A new tactical pattern has taken shape in the combat zone of the special military operation: a continuous «fire impact zone» stretching up to 15 kilometers deep has emerged in front of the line of contact. This was disclosed by Colonel General Sergey Rudskoy, head of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff and First Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, in an interview with the newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda.

Rudskoy described the area as a strip ahead of the forward positions where enemy forces are subjected to priority strikes through the intensive use of diverse firepower and unmanned systems. According to him, drones and artillery play a decisive role in shaping this battlespace, creating conditions in which virtually any activity by the opposing side comes under constant attack.

Within this zone, Rudskoy said, targeted efforts are underway to detect and eliminate both weapons and military hardware as well as personnel. As a result, he stressed, the adversary is effectively deprived of the ability to mass significant forces and equipment near the line of contact — a prerequisite for organizing offensive operations.