"Russia is likely removing nuclear warheads from cruise missiles and firing them into Ukraine": Meaning Putin is scraping bottom of barrel
In military parlance, this is like taking a Rolls Royce and using it for target practice on a shooting gallery range. One does not toss weapon platforms away like this without consequences
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The improvisation indicates how depleted Russia's stocks of long-range missiles are, it said.
The defense ministry said that open source imagery appeared to show an AS-15 KENT air-launched cruise missile that had been shot down in Ukraine.
The missile was designed in the 1980s to be used as a nuclear delivery system, and the department noted that the nuclear warhead had likely been replaced with ballast, some kind of heavy material to balance it.
Such an "inert system" can still produce some damage through the missile's kinetic energy and unspent fuel, according to the department.
However, the unarmed munitions are "almost certainly" being used as decoys to confuse Ukrainian air defenses, the department said, as they are unlikely to achieve any "reliable effects on intended targets."
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I am suggesting that this is leading to an end game. The only thing I have heard equivalent to this is when the Russians in the Defense of Moscow before the Siberians came to bail out the Red Army in December 1941 were numerically nearly on a 1-1 ratio with the German military, and could have faced defeat
In a word, we are at the final chapter, and this contrary to the wishes of Kevin McCarthy and the Freedom caucus
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Russia is likely removing nuclear warheads from cruise missiles and firing them into Ukraine, the UK says
Alia Shoaib?Nov 26, 2022, 8:58 AM
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Russia is likely removing the nuclear warheads from aging cruise missiles and firing them into Ukraine,?the UK Ministry of Defense said?on Saturday.
The improvisation indicates how depleted Russia's stocks of long-range missiles are, it said.
The defense ministry said that open source imagery appeared to show an AS-15 KENT air-launched cruise missile that had been shot down in Ukraine.
The missile was designed in the 1980s to be used as a nuclear delivery system, and the department noted that the nuclear warhead had likely been replaced with ballast, some kind of heavy material to balance it.
Such an "inert system" can still produce some damage through the missile's kinetic energy and unspent fuel, according to the department.
However, the unarmed munitions are "almost certainly" being used as decoys to confuse Ukrainian air defenses, the department said, as they are unlikely to achieve any "reliable effects on intended targets."
Ukrainian and western officials have previously suggested that Russia's stockpiles of missiles and shells are rapidly dwindling, following Moscow amping up missile attacks on infrastructure targets across Ukraine.
US officials previously said that Russia is likely struggling to replenish its stockpiles due to sanctions and supply chain disruptions, the?Associated Press?reported.
Russia has not provided any information about its missile supplies, and there is no data to assess it independently.
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Andrew Beckwith, PhD
Attorney-at-Law
2 年Or, God forbid, they make be test missiles...