Russia's Quest to Intensify BAI Against Ukraine's Logistics
Institute for the Study of War • • world
Key Points:
- Since late 2025, Russian forces have intensified their battlefield air interdiction (BAI) campaign against Ukraine, targeting operationally significant logistics and military infrastructure up to 100-120 kilometers behind the frontline to weaken Ukrainian defenses ahead of a planned 2026 offensive.
- The campaign's intensity increased in January 2026 due to Russian integration of Starlink satellite communication terminals on tactical and long-range drones, extending drone control ranges and enabling precise strikes on supply lines, though SpaceX's February 1 blockade of Starlink access for Russian users in Ukraine has begun degrading this capability.
- Russian forces have adapted by employing other technologies such as mesh networks for drone coordination, upgraded mothership drones, and extended-range glide bombs, continuing strikes on critical
