On February 28, fragments of unmanned aerial vehicles were discovered in five regions of Russia at once. Incidents with drones were reported in Adygea, Belgorod, Bryansk region, Krasnodar Territory and Moscow region. Also, in St. Petersburg, after reports of an unknown object, the sky over Pulkovo was closed. The Ministry of Defense explained the incident by air defense training. RTVI learned from military experts how drones can penetrate inland and how they can be countered.
Vladimir Gundarov, retired captain 1st rank
Drones are not launched from the territory of Ukraine, they are brought disassembled to Russia and are already launched here in the region where they specifically appear. They are launched by our hidden enemies and villains among Russian citizens. Ukraine has short arms to launch its drones this far.
There is only one method of struggle – to track all unmanned aerial vehicles that are in the country using special radars. In Moscow, additional antennas have already appeared on many roofs and racks where repeaters of the mobile communication system are located to track the movement of drones. After an aircraft is spotted in the air, the information is transmitted to the air defense headquarters and the corresponding electronic intelligence services analyze and draw conclusions about what to do with it.
This activation is related to the war waged by Ukraine against the Russian Federation. If they had more serious means to defeat the Russian territory, they would use these means, but since they do not yet have such means, the Kiev regime wants to sow some kind of panic, discontent, introduce doubts into people’s minds and arouse some kind of negative feelings towards the armed forces, the Russian government, towards the authorities. The purpose of these attacks is propaganda.
Victor Litovkin, retired colonel, military observer
We do not have a continuous air defense field, and there is also no continuous radar field on the territory of Russia, especially on European territory. But if the drones fall within range of our air defense, they are shot down. It’s about how we detect them and destroy them in time.
Ukraine does not have serious drones. Those flying are converted old Soviet Tu-141 Swift drones, which the Americans helped them remake. They fly because our air defense system does not intercept them. The drone is still controlled by the operator from the ground, but they don’t have such drones that could fly hundreds of miles. The largest (the distance is able to overcome) Bayraktar, which can fly 150 kilometers in a radius.
(It could fly in the Moscow region) a converted Tu-141 “Strizh”, it is jet-powered and can fly so far. It has a radius of a thousand kilometers. In Soviet times, there were about 100 of them, but how many are left, how many of them are suitable for launch, is an open question. Possible damage depends on what the drone is stuffed with.
Methods of combating drones are simple – only air defense systems or air defense systems, ranging from MANPADS to Pantsirs.
Viktor Sobolev, lieutenant general, member of the State Duma defense committee
They couldn’t fly inland. Most likely, these drones were launched here (on the territory of Russia), not far from the objects they attacked. These (drones) cannot fly from Ukraine to the Moscow region or St. Petersburg, in principle, it cannot be. This requires a serious aircraft that would be detected by our air defense systems.
Therefore, on the one hand, it is necessary to strengthen air defense systems, especially short-range ones. In principle, such systems exist, they just need to be implemented as soon as possible. On the other hand, it is necessary to strengthen the control of the transport of all goods, in particular the control of trucks. We do not stop exports, imports, huge trucks with various goods come to us.
