Critical Reactions Emerge from Russian Military Analysts Following Drone Strikes

Moscow/Berlin - The atmosphere in Russia has reached a low point following a significant drone attack by Ukraine on four strategic bomber bases. This attack, carried out by the Ukrainian domestic intelligence agency SBU on Sunday, targeted vital air force installations, resulting in damage to around 40 military aircraft, including some capable of carrying nuclear weapons. The skies were filled with black smoke as the repercussions of the assault became evident.

Interestingly, the official Russian media has remained largely silent or has downplayed the severity of the incident, portraying it as a minor occurrence. In stark contrast, influential military bloggers have voiced their discontent and concern regarding the state of the Russian Air Force.

The military blog group "Rybar," which boasts over 1.2 million subscribers on Telegram, published a harsh critique of the current situation. They reported significant losses, stating that several Tu-95 strategic bombers had been destroyed. They emphasized that these aircraft, which are no longer in production, cannot be replaced, making the losses irreparable. Their analysis concluded that this incident represents a severe blow to Russia's strategic capabilities, attributing the failures to grave intelligence errors and a lack of regard for aviation security.

Another Telegram channel, "Starschie Eddy," with 570,000 followers, labeled the day a "dark one for the Air Force" and critiqued the military leadership for their apparent misconceptions regarding modern warfare. They pointed out that those in command seemed to underestimate the importance of distance and security in contemporary conflict scenarios, which has led to disastrous outcomes.

Furthermore, the channel "Powjornutie na vojne," which has 730,000 subscribers, criticized Russian officials for attempting to minimize the attack's impact. They highlighted that strategic bombers are vital to Russia's military strength and deemed dismissive statements like "let them burn, we have more" as unacceptable and betraying the gravity of the situation.

In a striking analogy, the Telegram channel "Zapiski Veterana" referred to the attack as a "Russian Pearl Harbor." They argued that the extent of the damage would be difficult to conceal, noting that nearly all strategic bombers stationed at airfields in the Irkutsk and Murmansk regions have either been destroyed or seriously damaged.

This development marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing conflict, showcasing the vulnerabilities of the Russian military and prompting a wave of criticism from within its own ranks. As military analysts continue to dissect the implications of this assault, it remains to be seen how the Russian leadership will respond to both the external threat posed by Ukraine and the internal dissent from military observers.