In 2024, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalated, and the two sides launched a large-scale missile exchange, causing huge losses in people and property. Experts pointed out that this missile war shows the new tactics and new ways of fighting of the Russian army, as well as the fragility of Western air defense systems and the backwardness of the US military's hypersonic missiles.
According to reports, the Russian army has dispatched Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 bombers, as well as attack drones, to launch a large number of "Dagger" hypersonic missiles and cruise missiles into Ukraine, and carried out precision strikes on Ukraine's political, economic, military and civilian targets. The speed and maneuverability of these missiles make it difficult for Ukraine's air defense systems to intercept them, especially the "Patriot" missiles provided by the United States, which were successfully broken through by the Russian army.
The missile tactics of the Russian army have two characteristics. First, various types of missiles were used, forming layers of strikes, including high-speed ballistic missiles, low-altitude cruise missiles, and hypersonic "Dagger" missiles, which caused huge pressure on the air defense system of the Ukrainian army. Second, the reconnaissance and jamming of the "Shahed" UAV were used to find loopholes in the air defense system, which allowed the missile to dive down at a near-vertical angle, increasing the strike effect.
The "Dagger" missile is the trump card of the Russian army**, it is an air-launched hypersonic missile, which can reach up to Mach 10 and can be used to hit targets up to 2,000 kilometers away. The point is that the "Dagger" missile is also capable of carrying a nuclear warhead in combat at a critical moment.
It is conceivable that a single "dagger" will be able to shatter the target with a breakneck speed.
Normally, the platform it carries is mainly the MiG-31 fighter, and the combination of the two can greatly deter NATO and reverse the strategic imbalance of non-nuclear warfare in the military field.
However, while the Russian army was partying all night in order to inflict heavy damage on Ukraine and destroy the air defense systems of the United States and the West, they were ignorant of the impending greater crisis.
According to sources, the Ukrainian army is preparing a strike on the Crimean peninsula as a response to the Russian attack.
Crimea has been regarded as an important strategic location since ancient times, and since the outbreak of the current round of Russia-Ukraine conflict, Crimea has once again become the focus of all parties, and Russia and Ukraine are desperately fighting for this land.
Geographically, Crimea is located on the northern shore of the Black Sea, bordering both Russia and Ukraine. Both sides of the Black Sea shipping and energy corridors will pass through here.
In a strategic sense, Russia has deployed the Black Sea Fleet in the region, successfully controlling the Black Sea region through naval forces and exerting influence on neighboring countries. Moreover, the Crimea region is close to the sea, rich in resources, many historical sites, and has a port, so there are frequent exchanges and developed tourism, which can bring good economic effects.
In short, although this land is only a few tens of thousands of square kilometers, control of Crimea is equivalent to controlling the entrance to the Black Sea, which is crucial for Ukraine as well as for Russia.
Historically, Crimea has always belonged to Russia, but in 1954, the Soviet Union divided it to Ukraine, a decision that is still difficult for many to accept. In 2014, Crimea announced its return to Russia in a referendum, which was strongly opposed by Ukraine. This contradiction has become a major reason for the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
It is reported that the Ukrainian army plans to use its American-made "Tomahawk" cruise missiles to strike at military and civilian targets in Crimea in retaliation for the aggression of the Russian army. The Ukrainian army also hopes to use this to provoke the ethnic ** of Crimea and undermine Russia's control over the region.
However, this move by the Ukrainian army may set itself on fire, intensify the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and even trigger a larger-scale war. Russia has made it clear that if Ukraine dares to launch an attack on Crimea, it will defend it at all costs, including the use of nuclear **.
In this way, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine could escalate into a nuclear war, with catastrophic consequences for Europe and the world.
And it is also unknown whether the United States, as an ally of Ukraine, will intervene in this war. Although the United States has provided ** and support to Ukraine, it is also unwilling to pay the price for Ukraine's adventurous behavior, especially in the field of hypersonic missiles, which are already lagging behind Russia and China.
The US hypersonic missile program has not made a breakthrough, and the success of the latest test has not been announced. American hypersonic missiles, primarily the AGM-183 "Air-Launched Rapid Response**", were launched by B-52H bombers, but they were inferior in speed and range to the Russian "Dagger" missiles.
The U.S. hypersonic missiles are not aimed at different strategic needs, but blindly imitate the design ideas of China and Russia, and do not reflect the U.S. innovation capability and strategic advantages.
Therefore, the United States has lost the initiative and the right to speak in the field of hypersonic missiles, and in the face of the threat from Russia, the United States can only choose to respond passively or avoid direct conflict.
In short, the mutual attack of Russian and Ukrainian missiles not only exposed the weakness of Western air defense systems, but also exposed the backwardness of the US military's hypersonic missiles. This is a serious challenge for the United States and the West, and it is also a wake-up call.