Moscow under attack: how Ukrainian drones bypass "impenetrable" Russian air defense
According to the Russian media, referring to the mayor Serhiy Sobyanin, the anti-aircraft missile allegedly shot down six UAVs on the approach to the capital of the Russian Federation. The explosions were heard in Dubno, where a key nuclear research center is located, Nova Moskva and Komunarka. Telegram channels are sharing videos with smoke and explosions, indicating possible hits. Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Combating Disinformation, confirmed the attack without revealing details.
The appearance of mobile fire groups near the Kremlin indicates the strengthening of defensive measures. The incident underscores the Russian capital's vulnerability to airstrikes and the rise of technological warfare. Over the past two months, a new air defense perimeter has been created around Moscow, including 21 positions at a distance of up to 50 km from the city, of which 80% are located in the southern direction.
OSINT analysts note that the system includes Pantsir anti-aircraft missile systems, S-300, S-400, radars and electronic warfare systems. Complexes are regularly moved between positions to ensure mobility and readiness. The number of "Pantsyr" systems increased the most, which reflects preparation for repelling UAV attacks. A separate air defense perimeter has been created around Putin's residence in the Valdai district, where 13 Pantsir positions, one S-400 and a radar are located.
According to the publication Blik, the development of air defense is connected with frequent attacks by Ukrainian drones that hit objects deep in the Russian Federation. Despite the presence of modern complexes, Western experts point to the vulnerability of Russian air defense to low-altitude UAVs, which indicates the limited effectiveness of the system against modern threats.
According to military expert Pavlo Narozhny, air defense location schemes that appear in open sources cannot be considered reliable, as they are not official documents, but can only be someone's guesses. In addition, air defense systems such as the S-300 or S-400 are mobile and can move quickly between positions, making it difficult to assess their actual location and effectiveness.
"For an objective assessment of the effectiveness of Moscow's air defense system, detailed statistics are necessary, for example, how many drones, missiles or aircraft were launched and how many of them reached the target. There are no such data in open sources.
However, if you look at the reports of the Russian side that allegedly at least 3-4 of the 34 drones reached the center of Moscow, this indicates the lack of 100% coverage and density of air defense systems, which does not allow to effectively intercept all goals," the expert tells Focus. In addition, Narozhny drew attention to the Russians' use of mobile fire groups to combat drones.
Their activity, according to him, indicates a lack of confidence in the main anti-aircraft missile systems, such as Pantsir, S-300 or S-400, which, despite loud statements, are not able to completely neutralize the threat of drones. The presence of such groups highlights the weaknesses of the air defense system, which cannot guarantee full protection even of key facilities in the capital of the Russian Federation.
The expert also noted that modern Ukrainian drones, which are actively used for strikes on Russian territory, pose a serious challenge to Russian defense. According to him, the lack of full effectiveness of Moscow's air defense system is the result of both technological limitations and tactical miscalculations. This is confirmed by regular reports of successful drone attacks that cover significant distances and reach targets deep in Russia, including strategically important objects.
In conclusion, Narozhny emphasized that the current situation with Moscow's air defense system indicates its insufficient adaptation to modern challenges, in particular to low-altitude and maneuverable drones. This creates opportunities for the further development of the tactics of using drones, which can further complicate the defense of the Russian capital.
We will remind that the Russian Federation is returning to the technologies of the Second World War, installing balloon barriers - balloons with nets - to protect against Ukrainian drones. This archaic method should stop modern drones, but its effectiveness is questionable. Focus also wrote that on the night of October 27, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported an attack by 193 Ukrainian drones.