aircraft shelters and counter-drone systems. This will be both expensive and time-consuming – but until it is done, prized Nato assets will remain vulnerable to any malign state or non-state actor with a handful of cheap kamikaze drones. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine says two Chinese men have been caught fighting alongside Russia
The Ukrainian military has captured two Chinese men fighting alongside the Russian army in the eastern Donetsk region and has information that 'significantly more' are with Russian forces, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Tuesday. There was no immediate comment from China. Beijing is not known to have provided Russia with weapons or military expertise, and it was not clear whether the Chinese had joined the fight on their own initiative. Russia allows foreigners to enlist in its military, as does Ukraine. Mr Zelensky said he asked his top diplomat 'to immediately contact Beijing'. He said China would be the third country to offer military support to Russia after Iran, which has supplied attack drones, and North Korea, which has supplied soldiers, according to American and South Korean officials. China has provided strong diplomatic support for Russia since it launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022. Beijing has also offered an economic lifeline through the trade in energy and consumer goods. Mr Zelensky said a clash with Chinese soldiers occurred near the villages of Tarasivka and Bilohorivka in Donetsk, where six Chinese military personnel engaged Ukrainian troops. Two Chinese were taken prisoner, Mr Zelensky said. Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, said his ministry summoned China's charge d'affaires to demand an explanation, saying on X that 'Chinese citizens fighting as part of Russia's invasion army in Ukraine puts into question China's declared stance for peace and undermines Beijing's credibility as a responsible permanent member of the UN Security Council'. Russia has effectively rejected a US proposal for an immediate and full 30-day halt in the fighting in Ukraine, and both sides are believed to be readying a spring-summer campaign on the battlefield. 'I cannot see any indications that would lead to a ceasefire or even a peace, but I see many indications (for) the continuation of the war,' Nico Lange, a senior fellow at the Centre for European Policy Analysis in Washington, said in an analysis on Monday. Mr Zelensky spoke at a news conference in Kyiv alongside visiting Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, who announced a one billion euro (£0.78 billion) aid package for Ukraine this year. Ukraine's president said they discussed joint military manufacturing efforts and Belgian private investment in Ukraine's defence sector. Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russian Foreign Ministry officials will take part in talks with the US in Istanbul planned for Thursday. He did not say what the talks would be about, but the foreign ministry's involvement suggests it is another round of talks about normalising their respective embassies' operations and increasing staff numbers after years of expelling respective diplomats.
