Forbes: ATACMS Strike Could Deprive Russian Drones Of Important Forward Base
- 26.11.2024, 17:36
An analyst spoke about the consequences of the strike on the Khalino airfield in Russia.
On the night of November 25, Ukraine launched a successful strike with ATACMS missiles on the Khalino air base in the Kursk region. Forbes analyst David Axe spoke about the consequences of the strike with American long-range missiles on the Russian air base.
According to the Ukrainian analytical group Frontelligence Insight, the attack on the Khalino airfield could have temporarily disabled it.
“That’s good news for the 20,000-strong Ukrainian force holding a 250-square-mile salient around the town of Sudzha 50 miles southwest of Khalino. That force is expecting a massive Russian assault in the coming days.,” the analyst notes.
It is noted that Khalino is the closest major air base to the Kursk Bulge, which makes it a key base for Russian Su-25 attack aircraft. During the 33 months of Russia's large-scale war against Ukraine, these aircraft suffered significant losses from Ukrainian air defences: about 30 of the 200 Su-25s that the Russians operated until 2022 were shot down or damaged.
Analyst David Axe suggests that the strike on Khalino could cause additional damage to some Su-25s. In response, Russian forces are building fortifications at the base to protect the aircraft, although some Su-25s may have been evacuated immediately before the ATACMS strike.
"Activity at the base has noticeably decreased in recent days, so it is unclear whether a significant number of aircraft were shot down," Frontelligence Insight explains.
The analyst believes that the strike on the "Khalino" airfield could deprive Russian drones of an important forward base. In addition, the destruction of surface-to-air missile batteries or radars during the attack could lead to new weaknesses in the Russian air defence system.
“This could create opportunities for future strikes using cheaper and more numerous drones,” Frontelligence Insight believes.
The Forbes article emphasizes that the ATACMS strike carried out on Monday was the third significant deep strike on strategic facilities in and around Kursk after the US, UK and France allowed Ukraine to use their precision missiles against targets in Russia.