25.07.2023 – Translated from Ukrainian via Google and OFP

On July 24, explosions sounded again in the capital of the aggressor country, Russia, Moscow. Drone strikes were carried out on the most protected area of ​​the city, where the building of the Russian Ministry of Defense is located, as well as the cyber defense unit of the enemy General Staff. This suggests that Moscow’s air defense system is “leaky”, and if so, it must continue to be pushed through by massive attacks.

The Ukrainian Defense Forces pleased with the new “bavovna” at the ammunition depot and at the airfield in the occupied Crimea. The activation here is not accidental, because the peninsula has de facto become the hub of the Russian occupation army, and it must be “isolated” from these resources, in particular, with the help of Storm Shadow missiles. The fury of the Ukrainian defenders is transformed into new attacks on enemy targets. Such a forecast was voiced by military expert Vladislav Seleznev in an exclusive interview with OBOZREVATEL.

– We see reports of drone attacks on the occupied Crimea and on Moscow, which cannot but rejoice. Do you think there is actually a drone war going on today, a new way of waging war? Do you admit that this advantage of Ukraine can become, if not a guarantee of victory, but a very serious component of it?

– First of all, I want to draw attention to the statement of the Minister of Digital Transformation, Mr. Fedorov. He said that the attacks on Moscow and the region have taken place, and they will continue to happen more and more. In fact, this is good news, because it was this ministry that was one of the curators of projects regarding the creation of an army of drones.

As we know, the main mission entrusted to the Ukrainian army as part of the offensive is the destruction of the enemy military potential, ammunition depots, armored vehicles, weapons, logistics centers, routes, as well as command posts, command and communication centers and decision-making centers.

The story with Moscow is just about a decision-making center and about facilities that are responsible, among other things, for planning and organizing certain military operations. After all, the arrival of one of the drones happened not far from the building of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. The main situational center of the Russian armed forces is also located there, as well as specific cyber defense units of the main directorate of the General Staff. According to Hristo Grozev , there is some damage there, although we are unlikely to find out the details, because Russian propaganda is unlikely to inform about it.

But the fact that the explosions occurred in the most protected area of ​​Moscow is obvious. This means that Russian air defense is full of holes, it can and should be pushed through, making massive attacks on important military installations.

I would draw attention to Zakharova’s statement that Russia reserves the right to retaliate after the attack on Moscow. Therefore, we must take any air raid alert very seriously. With them, it will be possible to inflict some kind of dirty blow on residential areas in Kyiv. This cannot be ruled out. They are vile and do not pay any attention to the losses among the civilian population, citizens of Ukraine.

By the way, today (July 24 – Ed.) Crimean Gauleiter Aksyonov announced that all 17 drones that attacked Crimea were shot down. But then the question arises: what caused the explosion at the ammunition depots near the village of Vesele in the Dzhankoy region? The detonation went on for a long time.

– Apparently, they smoked again in the wrong place.

– Yes, with a high degree of probability it can be assumed that this is the case. But I would pay attention to the system. Over the past week, there have been several attacks on the Crimea, warehouses were burning in the area of ​​the Starokrymsky training ground, in Veseloe, at the Oktyabrskoye airfield. Many experts say that this airfield is not used for its intended purpose, but it is not about aviation there – recently the Russians have stored a huge amount of equipment there, deployed ammunition depots. They were the ones who burned.

Plus, there were at least two arrivals in Razdolnoye. One definitely hit a military unit, according to the second, the Russian air defense seemed to work, so the destruction fell on the center of the village.

In any case, the activation of the Ukrainian Defense Forces in the Crimean direction indicates that our General Staff clearly understands that Crimea is an important logistics hub, a large amount of military resources of the occupying army is concentrated there. In order to isolate the Russian army from these resources, our drone operators, our pilots who launch Storm Shadow and their equivalents, are working to make the enemy feel our fury, which translates into drone missile attacks on enemy military installations.

By the way, pay attention: while the Russians are at war with civilians, as well as with places of worship, as happened in Odessa, our drones work exclusively on enemy military facilities. Let me remind you that about two months ago, President Zelensky, addressing the Crimeans, said: stay away from enemy military facilities, as this is deadly, there will be arrivals on them. There are flights. The further you go, the more there will be.

