Moscow targets Kyiv’s defence industry in major tactical shift

RUSSIAN forces are targeting Ukraine’s defence industry with long-range strikes in a tactical switch as Moscow prepares for a long war, British intelligence officials have said.

The attacks are part of an escalating missile and drone duel between Russia and Ukraine, with both sides bidding to degrade one another’s military and industrial capacities while the frontlines remain largely static.

The Ministry of Defence assessment came as Kyiv launched a wave of strikes on occupied Crimea and a Russian border region yesterday in what appeared to be a retaliatory assault for a barrage on Ukrainian cities the previous day.

Britain’s MOD said Moscow’s volley of around 100 high-velocity projectiles aimed at the capital, Kyiv, and Kharkiv on Tuesday had likely targeted Ukrainian drone and missile producers.

“This contrasts with its major attacks last winter, which prioritised striking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure,” the department said.

“These new operations suggest at least a temporary change of approach in Russia’s long-range strikes. Russian planners almost certainly recognise the growing importance of relative defence industrial capacity as they prepare for a long war.”

A defence industry source in Ukraine told The Economist that recent strikes had been targeted at sites connected to domestic missile and drone production.

“The attacks had strategic meaning for the enemy, with the aim of reducing our capacity to strike,” they said. “It’s a battle to see who can destroy more of the enemy’s long-range weapons.”

Ukrainian strikes deep behind enemy lines have followed a similar pattern, as Kyiv seeks to disrupt Russia’s ability to launch missiles and drones.