Ukraine Exposes Russian Failures in Air Defence Strategy (Video)

Ukraine’s push to take the war deep into Russian territory has exposed growing weaknesses in the Kremlin’s air defences. Ukrainian intelligence reports reveal that despite Russia’s efforts to bolster protection against drone and missile attacks, their infrastructure remains highly vulnerable.

According to the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine (FISU), Ukraine has significantly ramped up its production of long range weapons capable of striking Russian targets directly. In response, the Kremlin has been racing to equip industrial and energy facilities with drone defences. Currently, between 60 to 80 percent of Russian civilian and industrial enterprises have installed protective systems. These include physical barriers like nets and shelters, as well as advanced tools such as anti aircraft guns, interceptor drones, and even laser based weapons.

However, Ukrainian intelligence says these systems are often ineffective. Many do not meet their promised performance standards, and crucial installations are often equipped incorrectly. Moreover, most of this protective technology is imported from China, even though official documentation falsely claims they are Russian made.

The urgency for drone defences stems from a wave of successful Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries and depots. These attacks have devastated facilities crucial to the Kremlin’s war effort. As of now, more than 1,000 requests have been submitted to assess vulnerabilities at critical Russian infrastructure sites.

To illustrate these efforts, the table below outlines the defensive systems reportedly in use:

While Moscow scrambles to improve defences, Ukrainian forces continue to inflict strategic losses on the battlefield. The 137th Marine Battalion, part of Ukraine’s 35th Marine Brigade, has emerged as a key fighting unit. Their Hydra unit is known for fast moving ambushes using Western-supplied equipment and drones.

Recently, the 137th Marines repelled Russian attacks near a village in Donetsk, deploying first person view (FPV) drones and British Mastiff armoured vehicles. Previously, they played a key role in liberating Macarivka and launched strikes that destroyed Russian vehicles and positions on the left bank of Kherson.

In parallel to these battlefield developments, Germany’s likely next Chancellor Friedrich Merz has reiterated his support for supplying Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles. He stressed that such deliveries must be done in coordination with NATO allies. Merz criticised Berlin’s delay, saying Germany should have delivered the missiles alongside the UK and France, who have already supplied Storm Shadow missiles.

These long range weapons, including the Taurus KEPD 350, are capable of hitting fortified targets up to 500 kilometres away at subsonic speeds. Each Taurus missile is equipped with a tandem warhead known as Mephisto and uses a combination of image-based and terrain-following navigation systems for pinpoint strikes.

The UK and France have already used similar weapons to great effect in Crimea, targeting Russian military assets. Merz suggested that future strikes with Taurus missiles could include key strategic targets such as the Kerch Bridge, which Russia uses to transport military supplies.

Meanwhile, the Russian government continues to deflect attention from its military failures. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov appeared ice skating with his wife, Tatiana Navka, just days after Russian attacks killed 32 people in Sumy and injured 99. In another strike on Kherson, two more civilians were killed.

Russia’s reliance on terror against civilians appears to be a sign of growing military desperation. Unable to stop Ukrainian advances on the battlefield, the Kremlin turns instead to fear tactics. Yet even these are failing to break Ukrainian resistance.

While Ukraine has acted with targeted precision against military objectives, Russia’s response has been indiscriminate. Recent Russian missile attacks on civilian areas in cities such as Sumy and Kherson killed at least 34 people and injured over 100. These attacks have increased as Russian air defences come under pressure. Kremlin forces appear to be retaliating out of frustration by targeting non military sites to cause fear.

US President Donald Trump, known for his leniency towards Moscow, offered no real criticism of Russia’s deadly Palm Sunday attack in Sumy. Instead, he called the war “a horrible thing” and vaguely suggested the strike might have been a “mistake.”

By contrast, France’s Foreign Minister Jean Noël Barrot demanded the European Union impose the toughest possible sanctions on Russia. He noted that Ukraine had agreed to a ceasefire proposal a month earlier, while Moscow had shown no interest in peace.