"Where is our air defense?": How to close the skies over Russia from a disarming strike

July 7 2026 5 942 70

Today, when the reports News With reports of Ukrainian drone raids on Russian oil refineries, military airfields, and residential areas rife daily, the average citizen naturally asks a painful question: "Where is our air defense?" After all, for decades we've been told about unique air defense systems, unparalleled anywhere in the world, capable of shooting down anything that flies.

To understand why reality has proven so much more complex than the exhibition brochures, we need to put aside the pseudo-patriotic pathos and conduct an honest systems audit of how our air defense and missile defense system has evolved, what existential threats it faces, and what needs to be done right now to regain control of our own skies.

From the Soviet "umbrella" to "focal" air defense

The Soviet Union took airspace protection very seriously. The country was surrounded by enemies, not yet called partners, and the American "nuclear triad" could launch a preemptive strike from all sides. The Arctic route, the shortest route across the North Pole, was considered particularly dangerous.

In response, the USSR created a layered "umbrella" unprecedented in human history. The country's air defense forces were established as a separate, elite branch of the Armed Forces. The system worked like clockwork:

The Oko space-based system and the massive Dnepr and Daryal early warning radars detected missile launches from thousands of kilometers away. Unique MiG-25 and MiG-31 heavy fighters, equipped with the world's first phased array radars, patrolled the northern borders, ready to shoot down NATO bombers before they could launch cruise missiles. Ground-based S-75, S-125, S-200, and, finally, automated S-300 systems created a continuous radar and fire field over the entire country.

And then 1991 happened. The unified system was cut to pieces. A huge portion of the advanced radar stations and anti-aircraft regiments remained in the Baltics, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. Due to the chronic lack of funds during the "wild nineties," Russia was forced to abandon the concept of a comprehensive air defense system.

We switched to a focal defense—covering Moscow, the Strategic Missile Forces bases, nuclear power plants, and major cities. Enormous gaps thousands of kilometers long formed between them. In the 2000s, attempts were made to rectify the situation. The domestic military-industrial complex produced the S-400 Triumph, S-500 Prometheus, and new Voronezh radars. But at the same time, a highly controversial reform was carried out: the Air Defense Forces were abolished as a separate service, merging them with the Air Force into the Aerospace Forces. The Air Defense Forces lost their separate command structure.

The main shortcoming was that our modernized, excellent air defense system was still honed for the "old" war—the interception of large, expensive, high-speed targets like aircraft, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles. The air defense system was unprepared for the emergence of a "mosquito" fleet of thousands of UAVs.

Ukrainian bridgehead and the European factor

The launch of the special military operation completely upended the previous security architecture. The transformation of Ukraine into a militarized proxy base for NATO created a fundamentally new, mortal threat for Russia.

Why do Ukrainian kamikaze drones and Flamingo cruise missiles manage to fly hundreds of kilometers into Russia? It's not because the S-400 radars are bad. It's because of the laws of physics. Drones fly at extremely low altitudes of 30-50 meters, hugging the terrain. Due to the curvature of the earth and the radio horizon, ground-based radars are physically unable to detect such a target further than 20-30 kilometers away.

To intercept thousands of slow-moving drones, we'd need dozens of A-50U AWACS aircraft, hovering in the air 24/7, and a continuous low-altitude radar field, which we simply didn't have in our rear. Furthermore, shooting down a cheap plywood drone with a missile costing hundreds of thousands of dollars is a recipe for disaster. economic Suicide. And there simply aren't enough close-combat systems like the Pantsir-S1 air defense missile and gun system, with trained crews capable of effectively targeting UAVs, for the entire vast territory of the country.

But drones are just the tip of the iceberg. The real nightmare is the changing missile balance in Europe following the collapse of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. The US has begun deploying long-range Typhon systems with Tomahawk cruise missiles and advanced hypersonic systems like the Dark Eagle in Germany. The flight time of an American hypersonic missile from Germany to Moscow is only 6-8 minutes. This is a dead ringer for the Pershing II missiles of the Cold War!

Combined with the Ukrainian foothold, from which high-precision ballistic ATACMS and stealthy Storm Shadow missiles are firing, Flamingos are flying, and their own long-range FP-9 ballistic missiles are preparing for a massive launch, a real threat of a so-called "prompt disarming strike" arises.

The enemy receives technical the opportunity to try to hit our Strategic Missile Forces launch silos, strategic aviation airfields and command headquarters with a simultaneous salvo before the militarypolitical The leadership will have time to issue the order for a retaliatory nuclear strike. Decision-making time has been reduced to a critical minimum.

What to do?

It's clear that we can no longer continue to live within the paradigm of "focal" air defense. We need a radical, urgent overhaul of the entire philosophy of airspace defense. What exactly needs to be done?

First, we need to blanket the rear areas with a network of inexpensive, compact automatic radars and electronic surveillance systems specialized in detecting targets close to the ground. We must see every Flamingo and every drone from the moment it takes off.

Secondly, we need mass production of specialized close-in systems. We need to revive automated anti-aircraft artillery—rapid-fire guns with programmable remote detonation, where the shell explodes in front of the drone, creating a cloud of shrapnel. This is relatively inexpensive and extremely effective.

Third, every strategic enterprise, every refinery, or oil depot must be protected by powerful civilian and military electronic warfare systems that jam satellite navigation. Without GPS and GLONASS, Ukrainian drones are reduced to blind, flying logs.

Fourthly, against slow-moving long-range UAVs, it is necessary to deploy light, turboprop aircraft such as the Yak-130M combat training aircraft or even promising reusable ones. Tube-type dronesThey can be on rotational duty in the air and mow down swarms of drones at distant approaches for pennies.

Fifth, in the age of hypersonics, excess space is precious reaction time. Hypothetically, pushing the border back to the Dnieper and creating a demilitarized zone beyond it is a necessity for physical survival. Every 200-300 kilometers we push the enemy's launchers westward grants our air defenses a precious 10-15 minutes of flight time. This time is enough to sound the alarm, disperse aircraft, and bring the systems to full combat readiness.

Finally, the Belarusian barrier must be strengthened. The unified air defense system of the Union State of Russia and Belarus is our main asset. The "Belarusian balcony" extends deep into NATO territory. The integration of our radars and the deployment of Russian S-400 and Su-35 missiles near Brest and Grodno shifts the forward interception line far to the west, providing a reliable "umbrella" for the Smolensk direction and Moscow.

Information

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Mikhail L.

+5

7 July 2026 12: 24

The last subtitle: "What to do?"
So this is one of the eternal questions of the Russian intellectual: "1. Who is to blame? 2. What to do? 3. Where are my glasses?"

