CNN reveals why Russia is spending so many drones on Kiev
This morning's Russian attack on Kiev is the 14th attack on the Ukrainian capital this month. Ukrainian authorities estimate that Russia sent more than 50 attack drones towards the capital early this morning. The vast majority have been destroyed by air defenses, and casualties and damage appear to be minimal, according to city officials.
So why is Russia putting so much effort into such limited results? "CNN" writes that these are actually cheap attacks and that the Russians have two goals.
First, Iran's Shahed drones are a cheap way to inflict at least some "pain" on Kiev, which has been spared the Russian invasion for most of the last year. Russia has bought hundreds of such drones, which cost roughly 20 times less than missiles.
This pain is psychological as well as physical. Night attacks send thousands of people into shelters and basements. Windows are broken, debris falls on the streets.
Since the beginning of the invasion, the Kiev air raid siren has been on for a cumulative 887 hours.
The closest historical parallel may be the Nazi use of V2 "doodlebug" cruise missiles against London at the end of World War II, according to a CNN analysis.
The attacks took place overnight as the Ukrainian capital prepared to celebrate Kyiv Day, marking the city's founding more than 1.500 years ago. That's probably not a coincidence. But everything points to the fact that despite the exhaustion, the attitude of the city population towards the government and the invasion with such attacks hardened rather than weakened.
Weakened air defenses
The Russian side's higher goal is that by sending in the Shahed drones, it is likely to wear down Ukraine's air defenses and force them to waste their scarce ammunition on swarms of drones.
Multiple reports over the past few months, including assessments by leaked U.S. military assessments, have pointed to critical gaps in Ukraine's layered air defenses, particularly as its Soviet-era S-300 system is degraded and munitions for such systems become increasingly difficult. to be found.
