Since the arrival of the ATACMS this spring, the Ukrainian military claims to have destroyed or damaged at least 15 russian long-range air defense systems in Crimea, including the powerful S-300 and S-400 batteries, The New York Times reports.
Journalists note that russia initially used occupied Crimea as a springboard for its full-scale invasion, and later as a base for planned air strikes. However, now missiles are increasingly being launched in both directions.
Read more: ATACMS Methodically Destroys russian Air Defense in Crimea: General Staff Announces Another Strike on S-300 and S-400
Over the past three months, commercial satellite imagery examined by military analysts has confirmed damage to russian radar installations, electronic warfare assets, logistics routes and airfields.
"It is definitely fair to say that the Ukrainians have achieved quite impressive successes over the past couple of months," said Justin Bronk, a senior research fellow for air power and technology at the Royal United Services Institute in London, who has studied the satellite imagery.
Continued attacks on russian air defenses could force Moscow to move some warplanes from Crimea “or risk losing more aircraft,” the British military intelligence agency reported.
The New York Times reports that Ben Hodges, a former commander of the U.S. Army Europe who has long advocated giving Ukraine long-range strike abilities, said he was impressed with the Ukrainian targeting methodology since the arrival of the ATACMS.
“They are doing what we would be doing,” he said. “Going after air defenses to set the groundwork for whatever is coming next.”
F-16 fighter jets provided by the West are expected to start flying in the skies above Ukraine in limited numbers this summer, but their effectiveness would be limited if russia’s air defenses remained intact.
“If you want your drones or F-16s or any other asset to come in and hit big targets, you need to clear the way,” Mr. Hodges said.
russia has responded to the uptick in attacks on Crimea by bringing in air defense systems from Kaliningrad and other parts of the country, according to Ukrainian and Western officials.
The Kremlin also dispatched its S-500 Prometheus air defense system to the battlefield for the first time, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, told reporters last month.
Janes, a defense intelligence company in London, said that its analysts visually confirmed the deployment of at least the radar component of the S-500 to Crimea.
Read more: Military Expert Analyzes Ukraine's Strikes of ATACMS Missiles on Ferries in Kerch Strait
