Russian rocket modifications wreak havoc as Ukraine fights back

Late in the afternoon on 8 July, the internet was flooded with images of missiles labelled: "For Ohmatdyt" and "For Ukrainian children." This was how Ukrainians vented their anger over the Russian missile attack on Kyiv, which occurred a few hours earlier.

One of the missiles fell on the Ohmatdyt children's hospital, the largest not only in the capital but in Ukraine as a whole. Severely ill children, including those suffering from cancer, are treated there. Within the first 24 hours in Kyiv, 37 casualties were identified, including three children and two pregnant women. Furthermore, 117 people were injured. The number of fatalities continues to rise as the rubble of destroyed buildings is still being cleared.

This was not the first time the Russians hit a medical facility. Nearly two years ago, on 14 July 2022, missiles fired from ships in the Black Sea fell on Vinnytsia. One of them struck the "Neuromed" clinic.

It is likely a coincidental correlation, but the attack on Vinnytsia happened during a conference in The Hague dedicated to prosecuting Russian crimes in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Monday attack on Kyiv occurred on the eve of the NATO summit in Washington, D.C.

According to information from Ukraine's Air Force, on 8 July, Russians launched 38 rockets, of which eight could not be neutralised. After months of ineffective attacks, they changed their strike tactics, leading to immediate and tragic consequences. Primarily, the missiles were programmed with a very low flight profile, not exceeding an altitude of 50 metres.

- Yesterday, Russian cruise missiles flew at very low altitudes - said Lt. Col. Yuriy Ignat, press spokesperson for Ukraine's Air Force, the day after the hospital was hit. - Russia continuously improves not only reconnaissance and strike drones but also other means of aerial attack - cruise and ballistic missiles. As a result, they become increasingly difficult to detect and destroy. Enemy missiles are equipped with additional measures, particularly radar and thermal traps.

Yuriy Ignat noted that the Russians have modernised their cruise missiles by installing laser beam irradiation sensors. These sensors activate chaff dispensers, causing the missile to start executing evasive manoeuvres. This makes it difficult for air defence systems to neutralise targets.

The officer also said that Russian missiles fly along a predetermined route near the target without using satellite navigation. GPS signal receivers are only turned on shortly before hitting the object that the enemy plans to attack. This operation drastically shortens the air defence's reaction time.

Although Ukrainians have not yet found an effective way to neutralise modernised Russian missiles, they are showing remarkable ingenuity in combating drones.

Every day, 30-40 Russian reconnaissance drones are flying over Ukraine, searching for warehouses, dispersal points behind the frontline, or communication routes. Destroying them with expensive missiles is economically senseless. Mobile anti-aircraft groups armed with heavy machine guns or light aircraft equipped with machine guns are used to neutralise them.

This second solution is reminiscent of the early days of World War I. At the beginning of the period, arming aircraft was not the norm, and pilots often shot at each other with personal firearms. Some aviators had machine guns mounted in the observer's cabin. On such an armed Voisin III, Sgt. Joseph Frantz and Cpl. Louis Quenault's crew shot down the first enemy aircraft in history.

Ukrainians used a similar tactic on the southern front. The pilot is the "driver," whose task is to position the aircraft to allow the shooter in the rear cabin to shoot down the enemy drone.

Ukrainians have begun to use – with considerable success – school aircraft from aeroclubs to destroy low-flying and slow drones, such as the Yak-52. Under the cockpit of one of the Yaks, 12 different Russian drones shot down have already been painted, making the shooter an ace.

The Ukrainian Air Force is very pleased with the tests of this solution and plans to arm more Yak-52s and purchase light combat aircraft. The favourite is the Embraer A-29 Super Tucano, which Ukrainians wanted to buy back in 2019. The aircraft can serve not only for training but also as a light attack aircraft.

Such aircraft types have proven effective in counter-guerrilla actions in Afghanistan and fights with South American drug cartels. In the Ukrainian case, the two fixed 12.7 mm machine guns are more than sufficient to effectively shoot down Orlan-10, Shahed 131, and Shahed 136 drones, which are the most commonly seen in the sky.

It is certain that those responsible for the Monday attack on Kyiv cannot sleep peacefully. Vasyl Maliuk, head of Ukraine's Security Service, stated in a communiqué that "The Security Service will do everything in its power to ensure that the enemy suffers the maximum penalty for each of its war crimes, particularly for today's attack on Ukraine. This retribution will be both legal and moral. (...) We have specific names of the murderers, and nothing will protect them from justice."

The main suspect is Gen. Robert Baranov, head of the Russian General Staff's main computing centre. Under his direction, this centre compares the coordinates of targets received from the General Staff command with the location of civilian objects on terrain maps. "In this way, they deliberately hit objects of the Ukrainian civilian population," said Vasyl Maliuk.

Monday's tragedy may accelerate the unconditional and final lifting of restrictions on the use of Western weaponry solely within the territory of Ukraine. Kyiv emphasises that the best air defence will be destroying Russian missiles, bombers, and ships still in their bases.

Destroying the Russian strike potential far behind the lines and shooting down aircraft over the territory of the Russian Federation will significantly disrupt Russian operations and save many Ukrainian lives.