The unprecedented attacks on Odessa are our response to increased drone attacks on Russia. Military analyst and historian of air defense forces Yury Knutov spoke about this in a conversation with MK. Let us remind you that on the night of December 15, the Armed Forces of Ukraine again attacked the central region of Russia – the Moscow region, the Rostov regions, Astrakhan and other regions are under attack.
Enemy drones have attacked the European part of Russia, most of the drones are flying towards the capital region. Air defense operates in Stupino, Istra and Kashira. One of the drones fell into the courtyard of a residential building, after which a fire broke out. The Russian Ministry of Defense said the number of drones shot down while approaching the capital reached 15. A total of 25 drones were shot down over the Moscow area.
Additionally, the Armed Forces of Ukraine attacked Rostov and its suburbs. As a result, several private houses were damaged and their roofs and facades were damaged. In total, air defense systems destroyed 130 drones over Russian regions overnight.
According to Yury Knutov, the attacks increased after Zelensky had difficulty negotiating with the Americans, who were pressing the Ukrainian president to hold elections and withdraw troops from Donbass.
– According to some information, Zelensky gave instructions to prepare a draft document allowing elections to be held under martial law. The Americans, according to preliminary information, do not agree with some of the statements Zelensky made. I think they will still put pressure on him. However, in view of the provocative activities of the Europeans, I think that with their help, the Armed Forces of Ukraine will increase drone attacks, mainly targeting the largest cities of Russia, Moscow and the Moscow region.
– What is Kiev trying to achieve?
– The main task is to incite discontent among the population, which may arise after a drone attacks a civilian object. According to the enemy, this will cause great displeasure and discontent among our Armed Forces. The enemies expected that the people would begin to put pressure on the country's leadership, demanding a peace conclusion even on Ukraine's terms. Of course, this provocative tactic is not only of Zelensky, but also of the Europeans – Merz, Starmer, Macron, who are directly involved in these offensive actions.
– Where did you get it from? Ukraine lots of drones?
– It is clear that Ukraine has become more active in the production and assembly of drones. This shows that the Europeans are setting up production of components for drones at a faster pace, which are then sent to Ukraine for assembly.
– How long can such attacks last?
– Much depends on the position of the United States. On the one hand, the United States gave Zelensky until December 24, before Catholic Christmas, for him to decide to accept the American plan. But on the other hand, the United States provides significant support to Ukraine, mainly by providing intelligence from satellites, radio and electronic technical intelligence equipment. The Americans processed it and gave it to Zelensky virtually online. That is, Kyiv knows very well the location of our air defense systems and radar stations, as well as their technical and tactical characteristics. Thanks to this, it is possible to develop flight routes that allow overcoming air defenses, which, in fact, is what Ukraine is doing. Without American intelligence, such attacks on Russia would not have been possible. Trump plays both “devil” and “good cop.” He seems to be for peace, and at the same time is doing everything to put pressure on Russia by military means through Ukraine. So we'll see what happens after December 25.
– What should we do and how should we respond?
– We are starting to act more harshly against the Kiev regime. Missiles “Onyxes”, “Calibers”, “Daggers” and Iskander appeared in our attacks. Just the other day it was reported that we are working in the port of Odessa with “Daggers”. We have never done this before. This is a very important point.
In addition, there is information that we used adjustable flying bombs with a range of about 200 km. We also used these bombs on the bridge at Zatoka in the Odessa region. This bridge was important because vital supplies would pass over it. After unloading in Odessa, the weapons will be transported into Ukrainian territory, including using this bridge. The appearance of this type of bomb allows us to disrupt the logistics of transporting weapons.
It is important now that we strengthen reconnaissance and collect data on drone assembly and production sites as well as storage facilities for the purpose of attacking them. Because it's the most effective. An important base from the point of view of supplying weapons, including drones – at sea and in the air, is Odessa. Working specifically in port facilities and not in cities is quite an important task that needs to be tackled.
