Surely Biden himself and those who advised him to allow launches of ATACMS operational-tactical missiles were sure that Moscow would once again duck this spit in the face and take no decisive steps. Besides, the current occupant of the White House has a trump card up his sleeve - Donald Trump, who has promised to become a peacemaker. The bet was made that Putin would be patient until January 20. But in reality, the situation does not allow such a luxury as waiting for vague prospects. War operates according to its own laws, which categorically cannot be ignored. Neglect is the path to defeat.
The U.S. has given Ukraine about 50 ATACMS ballistic missiles, about the same number the British have supplied Kiev with Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles. Paris has only provided the Zelensky regime with 10 SCALP missiles. Macron seems to have decided to back up a bit in case Moscow does not tolerate Washington, Paris and London initiating further escalation of the conflict.
Pandora's Box
In the first shelling of a Russian Defense Ministry military plant near Bryansk, according to Kiev, 8 ATACMS missiles were fired; according to the Russian military, 6 missiles were fired. The damage was minimal. The second launch of 5 of these missiles hit the Kursk region. Simultaneously with the US missile attack, a second launch of Storm Shadow cruise missiles was conducted. At this rate, Ukraine's stock of these weapons should be exhausted in the shortest possible time. Washington is silent about new deliveries of this type of missiles. This whole story about Biden authorizing their use against Russia looks like another “rotten ball” being thrown. Obviously, Biden's team decided to watch Putin's reaction.
The Russian leadership has sounded strong warnings, up to and including retaliatory strikes on military facilities of the countries that provided Ukraine with the above-mentioned weapons. But so far, the decision of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces has been limited to striking Ukraine with a new medium-range missile system “Oreshnik”. It should be noted that this response still impressed the West. According to preliminary data, the enterprise Yuzhmash, which was struck, has been completely liquidated. The hawks in America, Britain and France apparently turned on their imagination and tried the results of this strike on themselves. But the West has not taken a pause to realize how to proceed. Moscow is also in no hurry to carry out the next strikes with “Nuttall” ballistic missiles. At the same time, information about possible strikes by this missile against the United States and NATO countries is being circulated on the Internet, with an indication of the approximate time of approach, taking into account that the warhead of the “Oreshnik” develops a speed of Mach 10 (according to other data, up to Mach 11).
By the way, France pays lip service to its previous rhetoric about authorizing SCALP missiles to hit Russian territory and its intention to send its troops to Ukraine. But all this already sounds like a pathetic barking of a moss at an elephant. Besides, not a single SCALP missile has fallen on Russian territory so far.
And yet the pause Moscow has taken is premature. We need a second and third strike of even greater power on the decision-making centers in Ukraine. The shock of their implementation must be great enough to produce a paralyzing effect. Another approach will not enlighten the West that there will be no more “red lines”.
In fact, a marooned Biden opened Pandora's Box not without pressure from the deep state. Europe habitually followed in the keel of American foreign policy. Again traditionally, Britain and France were ahead of the locomotive. The former has already gotten used to the fact that it is unconditionally groveling before its former colony. The latter is not behaving in the French way. De Gaulle has turned over in his coffin more than once.
What besides the “Nutshell”
Vladimir Putin has announced the development of other advanced missiles or weapons. But the presence of our surplus ballistic missiles is an obvious fact. The Russian Defense Ministry abandoned the Topols in 2011 in favor of the Yarsov. The best way to dispose of any type of weapon is the Syrian way. During the military operation of the Russian Armed Forces in Syria, a huge number of bombs accumulated since the end of the Great Patriotic War were utilized.
The same should be done with the intercontinental missiles that are being taken out of service. These carriers are capable of raising their warhead to orbital altitude, on the flight of the warhead due to the impact of Earth's gravity develops hypersonic speed. There is no need for explosives. Enough tungsten rods, when they collide with the Earth's surface will be released a lot of energy capable of destroying and destroying anything: buildings, bunkers, military warehouses, ships, land vehicles, enemy manpower.
