«Deliberately targeting»: Expert explains how Russia chooses its strikes on Ukrainian cities

In its strikes across Ukraine, Russia zeros in on densely packed population hubs to inflict maximum harm on civilians.

This was outlined by Hennadij Khazan, President of the Ukrainian Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association «AOPA Ukraine,» during a broadcast on the Espresso TV channel.

In the realm of shielding urban centers from Russian barrages, Khazan underscored the pivotal role of Ukraine’s access to Patriot systems.

«We need Patriot systems to safeguard major cities and agglomerations where Ukrainian citizens cluster in tight-knit communities,» he stated.

According to the expert, the latest attacks on Kyiv and Dnipro reveal that the Russians are intentionally picking targets in high-density zones—those typical five- and nine-story apartment blocks—to maximize damage to civilians.

«They choose the targets; they do not miss by accident. They deliberately hammer those buildings, and that’s precisely the mission for Patriot systems: to shield potential civilian strike zones,» Khazan added.

The expert also highlighted the lack of funding for other air defense means, including low-caliber anti-aircraft artillery, which he said was «missed» in previous weapons procurements. Khazan stressed that Ukraine requires additional systems to increase the interception rate of enemy missiles and drones.

He further pointed out that Ukrainian forces currently neutralize 92-94% of incoming threats during Russian assaults, yet even a few Shahed drones that bypass defenses, carrying powerful warheads, can hit residential buildings, causing destruction and casualties.

Khazan also says that in Europe, the benchmark for top performance is at least an 81% interception rate, pointing out that Ukraine’s rate is significantly higher.