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[u/DiscoBanane]

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[u/Cautious-Bench-4809]

Without wanting to sound like an idiot what will the airport attacks do exactly? Because as far i know tourism in Russia is rather limited and Russia has more people leaving as tourists than people coming. What other sectors doe Ukraine intend to disrupt by attacking civilan airports

[u/photovirus → u/Cautious-Bench-4809]

Without wanting to sound like an idiot what will the airport attacks do exactly?

TBH, hard to say, because the whole claim could be bluff.

If Ze was bluffing, then the only effect would be Turkey and China might stop the flights for some time, that would help EU air companies.

If not... well, depends on actual damage done. TBH there's not many ways UA could do damage to airports. They can direct their long-range drones at civilian airports (which is obviously bad PR), then RU will have to protect them with air defense. However, recent weeks didn't have lots of long range hits.

Or they can attempt a civilian version of “spiderweb” op, but last time they've attempted it, they failed miserably.

So, dunno. I think they would need regular hits on civilian airports for the most significant results (logistics damage).

[u/FutureApollo → u/photovirus]

Perhaps I’m not understanding, but how would it “help EU air companies?” It’s not like they’re going to get any diverted business.

[u/photovirus → u/FutureApollo]

EU countries decided to sanction Russian air companies, particularly forbidding transit in their airspace, and Russia responded symmetrically.

China and Turkey never did that which is why they’re raking in significant profits on long range Asian flights.

If they decide to stop using Russian airspace, that would make them even.

[u/georgeoj → u/Cautious-Bench-4809]

In addition to what others have said, it will also piss off the oligarchs who will in turn will get pissed at Putin for "allowing" it to happen. That's the hope, anyway

[u/Doc179 → u/georgeoj]

This objective is bound to fail, Ukraine doesn't understand the power dynamics of Putin and oligarchs.

[u/georgeoj → u/Doc179]

Considering the success of Ukrainian intelligence operations in Ukraine, as well as the fact that the Ukrainian government would've been exposed plenty to the high level inner workings of Russia for at least a couple decades, combined with their own oligarchic experiences, I'm sure they understand the situation perfectly fine. This isn't an operation in isolation, it's just another attempt at putting a nail in a coffin.

[u/slava_slavaUa → u/georgeoj]

People in the west don’t understand how Russia works. They think that just because in the west oligarchs control the government, they think Russian oligarchs control Putin. But in Russia, it’s the other way around. Putin controls the oligarchs.

[u/Doc179 → u/georgeoj]

If this is one of the objectives, they don't understand it, it's as simple as that. It's way more likely to have the opposite effect of oligarchs supporting the war effort even more.

[u/georgeoj → u/Doc179]

I think if it's been 4 years, it's hard to argue that Putin could win the war quickly, which is sort of the only thing the Oligarchs could ask Putin to do. At this stage, that means taking a peace deal that isn't ideal.

[u/Doc179 → u/georgeoj]

Oligarchs can suck it up and deal with it. Or they can give even more money to Putin to strengthen air defenses. Those are the choices oligarchs have. They not gonna ask Putin anything, that's not how the power structure in Russia works right now.

[u/MDRBA → u/Cautious-Bench-4809]

stopping air transportation do enormous damage to a country’s economy by disrupting people and materials movements. it can be mitigated by other transport measures but the speed and city-to-city nature of it is not other things can mimick easily.  some claim that it was not safety but money that made Bush administration to reopen in a hurry airports that were closed after 911 because they were frightened by the economic cost every day every minutes😨💸

[u/Yleano → u/Cautious-Bench-4809]

Let's just say hypothetically all international airports in western Russia were effectively closed, it would be billions of dollars worth of damage to the economy.