by DAVID AXE
Ukraine has had no choice but to become a missile power. The country’s legacy as the center of the Soviet space and missile industries made its new status possible. The exigencies of war made that status necessary.
As it’s become painfully apparent Kyiv cannot fully rely on Washington—or London, Berlin or Paris—for its most sophisticated military capabilities, the government of Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelensky has worked hard and fast to develop and deploy:
long-range attack drones;
short-range interceptor drones;
ground-launched cruise missiles; and
long-range air defenses with anti-ballistic capability.
Some capabilities have advanced faster than others. Some may never advance very far. Some are affordable. Some aren’t without significant foreign financing. If even half of them work out, Ukraine could emerge from the current war as a regional leader in deep strike and air defense.
Pretty impressive for a middle-income country of 29 million that has endured a decade of relentless Russian attacks.