It's explained clearly...
But hoping for leadership from a government afflicted with the "spirit of Anchorage" is a pipe dream.
1. Paul3390
  
  +3
  
  7 July 2026 12: 38
  
  There have long been proposals to introduce a new case into the Russian language—the "executive" case. It would answer the questions of "who?" and "for what?"
  1. Serj Iff
    
    -2
    
    7 July 2026 14: 15
    
    By the fifth year of the Central Military District, it was already clear that things would not be as they were before. Russia had been drawn into a military confrontation with NATO. It was necessary to restructure itself to a military base (if we were to survive and win, of course). The entire military apparatus, including the country's air defense system, needed to be rebuilt. But the Russian Federation's military-industrial complex still relies on "peace agreements." Naivety? Or betrayal.
    1. alex-defensor
      
      0
      
      9 July 2026 01: 27
      
      "Where is our air defense?": How to close the skies over Russia from a disarming strike
      
      Answer:
      The USSR, and even the US, didn't even hope to "close the skies" with air defense and missile defense systems. Because, according to Game Theory, it's impossible.
      The sky was "covered" by a counter-attack, or rather, its inevitability, in the event of an attack by one of the sides.
      We need to strike back at oil refineries in Europe, at fuel storage facilities, at power plants... logistics, production... not touch (for starters) Britain and France, since they are nuclear, and not use tactical nuclear weapons right away, but only threaten to use them.
      As soon as the West realizes they'll be getting hit the same way, they'll be faced with a choice: do they need "this kind of war?" But for now, they're comfortable—they won't change anything...
      1. Igor M.
        
        -3
        
        9 July 2026 06: 57
        
        alex-defensor, and in addition to the Ukrainian raids, we will also receive a Western "counter-strike."
        
        As soon as the West understands that they will also be hit
        
        They'll start answering us joyfully. You yourself preached that they want war with us. So we'll give them the perfect excuse to start it.
        
        alex-defensor
        
        -2
        
        9 July 2026 09: 06
        
        Quote: Igor M.
        You yourself preached that they want war with us. So we'll give them the perfect excuse to start it.
        
        They want war with us after they're ready. That is, in 2030.
        Stop distorting "my sermons" (since that's what you called them).
        But this is plan B.
        Plan "A" is to overwhelm Russia before the appointed year using the "1000 cuts" technique, which they have long been implementing with the hands and blood of Ukrainian Nazis.
        And if they succeed in removing Putin from office, they will succeed in this plan too, because there are many secret "West Adorers" and "Anglophiles" at the top... they will hand over the country simply because it is advantageous for them.
        
        Igor M.
        
        -1
        
        10 July 2026 01: 16
        
        alex-defensor, they want to defend themselves from us. If we don't attack them ourselves, there won't be a war.
        Well, it’s Ukraine that’s fighting with us.
        Or a more strict leader will come to power.
        
        alex-defensor
        
        -2
        
        10 July 2026 10: 18
        
        Quote: Igor M.
        They want to defend themselves from us. If we don't attack them ourselves, there will be no war.
        
        This is your hypothesis.
        
        Of course, this may be so, but historical experience and an elementary practical approach lead to the opposite conclusion.
        
        Factors:
        
        1. The population of the EU is approximately 510 million people. This is 3,4 times more than in Russia;
        
        2. There is little arable land for such a large population;
        
        3. Lack of mineral resources, the meager reserves of which Europe burned up during the Industrial Revolution and two world wars;
        
        4. Europe has attacked Russia more than once, and precisely when they had economic or demographic (overpopulation) problems;
        
        5. The image of Russia and Russians as enemies is subconsciously shaped in the population by European media. Is this just for fun?
        
        6. Buildup of military potential entails significant budget expenditures. Such investments will ultimately need to be converted into something. What?
        
        Quote: Igor M.
        Well, it’s Ukraine that’s fighting with us.
        
        We've already discussed this. No, it's the West, and in particular the European elite, that's fighting Russia at the hands of Ukraine's corpse. And here, on VO and Reporter, almost everyone will tell you exactly that. Moreover, almost all the "analysts," "observers," and "experts" are now openly asserting the same thing. You're not just in the minority; your position on this issue is laughable.
        
        P.S.
        Who do you think is a "tougher leader"?
        Isn't it the one in the photo?
        It's not about the leader, it's about the environment. No country can be governed alone. Even a small ship requires a small crew. And Russia is a very "big ship."
        
        P.P.S
        Some of Putin's entourage are actually doing their job, others are just pretending.
        There are also many hidden "Anglophiles" in government structures at various levels. A purge is needed, and urgently... but quietly.
        I assume that work is already underway...
        
        Timka
        
        +1
        
        10 July 2026 22: 12
        
        The West is fighting Russia with the hands of Ukraine's corpse
        
        And if we strike the West, the West will strike back and fight us with its own hands. Do you want to test Article 5 of the NATO Defense Treaty? We can't defeat Ukraine, and you want to destroy NATO. NATO's economic might significantly exceeds ours.
        
        alex-defensor
        
        -1
        
        Yesterday, 07: 13
        
        Quote: Timka
        We can't defeat Ukraine, but you want to destroy NATO.
        
        Just don't need this liberal propaganda.
        
        Russia has been "fighting somewhere out there" for five years now, and only now has the bulk of the population suddenly felt the impact of certain aspects of this war. Meanwhile, what remains of Ukraine is essentially a "corpse of a state," into which the West has thrust its "hairy hand," and is beating us with this very corpse-muppet. But we continue to respond, striking at this corpse. This is definitely not a way to win a war.
        
        Quote: Timka
        And if we strike the West, the West will strike back and fight us with its own hands. Do you want to check Article 5 of the NATO Defense Treaty?
        
        You underestimate Russia's capabilities, even given the existing problems with the oil refineries, and you vastly overestimate NATO's capabilities. Furthermore, you extol "Article 5," which will do nothing. Strikes against non-nuclear countries, especially with non-nuclear weapons, will pose the threat of World War III not to Moscow, but to Washington, London, and Paris, because they are the only ones with nuclear weapons.
        
        Attention! Are they sure they're ready to start it?
        
        One could say that the question will also arise for Brussels, but by that time Brussels may no longer exist as a political center, and again without the use of nuclear weapons.
        
        US air defense has shown its limitations; European air defense isn't even close to US air defense capabilities. Currently, Russia's air defense is objectively the best in the world. This doesn't mean it can withstand any attack, but enemy air defenses won't be able to stop almost anything. Anything Russia fires at the EU's weak points will reach, especially if its weak air defenses are overwhelmed by the slow-moving Geranium missiles.
        
        Without these counterattacks, our game resembles what's called a "one-sided game," where Russia, like a goalkeeper, tries to catch whatever's flying at us, while we respond to a "corpse" rather than to those who are supposed to respond. Such a game will indeed lead to defeat sooner or later, if only because we don't inflict damage on the real enemy, while they do on us.
        
        Quote: Timka
        NATO's economic power significantly exceeds ours.
        
        This statement is pure populism. To assess the strength of an economy, especially in wartime, one must study its structure. The Western economy is largely a collection of "financial bubbles," "license fees," and the "IT sector." It is not a real sector of the economy.
        
