Russian air defense systems in Kaliningrad have been reoriented to combat Ukrainian drones

The 6th Guards Army of the Russian Air Force and Air Defense Forces, headquartered in St. Petersburg and formed to counter NATO forces from the Arctic to Kaliningrad, is increasingly forced to focus on repelling attacks by Ukrainian drones. 

In December 2025, Vladimir Putin awarded the unit the honorary designation “Guards,” which, according to Russian regional media, was a direct acknowledgment of its role in defending the Leningrad Oblast from drones. Following the reestablishment of the Leningrad Military District in February 2024, aviation and air defense units were placed under the direct command of the Russian Air Force in Moscow. However, it is the 6th Army that controls the airspace over key northwestern regions—from the Kola Peninsula to the borders of the Baltic states and the Kaliningrad exclave.

To strengthen the northwestern sector, the 689th Fighter Aviation Regiment in the Kaliningrad Oblast (previously part of the Baltic Fleet) was reassigned to the 6th Army, and a new 149th Mixed Aviation Division was deployed in Karelia. Despite the key task of countering a potential conflict with NATO, the main operational focus for the formation’s units currently remains combating airborne threats in the war against Ukraine.

Source: Northern Defence Affairs.

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As a reminder, Russia’s largest marketplace, Wildberries, reportedly banned employees from bringing smartphones to work starting August 3. This was reported by Russian Telegram channels, which published an excerpt from an internal company memo.