Ukraine is exploiting weaknesses in Russian air defences with massive drone attacks, – CNN
Massive strikes by Ukrainian drones on Russian territory are increasingly exposing the weaknesses in Russia’s air defences.
According to Censor.NET, this is reported by CNN.
Ukraine’s tactic of overwhelming air defences with large numbers of drones is proving effective, whilst the Russian military’s response during the recent attacks on Moscow indicates serious problems with the protection of its airspace.
Improvisation rather than organised defence
During one of the largest attacks by Ukrainian drones on Moscow, the Russian military acted in a chaotic manner. Video footage analysed by CNN shows soldiers firing missiles from man-portable air defence systems directly from busy roads. Another video captures a failed air defence missile launch, which missed its target and struck an oil tank on the outskirts of the Russian capital.
Marcus Schiller, an expert at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, described this incident as an "own goal" by the Russian air defence forces. Stu Ray, a senior analyst at McKenzie Intelligence Services, also believes that such actions indicate a hasty, improvised and unprofessional response by the military, who deployed air defence systems near civilian transport without proper traffic management.
Ukraine is systematically weakening Russia’s air defence system
As CNN notes, at the start of the full-scale war, Russia concentrated most of its air defence systems near the Ukrainian border and the front line. However, Ukraine’s regular strikes on military targets deep behind enemy lines have forced Moscow to spread its forces thin, thereby weakening the overall effectiveness of its air defence.
At the same time, the Ukrainian military is systematically destroying Russian launchers, radars and other air defence assets. According to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, 166 such targets have been neutralised since the start of this year alone, and over 1,432 since the start of the full-scale invasion.
Why Russian air defence is struggling to cope with drones
Experts explain that most Russian air defence systems were designed to counter aircraft, ballistic and cruise missiles, rather than large numbers of small drones.
Thomas Whittington, a research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, notes that modern drones are much more difficult to detect and track, particularly when they attack simultaneously from different directions. International sanctions, which restrict access to the technology needed to develop new anti-drone systems, have posed an additional problem for Russia.
Despite claims by the Russian side that it has allegedly shot down hundreds of Ukrainian drones, experts suggest that regular, large-scale attacks are gradually depleting air defence missile stocks. They emphasise that, given the current intensity of the strikes, Russia is forced to choose between several unfavourable defence options, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to effectively counter such tactics.
