Ukraine’s growing access to long-range missiles, such as the U.S.-supplied ATACMS and the planned transfer of JASSM missiles, has sparked speculation about their potential targets.
Needs a Significant Number of Missiles
Among the most discussed are Russian airbases. However, destroying these targets may prove more difficult than anticipated, according to WP.
According to military analysts, Ukraine would need a significant number of missiles to seriously damage key Russian airbases. A report, citing Ukrainian sources, examined three Russian airbases: Millerovo, Buturlinovka, and Morozovsk, located 150 to 270 kilometers from the front line.
While these bases are within the range of ATACMS, political factors currently prevent Ukraine from using long-range missiles to attack targets deep inside Russian territory. Instead, Ukraine has focused on developing drones capable of striking these locations.
Drones are not Enough
However, drones, which carry relatively light warheads, are insufficient for disabling large military airbases. They can harass enemy air defenses or destroy parked aircraft, but they cannot permanently disable airfields.
In a hypothetical scenario, military experts estimate that at least 13 ATACMS missiles would be required to target the Millerovo airbase, 25 for Buturlinovka, and 37 for Morozovsk.
The high number of missiles needed, combined with the risk of some being intercepted by Russian air defenses, makes such an operation costly and inefficient.
Moreover, Ukraine lacks specialized weapons, like the French BLU-107 Durandal bombs, designed specifically to destroy airfields. These bombs create deep craters in runways, making them temporarily unusable. Without such tools, the challenge of neutralizing Russian airbases remains significant.
