Ukrainian Armed Forces strikes have undermined the sense of security in Russia’s rear – ISW
Successful attacks by the Ukrainian Defense Forces on military targets deep within Russian territory have fueled discontent among Russian propagandists and so-called war correspondents. According to analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), criticism is increasingly directed at the Kremlin for its inability to provide reliable protection for strategic facilities against airstrikes.
Analysts note that the campaign of Ukrainian long-range strikes has forced Russian ultranationalists to increasingly raise the issue of protecting critical infrastructure and enterprises within Russian territory.
In particular, one Russian military blogger called on the Russian Ministry of Defense to establish a unified civil defense headquarters to counter drones. According to him, the current air defense system is in a state of chaos, as the military, the Russian National Guard, and private entities are operating without proper coordination.
Another Kremlin-linked “military correspondent” criticized the Russian authorities for shifting responsibility for protecting airspace onto businesses and civilian organizations that lack the necessary resources to counter Ukrainian strikes.
Russian commentators are also calling for the creation of a unified federal air defense system and for greater coordination between various agencies. Another military blogger stated that Russia’s vast territory is gradually becoming its main weakness due to a lack of air defense capabilities.
According to him, the existing systems are already insufficient to protect critical infrastructure from Ukrainian long-range strikes. “Right now, Russia has no rear,” the Russian blogger noted.
The ISW noted that Russian military bloggers have long attributed Ukraine’s successful strikes to the absence of a unified air defense command-and-control system and a lack of coordination between federal and regional authorities.
Analysts also concluded that Russia lacks sufficient air defense resources to simultaneously cover troops on the front lines and protect critical infrastructure in western regions and deep in the rear.
“ISW continues to assess that Russia’s refusal or inability to address gaps in its rear-area air defense has led to the current problems Moscow is facing, including repeated Ukrainian strikes on major cities and a widespread gasoline shortage in Russia and in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine,” the report states.
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