Moscow Region In Russia Most Protected By Air Defense - Expert

(MENAFN- UkrinForm) Vadym Kushnikov, an analyst at the Militarnyi portal, stated this on Ukrainian Radio, Ukrinform reports.

According to him, Ukraine's production of long-range strike drones is increasing, and the number of systems targeting Russia could grow severalfold. At the same time, Russia is experiencing a shortage of surface-to-air missiles.

"If last year there were reports that Russians were asking partner countries to sell back air defense systems previously exported to them, this mainly concerned short- and medium-range systems like Strela and Osa. Now they are facing shortages of more advanced systems such as Buk, as well as longer-range systems like the S-300 and S-400," he said.

He added that there is growing evidence of successful Ukrainian strikes, forcing Russia to redeploy such systems from other regions to replace losses in occupied territories - including Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions - as well as in regions bordering Ukraine.

According to Kushnikov, the Moscow region remains the most protected in terms of air defense, as Russia places particular importance on securing its capital.

"The European part of Russia is currently the most protected, but there are clear signs that the enemy is resorting to creating mobile fire groups. This has already occurred in 20 regions, all of which are within reach of our strike capabilities," the expert noted.

Read also: 3rd Army Corps refutes Russia's claim of capturing Luhansk region

Commenting on the feasibility of large-scale strikes on Moscow, he said that Ukraine's Defense Forces primarily aim to weaken Russia's military-industrial complex, which is relatively decentralized.

"An important factor is the potential effectiveness of such strikes. Moscow and the surrounding region are among the most protected areas of the Russian Federation. Therefore, the advisability of spending resources to strike this region is relative. However, this does not prevent us from conducting special operations there," he added.

As reported, Russia has resumed exports of Urals crude oil from its main western ports after weeks of disruptions caused by Ukrainian drone strikes, although their long-term impact continues to limit shipment volumes.

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