Russia plans 200 ballistic missiles per mass strike on Ukraine, Magyar warns

Commander Magyar of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces warned that Russia can currently launch up to 77 ballistic missiles at Ukraine in a single attack, but plans to increase that number to 200 in a mass strike. In an interview with The Associated Press, Magyar, also known by the call sign Magyar, detailed Russia's escalating threats against Ukraine.

He pointed out that Russia has doubled the share of jet-powered Shahed drones in their attacks on Ukraine recently, stating that these drones are significantly harder to shoot down for Ukrainian forces.

Magyar emphasized that even if Russia manages to carry out only half of the planned 200 missiles in a single attack, it would still be a devastating blow. He suggested that the only way to mitigate this threat is to target every Russian facility involved in missile production. The shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles makes Russian ballistic attacks one of the most significant vulnerabilities in Ukraine's defenses, leading to a high percentage of missiles getting through and hitting their targets.

Magyar also warned that Russia is attempting to counter Ukraine's advantages by deploying large-scale jamming systems that can degrade Starlink communications. Furthermore, Russia is developing its own satellite communications system to compete with Starlink, posing a global risk as this will enable a dictatorship to gain access to information worldwide.

In the same AP interview, Magyar highlighted that Ukraine's Defense Forces could conduct seven times more strikes on Russian targets in Crimea if funding from Western allies arrived more quickly. On August 8, Ukraine's Center for Strategic Communications, based on U.S. intelligence, reported that Russia is preparing to intensify attacks on Kyiv's energy infrastructure before Ukraine's Independence Day on August 24.

This suggests that Russia might not wait until fall to launch a large-scale campaign against the capital's energy system.