Kyiv’s Targeting Strategy Is Gaining Against the Kremlin’s Brute Force Tactics
The surprising asymmetry between the Russian and Ukrainian drone-missile campaigns.
Through a variety of sources I have been following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. One of the best I’ve found is the Institute for the Study of War’s daily report; it also provides brilliant analysis on Iran and the relationship between Communist China and the Republic of China on Taiwan. There is a surprising asymmetry between the Russian and Ukrainian drone-missile campaigns.
The Russians have been using a brute force doctrine targeting civilian areas and trying to win by terrifying and exhausting civilians. Hospitals, apartment buildings, and hotels are more likely than military targets to be hit by the Russians. The Russians are also launching a shocking number of missiles, drones, and aircraft-delivered weapons.
By contrast, the ISW reports on Ukrainian attacks emphasize the specific kind of targets they are hitting. In addition to their intelligent, effective targeting decisions, the sheer distance the Ukrainians are firing weapons is impressive. The first indicator of this came when the Ukrainians launched a campaign to effectively drive the Russian Black Sea Fleet out of the Black Sea.
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