Ukraine’s recent drone attacks on Moscow have highlighted the vulnerabilities of Russia’s air defense systems. The attacks, which were the largest since the start of the full-scale war, caught Russia off guard and resulted in significant damage.

Russia’s Air Defense Weaknesses

Russia’s air defense systems were designed to combat conventional military aircraft, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles, but they are not equipped to handle drone attacks. According to Thomas Withington, a military sciences fellow at the London-based Royal United Services Institute, ‘Russia’s air defenses are simply not fit for purpose.’ The systems are not capable of detecting, tracking, and engaging drones, which are more difficult to track than larger missiles or aircraft.

The Ukrainian military has been continuously improving its attack capabilities, including the use of drones, for years. The recent attacks on Moscow have shown that Ukraine’s strategy to overwhelm Russian air defenses with drones has been successful. Russia’s air defense systems have been unable to keep up with the large number of drones being launched, and many have been able to breach the defenses.

International Sanctions and Russian Air Defenses

International sanctions have hampered Moscow’s ability to access the technology needed to develop new air defense systems capable of engaging Ukrainian drones. Withington noted that even if Russia could ramp up production, it would only be producing systems that are not effective against drone attacks. The sanctions have limited Russia’s ability to modernize its air defense systems, making it more difficult for the country to defend itself against drone attacks.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.