Putin's ally Rogozin warned Russians of new challenges
Russian Senator and former head of Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin, who has supported the war against Ukraine, commented on the overnight drone attack, during which a record 556 drones were allegedly shot down over Russian regions. He claimed that Ukraine is allegedly employing a strategy of economic attrition against Russian air defenses and hinted at a further escalation of the situation.
This was reported by Russian propaganda media on May 17.
Instead of the reassuring statements about a “successful repulsion” typical of Russian officials, Rogozin offered a pessimistic forecast, acknowledging Russia’s helplessness. He urged people to abandon any illusions that the intensity of strikes on Russian territory would ever decrease.
“Do you think there will be fewer of them? No, their number will grow, and their routes and tactics will improve. They will seek out gaps and vulnerabilities in our defense,” the Russian politician said indignantly.
He acknowledged that Ukraine is successfully employing a strategy of economic attrition against Russian air defense, forcing it to waste expensive missiles on cheap drones.
“They will overwhelm the country’s production and technical capabilities for manufacturing anti-aircraft guided missiles—each of which costs several million rubles—with their foam drones,” Rogozin stated.
In his assessment, the next stage will involve comprehensive attacks utilizing space reconnaissance and sabotage-reconnaissance groups on the ground. The enemy plans to combine long-range drones, cruise and ballistic missiles, as well as FPV drones, which sabotage-reconnaissance groups will deliver in advance directly to the strike sites.
Dmitry Rogozin sees a separate threat in the use of autonomous loitering munitions equipped with AI (a “target library” in 3D format), which could soon paralyze the occupiers’ rear logistics.
“Their goal is to wreak havoc on the roads, disrupting all logistics and the movement of military and heavy-duty vehicles,” the senator complains.
Rogozin concluded that without an immediate solution to the problem of protecting Russia’s tactical and strategic rear from drones, any further military plans of the Kremlin will be at risk.
On the night of May 17, a number of military-industrial complex and energy facilities in Moscow and the Moscow region were struck. Strikes were carried out on an oil depot in Durikino, an oil refinery in Kapotnya, the “Angstrom” microelectronics plant, and the “Raduga” Design Bureau, which develops cruise missiles.
On the morning of May 16, Moscow was also attacked by drones, causing airports in the Russian capital to temporarily suspend operations.
The “ATESH” partisan movement claimed responsibility for a sabotage operation in the Moscow region, which disrupted the functioning of elements of the Russian air defense system on the outskirts of the capital.