– You mentioned Odessa. Do you think that the increased attacks on the south of our country, in particular, on the Odessa region, are a kind of way to prevent the liberation of the peninsula?

– Of course, in this way the Russians are trying to deprive Ukraine of tools. After Russia withdrew from the grain deal, a conflict arose: the Ukrainian side is ready to enlist the support of Turkey and the UN and implement the grain deal without the participation of the Russian Federation. Technically, we can solve this issue. The northwestern part of the Black Sea is closed to ships of the Black Sea Fleet, they are afraid to stick out from behind Cape Tarkhankut, because they can get into the kill zone of our Harpoons and Neptunes. If the naval forces of the Republic of Turkey were to join the grain initiative, which would escort ships to other areas in the Black Sea, the question arises, what is the role of the Russian Federation in this process. Unless the role of Somali pirates is to drown everything and everyone.

Of course, this situation does not suit Putin and his entourage, so they directed all these drone and missile attacks to destroy the port infrastructure of Odessa, which is involved in the implementation of the grain initiative.

That they never pay attention to collateral damage is obvious. We see that as a result of the use of missiles by the Russians, a huge amount of destruction, including in the historical center of Odessa. All their stories are performed by Masha Zakharova or Peskov, they say, this is not all of us, Ukraine itself fires missiles at itself – for the inner layman. All experts are well aware of what caused these destructions.

The fact that the enemy is thus trying to withdraw the Ukrainian side from the processes associated with the provision of grain to world markets is obvious. And, look, what a Jesuit: Russia declares that it is ready to replace Ukraine in the world grain markets. But one should not count on a quick reaction from the world institutions that are responsible, among other things, for the safe movement of goods by sea. First, in Europe and the world vacation time. Secondly, their often impotent position shows that they are not ready to actively and adequately respond to the challenges that the Russian Federation creates every time.

The only effective toolkit is the Ukrainian Defense Forces, their combat work, including in those places where the Russians are concentrating weapons. Good people say that a warehouse exploded in Vesely, where those same Onyxes were stored. American General Ben Hodges says that for the needs of the Ukrainian army, it is necessary to transfer ATACMS missiles as soon as possible, which will be able to remotely destroy ships in the main base of the Black Sea Fleet, in Sevastopol. This is all very important, but so far we have not received such missiles.

– The last question is about the situation in Belarus. Lukashenka said that there was allegedly a threat from Poland. We know that part of the Wagner PMC is already there. Can the Kremlin somehow use the Belarusian dictator and this country in their new game? Is there a danger for Europe and, of course, for Ukraine?

– For Ukraine – hardly. We prepared very seriously at this stage of the confrontation – it doesn’t matter, with the Belarusian army, with the Russian army, with the same mercenaries from the Wagner PMC. As for the number, the project “Belarusian Gayun” claims that at present there are about 3.5 thousand mercenaries and about 700 pieces of equipment in the camp near Osipovichi. But this is exclusively automotive and construction equipment, there is no military equipment.

Can a group of such numbers threaten the Ukrainian side? Certainly not. We must understand that any movement of the “Wagnerites” will be immediately recorded. The Belarusian and Ukrainian intelligence will have up-to-date verified information, including information regarding the plans of the Wagner PMC.

All this Lukashenka’s rhetoric that, they say, the “Wagnerites” want to go on an “excursion” to the territory of Poland is a fairy tale in order to amuse the Russian people. They have neither the resources nor the technical capabilities, nor the chance to transform all these movements into some kind of territorial acquisitions. It is obvious that the Polish army has also strengthened its presence on the eastern borders, certain measures are being taken to strengthen the border in Lithuania. And the fact that the Ukrainian army has created a powerful barrier on the territory of four regions that border on Belarus is obvious. Volyn, Rivne, Zhytomyr, Kyiv are reliably protected.

https://war.obozrevatel.com/rossiya-gotovit-v-chernom-more-operatsiyu-pod-chuzhim-flagom-gosdep.htm