Forbes: Russia May Seriously Regret Receiving Missiles From Iran
- 11.09.2024, 11:05
This will lead to considerable changes in Ukraine's strike campaign.
In early September, Russia received the first batch of 200 Fath-360 missiles from Iran to intensify the bombing of Ukraine. However, as Forbes, writes, these deliveries may backfire at Russia itself, as they may lead to serious changes in Ukraine's strike campaign.
“There’s a good chance the Fath-360 deal backfires on Russia. It could be the final straw for Ukraine’s allies, who have so far barred the Ukrainians from firing their best American and European munitions at targets inside Russia. With the arrival of Iranian missiles in Russia, there are signs this could change,” the publication writes.
The Fath-360 is a satellite-guided ballistic missile carried in packs of two, three, four or six by a six-by-six truck. Each round weighs 1,700 pounds and ranges as far as 75 miles.
The Fath-360’s weight and range make it useful for front-line use or for the bombardment of cities close to the front. Ukrainian columnist Oleksandr Kovalenko predicted Russia “will use these missiles … for the terror of the near border zone, in particular, Sumy and Kharkiv regions.” He ruled out “some critical impact on the rear [of] Ukraine or the combat zone” resulting from Fath-360 raids.
“All that is to say, the Fath-360 is no wonder weapon. And considering that Russia launches more than 300 missiles a month at Ukrainian cities, on average, the first 200 Fath-360s are too few in number to make a huge difference in the trajectory of the war — especially considering that Ukrainian air defenses typically intercept a quarter of incoming missiles,” Forbes believes.
Worse for the Russians, they may come to regret allying with the Iranians to slightly bolster their missile arsenal. The Russian-Iranian missile alliance could be the thing that finally convinces leaders in Washington, D.C. and London to allow Ukraine to use ATACMS and British-made Storm Shadow cruise missiles on targets deep inside Russia.
Thus, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged that the arrival of those Fath-360s at least justifies another conversation about the restrictions. And he promised to be receptive to the Ukrainians’ arguments.