Ukraine starts redeploying critical military facilities to avoid Russian missiles

The command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine started redeploying critical weapons and qualified personnel, The Financial Times reports with reference to unnamed officials.

According to the publication, Ukraine started redeploying air bases and runways (from where they launch British and French long-range Storm Shadow and Scalp missiles) away from the front line. Ukraine is carrying out such operations against the backdrop of Russian strikes on those military facilities.

According to Valery Kondratyuk, the former head of Ukrainian military and foreign intelligence, the missiles that Kyiv received from the West "played a decisive role” for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Russia had no other way to stop Ukraine from using them, but to strike airfields and aircraft of Ukraine's Air Force. Ukrainian pilots are thus forced to constantly shuttle between dozens of air bases and commercial airports, the publication said.

Yuriy Ignat, the speaker of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, believe that the West should supply more air defence systems to the country to protect Ukrainian air bases.

It is worthy of note that Ignat earlier admitted that Ukrainian air defence systems were incapable of countering Russian Kh-22 missiles. According to him, the Ukrainian military have never been able to shoot down such missiles.

Yuriy Ignat also admitted that Kyiv would not receive F-16 aircraft in 2023, even though the issue of the transfer of F-16 fighters to Ukraine was no longer at an impasse.