Hardware seen in Donbas presents ballistic missile threat to Kyiv
Putin has moved enough military equipment into south-eastern Ukraine to overwhelm the capital
‘The Russian army likes to dominate an area with missile and artillery fire, prior to a ground assault’
RUSSIAN military assets reportedly moving towards the Donbas region could heavily outmatch the Ukrainian forces defending the area.
With 900,000 troops, Russia has the fourth largest military on the planet, and more than a decade of reforms and procurement has made it a dangerous opponent. Defence spending per capita is less than Britain, China or the US and most of its soldiers do not enjoy the cutting-edge kit of their western peers. But it is more battle-ready than at any time since the fall of the Soviet Union.
Military vehicles seen in the Donbas include Soviet-era IMR-2 engineering vehicles, built on the chassis of T-72 tanks, 122mm Howitzer D-30 artillery pieces and Kamaz 4310 off-road trucks acting as troop carriers.
Other equipment close to the border includes BM-30 Smerch (Tornado in Russian) heavy multiple launch rocket system. Mounted on a wheeled vehicle capable of 40mph and with a 300mm calibre, they have a range of 530 miles.
Also seen were BMP infantry vehicles, capable of firing anti-tank guided missiles as well as carrying troops, and Msta-s self-propelled howitzers. Mobile short-range ballistic missile systems, called 9K720 Iskander (known by the Nato codename SS-26 Stone), have also been seen. Each vehicle can launch two missiles, which have a range of over 300 miles and weigh four tons.
The Russian military likes to dominate an area with missile and artillery fire, prior to a ground assault.
By contrast, most Western forces use such weapons in support of ground forces, covering flanks or aimed at depth areas to prevent reinforcements.
If the missile, engineering and assault vehicles seen in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions do turn out to be Russian forces that have crossed the border into Ukraine, it could indicate the Kremlin is considering attacks throughout the country, including threatening Kyiv with ballistic missiles. Ukraine has just 361,000 men to Russia’s 900,000. But that does not mean it will not fight.
The hollowed-out army that was trounced in 2014 has become leaner, tougher and more resilient. Its troops have eight years of experience fighting Russia and its separatist allies.
Ukraine’s generals share the same Soviet heritage as their Russian counterparts, and understand Moscow’s doctrine of reliance on artillery fire.
They field much of the same old but rugged Soviet equipment, including D-30 Howitzers, Grad and Smerch multiple rocket launch systems, and T-64, T-72 and T-80 tanks.