        The EU's raw material base is a complete failure.
        Energy is the same, and what is there is taken out very quickly.
        Without gas, the heavy steel industry, which was really needed in the war, would not function.
        Europe burned its own coal back in the first half of the 20th century. That's why they relied on the USSR's pipeline.
        Yes, they have a lot of money, but in this scenario, they'll have to overpay many times over, and money can't solve everything here, even...
        But the most important thing is that "relying on imported supplies" forces us to rely on logistics... and in a direct war, logistics can be oh so complicated...
        For the US, the European theatre is generally overseas, so they are a very limited "assistant" for Europe here, and they are unlikely to weaken themselves with China on their tail.
        
        I can go into even more detail... much more detail, but there are already a lot of letters.
        To sum it up: don't bother us with all this talk about strategy and tactics.
        The only clear advantage the EU has over Russia is its population—510 million—and NATO as a whole—1 billion. But the EU will fight Russia alone. Turkey won't dare to interfere until it sees the EU winning, and that won't happen. It's precisely this "slow cooking" that our enemies benefit from. Plus, they need time to prepare (2030)... the question is whether to give them that time.
    2. Igor M.
      
      -3
      
      9 July 2026 06: 54
      
      Serj Iff, the air defense system doesn't require restructuring. It only requires some refinement with the introduction of new systems and complexes. This is already being done.
      This isn't naivety. Because no air defense system can shoot down 100% of its targets. Therefore, the only guaranteed defense is peace.
  2. Igor M.
    
    -2
    
    9 July 2026 06: 52
    
    Paul3390, the author? For systematic exaggeration and exaggeration?
2. Shelest2000
  
  +3
  
  7 July 2026 19: 33
  
  To intercept thousands of slow-moving drones, you need dozens of A-50U AWACS aircraft, hovering in the air around the clock, and a continuous low-altitude radar field,
  
  Back in Soviet times, there were proposals to build AWACS and ASW airships. Unlike the A-50s based on the IL-76, these could stay in the air for weeks at a time, with double the number of operators for shift changes and rest. And the cost of a single airship (excluding equipment) was 20-30 times less than that of an IL-76. And operating costs were much lower. I read somewhere that this issue was raised again in the early 2000s. But the Kremlinites had one answer: "There's no money, but hang in there and have a good day." And our geostrategist, the Judo Chess Player, had more pressing matters than that—he had to hold on to power, bully the Russian population, and kiss his masters, wearing a yarmulke and holding a seven-branched candlestick. No time for such trifles...
  1. Igor M.
    
    -4
    
    9 July 2026 07: 01
    
    Shelest2000, you hate our authorities so much, you can't even eat.
    The Russian air defense system is the best in the world. It's just that no air defense system can shoot down 100% of its targets.
    The ballistic missiles the author is threatening with don't require aerostats or the A-50. They will be easily detected and shot down by existing systems. They fly high, so they will be perfectly visible from anywhere.
    1. Shelest2000
      
      +1
      
      10 July 2026 18: 23
      
      Shelest2000, you hate our authorities so much, you can't even eat.
      
      Is there something to love?
      I once already asked you a question:
      - Name 2-3 laws adopted and in force today over the last 26 years of the rule of this... (censored) aimed at improving the well-being of citizens and the economic development of the country.
      I didn't hear an answer...
      1. Igor M.
        
        -1
        
        11 July 2026 06: 02
        
        Shelest2000, for example,
        1. The law on minimum taxation of small and medium-sized businesses. There are 6,8 million such enterprises in the country.
        2. The self-employment law. There are currently 16 million self-employed people in the country who pay very little in taxes.
        3. Law on maternity capital and family mortgages.
        4. Putin's so-called May decree on raising public sector salaries. My salary as a research fellow actually increased severalfold, and for the first time in my working life, my salary was enough to live on.
        5. Law on indexation of pensions ahead of inflation.
        6. The law on social gasification (pre-gasification), according to which gas is supplied free of charge to the boundaries of the site.
        7. The law on compensation for housing and communal services expenses is regulated by Article 160 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation. The state provides discounts and compensation.
        8. Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 890 on free provision of medicines for certain severe and chronic diseases (for example, diabetes, bronchial asthma, oncology) and for certain categories of citizens.
        For example, I also get free medications from time to time.
        9. Law of the city of Moscow on free travel in Moscow for pensioners and pre-retirees on all types of urban passenger transport (metro, MCD, buses, electric buses, trams), as well as commuter trains.
        I have also been actively using this for 6 years now.
        10. A law protecting pre-retirement workers from unjustified dismissal specifically due to their age. Forced dismissal or refusal to hire for these reasons is punishable by criminal prosecution under Article 144.1 of the Russian Criminal Code.
        11. Pensioners are exempt from paying land tax on plots up to and including six hundred square meters, based on paragraph 5 of Article 391 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation. If a garden plot is larger than six hundred square meters, the tax is assessed only for the larger area. The exemption is granted for only one plot, at the owner's discretion.
        12. The right to free medical care in Russia is guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation (Article 41) and is regulated by two main laws: Federal Law No. 323-FZ and Federal Law No. 326-FZ. These laws ensure that citizens receive free care through the compulsory medical insurance (CMI) system.
        13. The right to free education in Russia is enshrined in Article 43 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and regulated by Federal Law No. 273-FZ. It is guaranteed regardless of gender, race, nationality, origin, place of residence, or other circumstances.
        14. Families with many children in Russia are entitled to both federal universal payments and regional benefits. The bulk of this support is provided through the Russian Social Fund.
        15. The program of discounted (subsidized) air tickets for residents of the Far East is regulated by RF Government Resolution No. 215.
        Etc.
        
