An S-400 “Triumf” antiaircraft missile system. © Kirill Kallinikov
Russia is going to shot down Ukrainian missiles and to deliver a retaliation strike aganist Ukrainian missile launchers if Kiev conducts missile-firing exercises in the area of Russia’s Crimea, ZN.ua reported on Thursday, citing own sources in the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
ZN’s report says that the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation send a protest note to the military attaches at the Ukrainian Embassy in the Russian Federation. The document allegedly included a warning that if the Ukrainian military conducts missile-firing exercises in the area, the Russian military will shoot down launched missiles and strike missile launchers.
Earlier in November, Ukraine announced that missile-firing exercises will be conducted over Crimea on December 1 and on December 2.
Shooting down the missiles is a nice exercise being restricted to Russian/Crimean airspace, however striking missile launchers within the Ukraine while extremely practical makes it a different ballgame politically.
I don’t see why. If a country launches missiles inside your airspace, which could shoot down airliners and hit civilians when they fall, you have an act of war there. If Ukraine considers Crimea part of itself one wonders why they don’t launch the missiles over Kiev, or over Lvov.
In theory, yes. In practice, the only people in NATO besides the Americans who will be anything other than angry at Ukraine for being stupid would be Poland. Turkey was berated by most of the NATO council members for the Su-24 episode. Ukraine, to which they have no obligations whatever, won’t get a more helpful response. Ukraine’s missile launch alone would undermine the whole line the European propaganda corps take on Ukraine.
Exactly the correct response.
would not surprise me if the americans will fly ELINT drones during the engagement, to listen on and record S-300 and S-400 emissions. At that point, the systems in Syria themselves would be less secure. So some caution is needed.
Let’s be clear, any such missile launch by the Ukrainians would be an attack on Russia. I would hope for nothing less than response outlined and anything less would be a betrayal. I am confidant that this is the way the Russians would see it.
And you know, that US spy ships and satellites will be there, to capture details of the Russian missiles used for dispatch. The true nature of this exercise, collecting data which will be analyzed in an effort to develop counterneasures to the S300 and S400.
Perfect opportunity of shooting down a US spy plane. Unintentional mistake as an excuse should do, works wonders, no liability. Just ask the US it is their universal excuse.
Perhaps but you can’t take the chance that one of those defective missiles might fall inside of civilian areas. By intentionally going over Crimean airspace there is a risk of civilian casualties, even over the Black Sea with shipping vessels. A sane country would conduct missile tests in deep, international waters or in a desolate area.
The US and NATO are very quickly losing their edge in quality and quantity. Additionally the Petrodollar is under advancing threat. The desperation is becoming palpable, and a military “use ’em or lose ’em” moment approaches. I fear your…suggestion, may be just what is sought by some. War would follow.
a few people on different sites keep commenting that russia should not defend itself because america will learn how effective their systems are, or where they are. i find this absurd. if this is a real factor then they might as well just surrender now.
The Nazis in Kiev are clearly playing with hell-fire …
This is getting interesting – we may be about to find out if the Sx00’s live up to the hype. If these systems are used and they work flawlessly, US/NATO will have their worst fears realized.
Does anyone know of a map that illustrates what Ukraine plans to do – the location of the launchers and trajectory of the missiles?
It is really odd that anyone would so stupid as to provoke a _heavily_ armed country like Russia in this way however… that said, I’m sure Russia does not care about the feints within the feints and all that clever ‘trap’ sh*t… there are hard limits to what they can and will tolerate.