War in Ukraine. Volume 7 Air War, January-December 2023

Volume 7 of War in Ukraine provides a detailed account of the air war as it developed during 2023, a period in which Russia made extensive use of Tu-95 and Tu-22 bombers and their missiles to bring about the collapse of the power supply system in Ukraine. The second year of the War in Ukraine began with the Russian attempt to collapse the power supply and power grid of Ukraine through an offensive with ballistic- and cruise missiles. Lasting months, this operation saw the sustained deployment of Tu-95 and Tu-22 bombers and their missiles, combined with tactical precision guided munitions and Iranian-made Shahed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Highly promising, early on, the offensive failed because of last-minute deliveries of advanced air defence systems and a large number of power generators from the West: even then, it was a close call, with the government in Kyiv almost making the decision to evacuate the capital. Hard on the heels of this episode, the USA and Germany rushed PAC-2/3 Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine, which Russia attempted to knock out with its Kinzhal hypersonic missiles. Around the same time, the Russians also began deploying MPK/UMPK glide bombs to strike targets along the frontline from outside the range of Ukrainian air defences. War In Ukraine: Volume 7, Air War, January - December 2023 continues the detailed military history of this ongoing conflict, the largest in Europe since the end of the Second World War in 1945. This volume is illustrated throughout with original colour photographs and includes specially commissioned colour artworks.