Estonian Defence Forces: Ukraine's Air Defence Makes Qualitative Leap in a Year
Over the past year, significant positive changes have occurred in Ukraine's air defence: the country managed to integrate the air defence systems of the western and eastern blocs into one effective system and improve the utilization of early warning and reconnaissance information. This was stated by Colonel Toomas Vali of the Estonian Defence Forces in an interview with Estonian Television, as reported by FREEDOM.
Despite Russia employing the same tactics as a year ago in attacking Ukrainian cities this winter, the combination of eastern and western missile systems, coupled with advancements in reconnaissance, has allowed Ukrainians to successfully repel attacks over the past year, marking a qualitative leap.
Russian forces have recently launched missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities repeatedly. According to the Estonian military official, these attacks primarily aim to break the will of civilians and society to defend themselves.
"We understand that the attacks are often not directed at military targets, as the Germans did with London in World War II," Colonel Toomas Vali stated.
Meanwhile, a relatively calm period of airstrikes indicated that Russia is stockpiling missiles and drones to employ the same tactics as last year, organizing mass air strikes towards the end of the year.
The expert noted that despite Ukraine facing a challenging situation, the country has managed to develop air defence technologies and sometimes outsmart the enemy.
"The Ukrainians are very professional when it comes to predicting the enemy's manoeuvres," added Vali.
Vali also reminded that Ukraine successfully carried out airstrikes on Russian territory and occupied Crimea, demonstrating that the much-vaunted Russian air defence can be penetrated.
As reported by The Gaze, the United States announced last week that they are convening a UN Security Council meeting due to Russia's use of North Korean missiles during mass strikes on Ukraine.
Recall that on December 29, the Russian-occupied army launched about 110 missiles on multiple cities in Ukraine, hitting a maternity hospital, educational institutions, a shopping centre, residential buildings, a trade warehouse, and a car park. The rocket strike affected Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and others, resulting in numerous casualties and injuries.
On January 1, on the eve of the New Year, Russia carried out another mass strike on Ukraine using 90 Russian drones, causing significant losses and destruction.
On the night of January 2, the Russian terrorists launched another series of missile strikes on Ukraine, including on Kyiv and Kharkiv, resulting in mass casualties and destruction. In response, Poland deployed F-16 fighters to counter Russia's missile terror against Ukraine.