Kiev under the blows of "daggers" and "Iskander": why the attack on August 28 was a call for air defense

To spread: the night of August 28, Russia attacked Ukraine with 598 drones and three dozen rockets, including "daggers" and "Iskanders". Five districts of Kiev were blown, dozens of people were killed and injured. Focus found out why this attack was a challenge for air defense and how the Kremlin was trying to use civilian infrastructure as a pressure lever on the eve of international negotiations. On the night of August 28, Russia has made the most powerful combined strike in Ukraine.

In total, 629 air assaults were used: most of the massive blow was affected by Kyiv - a five -storey building was destroyed in Darnytskyi district, and the search for people under the rubble is ongoing. As of 12:00, 14 dead are known.

According to military expert Oleg Zhdanov, the military command of the Russian Federation is guided by the principle of "better bad peace than a good war", trying to achieve the maximum number of victims, destruction of infrastructure and violation of the normal functioning of the country through the massive use of fire damage. Such actions, as Zhdanov notes, is another war crime by Russia, which violates international law and humanitarian norms.

The expert emphasizes that such attacks have not only a military but also a psychological purpose. They are aimed at demoralization of the population, creating panic and pressure on society to push the need for aggressor concessions. "Large -scale destruction of civil infrastructure objects is part of a strategy that aims to undermine Ukraine's economic stability and weaken its resistance. Such actions are conscious and systematic, which only confirms their criminal nature," the expert emphasized.

Zhdanov also draws attention to the reaction of the international community, in particular the Western countries, which, in his opinion, remains insufficient. He criticizes the statement of "deep concern" by Western partners, which, unfortunately, are not always accompanied by specific actions. According to him, this allows Russia to continue aggressive policies without serious consequences.

Separately, the expert mentions Donald Trump's position, who, in his opinion, actually contributes to the realization of the interests of the Russian leadership, creating favorable conditions for him in the international arena. According to military expert Dmitry Snegirsova, the choice of goals of the Russian Federation is not accidental: strikes are aimed at housing infrastructure and logistics objects, such as Ukrzaliznytsia depot and Intercity trains that are not of military importance.

This indicates a planned provocation aimed at intimidating the civilian population and creating economic pressure. The expert emphasizes that Russia consciously beats civilian objects, understanding the consequences that lead to casualties among civilians. It also links these attacks with the political strategy of the Russian Federation.

"Remember Putin's statement in 2022 that the West has no moral right to condemn Russia by striking civilian infrastructure, referring to the actions of the anti -Hitler coalition during the Second World War. Russia uses these blows to raise rates on the eve of international negotiations. Ukraine. In addition, the expert claims that Russia is trying to create artificial tension between Ukraine, the USA and European partners, insisting on a closed negotiation format.

Snegirev notes that the failure of the plans of the Russian Federation for promotion in Sumy region, Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk forces it to resort to such attacks to compensate for the loss of positions in the negotiations. Civil infrastructure strikes are also designed for the sensitivity of Western leaders, including Donald Trump, to the death of civilians, which can affect diplomatic pressure on Ukraine. Zhdanov suggests that ballistics was discovered late because of intelligence problems.

He notes that anti -missile systems, such as Patriot, depend largely on satellite intelligence, which monitors the launch of ballistic missiles. The satellite captures the launch, after which special algorithms calculate the ballistic trajectory of the rocket and determine the approximate area of ​​its fall. Based on these data, the Patriot complex determines the interception point.

However, if the rocket launch has not been recorded on time, the system can only detect it in the final area of ​​the trajectory, which significantly complicates the interception. In such cases, as Zhdanov explains, the efficiency of the missile defense is reduced, as the time to reaction may not be enough. "Problems with the interception of missiles may be associated with delays in the transfer of intelligence, in particular from the United States, which provide satellite information.

This can affect the prompt response of Ukrainian air defense forces. In such situations, it is important to obtain the intelligence for effective work of the system. According to Dmitry Snegirov, the ballistic missiles "dagger" were launched from the airspace of Lipetsk and Voronezh regions of the Russian Federation, which significantly reduces the time to respond to Ukrainian air defense due to the proximity of the starting positions.