[The Epoch Times, March 21, 2022](The Epoch Times reporter Zhang Ting comprehensive report) The Russian army recently announced the use of hypersonic missiles to attack Ukrainian targets, which seems to mark a strategic shift in the Russian military to deal with its losses on the battlefield and reverse its largely stagnant war in Ukraine. But the U.S. defense secretary and other experts say they don’t think Putin’s use of the weapon will be a game-changer and turn the tide.
According to Bloomberg, Western military analysts say President Putin’s ground operations are in trouble, with the Russian military failing to achieve its original goals and underestimating the scale of Ukrainian resistance. These headwinds likely prompted Putin to order increased shelling.
“Ukrainian forces have already defeated Russia in the initial battle,” the Institute for War Research said in its latest assessment released Saturday afternoon in Washington. The report mentions the goal of Russia’s initial campaign to capture Kyiv, Kharkov, Odessa and other major cities to overthrow Zelensky’s government.
The shift in Russia’s military strategy comes on the eve of a special NATO summit this week. The United States has agreed to supply Ukraine with drones, Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, anti-tank missiles, small arms and ammunition, adding to weapons that have already “caused enormous losses to the Russian military.”
The Russian army announced the use of hypersonic weapons on different occasions for two consecutive days
On Saturday (March 19), the Russian Defense Ministry said that on Friday (March 18) the Russian army used the hypersonic missile “Kinzhal” for the first time to destroy a large underground missile and aviation ammunition warehouse of the Ukrainian army. .
The Russian state news agency RIA Novosti said the airstrike marked the first use of an advanced nuclear-capable weapon system by the Russian military in the Ukraine war.
The Russian military also released a video of the high-precision strike on Twitter on Saturday (To watch the video click here）。
On Sunday (March 20), the Russian Defense Ministry again claimed that it launched a series of attacks on Ukrainian military targets using hypersonic missiles “Dagger” and cruise missiles on Saturday night and Sunday morning. The Defense Ministry said the missiles targeted a large storage base for Ukrainian Armed Forces fuel and lubricants in southern Ukraine. The base is used as the main supply and refueling base for Ukrainian armored forces.
Although the Ukrainian military has not released the type of missiles used by the Russian military, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, tweeted on Sunday that the Russian army, due to the failure of the offensive, had turned to more destructive ones. powerful artillery, including Dagger missiles, to attack Ukrainian cities.
Podoljak’s comments are Ukraine’s first official response to Russia’s claims of using hypersonic missiles. If confirmed, the attack would mark the first use of a nuclear-capable advanced weapons system in warfare.
Hypersonic missiles have lower flight trajectories than conventional ballistic missiles, making them harder to detect. They can also maneuver to evade missile defense systems. In announcing the Dagger hypersonic missile system in his annual State of the Union address in 2018, President Putin said the Dagger could carry conventional or nuclear warheads and travel 10 times faster than the speed of sound, or more than 2 miles per second. Russian officials say the dagger can hit targets up to 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles).
Will hypersonic missiles turn the tide of the Russian war?
It has been more than three weeks since the Russian army invaded Ukraine on February 24. Not only has it failed to capture major Ukrainian cities, it has also faced serious logistical problems. The BBC said there was evidence that Russia had not given adequate consideration to logistical issues. The armored column had run out of fuel, food and ammunition. Vehicles were broken down and abandoned, and were even towed by Ukrainians with tractors.
So, the Russian army is now using hypersonic missiles, will it change the war situation and allow Putin to quickly take Ukraine?
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in an interview with CBS on Sunday that he did not think it would change the situation. “I think again, the reason he (Putin) is using these types of weapons is because he’s trying to re-establish some momentum.” “But I don’t think it’s a game changer in and of itself. You kind of question, why would he do that? His Is there not enough precision-guided munitions? Does he have complete confidence in his abilities and the ability of his troops to rebuild momentum? But I don’t think that in itself is a game changer. I can’t confirm or question whether he used those weapons.”
And some experts have expressed similar views.
According to Euronews, military expert Pavel Felgenhauer said the use of Dagger missiles did not give Moscow a strategic advantage, but more of a psychological advantage to scare everyone. .
“It’s a show of show,” said Dominika Kunertova of the Zurich Centre for Security Studies, according to the BBC. “Even if it (hypersonic missile) is used, we It should also be seen as a moment of isolation because Russia does not have a large number of these missiles.”
“It was a signal to the West because Putin was annoyed that the West had dared to send arms to Ukraine,” Kunetova told the BBC.
Kunetova also does not believe that the “Dagger” missile will turn the tide for the Russian army.
James Acton, a nuclear policy expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told the BBC that the Dagger is believed to be an Iskander missile modified for fighter jet launch. Russian ground launchers have fired Iskander-M missiles since the beginning of the war.
Although the Iskander-M missiles have a much smaller range than air-launched missiles, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry claimed this week that Russia fired nearly all of the Iskander missiles in the first 20 days of the war.
Russian forces have fired more than 1,080 missiles since the invasion began on February 24, a U.S. defense official said on Friday.
“That’s a staggering number and a very large portion of Russia’s prewar stockpile,” Acton said. He pointed to the increasing use of unguided bombs in Russian airstrikes, “and they likely lack precision strike munitions.”
Responsible editor: Li Qiong#