Russia can bomb Ukraine, as before Syria, - British analysts
Russia may resort to the same bombings in Ukraine as in Syria. To prevent this from happening, Western partners should supply Ukraine with more air defense and weapons and do it faster.
Specialists of the London-based analytical center for defense and security RUSI hold this opinion, Censor.NET reports with reference to the BBC.
"The report, prepared by the London-based think tank Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), warns that if Western countries do not continue and increase the supply of air defense equipment to Ukraine, then Russia is likely to use the same bombing methods, which she used in Syria, with devastating effect," the article says.
Russian troops in Ukraine are now commanded by General Serhii Solovyi Surovykin, who oversaw the bombing of Aleppo, Syria.
Weapons experts noted that Ukraine lacks modern multi-purpose combat aircraft. In particular, NATO F16 fighters, of which thousands were built.
But the downside of the F16 is that it requires long, pristine airstrips that would be vulnerable to Russian targeting.
An analog could be the Swedish Grippen aircraft, which can operate from small, inconspicuous forest bases.
Until now, the weapons supplied to NATO were almost all intended for clearly defined defensive purposes.
Sending modern combat aircraft would be a significant step forward, which could lead to an escalation in relations between Moscow and the West.
Nevertheless, the RUSI report urges the West not to be complacent about Ukraine's air defenses.
It concludes that only because Russia failed to destroy Ukraine's anti-aircraft missile systems did its air force not repeat its strategy in Syria, which consisted of turning large parts of the cities into ruins. Therefore, the replenishment of Ukraine's defense equipment is an urgent issue.
