Death of Gonzalo Lira, Crumbling Ukrainian Air Defenses, Growing Russian Military Capabilities

Update on the conflict in Ukraine for January 15, 2024…

– US-Chilean citizen Gonzalo Lira is confirmed dead by the US State Department, having died in a Ukrainian prison with serious health issues neglected by his jailers. He was imprisoned for criticizing Kiev;

– Russia continues using a strategy of attrition across the line of contact, particularly in places like Avdeevka where Ukrainian positions are steadily degraded;

– Russian forces continue carrying out large-scale drone and missile strikes on targets across Ukraine;

– Ukraine admits a growing crisis in terms of air defense capabilities with its Western sponsors unable to supply an adequate number of interceptors for launchers transferred to Ukraine;

– Russia is continuing to expand production of existing drones and missiles while also developing new drones and missiles with greater capabilities, further stressing Ukraine’s already stretched combat capabilities;

– Previous dismissal of Russian-Iranian defense cooperation has now led to a demonstrable strategic crisis for Ukraine and the collective West;

– Ukrainian commanders are requesting what amounts to an entire army’s worth of equipment including an entire air force worth of replacement aircraft;

References:

Newsweek – Who Is Gonzalo Lira? Pro-Putin American Expat Dies in Ukrainian Jail (January 13, 2024):
https://www.newsweek.com/who-gonzalo-…

TASS – Russia to focus on provisioning of troops (January 9, 2024):
https://tass.com/defense/1730017

Alexander Mercouris – Rus Air Offensive, Heavy Drones; Attacks All Front Lines; Zelensky Curse; Protests France, Germany (January 10, 2024):
https://youtu.be/pDTBAiuxGcM?si=oA90M…

Mediazona – Russian casualties in Ukraine. Mediazona count, updated (December 2023 – January 2024):
https://en.zona.media/article/2022/05…

NY Times – Ukraine’s Patriot Defenses at Work: Shuddering Booms and Bursts of Light (January 6, 2024):
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/06/wo…

Al Jazeera – Saudi Arabia may run out of interceptor missiles in ‘months’ (January 2022):
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1…

BBC – Japan to send Patriot missiles to US which may aid Ukraine (December 22, 2023):
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-6…

Australian Defense Magazine – Lockheed Martin says Patriot missile could ‘replace anything and everything’ (November 2023):
https://www.australiandefence.com.au/…

Reuters – Ukraine has deficit of anti-aircraft guided missiles – air force (January 9, 2024):
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/…

CNN – Missile blitz, jet drones, night camouflage: Kyiv warns how Russia could overwhelm air defenses (January 11, 2024):
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/01/11/wo…

The Drive – Russia May Have Started Using Jet-Powered Shahed Drones In Ukraine (January 7, 2024):
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone…

CNN – Russia appears poised to purchase ballistic missiles from Iran, official says (January 4, 2024):
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/01/04/po…

IISS – Ansarullah’s missile and munitions launches flex Saudi responses (March 2021):
https://www.iiss.org/online-analysis/…

Reuters – Ukraine needs more attack aircraft for war effort – ground forces commander (January 12, 2024):
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/…