General Sir Richard Barrons has warned that Russia could be preparing for a massive aerial attack on Ukraine to “overwhelm” its air defence and turn the tide of the ongoing conflict. Despite Russia’s apparent reluctance to learn from its past mistakes, its approach to air power may change soon, Sir Richard said in an interview with the Daily Star.
As we mark one year of the conflict in Ukraine, with significant losses mounting on both sides, Russia may be compelled to adopt a new approach to halt the repeated setbacks it has experienced. According to Sir Richard, Ukrainian air defences have been superior so far, but there are reasons to believe that Russia may now attempt to overcome them.
Sir Richard believes the aerial attack will likely take place at some point during Russia’s recently launched spring offensive, which has certainly “opened.” He stated, “The only thing that is different right now is the sense that Russia is massing a lot of aircraft within range of Ukraine, both fixed-wing and attack helicopters. And it may be that when they get to the right moment in this offensive we’ll see a much bigger play of their Air Force.” The Russian Air Force has not been very evident in the invasion so far, but Sir Richard believes this may be due to the strength of the Ukrainian air defence.
Sir Richard also stated that, in addition to planes and helicopters, the attack will be supported by other airborne weapons. He added that they may attempt to use a combination of missiles and Iranian-supplied suicide drones to overwhelm Ukrainian air defence and make a difference on the ground.
However, Sir Richard admitted that the extent of the planned attack is unknown. Although the Russian offensive has undoubtedly begun, the Ukrainians are not taken aback by this, and they are anticipating it. It’s worth noting that since the onset of the war, Ukraine has endured significant losses and casualties, with over 50,000 dead as of this report.
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