The Russians consolidate their hold on Serpents’ Island
The Russian army has strengthened its grip on Serpents’ Island, deploying several defense systems, suggesting that it does not intend to easily let go of this strategic point located in the Black Sea, despite the threats posed by the new defense systems. Ukrainian artillery and missile fire.
The latest open-source satellite images of this islet off the Ukrainian and Romanian coasts make it possible to distinguish different ground-to-air defense systems, which the Russians have also installed on ships positioned nearby to reinforce the protection bubble.
“The Russians deployed on the island several anti-aircraft systems covering different threat spectra, SA-13, Pantsir, Tor, ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft guns”notes French researcher Pierre Grasser, Russian defense specialist associated with the Sirice laboratory at the Sorbonne.
“They have consolidated their position recently, deploying different ground-to-air systems, on the island and on buildings positioned around the island. Strategically, this makes sense, even in the face of new Ukrainian means, such as the Caesars or the Himars”analyzes a French military source on condition of anonymity.
Westerners have given Ukraine several mobile artillery systems that would theoretically make it possible to strike from coasts located about thirty kilometers away, including French Caesar guns, but above all Himars multiple rocket launchers donated by the Americans. who are currently somewhere between Western Europe and Ukraine.
“We expect these systems to be in combat soon, and we are committed to continuing to keep the flow of munitions flowing”US Undersecretary of Defense Colin Kahl said this week.
Anti-aircraft systems currently deployed by the Russians “will not be able to intercept the guided rockets fired by the Himars, that’s for sure”believes Mr. Grasser, who nevertheless puts things into perspective: “They are all mobile, so the Russians can do what the Ukrainians have done very well since the start of the war: move them as soon as they perceive an imminent threat. You have to be reactive, but it’s effective, even on a small island. » “The Himars cannot do saturation fire” to plow the entire surface of the island with the quantities available to the Ukrainians, he adds.