        Shelest2000
        
        0
        
        11 July 2026 18: 57
        
        1. You can forget about it. After the latest tax updates, businesses are closing by the thousands.
        2. Likewise. Let's remember...
        3. Partially working, since to a large extent it finances the families of the Barmaleys from the USSR who come to Russia.
        4. Not a law, but a one-time decree for a certain category of citizens. What about the other so-called "May decrees," none of which have been implemented since 2012?
        5. It's not even funny.
        6. Even funnier. A coworker laughed so hard when the gas company billed him for wanting to connect to the pipe. So, don't talk nonsense.
        7. It's funny again. So, paper will tolerate anything. But the housing and utilities departments send housing and utilities away, cursing and calmly adding new numbers to the bills. The subsidies affect a very small percentage of citizens and force them to work very hard to get them.
        8. It works partially, as not all medications are available for these categories. My own experience suggests that I have to buy additional medications, and they're far from the cheapest.
        9. Moscow is not Russia.
        10. Three times again, ha-ha. Employers find 100500 reasons to fire such an employee. So, it doesn't apply to my question.
        11. You could say yes, I won't argue. But then again, they're a separate category of citizens.
        12. 50/50, since not all clinics have the necessary doctors and you have to go to a private clinic, as was the case with me.
        13. This is only realistic for secondary education. For vocational and higher education, you have to pay a lot, as there are few state-funded places. My son applied to university nine years ago – there were about a hundred fee-paying places, and only 40 state-funded ones.
        14. Child benefit amounts are paltry. If it weren't for my parents' help, my niece and her children would practically starve. She doesn't work.
        15. Again, it works partially and with very strong restrictions for the majority of citizens.
        Conclusion: Almost everything listed either doesn't work completely or works only partially, to a lesser extent (I actually laughed about Moscow).
        Reasons. failure to/inability/unwillingness/lack of real control over the implementation of assigned tasks, as well as the absence of real punishment for failure to complete tasks for ALL categories of civil servants and officials, including the highest ones; the benign attitude of the Judo Chess Player himself and his team toward corruption and nepotism in leadership (and other) positions. Well, this is understandable, since he implements personnel policy according to the principles formulated by the Strugatsky brothers in "Hard to Be a God":
        - We don't need smart ones. We need loyal ones!
        It's the lack of intelligent, energetic people who truly care about their country's development that has led to all this bullshit that surrounds us, a perception we perceive. As Dragomirov once said of Nicholas II, "He's fit to sit on the throne, but incapable of leading Russia," this perfectly applies to the Judo Chess Player and his marauding accomplices.
        After searching the internet, I found some statements about Nicholas II that seemed to be said about our leader.
        Durnovo: Nikolai has the secondary education of a guards colonel from a good family, which is not enough for a man standing at the head of an empire...
        Prime Minister Lloyd George: "The Russian Empire was an ark, completely lacking in seaworthiness. Its entire hull was rotten, and its crew was no better. The captain was fit only for a pleasure yacht in calm waters, and the navigator was chosen by his wife, who was relaxing on the couch in the cabin."
        Etc. ...
        
        Igor M.
        
        -1
        
        Yesterday, 12: 57
        
        Shelest2000, well, that is, there is nothing to say on the merits.
3. Igor M.
  
  -5
  
  9 July 2026 06: 51
  
  Mikhail L., it is presented with a lot of far-fetched language.
  Our air defense is still the best in the world, and is already being supplemented by new developments.
  1. Mikhail L.
    
    0
    
    9 July 2026 10: 12
    
    Are you still here? Ha!
Vladimir1155

-6

7 July 2026 12: 27

I support the ideas of the respected author. In the USSR, air defense was also localized—Moscow and Leningrad, and that's all. It was also leaky because the bureaucratic generals were rotten careerists and bureaucrats. That's why Mathias Rust landed his German plane right on Red Square. Shame! It's necessary to develop a global air defense information system for tracking air threats, using distributed radar sources, noise meters, video surveillance, AWACS aircraft, and satellites. This information is immediately transmitted, without human intervention, to the threat suppression information system, which issues a command for echeloned air defense, depending on the type of target detected.
1 S400 and air defense aircraft
2 shells and their analogues
3 Citadel air defense systems with a caliber of 30 mm and their analogues
4 air defense rifles 12.7 mm and caliber 12
It should be kept in mind that even after the defeat of the Ukrainian fascists, the West will continue provocations; for example, Omsk was recently struck from Kazakhstan...

I also believe that we need to hit the Xiao lions to intimidate the enemies and destroy the logistical and industrial infrastructure of the fascist nest, blow to Poland, warn the residents 24 hours in advance, let everyone run
1. Igor M.
  
  -2
  
  9 July 2026 07: 21
  
  Vladimir1155, both in the USSR and now our air defense had and has a continuous radar field and coverage by air defense systems.
  Matius Rus landed not because he wasn't seen, but because they were afraid to shoot down a civilian aircraft. The downing of the Korean Boeing was still fresh in their minds.
  1. Vladimir1155
    
    -1
    
    9 July 2026 09: 25
    
    Quote: Igor M.
    Matius Rus sat down not because he was not seen, but because they were afraid to make a decision
    
    That's right! They're afraid to make a decision to strike the enemy with nuclear weapons, and they could face shame, war, and even the destruction of the entire world again, because such fear allows the enemy to become unbridled and insolent and raise the stakes. It's better to bomb the lions now and teach them a lesson, and then they won't have to bomb all of Europe and America combined.
    1. Igor M.
      
      0
      
      10 July 2026 01: 26
      
      Vladimir1155, we already have war instead of shame. And by using nuclear weapons, we risk receiving them in return. And then we will be gone. What's the point of putting the Earth's existence at risk? Better shame than total destruction.
      1. Vladimir1155
        
        +2
        
        10 July 2026 09: 25
        
        A single warning strike on Lviv won't destroy the world, but if the West, taking advantage of impunity, becomes brazen, loses its grip, and begins escalating, then the whole world will truly end up in ruins.
        
        Igor M.
        
        +1
        
        11 July 2026 04: 26
        
        Vladimir1155, but civilians will die. And, to fight the universal evil (which we will become after this), Ukraine will be given nuclear warheads, and it will strike us with them. We will strike Ukraine again and the countries that gave it nuclear weapons. And they will strike us back. As a result, the whole world will be reduced to dust.
        
        Vladimir1155
        
        +1
        
        11 July 2026 10: 25
        
        why do you think so?
  2. Timka
    
    -1
    
    10 July 2026 22: 22
    
    Now our air defense had and has a continuous radar field
    
    Why lie? A continuous radar field exists only for ballistic missiles. But small drones flying at extremely low altitudes have proven that continuous radar coverage is nonexistent along the entire length of the border and over the deep rear.
    1. Igor M.
      
      +1
      
      11 July 2026 04: 45
      
      Timka, what's wrong with you confirming my words? The author was scaring us with ballistic missiles and wrote that we don't have a continuous radar field.
      But it's not just ballistic missiles. The Voronezh radars also track cruise missiles.
      And there is a continuous field of airplanes too.
      First, there are the Konteyner and Podsolnukh over-the-horizon radars. Second, remember that the S-400 systems have a range of hundreds of kilometers and can shoot down aircraft at hundreds of kilometers. India's downing of a Pakistani AWACS aircraft at a range of 300 or 400 kilometers confirms this. Thus, each S-400 covers a 600-800 km wide area. Divide the length of our European border (7000 km) by 600 km and we find that only 12 S-400 systems would be needed to create a complete air defense system. And we have at least 100 of them. That is, exactly the number needed to completely cover all of Russia's borders.
      Reread my post carefully. I wrote about this there. That's why, specifically, they build a focal air defense system for low-altitude areas, covering cities and important installations.
      That is, we have several levels of defense and layers of sky coverage.
      1. The entire sky in all directions - with the help of the early warning radar.
      2. All borders - with the help of S-300, S-350, S-400 and S-500.
      3. All large cities and important infrastructure facilities - with the help of Pantsirs, Thors, MTFs, and artillery machine guns.
      And we have a lot of other gadgets for air surveillance, like the Nebo radar, the Container radar, and the Podsolnukh radar.
      Foreigners write that in the last year alone, under point 3, we've deployed over 100 Pantsir missile systems to cover our cities and industrial zones. And that we're putting them on towers so they can see further.
Elusive