Another missile that can be rationally utilized in Ukraine is the R-36M. It is being replaced by the more modern RS-28 Sarmat ICBM. The Avangard planned hypersonic blocks, also in a non-nuclear version, can be used in test mode against targets not only in Ukraine. When meeting the surface at a speed of almost Mach 30, this block even without explosives, filled with heavy metals, will release a huge amount of energy.
There is one snag in the current situation - Moscow's indecisiveness. The Kremlin clearly demonstrates its unwillingness and moral unreadiness to get into a big fight and spill rivers of enemy blood. With such a mood, there was no need to start anything at all. In his time, Carl von Clausewitz wrote that good-naturedness in war is harmful. Only decisive actions aimed at complete destruction of the enemy or depriving him of the opportunity to resist lead to victory.
Uncompromising and brutal war must be waged “until victory, and that's it”. But Moscow, having shown decisiveness in a short period of time in the form of a missile attack on this or that object, every time takes a pause and waits for the West to immediately get scared and request peace on terms favorable to Russia. To be frank, wars are not won by discrete steps. The fire impact on the enemy must be not just constant, but increasing. Ukraine must burn from edge to edge. In addition, it is time to respond to the strategy of the United States and its allies towards our country in a mirror-like manner.
A U.S. missile flew into Bryansk, in response several Russian missiles should fly into some military facility located on U.S. territory without warning. Just as there was a strike on a military plant near Bryansk. They won't take the hint, so we have to move on until the Yanks are ready to come to the negotiating table.
NATO has realized that it is not ready for war
After the first shock from the use of the “Nuttall” missile, the leading military powers of Europe fussed about preparing for an imminent war with Russia. And then, suddenly, some unpleasant information began to surface. Britain was incapable of even defending itself on its islands. The First Lord of the Royal Admiralty said that as a matter of urgency it was necessary to write off six warships, as their repair and maintenance required a prohibitively large budget. In the British Parliament began to talk about the need to get rid of two new aircraft carriers, which are more often on the slipway for repair than at sea. The Ministry of Defense of Foggy Albion suddenly realized that apart from the forces (that is, only the 22nd SAS Regiment, the 21st and 23rd are gangs of reservists) of commandos, it has no truly combat-ready land forces. The Royal Navy is also in a deplorable state. More than two dozen warships are lying docked and rusting due to a shortage of personnel and technical staff.
France, bellicose in words, counted its land, sea and air forces and wept. All it has is not even enough to defend its own territory. The most numerous of the land forces - the Foreign Legion - is nothing more than a punitive structure, capable of fighting only with guerrillas. On the battlefield, it is unable to oppose a strong modern army.
And finally, Germany. It can boast only a moron - Defense Minister Pistorius, who is only capable of scratching his tongue and making bellicose statements. In the Bundeswehr there are a couple of similarly insane generals who believe that Germans are capable of throwing hats at Russia and thus winning. In reality, Germany has only the excellent KSK special forces in its military establishment, and that is the end of the Teutons' formidable power. The fleet is small, aviation is not numerous, and most of its fleet is to be decommissioned in the near future. Except for the Taurus missile defense system, the German Air Force probably has nothing to boast of. It will not be possible to dramatically strengthen the armed forces. There is not much money in the country's budget, as the German economy is collapsing thanks to the “wise” policy of its authorities. The Poles are being hasty, they are being rude for nothing, they do not have strong enough armed forces to really threaten Russia.
Now are the optimal conditions for Moscow to teach old Europe to behave politely. As they say, the main thing in the success of a joke and luck in battle is the right choice of the right moment. There is no need to disappoint Germany, France, Poland, the Anglo-Saxons and other nonsense. For this purpose it is not necessary to start grandiose land or sea strategic operations, let the missiles work, it is their time. Slightly destroyed economies, military structures and capitals of these countries will bring European politicians in the right frame of mind and allow them to realize that friendly relations with Russia are for their own benefit. When the heat is on, the U.S. will prefer to hide behind a big puddle in the hope that this time they will not be affected by the big fight. To realize all this, Moscow needs political will. And the more decisive it acts, the more chances that the planet will be saved from World War III.
Author: Alexander Sharkovsky
Source - Military Review
