Only a complete idiot could assume that X-101 ended up in the hospital.
Photo: REUTERS.
How can the decisions of the NATO summit in the United States affect the course of the Northern Military District and what does the “attack on the hospital in kyiv” have to do with it?
We discussed this on Radio Komsomolskaya Pravda with Alexey Podberezkin, director of the Center for Military-Political Studies and professor at MGIMO.
THE TRAIL OF A MISSILE ATTACK
– When planning a missile attack, are the risks taken into account that, for example, the missile could be shot down by an anti-aircraft missile and fall on a civilian object?
– I don’t think so. It is impossible to calculate where the fragments will fall. Besides, the probability of our missiles being destroyed is actually not that great. But we destroy up to 95-98% of the missiles fired at us.
– And the Americans?
– Yes, including such difficult targets as HIMARS or ATACMS. On the Ukrainian side, where air defence is significantly weaker, it destroys, at most, up to 40% of Russian missiles.
– Are there those who cannot be brought down?
– There are our air attack weapons that are practically impossible to destroy. Missiles like the Kh-22 and Kh-32 are huge and heavy, 10-11 meters long, one meter in diameter, and a warhead of less than a ton. Not much smaller than the X-101. The warhead is smaller, but it also weighs half a ton. Its accuracy is up to 20 meters. And we can say with certainty where the missile will hit. 20 meters for such a rocket is nothing. The X-101 crater is 50 meters away.
“When the victim was taken to the children’s hospital, no crater was visible there.
– You can see the walls where fragments of this anti-missile missile hit. American anti-missile defense. It is quite recognizable. Its fragments are recognizable: it contains only a 35-kilogram warhead. Compare: 35 and 500 kg. What damage could a missile 20 times smaller than ours cause? Here it is visible in this picture.
– Only a complete idiot would assume that the X-101 hit the hospital and the glass flew out?
“The windows of the entire block would have been blown out and nothing would have remained of this building.”
If our X-101 ended up in a hospital in kyiv, all that would be left would be a crater
Photo: REUTERS.
NATO SUMMIT
– How do you assess the NATO summit in Washington?
– The West is consistently pursuing its long-term strategy, and the NATO summit, which has been in preparation for a long time, has normatively approved it. This strategy is designed for at least 10 years. It involves several elements.
– Which ones exactly?
– Continuation and even escalation of military pressure on Russia. There is no need to delude ourselves here. And the summit fully confirmed this. The escalation will intensify. Additional high-precision equipment will be allocated. There will be supplies of missiles, tanks and aircraft. And the Dutch and Norwegians have already confirmed this: Kiev will receive the F-16 from them in the near future. At the same time, they will activate all channels of the declaration that Russia is “the enemy of the entire world.” They will press all the levers. Including our allies.
– And will they give in?
– Someone, like Armenia, will succumb to this and run to the other side. Someone may agree externally, like China, but resist internally. A very difficult struggle is underway. We are surrounded on all sides. This is a long-term plan. Within the framework of which the NATO Council meeting took place.
The West is consistently implementing its long-term strategy, and the NATO summit, which has been in preparation for a long time, normatively approved it.
Photo: REUTERS.
– Can’t you take this lightly?
– Important private decisions were made regarding the southern logistics corridor. It will simplify movement towards our borders in southeastern Europe. There was also talk of a committee to be based in Germany to assist Ukraine and which will have 700 people. And this is not just a committee that will coordinate assistance. It is a prototype of NATO’s operational control headquarters in the east. And as this committee organizes assistance in the Ukraine conflict, it also begins to manage that assistance, these advisers and these experts. It begins to engage in military planning.
– They write that the beginnings of this already exist…
– But now it will be legalized and systematized. NATO will be directly involved in military planning. And formally this will be presented in the form of assistance to Ukraine fighting for freedom. The efforts of NATO states are being optimized and concentrated.
One hour of F-16 flight requires 40 hours of work by 30 technicians
Photo: REUTERS.
FLIGHT ASSIGNMENT
– The first F-16s are already flying to Ukraine…
– I would neither overestimate nor underestimate the value of the F-16. In principle, it is the same aircraft as our MiG-29.
– What is stronger there?
– Long-range radars and weapons will be supplied. We do not have air battles there, but if we did, I think our Su-30 or Su-35 would not give in, but would win in direct confrontations with the F-16. But the main thing is even different. We have the best air defense system in the world.
– Why do you say this?
– It now destroys 90-95% of the most difficult targets. Especially complex ones like ATACMS. I really don’t understand how American aircraft can be used directly in combat operations against the Russian Federation. Most likely, at the initial stage, they will launch their missiles from the territory of, conditionally, Poland or Romania. And most likely, they will be based there. If they move to the territory of Ukraine, many questions immediately arise.
– Which?
– One hour of F-16 flight requires 40 hours of work by 30 technicians. This is a serious infrastructure. Where will they have it? Let’s say they equip 2-4 airfields, where they will host 4-5 aircraft of this type. But this will immediately make them targets for attack. And “Caliber” has already proven that they can instantly respond to such intelligence information. Which has now become much better for us.
– Will the supply of 20 to 30 such aircraft affect the situation?
– Not radically, but they cannot be ignored. In general, they promise up to 80 fighters. There are things that are quite important: they have long-range radars. Thus, they can create a fairly compact and very effective target guidance system together with American airborne early warning aircraft. This is a problem that may arise.
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