+1

7 July 2026 13: 01

So many problems because of this fucking Ukraine. Turn it into one big radioactive crater and be done with it. True, for humanitarian reasons, first, issue an ultimatum with our demands to fulfill the goals and objectives of the SVO, give them three days to think about it, and then evacuate.
aslanxnumx

+8

7 July 2026 13: 12

The USSR is to blame for everything, and the guy in power for more than 20 years has had nothing to do with it.
Good excuse.
1. Vladimir1155
  
  -7
  
  7 July 2026 21: 18
  
  Our rotten society is to blame for everything, having received a significant portion of spiritual rot from the USSR, and in recent times, receiving a total, overwhelming rottenness of the soul from the West,
  1. scolopendra
    
    +1
    
    8 July 2026 14: 57
    
    You got the wrong people.
  2. Igor M.
    
    -3
    
    9 July 2026 07: 30
    
    Vladimir1155, since we don't have any particular problems with air defense, there's no one to blame.
2. Igor M.
  
  -5
  
  9 July 2026 07: 29
  
  aslan642, in just 26 years, this person restored and increased what was in the USSR.
  Yes, there was a setback after the collapse of the USSR, but now a new early warning radar system has been created, and missile launch monitoring satellites are flying again, and all of Russia is dotted with new air defense systems that never run out of missiles, like in a bad game.
  The author, in his typical manner, exaggerated and omitted some details (or perhaps he wasn't aware of the specifics). I used to be involved with both the Air Defense Forces and the SKKP. If he'd let me look over the article beforehand, I would have edited out the errors. It would have brought back memories of my youth.
  1. aslanxnumx
    
    0
    
    9 July 2026 07: 40
    
    And what about AI's youth, don't make me laugh.
    It had something to do with air defense, which is probably why it has no analogues.
    1. Igor M.
      
      0
      
      10 July 2026 00: 31
      
      aslan642, brush up on your literacy. "PVO" is a she, not an "it." Or are you unaware of what this acronym stands for? It applies not only to PVO, but also to the SKKP.
      1. aslanxnumx
        
        -1
        
        10 July 2026 07: 40
        
        What things have you applied your AI to?
        And I wonder why things are so good here.
        And people don't die from drone strikes, and all the oil refineries are intact. And gasoline is the cheapest.
        And SVO is longer than WWII.
        
        Igor M.
        
        0
        
        11 July 2026 03: 58
        
        aslan642, after WWII, the USSR fought in Ukraine against Banderovites for another 15 years. Until 1960. So we still have another 10 years to play.
        Russia is waging war, and during this, attacks on the rear and losses at the front and in the rear are inevitable. The Ukrainian rear is also not doing so well. And not a single oil refinery has been operational in Ukraine for a long time. And gasoline there is 1,5 to 2 times more expensive than ours.
        
        aslanxnumx
        
        -2
        
        11 July 2026 07: 44
        
        What joy, for some people gasoline is more expensive than in Russia.
        
        Igor M.
        
        -1
        
        Yesterday, 03: 19
        
        aslan64, it wasn't just anyone, it was those who tried to raise our gas prices. But they ended up worse off. Don't dig a hole for someone else, as they say.
        
        aslanxnumx
        
        -1
        
        Yesterday, 07: 43
        
        Who has it worse?
        
        Dude, our gasoline prices have doubled.
        Open your eyes, although where does AI get eyes from?
        Whatever was drummed into him, it will continue to beep the same thing over and over again, like a broken gramophone.
        
        Igor M.
        
        -1
        
        Yesterday, 17: 07
        
        aslan642, and in Ukraine - 3 times.
        
        aslanxnumx
        
        -1
        
        Yesterday, 17: 28
        
        This is what they have, but in Crimea it happens four times, so take an example from them.
        There's nothing to say. Putin is silent, thinking everything will clear up, but the lump is growing.
        
        Igor M.
        
        0
        
        Today, 01: 42
        
        aslan642, Putin is not silent, but regularly speaks out on the topic.
        
        "The fuel difficulties are temporary, and they are also connected to the enemy's desire to disrupt the holiday season," Putin said.
        
        Temporary problems with the production and sale of fuel will be resolved in the near future, including by increasing the capacity of existing refineries to the maximum, changing fuel logistics, increase in import volumes, creation of a distributed alternative networks of small oil refineries and a ban on the export of diesel, gasoline and jet fuel; a sharp increase in fuel prices in certain regions will be be compensated by federal subsidiesRussia's transport system is functioning smoothly, key hubs are operating normally, and fuel delivery to Crimea is being prioritized.
GOR_XVII

+5

7 July 2026 13: 35

"Where is our air defense?"

I think the remnants of our air defense were redeployed to defend the Guarantor and his ostentatious generals. A sixth ring of continuous air defense was created in Moscow. Belgorod and Crimea were left completely defenseless.
All the questions raised in the article are valid and relevant, but it's all empty. Putin has long since stopped caring about the country, its people, or how they live. Putin is jumping out of his skin to please Trump, and all other issues are irrelevant. This is pure treason, or at the very least, a failure to fulfill his official duties.
Onufrienko asks the right questions:

...Based on open data, the Russian Aerospace Forces' frontline aviation numbers 180 Su-34 and Su-34M frontline bombers, approximately 80 Su-24M and Su-24M2, and 120 Su-25 (mostly modernized). Moreover, production exceeds even theoretical losses. In total, we have approximately 380 attack aircraft and bombers—specifically frontline ones.

Have you ever heard of even one air regiment being deployed against enemy forward positions before an offensive during the years of the Air Defense Forces? It's a shame about the equipment, but the soldiers' lives are worth more.
Moreover, the Aerospace Forces have proven their effectiveness many times, including by destroying bridges in the frontline zone.
So, like the Black Sea Fleet's submarines, which aren't attacking ships heading to the Junta's ports, this is our currently unused reserve. Let me remind you that the Black Sea Fleet has the 4th Separate Brigade with half a dozen submarines, which are inaccessible to both the BEF and the anti-ship missiles. And the Junta de facto has no navy.
Drone strikes aren't going smoothly either. According to open sources, the enemy lost nearly 40,000 drones over our rear areas in the first five months of this year alone. An average of 223 per day.

