On July 19, the Russian Aerospace Forces launched another strike on the port infrastructure of Odessa. Airborne targets were also detected in the direction of Zaporizhia, Kropyvnytskyi, and Kyiv. Four types of missiles were used: "Kalibr," "Oniks," "Kh-22," "Kh-59," as well as 32 Iranian-made drones. 14 out of 31 missiles and 23 drones were destroyed by air defense systems. The so-called anti-ship missile Kh-22 has high destructive power. Considering its inaccuracy, using this type of missile within city limits constitutes a war crime. Odessa has suffered the most devastating shelling since the start of the war, while Russian media openly state that Russia will now wage war on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure to completely destroy it.
Russia is systematically destroying Ukraine's port infrastructure, which was used for grain shipments under the "grain agreement." The recent shelling of ports in the Odessa and Mykolaiv regions supports this conclusion. On July 18, Russia withdrew from the "grain agreement," and immediately after, Russian media outlets, including propaganda Telegram channels, began spreading a narrative about the need to destroy Ukrainian ports to prevent Ukraine from exporting grain. They mentioned the necessity of destroying key bridges, roads, railway junctions, factories, and "decision-making centers" in Ukraine. The recent shelling involved the use of a "swarm" of missiles, where a large number of airborne targets continuously attack a single object. Under such circumstances, air defense systems quickly become overwhelmed and unable to intercept all missiles or drones. Russia's change in tactics highlights the need for additional supplies of effective air defense systems, such as the "Patriot" system, which has repeatedly proven its effectiveness in intercepting Russian missiles like the "Kinjal" and "Iskander." Russia possesses a significant stockpile of powerful Kh-22 missiles accumulated from the Soviet era. The Kremlin rarely used this type of missile, as it initially hoped to quickly occupy Ukraine while preserving its infrastructure for its own use. After 16 months of war and the failure of the "take Kiev in three days" idea, Putin has started systematically destroying everything possible in Ukraine. Similar tactics were employed by Hitler towards the end of World War II, ordering the retreating German army to destroy infrastructure within German territory under the pressure of the USSR. The aforementioned actions bear all the hallmarks of a war crime and the genocide of Ukrainians based on national identity. Russia is capable of inflicting severe damage to Ukraine's civilian infrastructure and openly states that its missile strikes will primarily target ports, bridges, roads, and railways. Russia also aims to provoke an energy system collapse in Ukraine before the winter by targeting substations, as it did last winter. Despite this, thanks to Ukraine's Western partners, it endured and resumed electricity exports to Europe in March 2023. Therefore, preparations for the worst-case scenario should already be underway. Accelerated delivery of air defense systems is not only crucial for preserving Ukraine's industrial and transport infrastructure but also for saving thousands of lives.
Comments