CNN Reveals Ukraine's Strategy To Wear Down Russia's Air Defense System
- 20.06.2026, 11:45
All options are bad for the Kremlin.
The massive attacks by Ukrainian drones on Russian territory have exposed the problems of Russia’s air defense system, which is increasingly forced to respond amid chaos and a shortage of resources. This is stated in an analysis by CNN, which cites military experts who note that Ukraine’s strategy is to wear down and overwhelm Russia’s air defense system with large numbers of drones.
The publication cites Thursday’s Ukrainian attack on Moscow as a prime example. It is noted that when numerous Ukrainian drones began approaching the Russian capital, Russia’s response resembled a chaotic attempt to cope with the situation rather than a well-planned strategic defense.
Footage verified by CNN journalists and analyzed by experts shows soldiers firing shoulder-mounted anti-aircraft missile systems directly onto a highway crowded with cars. In another video, journalists observed a Russian air defense missile striking an oil tank. Markus Schiller , an arms expert at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute , stated that this was “an own goal by Russia,” which resulted in a mushroom cloud of smoke and caused the massive top section of the tank was blown into the air.
According to Schiller, “Russia has a whole list of outdated systems that are not 100% reliable.” At the same time, he says, Ukraine has been constantly improving its strike capabilities “for many years now.”
Stu Ray, a senior analyst at McKenzie Intelligence Services, also highlighted the chaotic nature of Russia’s air defense operations.
“Video footage showing the use of man-portable air defense systems on a busy highway indicates a hasty, improvised, and, frankly, unprofessional response to the attack. The complete lack of traffic control and the use of military equipment in close proximity to civilian vehicles and people only confirm this assessment,” he said.
Ukraine Consistently Destroyed Russian Air Defense Systems
Journalists noted that at the start of the war, Russia concentrated its air defense systems on the border with Ukraine and along the front lines, “but Kyiv’s strategy was to attack a wide variety of targets in the occupied territories of eastern Ukraine and inside Russia, forcing Moscow to disperse its air defense systems and create a weaker and more sparse defense network.”
In addition, Ukraine has been striking the air defense launchers themselves, as well as radar detection systems, for many years in an effort to weaken Russia’s defensive capabilities. According to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, they have destroyed 166 Russian air defense systems since the beginning of this year, and more than 1,432 since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
Russian Air Defense Is Not Designed to Combat Drones
Thomas Whittington, a military affairs fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London Thomas Whittington also pointed out that Russian air defense systems were not designed to counter drone attacks, but rather to shoot down military aircraft, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles.
“Russian air defense simply isn’t fit for purpose; that’s absolutely obvious. It isn’t equipped to detect, track, and counter this type of attack, and unless it undergoes a major redesign, nothing will change,” Whittington said.
He emphasized that international sanctions have limited Moscow’s ability to obtain the technology needed to develop new systems capable of countering such attacks.
“Even if you manage to increase production, you’ll simply be producing more missile systems that still won’t do their job,” he added.
Why Drones Are Breaking Through More Often
However, experts note that Russian air defense likely continues to shoot down a significant portion of Ukrainian drones. On Friday morning, the Russian military stated that it had shot down 216 Ukrainian drones across the country.
The commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, Robert Brovdi, in his analysis of Moscow’s air defense system, stated that as of mid-May, there were still more than 100 air defense launchers and more than 50 mobile “Pantsir” air defense systems in the Russian capital.
But when Ukraine launches more than 100 drones in a single attack, some of them are likely to break through the defenses anyway, even if they are well fortified, the publication emphasized. According to Whittington, modern drones can also penetrate defense systems because they are harder to track than larger missiles or aircraft.
“They may show up on radar, but there’s a huge difference between detecting something on radar and achieving what we call ‘high-quality target tracking,’” he explained.
“All Options Are Bad for Russia”
According to him, hundreds of drones advancing from different directions require massive coordination on the part of Russia’s integrated air defense system, but “this is not happening properly.”
Repeated large-scale long-range attacks by Ukraine have led to speculation that Russia may also be depleting its air defense ammunition stocks. Experts warn that it is difficult to assess the state of Russia’s defensive missile stockpiles, as this information is not made public. But those stockpiles will inevitably dwindle if Ukrainian strikes continue to be large-scale and frequent.
“As for the frequency and severity of Ukraine’s attacks against Russia, all options are bad for Russia. I think the military is probably now considering which option is the least bad in an attempt to counter what they’re facing from Ukraine,” Whittington added.