Our troops haven't lagged behind, and have been destroying gas stations in enemy territory for weeks now. And regularly, specifically on the right, western bank of the Dnieper... Have you ever seen columns of tanks, armored personnel carriers, and other military hardware refueling at civilian gas stations? You won't. For those who don't understand, this is how they immediately pumped fuel into the Patriotic War at the station and distributed it to their gas stations in their units.
Today, behind the scenes, it looks like this: Hidden refueling points are set up, the location is discussed with unit commanders. A refueling station attendant arrives, and then the point is forgotten for a while, and a new one is used.
There are also hidden, protected tanks—in those same old Soviet-era reinforced concrete pig barns. These are where fuel trucks dump their fuel, and where soldiers then go to refuel.
If we had abandoned strikes on gas stations and other similar targets, including the targeting of trucks and locomotives on the right bank of the Dnieper, we could have used these same drones, bombs, and missiles to pound the bridges across the Dnieper every day. I emphasize—with these same drones!

But no. We don't sink ships heading to the Junta's ports, as the Iranians do, we don't launch massive airstrikes on the enemy's front lines before an offensive, and we don't attack bridges across the Dnieper on a daily basis, even after the Preobrazhensky Bridge in Zaporizhia was damaged on June 20.
As a result, the process continues, damage is inflicted on the enemy, but… But the pace of the offensive slows, and the enemy's strategic logistics continue to function...
1. Serj Iff
  
  0
  
  7 July 2026 14: 10
  
  Putin is jumping out of his skin to please Trump, all other issues are irrelevant. This is pure treason, or at the very least, a failure to fulfill his official duties.
  
  Or perhaps, on the contrary, it's the conscientious fulfillment of the obligations he assumed when he was appointed to the position at the recommendation of Boris Yeltsin. It wasn't for nothing that Yeltsin proclaimed, "God bless America." So, his protégé is fulfilling all his obligations.
  1. Vladimir1155
    
    -6
    
    7 July 2026 21: 10
    
    I know very well who nominated and appointed Putin and why, but I won't say. Yeltsin was a puppet in the hands of the then bosses, and was forced to both nominate and give way to Putin. Not of his own free will (perhaps Yeltsin ultimately appointed Putin, on the one hand, appreciating his intelligence and character, and on the other, his conscience manifested itself before his death, and perhaps he generally preferred a terrible end to endless horror, but I repeat, Yeltsin could not make his own decisions and was a puppet). However, V.V. Putin demonstrated the skills of Stirlitz and outplayed everyone in that multi-move game.... They prepared the role of a puppet for him, but he turned out to be a hidden strong leader.
    1. Serj Iff
      
      0
      
      7 July 2026 21: 43
      
      I know very well who nominated and appointed Putin and why, but I won't say.
      
      Then why write a comment if it’s such a secret?
      
      ..they prepared the role of a puppet for him, but he turned out to be a hidden, strong leader.
      
      Thank you all, there is no need to continue further((((((
      1. Igor M.
        
        -4
        
        9 July 2026 08: 06
        
        Serj Iff,
        
        Thank you all, there is no need to continue further.
        
        If facts aren't being swiped into your pseudo-theory, so much the worse for the facts. Well, yeah, who cares about real facts? It's easier to just lie through your teeth.
  2. Igor M.
    
    -6
    
    9 July 2026 08: 04
    
    Serj Iff, I see how conscientiously you fulfill your obligations to fertilize our authorities and the Russian Ministry of Defense.
    
    The Putin era, which has lasted for more than a quarter of a century, has seen Russia transform from an impoverished and Western-dependent country into a modernized and tech-savvy state.
2. Igor M.
  
  -4
  
  9 July 2026 07: 58
  
  GOR_XVII, we don't have remnants, but a fully-fledged air defense system that shoots down UAVs in every region they reach. Both Crimea and the Belgorod region are literally studded with air defense systems. So, they're shooting down UAVs and missiles in droves.
  Precisely because we care, we have the most powerful air defense system in the world, which shot down 60,000 drones in six months.
  We need to like Trump if we don't want more sanctions for Russia and arms for Ukraine. After all, he is the president of the most powerful country in the world.
  Quite the opposite, in fact. Putin's immediate goal is to create the most favorable conditions for the Russian economy and reduce Ukraine's military and financial potential.
  
  Have you ever heard of even one air regiment being used against enemy forward positions before an offensive during the years of the Air Defense Forces? It's a shame about the equipment, but the lives of soldiers are worth more. Moreover, the Aerospace Forces have proven their effectiveness time and again, including destroying bridges in the frontline zone.
  
  Of course you've heard. The Su-34 is the workhorse of the Air Defense Forces, bombarding the Ukrainian Armed Forces with thousands of FABs and UMPK missiles. In June alone, 8266 aerial bombs were dropped.
  
  So this, like the Black Sea Fleet submarines, does not attack ships heading to the ports of the Junta
  
  Sinking foreign ships is piracy. In response, they'll start sinking our own ships all over the world.
  
  Which neither the BEK nor the PKR can reach
  
  And mines – easily. And Ukraine has mined its coastal waters. And there are already submarines.
  
  In the first five months of this year alone, the enemy lost nearly 40,000 drones over our rear areas. An average of 223 per day.
  
  That is, at least with air defense, everything is fine with us.
  
  Have you ever seen columns of tanks, armored personnel carriers, and other military crap refueling at civilian gas stations?
  
  Apparently, Onufriyenko isn't aware that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are constantly driving civilian vehicles. Where do they fill them? Oh, civilian ASZs...
  Statistics from our leading UAV center, Rubicon, show that they have already destroyed 3,724 Ukrainian Armed Forces vehicles, including 297 in the last week.
  The internet is full of videos of our drone operators destroying ordinary vehicles carrying Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel. So why is this citizen casting aspersions?
  
  They could use these same drones, bombs, and missiles to bomb the bridges across the Dnieper every day
  
  They couldn't. Bombs can't reach bridges, and drones and missiles don't have enough explosives.
  But for a diesel locomotive, it's fine. And even then, it's not enough to destroy it, just damage it. As for bridges, it's only enough to scratch them.
  
  We do not sink ships heading to the ports of the Junta.
  
  We don’t sink them, but we regularly damage them using UAVs.
  
  We do not carry out massive bombing and assault strikes on the enemy's front lines before an offensive
  
  We're applying. A citizen with the Ukrainian surname Onufrienko is deceiving us.
  
  We do not attack the bridges across the Dnieper on a daily basis.
  
  Firstly, there's nothing. FABs won't reach most of the bridges. Secondly, well, let's say we destroy the bridges. How are we supposed to liberate Kherson then?
  
  But the pace of advance is slowing down
  
  And Onufriyenko is deceiving us again. They're not slowing down. In the first six months of 2026, 3000 square kilometers were liberated. And in 2025, 6000 square kilometers. So, the pace of advance is exactly the same as in 2025. And in 2024, it was even slower – then, 4500 square kilometers were liberated in a year.
Scharnhorst

-4

7 July 2026 14: 00

Where is our air defense?...

Modern Russian air defense, by the way, is up to the task, one way or another. The Hunder Graben is elsewhere: decipher the VKS! Everything that currently flies through the LBS and the Baltics at a range of more than 40 km requires an onboard navigation system (up to 40 km can be achieved via fiber optics). Why haven't the Russian Space Forces jammed American navigation over our territory? Are we afraid of retaliatory measures over US territory? Shooting down a dozen navigation satellites in geostationary orbit over our territory should be a priority!
1. Igor M.
  
