>>> THIS MORNING RUSSIA IS ON ATTACK HAPPENING I
THE KURSK REGION.
TRYING TO SEND A MESSAGE WITHOUT SPECIFICALLY CLAIMING
RESPONSIBILITY? >> STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS, THAT
THEY HAVE THIS CAPABILITY AND C
SHOWING IT IS SHORTEN AND NUMBER TWO, GOT THROUGH.
UNHEARD OF. THOUGHT BACK IN NATO COLD WAR
DAYS IT WASN'T POSSIBLE. LASTLY, PSYCHOLOGICALLY, THE
FACT UKRAINE CAN TAKE THESE IT DRONES, 1970s TECHNOLOGY, STRIP
OUT THE CAMERAS AND STRIP OUT ALL THAT STUFF, PUT IN ORDNANCE
AND PUT IN THE CAPABILITY, IT'S HARD.
IT'S HARD TO HIT A TARGET, FROM 700 KILOMETERS AWAY.
VERY MUCH ADVANTAGE UKRAINE IN THIS.
>> EXPLAIN WHERE THIS IS HAPPENING AND WHAT THE ATTACKS
OVER THE WEEKEND SHOW US AND THIS SHOWS US?
>> THESE TWO AIR BASES WHERE STRATEGIC BOMBERS GO.
NOT GOING INTO UKRAINE BECAUSE THEY DON'T CONTROL THE AIRSPACE.
RUSSIA DOESN'T CONTROL IT THERE. ATTACKED THIS WAY, THIS IT
DIRECTION HERE. THE FACT IS 700 OR SO KILOMETERS
HERE 600 TO THIS SIDE, MOSCOW IS THEORETICALLY THREATENED NOW.
TWO MILITARY TARGETS, BE CLEAR. WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM.
WHERE BOMBERS COMING FROM ATTACKING UKRAINE.
BOTTOM LINE, REALLY HARD TO SEND A MISSILE 700 KILOMETERS AND HIT
AN AIRFIELD AS THEY DID. >> SOMETHING NEW THAT UKRAINE IS
SHOWING IT CAN CARRY OUT? AND IF IT IS, IS THIS NEW
TRAINING FROM THE WEST? >> I THINK A LOT HAS TO DO WITH
THE TECHNOLOGY WE BROUGHT AND SOME OF IT --
>> THE "WE" THE U.S.? >> CALL IT THE WEST, THE U.S.
AND LIKELY SOMETHING ON THE GROUND PAINTING THE TARGET.
LOOK AT THE DAMAGE. A 22M BACKFIRE, OLD NATO -- A
RUSSIAN-MADE PLANE, THE TAIL END.
THIS TELLS ME SOMEONE BLAZING THAT, VERY PRECISE.
REALLY HARD TO COME THAT DISTANCE AND HIT SOMETHING IN
THE AIRFIELD HERE. GOING FORWARD, RUSSIA HAS TO
THINK ABOUT MILITARY TARGETS CLOSER TO THE UKRAINE BORDER AS
WE SAW THIS MORNING IN KURSON. RUSSIANS HAVE TO RE-INVENT THE
MILITARY TO DEFEND THEM. >> CAN THEY DO THAT IN THE
MIDDLE OF ALL THIS? >> REDEPLOY FORCES BACK TO
PROTECT THE MOTHERLAND AT THIS POINT KNOWING FULL WELL UKRAINE
HAS THIS CAPABILITY. UKRAINE AS A MAID SILENT --
LAUNCH DRONE ATTACKS INSIDE OF RUSSIAN TERRITORY.
RUSSIA SAYS THE DRONE STRUCK AN AIRFIELD IN THE CROOKS REGION
EARLY TUESDAY, ABOUT 90 KILOMETERS FROM THE UKRAINIAN
BORDER. IT SPARKED A FIRE AT THE
AIRFIELD THAT CAUSED THE CANCELLATION OF CLASSES IN
RECENT SCHOOLS. RUSSIA'S HISTORY OF THE
SOLDIERS WERE KILLED IN EXPLOSION ON MONDAY IN A BASIN
ANGLES, HUNDREDS OF KILOMETERS INSIDE OF RUSSIAN TERRITORY.
