Podcast “Ukraine – the situation”
Military expert Mölling: Unclear strategy behind the attacks on Kiev
A police officer in Kiev takes a resident of a multi-storey house to an ambulance. The man was injured in the third Russian airstrike on the Ukrainian capital in the last 24 hours.
© Alex Babenko/AP/DPA
What is the plan behind the increased shelling of Kiev in recent days? According to security expert Christian Mölling, probably none. “It may be that you were hoping to do more damage,” he says. But the Ukrainian air defense is now so good that it prevents many hits.
Security expert Christian Mölling sees no military or political strategy behind the increased Russian air raids on Kiev in recent days. “It may be that you were hoping to do more damage,” he says in star-Podcast “Ukraine – The Situation”. But the Ukrainian air defenses are now well adjusted and are thus preventing many hits.
Mölling says the Russian military leadership has not distinguished itself with brilliant plans in recent months. He therefore assesses the attacks as haphazard: “The result was not significant, it was useless as an attempt and perhaps it was simply due to the fact that new drones had arrived from Iran and they had to be shot down.”
Christian Mölling: “Probably that we will never know.”
The drone attacks on Moscow at night seem even more puzzling to the security experts. It is unclear where the missiles are coming from. “It may have been Ukraine or irregulars,” he says. “But it could also be that it was Moscow itself.” With this, Russia could prepare an argument against Ukraine. Mölling does not expect that in the coming decades there will be clarity about who is behind the attacks. “It’s likely we’ll never know.”
re-election of Erdogan above all brings stability to the Ukraine war
The fact that Erdoğan was re-elected in Turkey will probably initially have a stabilizing effect on Ukraine. “It’s a player whose interests in the region we understand,” says Mölling. But there could be change because Erdogan now feels more secure and is therefore repositioned. However, this could have a positive effect both on the West and on Russia.