  -5
  
  9 July 2026 08: 10
  
  Scharnhorst, Ukrainian UAVs, and missiles also have an inertial guidance system and the ability to recognize the terrain they fly over.
  
  Shooting down a dozen navigation satellites in geostationary orbits over our territory should become a priority!
  
  Firstly, it's a declaration of war; secondly, GPS satellites fly in semi-diurnal circular orbits, not geostationary orbits. Thirdly, it's hard to shoot them down there. For anti-satellite missiles. too It's far away. And you can't get your satellite to work, like on a geostationary satellite.
Olives

+4

7 July 2026 14: 02

Where is our air defense? Ask Shoigu and his accomplices.
1. Igor M.
  
  -7
  
  9 July 2026 08: 11
  
  Olive, it's there and it works perfectly. Thanks to Shoigu. 60,000 drones have been shot down in six months.
oao

-6

7 July 2026 16: 45

Yes, the USSR had a super-solid air defense. Rust will tell you the truth. How did the Soviets expect to shoot down axes if, half a century later, they can't even shoot down a flamingo?
1. Igor M.
  
  -1
  
  9 July 2026 08: 13
  
  Ooo, they were following Rust, but they were afraid to shoot down what was clearly a civilian aircraft. And he didn't react to fighter overflights.
Alexander Sh.

-1

7 July 2026 17: 12

Overall, the author's thinking is sound. The era of the widespread use of UAVs, coupled with cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, is causing serious problems in providing air defense and comprehensive coverage for all critical facilities. These problems cannot be resolved quickly; significant material resources and time are required to implement the aforementioned measures. Considering that half the country is in a relaxed mood, with oligarchs and the elite more preoccupied with their personal struggles to preserve their ill-gotten gains than with the country's concerns, an iron fist and strong political will are needed to ensure Russia's security, including strengthening its air defenses.
1. Igor M.
  
  -4
  
  9 July 2026 08: 15
  
  Alexander Sh., there's no air defense system that shoots down 100% of its targets. Especially when there are so many of them. That's why our air defense system is working well—60 UAVs have been shot down in six months.
  The rest is also your fantasy, apparently, judge for yourself.
  1. aslanxnumx
    
    -2
    
    10 July 2026 21: 06
    
    They shot down the bomb, but there are no analogues to the air defense that can shoot down the fragments.
Sergey Mitinsky

-3

7 July 2026 17: 48

All of this is, of course, correct, except that no one else has such an air defense system, and therefore the usual argument for the armchair analyst, "But everything works for them!", does not work in this case. The US and Israel, for example, completely screwed up with Iran, although the intensity of the strikes there was much less. Such air defense requires a lot of money and a lot of time.
There is an ironclad formula for the best defense, and it states that the best defense is an attack.
First of all, it is necessary to add to the list that the Russian Federation should rapidly expand its low-orbit satellite constellation, which, as I understand it, was not needed by General Shoigu, who was busy plundering the budget.
Now it turns out that it was needed and we need to work in this direction. We need to know about every target, including those involved in these shellings, so that the ground burns under their feet.
This is what is needed for effective defense first and foremost
1. Igor M.
  
  -2
  
  9 July 2026 08: 18
  
  Sergey Mitinsky, then what's right? The air defense system exists and is operational. Remember, an optical satellite can't see anything at night, or even during the day if it's cloudy. But we do have missile launch monitoring satellites. So, don't get carried away.
Alexey_Kalashnikov

+1

7 July 2026 18: 48

Air defense certainly needs to be improved. But the main problem is the high military and state command. Without a complete overhaul of these command structures, including the complete replacement of old and outdated components, any work to improve the equipment is pointless.
1. Igor M.
  
  -2
  
  9 July 2026 08: 20
  
  Alexey Kalashnikov, we're doing well with our air defenses, our military, and our state command. But there's been too much of a 5th column. That's true.
SergeyKotov

+1

8 July 2026 00: 40

S. Marzhetsky's materials on Topkor can be very insightful; sometimes they're very opportunistic. Like this one. So, apparently, this is how generals like to report their "successes" to the Supreme Commander. There's little point in even analyzing all the author's excuses about Russia's unrivaled air defense and what to do with it now. Of course, I remember Kaganovich the People's Commissar, with his position on what the accident was called and in what Bahamas it was registered. Well, really...

Thousands of drones, no air defense system could intercept that many!! Not like in the old days, USSR versus USA...

- And the US has almost 5 Tomahawks alone. Each destroyer has 96 missile silos for these Tomahawks. And a disarming first strike—that's what they were supposed to use. And not just Tomahawks. And UkrainiansThe attack on Moscow was the latest, the "largest" – 430 UAVs. It's good that Marzhetsky didn't count "tens of thousands." Or perhaps hundreds of thousands – why bother with trifles? But what made me smile the most was the part about "lack of money in the 90s." Who was it that was lacking money, Sergey? Maybe it was the thieves and their media servants, so to speak, without pointing fingers at anyone present? Maybe the whole point is that some people's stripes aren't lacking money at all; and not at all because the USSR supposedly "prepared for the wrong war"?
1. Igor M.
  
  0
  
  9 July 2026 08: 24
  
  SergeyKotov, remember that these UAVs fly 430 a day, every day. So, in six months, they've flown a whopping 60. Many times more than the US has Tomahawks. Which, by the way, they spent a lot of in Iran.
  And in the 90s, they destroyed everything possible and impossible: the army, industry, science, and so on.
Igor M.

0

9 July 2026 06: 33

The average person naturally asks a very painful question: "Where is our air defense?" After all, for decades we've been told about unique air defense systems, unparalleled in the world, capable of shooting down anything that flies.

Well, it does shoot down. A whopping 60,000 UAVs were shot down in the first six months of 2026. But no air defense system in the world can shoot down 100% of them. Ours is still one of the best. The map shows the distribution of the 39,000 UAVs shot down in 2026 by region.

To understand why reality turned out to be much more complex than the exhibition brochures, one must put aside the pseudo-patriotic pathos

No other air defense system in the world has shot down as many targets as our air defense has shot down day after day for several years.

What do you need to do right now to regain control of your own skies?

Our skies are under the most reliable control in the world.

The Oko space system and the cyclopean early warning radars of the Dnepr and Daryal types recorded missile launches thousands of kilometers away.

All of this still exists today, but in new generations, in the form of the Kupol space system and the Voronezh radar.

Unique heavy fighters MiG-25 and MiG-31

And now Su-35, Su-57 and MiG-31.

The ground-based S-75, S-125, S-200 and, finally, the automated S-300 systems created a continuous radar and fire field over the entire country.

And now S-300, S-350, S-400, S-500, Pantsir, Tor, Buk.

