Russia's attacks on Ukraine are gaining unprecedented strength. On Saturday 12 July, respective regions in Ukraine one more time became the mark of massive attacks. According to the president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenski, the Russian military utilized at least 597 drones and 26 rocket missiles. On Friday morning, Russia launched another drone attack on Odessa. According to local media, the mark of the attack was the building of the territorial recruitment center of the Ukrainian army, as well as residential buildings.
A day earlier, at least 2 people died in a massive night attack on Kiev, which included respective districts of the Ukrainian capital. Mayor Vitali Klickko reported the demolition of the emergency station.
Hell of a night in Kiev
A series of massive attacks from Russia have late occurred. What happened in Kiev on the night of 4 July was described in the Ukrainian media as "night from hell". The Russian army utilized over 500 drones, as well as Kindzarz and Iskander rockets.
As a result, even US president Donald Trump, who had previously seen himself as a mediator in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, stated that he was disappointed in Russia. He besides sharpened his rhetoric towards the Kremlin. Trump said that "Putin talks nonsense", adding that the Russian president was "always very nice", but yet it turned out to be meaningless.
Shortly after these remarks, the U.S. resumed the supply of any weapons to Ukraine, as Reuters says. According to the information agency, these are artillery missiles and self-propelled guns.
Production of thousands of drones per month
Russia is able to carry out specified massive attacks present by expanding drone production. She is no longer dependent on Iran, as it was in 2022.
– Russia has been utilizing drones since 2022, but the scale has changed," said DW military technology expert David Hambling. Now they produce thousands of drones a month, possibly even tens of thousands. This is adequate to overload most of the defence systems designed to capture missiles," he explains.
In an interview with the DW Colonel Markus Reisner of the Austrian Armed Forces indicates that Russia would not be able to carry out specified massive attacks on Ukraine without the aid of another countries. China provides Russia with parts that the Kremlin uses to build drones, and North Korea provides Moscow with ballistic missiles. “You can see that Russia relies on supporters here,” Reisner says.
Terroristisation of Ukrainian population
Following a fresh attack on Kiev, the president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenski commented on why Russia intensified the fire of the capital. Vladimir Putin wants "people to endure and flee from Ukraine, so that homes, schools and life itself are destroyed everywhere, not only on the front line," said Zelenski, according to the Ukrainian NV news portal.
The American paper "New York Times", citing sources close to the Kremlin, wrote that in this way Russia intends to break Ukraine's defence in the coming months.
Colonel Reisner claims that Vladimir Putin is trying to accomplish 2 strategical goals with his last massive attacks – firstly, to destruct the Ukrainian military-industrial centre and secondly, to influence Ukrainian public opinion by simultaneously attacking civilians. – Targeted attacks on the population, which is to be further weakened by terror, are so an indirect effort to exert force on the Ukrainian government," Reisner believes.
Is this the beginning of the Russian summertime offensive?
Many military experts anticipate Russia to launch a fresh offensive this summer. German political scientist Andreas Heinemann-Grüder sees the increasing number of attacks which Ukraine has late been subjected to as part of this campaign.
Russia's nonsubjective is to disassemble Ukrainian air defence so that losses cannot be compensated for by supplies from western countries. This may besides indicate that Russia is preparing for a "decisive battle", alleged Heinemann-Grüder. It does not exclude that Russia will be able to drive Ukraine into detention by the end of this year or at the beginning of the next year and subject it to Kremlin's demands.
What can the West do?
In discussions with the DW, experts express the belief that the West must take more decisive action to take Russia's initiative on the battlefield. At a conference on the reconstruction of Ukraine held in Rome in fresh days, Volodymyr Zelenski explained that Ukraine had found a solution to counter Russian attacks: interceptive drones. At the same time, he stressed that the defence sector of his country urgently needed crucial investment.
Colonel Reisner confirmed that Ukraine is presently achieving good results in producing its own drones. However, he inactive cannot do without Western support. "He needs support from the West, especially in the area of peculiar weapons systems, specified as Patriot anti-aircraft missiles," he said. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz previously stated that Germany is ready to acquisition Patriot systems for Ukraine from the US.
To supply truly effective assistance, The West must overcome fears that arms delivered to Ukraine may fall into Russian hands, says Andreas Heinemann-Grüder. any Western arms companies are afraid of losing their technological advantage if they do. Armoured companies besides fear that the creation of joint ventures with Ukraine could lower the prices of their products. “In my opinion, specified thoughts should be overcome,” says the expert.
