Putin&#039;s Missile War: Russia&#039;s Strike Campaign in Ukraine

Ian Williams

doi:10.5771/9781538170670

Summary

Russia’s missile campaign against Ukraine has severely underperformed expectations. In the invasion’s early days, Russia underestimated the necessary scale and effort of its missile campaign. Since then, Russia has changed course multiple times, most recently moving to target Ukrainian electrical grid and civilian infrastructure during the winter months. Russia’s haphazard missile campaign reflects both internal strategic failures and Ukraine’s critical forward thinking in the days prior to the invasion. Early Russian failures also gave time for Ukraine to develop its air defense strategy and capabilities which have only grown in effectiveness, thanks in large part to Western aid. This CSIS report provides an in-depth review of these and related “missile war” dynamics.

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Bibliographic data

Edition: 1/2023
Copyright Year: 2023
ISBN-Print: 978-1-5381-7066-3
ISBN-Online: 978-1-5381-7067-0
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham
Language: English
Pages: 60
Product Type: Monograph

1. Acknowledgments No access
2. Contents No access
Key Findings No access Pages 1 - 2
Introduction No access Pages 3 - 4
1. The Opening Salvo No access
2. Shifting Focus No access
3. Escalation against Civilians No access
4. The Autumn Blitz No access
5. The View Ahead No access
1. Dispersal of Forces and Slow Russian Targeting Cycles No access
2. Too Many Targets, Too Few Missiles No access
3. Ukrainian Air Defenses No access
4. Accuracy and Reliability No access
1. Air-Launched No access
2. Sea-Launched No access
3. Ground-Launched No access
4. Foreign-Sourced Munitions No access
Conclusion No access Pages 33 - 34
About the Author No access Pages 35 - 36
1. Appendix I: Major Reported Russian Missile Attacks, February–April 2022 No access
2. Appendix II: Major Reported Russian Missile Attacks, April–June 2022 No access
3. Appendix III: Major Reported Russian Missile Attacks, June–September 2022 No access
4. Appendix IV: Major Reported Russian Missile Attacks, October 2022–January 2023 No access
Endnotes No access Pages 45 - 60