Over the weekend, Ukrainian forces achieved several notable milestones. An example of the Kremlin’s most advanced and costly aircraft, a Su-57 stealth fighter jet, was hit at the Akhtubinsk airfield in southern Russia. One of only six which can fire Russia’s own ‘wonder weapon’ – a hypersonic missile – the strike was a powerful sign of Kyiv’s increasing power.
Around the same time, a Ukrainian fighter jet launched a cross-border attack, targeting and reportedly destroying a “command node” in Belgorod and an ammunition dump. We do not know what weaponry was used, but it must have been highly advanced. Without the ability to command and control their troops, Russia’s beleaguered conscripts will be even more of a rabble than they currently are, and without ammunition they aren’t going anywhere.
Simultaneously, advanced Ukrainian drones executed a significant assault on Russian naval vessels docked at the port of Taganrog. This drone attack was also unprecedented, as it represented the first successful strike by Kyiv’s drones on a Russian target in the Sea of Azov since the beginning of the invasion. Throughout the conflict Kyiv has proven itself highly adept at drone warfare. It saved them in 2022. Now, with all their subsequent innovations, it is turning the tide in 2024.