Ukraine’s strategy to overwhelm Russian air defenses with drones has shown signs of success, particularly in recent attacks on Moscow. The Russian capital has seen a barrage of Ukrainian drones, with videos verified by CNN showing soldiers firing portable air-defense systems from a busy highway as traffic passes by.
Russia’s Air Defense Challenges
Russia’s air defense systems were not designed to combat drone attacks, but rather conventional military aircraft, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles. This limitation has been exposed by Ukraine’s continuous improvement of its attack capabilities over the years.
Experts note that Russia’s air defenses are not equipped to detect, track, and engage drone attacks effectively. International sanctions have also hindered Moscow’s ability to access the technology needed to develop new systems capable of engaging these Ukrainian attacks.
The Ukrainian military claims to have destroyed 166 Russian anti-air elements since the start of the year and more than 1,432 since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. Despite these efforts, Russia’s air defenses are likely shooting down a large percentage of Ukrainian drones, with the Russian military claiming to have downed 216 Ukrainian drones across the country on a single day.
Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.
