EDF Colonel: Ukraine needs to destroy Russian air strike platforms

Over the past week, Russian troops have managed to take small areas of land and hold the initiative in Ukraine, according to Colonel Tarmo Kundla, head of the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) General Staff's ops department.

Over the past week, while there have been battles across the front line in Ukraine, the points of contact have declined, Col. Kundla said. While a week before, the number of daily contact points ranged from 70 to 120, it was between 50 and 60 last week.
However, the Ukrainians would be able to defend themselves even more effectively if they had the technology to destroy the platforms from which Russia's air strikes are being carried out, the EDF colonel said.

Even if there is a significant increase in the supply of air defense systems and ammunition to Ukraine, it won't be sufficient to stop Russia's bombing campaign. To effectively counter the threat from Russian drones and missiles, Ukraine needs its own long-range missiles. It requires the political approval from its allies to target launch sites and related facilities inside Russia. If Western leaders continue to limit Ukraine's ability to retaliate against Russia, Ukrainian commanders will be compelled to defend against air attacks without the means to strike back.