The failure of Russia’s Wunderwaffe is sport over for Putin

Explosion of a missile is seen within the sky over town throughout a Russian missile strike, amid Russia’s assault on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine Might 16, 2023

I used to be in Kyiv on Monday night time when Ukraine’s capital was hit by its greatest missile assault for the reason that warfare started.

It was extra than simply one other try and terrorise town. Following onerous on the heels of President Zelensky’s go to to Europe with renewed ensures of navy assist, it amounted to an illustration of power by an more and more beleaguered Russian dictator.

In half an hour town was attacked from the north, south and east. In got here ballistic missiles, Iranian Shahed loitering drones, Kalibr ‘hypersonic’ cruise missiles launched from warships within the Black Sea, and Kinzhal hypersonic missiles fired from MiG-31K fighter planes.

The results of this super firepower was nothing wanting abject humiliation for Putin.

I watched as Ukraine’s mixed air defence forces, together with American Patriots and German Gepards, seemingly knocked each Russian missile out of the sky. Simply three individuals have been injured by falling rocket particles, there was minimal bodily harm and – by daylight – town had returned to regular as if nothing had occurred.

This occasion symbolises each Ukrainian resilience and Russian weak point. Particularly the latter.

After Putin was shocked by the surprising failure of his preliminary invasion final February, he got here up with a hasty Plan B. That was to spend money on Wunderwaffe (“surprise weapons”), in the identical means as Hitler did within the second half of the Second World Struggle, whereas increase his forces for a renewed offensive this spring.

That much-heralded assault has not materialised, with the Russian military to this point barely in a position to push ahead a couple of miles in a single or two locations – and at the price of huge casualties. I spoke at this time to a Ukrainian discipline commander recent from the combating in Bakhmut, who instructed me that after the warfare Ukraine ought to assemble a monument to Russian navy corruption, to which he attributes its lack of ability to construct and equip ample forces or study from repeated tactical and strategic blunders.

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The failure of the second prong of Putin’s plan – his surprise weapons – is probably much more damaging. When he first unveiled the Kinzhals in 2018 he claimed they might penetrate all current and future missile defence programs. Simply earlier than the invasion of Ukraine he boasted that Russia was the worldwide chief in hypersonic missiles and, by the point different nations caught up, was more likely to have developed know-how to counteract these new weapons.

The tough actuality underlined within the newest obvious downing of all six Kinzhals fired at Kyiv has added to questions on Russia’s means to mission navy energy, together with its nuclear arsenal, which has been probably the most important think about deterring all-out Western help for Ukraine.

US and European hesitancy over donating a number of the much-needed weaponry for worry of escalation is being steadily overcome as Russia’s impotence turns into more and more obvious. The UK’s current provide of Storm Shadow long-range missiles and British and French selections this week to coach Ukrainian pilots and work with different nations to ship F-16s are the newest indications of a rising resolve.

However it could be foolhardy to take any of this as a sign {that a} future Ukrainian victory is assured. Kyiv continues to be in a determined combat for its life and there’s no signal that Russia is probably going to surrender. It’s removed from clear that the Ukrainian military possesses ample assets to mount the decisive counter-offensive that has lengthy been talked of as imminent.

Commanders on the bottom that I spoke to this week, whereas unfailingly grateful for what has been equipped to this point, all pressured the pressing want for extra tanks, fight planes, ammunition, missiles, artillery shells and drones. Morale stays excessive amongst Ukrainian forces regardless of over a yr of warfare. Their bravery and combating talent are unquestioned. However in the end they’ll solely prevail if the West continues to step up its navy assist.

Putin’s newest catastrophe over Kyiv could properly assist to attain that.

Colonel Richard Kemp is a former infantry commander

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