APPARENTLY ONE OF TWO JOINT ATTACKS ON MONDAY.
MY NEXT GUEST IS A MILITARY TECHNOLOGY WRITER AND AUTHOR OF
-- HOW SMALL DRONES WILL CONQUER
THE WORLD. DAVID HUMBLING JOINS ME NOW VIA
SKYPE FROM LONDON GOOD TO HAVE YOU WITH US, DAVID.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. >> THE RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY
SAY THESE ATTACKS WERE CARRIED OUT BY UKRAINE UKRAINE HAS NOT
CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY. IF THIS WAS, INDEED AN ATTACK
BY UKRAINE, WITHIN RUSSIA USING LONG-RANGE DRONES, WHAT DOES
THAT SIGNIFY IN TERMS OF UKRAINE FOCUS ON DEVELOPING
LONG-RANGE TECHNOLOGY? AND ITS IMPACT?
>> WELL, WE HAVE BEEN HERE SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE, IN TERMS
OF THEIR BE WHAT LOOKS LIKE UKRAINIANS DRONE STRIKES INTO
RUSSIAN HELD TERRITORY. THOUGH, THE FIRST WAS WITHIN
APRIL WHEN THE FUEL STORAGE SICKLE GOBBLING UP.
AND THEN THEY GOT TYRANT RUSSIAN AIR BASES.
WHAT MAKES THIS ONE DIFFERENT, IT MAKES IT A MUCH LONGER RANGE,
THIS IS LIKE 400 MILES INSIDE OF RUSSIA.
THAT MAKES IT LOOK LIKE AS THE UKRAINE MIGHT HAVE DEVELOPED A
LONG RANGE DRONE ATTACK SYSTEM. >> IT IS QUITE INCREDIBLE RIGHT?
I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE BEEN SPEAKING TO RUSSIAN DRONE
EXPERTS WHAT ARE THEY TELLING YOU ABOUT WHAT THEY BELIEVE WAS
USED IN THESE ATTACKS. >> WE DON'T HAVE ANY REAL
EVIDENCE AT THIS STAGE RUSSIANS ARE CLAIMING THAT IT WAS A
MODIFIED VERSION OF A TEE ONE FOR ONE SWIFT, THE SWIFT IS A
JET POWERED DRONE THAT WAS DEVELOPED BACK IN THE SOVIET
AREA MANUFACTURED IN THE 80S, IT WAS DESIGNED FOR AROUND 600
MILES PER HOUR. AND WHAT THEY ARE SAYING IS THE
UKRAINIANS JUST STUCK AN EXPLOSIVE WARHEAD ON AND SENT
ON A ONE-WAY MISSION. IT'S QUITE PLAUSIBLE, WE HAVE
SEEN A COUPLE OF OTHER SWIFT'S COME DOWN WITH WARHEADS LIKE
THAT. WE DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW WHETHER
THE UKRAINIANS OR RUSSIANS WERE DOING THAT, BOTH SIDES HAVE
THEM. IT MAY BE SOMETHING RATHER MORE
SOPHISTICATED. THOUGH, IT MAY BE A LOCALLY
BUILT A DRONE. THAT WOULD BE A LOT MORE
SIGNIFICANT, THAT MEANS UKRAINIANS COULD POTENTIALLY
BUILD AND LAUNCH THEM IN LARGE NUMBERS, MUCH IN THE SAME WAY
AS THE RUSSIANS ARE LAUNCHING 136 DRONES AT UKRAINE THAT'S
WHAT'S DOING A LOT OF DAMAGE TO THEM AT THE MOMENT.
>> RIGHT. SO, RUSSIA INITIALLY HAD SET
OUT TO TAKE UKRAINE QUITE QUICKLY.
TALKING UP THE CAPABILITIES OF ITS OWN DEFENSE FORCES IN
COMPARISON TO UKRAINE. WHY THEN CAN'T RUSSIA STOP
THESE TYPES OF ATTACKS WITHIN ITS OWN BORDERS?
