Missiles Over Ukraine: How Aerial Tactics and Weapons Are Evolving

The front lines in Russia’s war in Ukraine have barely moved in three years. The battle in the air has evolved constantly, with each side adjusting its tactics in response to technological breakthroughs and capability improvements.

Russia uses missiles primarily to strike Ukrainian cities and damage the country’s energy infrastructure. It fires salvos of cruise and ballistic missiles in combination with swarms of explosive-laden drones and decoys in an effort to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses and increase the likelihood that the weapons will hit their targets.