As the days go by, Russians keep learning and innovating. Ukraine's air defense had managed to keep Russian aviation and missiles away But Russians figured it out.
"Before the cruise missiles are fired, Shaheed drones are sent to find air defenses. When these are found, Kinzhals Missiles follow to target the launchers. These drones are fixed with Cameras and SIM cards for reconnaissance. They can draw missile fire at them if they fly toward high-value targets and expose positions.
Also, the old Soviet cruise missiles are sent empty (no warhead) to fly around and find air defenses by drawing fire, which then are destroyed with hypersonic Kinzhals.
The logic is simple, find air defense systems cheap, destroy the air defense with expensive missiles if needed, so you can use cheap missiles to destroy the high-value targets or fly jets at the front."
Right now, Ukraine has been begging for billion-dollar Patriotic batteries after most of them were taken out. Recently Germany gave 3 of them but has maintained that's all they can give.
Plus, the use of glide bombs has shifted the war greatly in Russia's favor. These soviet era bombs are added wings that pop out when the bomb is released, and a satellite guidance system based on Russia's GPS equivalent.
https://x.com/warstudies/status/1767838123570913457
"The tremendous explosions are seen and heard over a wide area," which can affect morale, military expert David Hambling told Newsweek.
www.newsweek.com