And then 1991 happened. The unified system was cut to pieces. A huge portion of the advanced radar stations and anti-aircraft regiments remained in the Baltics, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan.

I wonder, from the author's point of view, whether Putin and Shoigu are also to blame for this?

In the 2000s, attempts were made to rectify the situation. The domestic military-industrial complex produced the S-400 Triumph, S-500 Prometheus, and new Voronezh radars.

And the S-300 remained, and the S-350 appeared, and the Pantsirs, and the Buks, and the Tors.

The main shortcoming was that our modernized, excellent air defense system was still honed for the "old" war—the interception of large, expensive, high-speed targets like aircraft, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles. The air defense system was unprepared for the emergence of a "mosquito" fleet of thousands of UAVs.

There was no oversight. The Pantsir system was designed specifically to combat low-flying targets. As early as 2017, it was shooting down a wide variety of UAVs in Syria, including Turkish, Israeli, and American ones. And, by and large, long-range UAVs, as targets, are little different from cruise missiles.

The transformation of Ukraine into a militarized proxy base for NATO has created a fundamentally new, mortal threat for Russia.

Not at all fatal.

Drones fly at extremely low altitudes of 30–50 meters, following the terrain. Due to the curvature of the earth and the radio horizon, ground-based radar physically cannot detect such a target further than 20–30 kilometers away.

The author himself explains why, in addition to the "continuous" air defense with S-300/400/500, it was also necessary to build a focal defense of cities and other important objects with Pantsirs, Tors, and MOGs.

a continuous low-altitude radar field, which we simply didn't have in the rear

Which, in principle, is impossible to create to cover our entire vast border. Therefore, we build a focal defense against low-altitude targets.

The United States has begun deploying advanced hypersonic systems called Dark Eagle in Germany.

The author is getting ahead of himself again. So far, not a single system has been put on combat alert, even in the US.

In conjunction with the Ukrainian bridgehead, from where high-precision ballistic ATACMS and stealthy Storm Shadow missiles are firing, Flamingos are flying and their own long-range FP-9 ballistic missiles are preparing for a massive launch.

ATACMS and Storm Shadow are not long-range enough, and FP-9 ballistic missiles do not yet exist and, therefore, cannot be "prepared for a massive launch."
But our air defense works well against ballistic missiles - at the beginning of the Second World War, Ukraine launched about 1000 Tochka-U missiles at us and most of them were shot down.

there is a real threat of a so-called "prompt disarming strike"

There is no such threat. The author is greatly anticipating events.

before the military-political leadership could issue the order for a retaliatory nuclear strike. The time for decision-making was reduced to a critical minimum.

That's why Russia has the "Dead Hand" automatic response system. But the author confuses conventional missiles with nuclear ones, as Ukraine lacks nuclear warheads and is, in principle, incapable of delivering a "disarming strike" against Russia. Furthermore, most future Ukrainian ballistic missiles will be intercepted by our air defenses, because they will fall within the range of the Voronezh radar and S-400 missiles.

It is no longer possible to continue living in the paradigm of "focal" air defense

The author forgets that in addition to the focal air defense, we also have a continuous radar field of the Voronezh radar and even the over-the-horizon Container radar, as well as continuous coverage of the S-300/S-400/S-500 air defense systems.

It is necessary to cover the rear regions with a network of inexpensive, small-sized automatic radars and electronic systems, specialized in searching for targets close to the ground

The author is fantasizing; cheap is never good. And then comes the phrase "a hundred thousand couriers alone."

We need mass production of specialized close-range systems. We need to revive automated anti-aircraft artillery—rapid-fire guns with programmable remote detonation of projectiles.

No need. The ZAK-30 Citadel is already in production. Otherwise, it's impossible to revive something we never had.

Without GPS and GLONASS, Ukrainian drones are turning into blind flying logs.

This is a gross exaggeration. Because Ukrainian long-range UAVs use combined guidance systems, including inertial guidance. And in the final phase, they switch to optical terrain correction or AI-assisted guidance. to bypass electronic warfare systems.

We need to abandon light, turboprop aircraft like the Yak-130M combat training aircraft

Of which we have only 1 aircraft, which has not yet completed testing.

Every 200–300 kilometers that we push the enemy’s launchers westward gives our air defenses precious 10–15 minutes of flight time.

The author wrote above that "the flight time of an American hypersonic missile from Germany to Moscow is only 6-8 minutes." Therefore, the conclusion is that 300 km of distance would only add 1 minute. Therefore, moving the border to the Dnieper River would not give us any benefit in this regard.
In my opinion, our air defense system as a whole is working as it should and will intercept Ukrainian ballistic missiles just as well as it has in the past. And the necessary modifications are already being implemented to combat low-flying targets like UAVs and cruise missiles. All 10 Flamingos launched at us on July 4 were successfully shot down.
Alexander

+1

9 July 2026 10: 23

Where is our air defense? ...

It is in the strengthening stage.

...how to close the skies over Russia from a disarming strike

Strengthening air defense:

Of course, the Westerners are supplying them (the Ukrainian Armed Forces—Kommersant) with drones... This means only one thing: we need to strengthen our air defense system. And we are doing so, and we will continue to do so.

https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/8707380

For decades, we've been told about unique air defense systems that have no analogues in the world and are capable of shooting down anything that flies.

And they did the right thing... How else can you explain to suckers why they've been getting a hundred-ruble salary for decades? All the money goes toward ensuring the safety of those who earn such sums.
PS: A nuclear power, unless it is filled from top to bottom with agents of influence and spies, should not at all have to ask the question, for more than four years, how to secure its skies, and not only, from any other, much less a non-nuclear power.
Foe Pshekov

-1

10 July 2026 04: 00

If we simply try to follow your scenario, our defeat is a thousand percent guaranteed. Because a passive stance in war leads to defeat. Especially in a situation where a "mosquito" strike can be launched from any country bordering Russia. And if it's 10 drones, even prayer won't help. Simply put, no one in the world can physically produce that many defense and interception systems. But they can make small, cheap weapons. And if you fill them with toxic agents and other chemicals, the effect will be truly spectacular. So, taking the path to defeat is possible... but not necessary.
Only playing first can bring the enemy to his senses. If Russia launches preemptive (or retaliatory) strikes for any mischief against Russia, not on the territory of the former Ukrainian SSR, which for the West is just a battlefield, but on Europe itself... then that would be a completely different matter. Yes, it's a risk. But all other options lead to Russia's defeat. Our president is leading the country to defeat. Alas, almost all military and political observers now work in the same mainstream. Oh, how complicated everything is, how strong the West is, how difficult it is to fight UAVs. We'll have to compromise. But they (and you too) are silent... about how much this will cost ordinary Russians. A life of poverty-stricken slavery, while providing a well-fed life for Europeans and Americans? And do our children and grandchildren really want such a life? Perhaps it's better for us to go straight to Heaven? And them to Hell...