>> THERE IS A -- WHAT IS THEIR DEFENSE DOING,
WHICH IS ONE OF THE RUSSIAN COMMENTATORS ASKED DURING THESE
ATTACKS. THE RUSSIAN AIR DEFENSE SEEMS
TO BE IN AMAZINGLY INEPT IT'S AMAZING THAT THE UKRAINIANS
HAVE THE EXACT SAME HARDWARE, THEY'RE USING THE SAME MISSILES
AND SAME RADAR ARE BEING EFFECTIVE AS SHOOTING DOWN
RUSSIAN AIRCRAFTS. THE RUSSIANS FOR WHATEVER
REASON, WE SUSPECT IT MAY BE DUE TO TRAINING, IT MAY BE DUE
TO COMMAND THAT CONTROL, MAY BECAUSE THEY HAVE A PROBLEM
WITH FRIENDLY FIRE ARE NOT PERFORMING AT THE SAME LEVEL.
TIME AFTER TIME, WE HAVE SEEN DRONE ATTACKS GOING CLEAN
THROUGH, IN WHAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE ONE OF THE TOUGHEST
INTEGRATED AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS IN THE WORLD, IT'S NOT PERFORM
AT THE MOMENT. I'M SURE THE RUSSIANS ARE
ASKING THEMSELVES VERY MUCH THAT QUESTION.
>> YEAH, BIG PICTURE FOR US, DAVID.
IF THESE ARE INDEED DRONES BEING BUILT IN UKRAINE TO
ATTACK RUSSIA, HOW BIG OF AN ESCALATION IS THIS?
AND HOW COULD IT POTENTIALLY SHIFT THE WAY THE WAR GOES?
>> WELL, IT'S INTERESTING, THE TRUTH OF TARGET, IF THAT IS
WHAT IT WAS, THE BASE IS HOME TO RUSSIA'S STRATEGIC LONG
RANGE BOMBERS. THEY ARE AIRCRAFTS THAT ARE
BEING USED TO LAUNCH MISSILES AT UKRAINE FROM LONG RANGE.
AT THE VERY LEAST, THEY HAVE TO BE VERY MUCH MORE CAREFUL ABOUT
LEAVING THEM ON THE TARMAC IN PLACES WHERE THEY CAN BE SEEN
BY SATELLITES OR ANY OTHER TARGETS.
WORST-CASE, THE RUSSIANS HAVE TO MOVE THOSE BACK OUT OF
RANGE. MANY HUNDREDS OF KILOMETERS
FURTHER AWAY, THAT WILL MAKE LIFE MORE DIFFICULT FOR THEM.
REALISTICALLY THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER TARGETS.
THERE ARE AMMUNITION DUMPS. FUEL DUMPS.
AIR DEFENSE SITES. LOGISTIC HUBS.
UKRAINE IS GOING TO CAUSE ALL SORTS OF PROBLEMS IF THEY CAN
HIT THOSE THINGS WITH SMALL DRONES.
EVEN IF THEY DON'T CARRY A BIG WARHEAD, IT IS THE TECHNIQUE
KNOWN AS BRING THAT TO NATURE. IF YOU HAVE A PILE OF
EXPLOSIVES OR FUEL OR SOMETHING LIKE GAS STORAGE OR OIL
REFINERY. IT DOES NOT NEED A BIG WARHEAD
JUST THESE BIG TARGETING. YOU CAN SAY THAT WILL CAUSE THE
RUSSIANS A LOT OF BIG HEADACHES.
>> EXACTLY AN INTERESTING TURN HERE, WE DID SEE OF COURSE THE
RUSSIAN PRESIDENT PUTIN MEETING WITH THE SECURITY COUNCIL TO
DISCUSS THIS. SOME MAJOR CONCERNS WITHIN
RUSSIA. DAVID HANDLING, GOOD TO SEE
YOUR PERSPECTIVE AND EXPERTISE, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
>> THANK YOU.