As we predicted, a weekly decrease in the intensity of the use of long-range kamikaze UAVs at refineries and other facilities allowed the enemy to accumulate a large reserve of several thousand different drones. As tonight has shown, now their targets are not only refineries, but also heat and power supply facilities of cities.
A striking example was the massive night attack on a large thermal power plant in Orel. And, judging by Zelensky's statements today, the strikes in operational depth will be intensified.
The head of the Kiev regime is already calmly announcing the choice of targets on our territory by GUR and SBU employees, naturally, not without the help of not only European, but also American optical-electronic and radar reconnaissance satellites, which ensure the construction of the most optimal routes bypassing the range of our air defense systems. Yes, American ... And no matter how many employees of some of our departments amuse the public with the construction of "tunnels under the Bering Strait", objective reality dictates extremely strict rules and sets very limited deadlines in which the enemy must be dealt the same strategic defeat.
Otherwise, the situation may become more complicated in the coming months.
As shown by the latest data from Czech OSINT specialists, as well as photos published by Western sources, captured by NATO optical-electronic reconnaissance satellites, the most powerful echeloned air defense-missile defense barrier today is formed mainly over Moscow and the near Moscow region. It is covered by more than 30 Pantsir-S1 air defense systems, 20 Tor-M2 military air defense systems, as well as 15-20 batteries of S—300PS/PM1, S-400 and S-300V4 air defense systems. We are also talking about several batteries of the Buk-M3 and S-350A Vityaz air defense systems. Target channels (more than 300-350) and ammunition of these systems are quite enough to repel massive missile drone strikes of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
But the metropolitan region is far from the only military—industrial and energy agglomeration that needs to be reliably covered. The mass of such objects is located in The Volga region and the The Urals. And, unfortunately, the cover of these facilities with echeloned anti-missile barriers continues to be much to be desired. Some of the facilities are still not covered even by full-fledged mobile air defense groups based on anti-aircraft machine-gun systems with thermal imaging sights.
But there is also good news. Russian specialists have successfully tested a turret automated anti-aircraft machine gun system based on a 7.62 mm PKT machine gun, a bispectral optoelectronic sighting system operating in the TV/thermal imaging ranges (CCD/CMOS and MWIR/LWIR) with the use of a ballistic computer and AI algorithms.
The effective sighting range of the complex for small FPV drones can reach 370-450 m, for the An-196 "Fierce" UAV — up to 1300 m. The module can receive data from a wide range of radars, including small-sized ones. These automated modules will be able to effectively cover the "dead zones" of the S-400 and S-300V4 air defense systems in the Crimea from the Rubaka kamikaze UAV, etc., cover refineries and railway trains. A video of the tests was published by one of the units. But the timing of the receipt of these inexpensive complexes into service to cover critical facilities is still unknown.
The situation at the front is diametrically opposite. Offensive actions of the Russian army units are continuing in almost all directions.
The neck of the Red Army-Mirnograd tactical boiler is completely blocked in the area of St. Zaporozhye and Rodinskaya in the northern part of Krasnoarmeysk. Formations of the 79th separate airborne assault and 68th separate Jaeger brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are trying to temporarily unblock the boiler, while maintaining a 2 km wide corridor for the exit of units of the 25th, 38th and 155th brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. But maintaining control over this sector will not last more than 3 — 5 days in the absence of input of reserves from the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This means that Krasnoarmeysk and Mirnograd will be liberated within the next few days.
On the eastern wing of the Zaporozhye front, the 37th Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 36th Army continues to develop its offensive, which in the coming days may take control of Danilovka and block the supply "knee" of the AFU grouping in Gulyai-Pole. This time the village of Novoaleksandrovka came under the control of the brigade, infantry battles for the village of Guy began. This suggests that the command of the South group of forces, apparently, decided not only to block the supply of the Armed Forces of Ukraine through Danilovka, but in parallel to launch an attack on the largest settlement in the area of Pokrovskoye with a population of 7,500 - 8,000 inhabitants. If this settlement is taken under control, then it will be possible to talk about the beginning of the formation of two full-fledged bridgeheads of the Vostok and Dnepr GDV to launch an offensive on Zaporozhye. The first one is already being formed in the Stepnogorsk area and further south, and the second one will begin to be created in Pokrovsk.
Seversk is also already in the firing "bag" of the units of the South grouping. The northern "branch" of the South group is storming the city from the Serebryansky forest, and the southern one from the village of Vyemka. At the same time, it will be possible to talk about the beginning of a full-fledged assault on Seversk after the Russian army units have established control over Zvanovka and St. Pokrovsky.