Russia has carried out three devastating attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine in recent days. At least 21 civilians were killed in the attacks on the Odessa region the other night.
21:32•Updated 21:33
Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian civilian targets show that Russia has not had the precision weapons required for attacks. This is the opinion of the docent of military sciences Ilmari Käihkö from the Swedish National Defense University.
– Probably the immediate reason for the attacks on civilian targets is that Russia lacks precision weapons, says Käihkö in a telephone interview.
– Russia is trying to target attacks behind the front lines at targets related to the war in Ukraine – for example, weapons depots, weapons industry and oil depots. Due to the lack of precision weapons, they pretty much inevitably also hit civilian targets.
“The attacks are a sign of terrorism”
According to Käihkö, the attacks on civilian targets are also a sign of terrorism and that Russia does not care about the lives of Ukrainian civilians.
– Hitting civilian targets doesn’t seem to bother Russia. It can be said that Russia has also committed a lot of terrorism during the war. By targeting or hitting civilian targets, Russia is trying to force Ukraine to its knees.
The other night, in the city of Serhiivka in the Odessa region, at least 21 people were killed and dozens were wounded when Russian missiles hit an apartment building and a leisure center.
On Monday, 18 people were killed in a Russian air strike on a shopping center in the city of Kremenchuk.
According to Käihkö, it is difficult to assess whether the strikes have hit civilian targets by accident.
– For example, in the Krementšuk attack, there was apparently a repair shop near the shopping center. Probably Russia has tried to target it but has hit the mall.
Russia has denied the attacks.
– We do know that Russia has continuously and repeatedly committed war crimes during the war, Käihkö continues.
He assessed the Odessa attacks as follows:
– In Odessa, one can assume that there is a military target nearby, or that Russia fired into the city because they remind us of Russia’s ability to punish civilians. It is terrorism when Russia tries to force Ukraine to its knees in this way as well.
British military intelligence has also assessed that Russia has used missiles in Ukraine that are unable to make precise strikes.
According to British military intelligence, Russia has a shortage of accurate and modern missiles. According to military intelligence, the Kh-32 missile, which is an updated version of the Soviet-era Kh-22 missile, was probably used in the Krementchuk attack.
The Kh-32 is not optimal for precision strikes on land targets, especially cities, British military intelligence notes.