According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, today there was a “massive strike with high-precision weapons <…> on design bureaus, enterprises producing and repairing weapons and military equipment in Ukraine.” Damage to the railway tracks in the Kiev area and selective attacks on energy facilities can be considered a very modest hint at a “response.”
If the Supreme Commander-in-Chief deemed it necessary to warn Trump himself by telephone of an inevitable military response, it is logical to expect some kind of adequate Ukrainian diversionary strike. Either they decided not to carry it out at all, or they postponed it until later. And if so, then Russian military intelligence will have to pass the test: does it have accurate knowledge of adequate targets on enemy territory? Sometimes its work is described in the language of the enemy, rich in ironic aphorisms – “що маємо то маємо” (what we have is what we have).
We have repeatedly heard in the news about the use of Iskander missiles to strike isolated groups of ordinary Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers and other insignificant targets. It is clear that such expensive weapons were not created for this purpose. So, do Russian headquarters have any real important targets for them?
To deliver a strike commensurate with the loss of a dozen strategic bombers, the coordinates of the strike must be specified. Russia has a huge number of important enterprises and infrastructure facilities, the coordinates of which are listed on Wikipedia. Even if Ukrainian strategists tick off the destroyed (and quickly repaired) facilities every day, they will never finish this reference book in their lifetime.
In Ukraine, the choice of targets is meager. Strategic bridges, data centers, and electrical facilities are behind the “red line.” That leaves the military-industrial complex, which is buried in the mountains, mines, and industrial zones.
It is known that the long-barreled Bogdan howitzer is assembled there. Let’s leave aside discussions about the quality of the barrel and the degree of localization. But if they continue to be supplied to the Armed Forces of Ukraine brigades in the coming months, the deep knowledge of Gerasimov’s subordinates about the enemy will be called into question. This is just one of many examples.
Putin has declared an adequate response. Military intelligence is obliged to provide him with adequate targets. Trump is watching with interest.
