According to British military intelligence estimates Russia carried out more than 5,400 airstrikes on Ukrainian territory in NovemberContinuing the offensive, which they called “a war of attrition” aimed to disrupt Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and trigger a humanitarian crisis with the onset of winter.
The British Ministry of Defense explained in its report on Saturday that most of these attacks were carried out by unmanned aircraft, supplemented by the firing of 90 missiles from long-range aircraft, a pattern that has continued over the past two months.
“Russia has fired more than 5,000 projectiles in each of the last three months to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defenses“warned the ministry.
The intensive use of drones, both armed and as decoys, shows Russia’s intent to wear down Ukrainian forces, which are under constant pressure and find little relief between waves of bombing.
Ivan FyodorovGovernor of Zaporizhzhia Oblast of Ukraine, mentioned that on the night of December 4 alone, the Russian army deployed 588 unmanned aerial vehicles of various modifications (mainly FPV) and three self-propelled and armored multiple rocket launchers MLRS on Novandriivka and Dobropillia in Donetsk, as well as Kharivne in Odessa.
According to British intelligence, the speed at which these projectiles are fired depends largely on the weather and “geopolitical considerations“, and they point out that each pause is usually followed by intense spikes in activity as operating conditions improve.
At the end of November, British intelligence also warned about this the “difficulties” facing Russia’s air defense systems amid Ukraine’s increasing drone attacksAccording to the British Ministry of Defense on the social network, it managed to hit targets more and more “effectively” even in areas close to the front line. X.
The details note that the recent Ukrainian attacks “highlight the difficulties of Russian air defense systems in protecting military sites within the range of Ukraine’s growing unmanned aerial capabilities, particularly this close to the front line.”
One of the examples cited in the report is the Ukrainian attack on November 5, in which Kiev used drones and missiles to hit a Russian base near Donetsk airport, an area under Russian control where drones were stored, manufactured and fired against Ukrainian positions.
The latest British estimates come after the British Prime Minister Keir Starmerand its Norwegian counterpart, Jonas Gahr Storewill announce in London the signing of a defense agreement that includes: a naval alliance aimed at “countering the Russian submarine threat”.
This bilateral agreement, worth 10 billion pounds sterling (around 13.3 billion dollars), is in the context of the growing presence of Russian submarine units near critical infrastructure in the North Atlanticand according to the British Ministry of Defense, there has been a 30% increase in sightings of Russian ships in British waters in the last two years.
The agreement will see the British and Norwegian navies, both members of NATO, jointly operate a fleet of at least 13 Type 26 frigates, manufactured in the United Kingdom and specifically designed for anti-submarine warfare missions.
“This historic agreement with Norway strengthens our ability to protect our borders and the critical infrastructure on which our nations depend,” Starmer said during the signing ceremony.
The new joint force will patrol strategic areas of the North Atlantic, particularly the vast waters between Greenland, Iceland and the United Kingdom, regions considered essential for the defense and surveillance of undersea cables and pipelines for communications, energy and gas.
(With information from Europa Press)
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