Russia uses 'big guns', what will the battlefield in Ukraine be like?

Russia's use of medium-range hypersonic ballistic missiles to attack Ukraine has become a new turning point in the conflict between the two sides.

Yesterday, November 22, Reuters quoted Russian President Vladimir Putin speaking on television, announcing that his country attacked a Ukrainian military facility with a new medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile.

Russia tit for tat

Along with warnings that there could be more similar attacks, Mr Putin also said there would be warnings to civilians before further attacks using such weapons.

In this regard, a US official said that Russia informed Washington shortly before carrying out the attack. Another US official said that Washington informed Kyiv and its allies to prepare for the possibility that Moscow would use such weapons.

The above missile is called Oreshnik (hazelnut) and belongs to the intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) group, with a range of 3,000 - 5,500 km and a speed of Mach 10 (10 times the speed of sound).

Before Mr. Putin spoke on television, Ukraine claimed that Russia had used an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) to attack. However, according to analysis by NATO officials, the Oreshnik missile is actually a version of the ICBM line called RS-26 Rubezh. According to NATO officials, the Oreshnik missile was only successfully tested recently and Russia does not possess many of these missiles.

A diagram of the recent “tit for tat” developments in the Ukraine conflict

GRAPHICS: PROGRESSIVE

Moscow's launch of Oreshnik missiles to attack Ukraine is believed to be in response to Kyiv's use of ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles to attack Russian territory on November 19 and 20.

Previously, after months of refusal, incumbent US President Joe Biden suddenly allowed Ukraine to use long-range weapons provided by Washington, typically ATACMS, to attack Russian territory.

Speaking on television, Mr. Putin affirmed: "From that moment (Ukraine used ATACMS and Storm Shadow to attack Russian territory - NV ), the conflict in Ukraine, incited by the West, had global elements."

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized Russia's use of IRBMs as "a clear and serious escalation", calling on the international community to condemn Moscow.

Russia's 'hypersonic ballistic missile' fired at Ukraine: The worrying thing is not the distance

Russia's message and America's posture

Responding to Thanh Nien yesterday, November 22, an American military intelligence expert analyzed: "Russia launched an IRBM, not an ICBM as initially reported, to attack Ukraine. But in this case, whether Russia launched an IRBM or an ICBM has the same meaning."

More specifically, the expert pointed out: "Here, President Putin launched a missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead in retaliation for Ukraine's use of long-range weapons to attack deep into Russian territory. It is Moscow's escalatory response to Kyiv's escalation through long-range attacks deep into Russia. It is like a warship firing at the bow of an enemy ship as a warning. It is a warning that the enemy must not repeat any similar behavior, otherwise the next shot could cause greater damage."

"President Putin is warning that a missile fired deep into Russian territory could trigger a barrage of ballistic missiles. Of course, Moscow is also implying the possibility of a nuclear strike. But the reality is that if Russia were to use nuclear weapons to attack Ukraine, in the current windy weather, the nuclear radiation emitted would affect Belarus, Russia and neighboring NATO members at a level of severity almost equal to that of Ukraine. Therefore, Moscow would respond to any deep attack on Ukraine by launching 2-4 missiles at important Ukrainian targets," the analyst added.

He also assessed: "President Biden has allowed Ukraine to use long-range missiles to attack Russian territory, and provided mines to Ukraine to prevent Russian troops from advancing further. Perhaps President Biden did so to facilitate future peace negotiations by signaling to Mr. Putin that Moscow will suffer increasing losses at home and its ability to control more Ukrainian territory will become more difficult as the conflict continues."

North Korean general injured when Ukraine attacked Kursk?

The Wall Street Journal on November 21 quoted Western officials as saying that a North Korean general was wounded in an attack by Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk province. The newspaper noted that this was the first time the West had mentioned casualties of a high-ranking North Korean military official related to the war in Ukraine. The identity and condition of the North Korean general were not disclosed.

Earlier, media reported that Pyongyang had sent General Kim Yong-bok to Russia to monitor the activities of the North Korean army. Pyongyang has not responded to the information about the general being injured. In recent weeks, the US and Ukraine have accused Pyongyang of sending thousands of troops to Russia, with some units confronting Ukraine in Kursk.

Bao Hoang

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nga-dung-hang-khung-chien-truong-ukraine-se-the-nao-18524112222504238.htm