Air defense chiefs under pressure in Russia amid continued drone attacks – UK intel

Russia's Aerospace Forces chiefs are under intense pressure to improve air defense capabilities over western Russia in the face of the ongoing drone and missile attacks.

That’s according to the British Ministry of Defense referring to intelligence data, Ukrinform reports.

The leadership of the Russian Aerospace Forces is probably under strong pressure to improve air defenses over western Russia because in recent months, the range of threats penetrating inside Russia has increased. The Chief of Staff of the Aerospace Forces, Colonel General Viktor Afzalov, will be under special pressure, British intelligence believes. The Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces, Sergei Surovikin, is still missing in a public space as he is suspected of having been involved in the mutiny attempt by the Wagner Group in June, the report says.

The intelligence report added that strikes deep inside Russia are strategically important because President Putin almost certainly invaded Ukraine, assuming it would have little direct impact on the Russian population.

Unmanned aerial vehicles regularly attack Moscow. In addition, reports that S-200 missiles are striking Russia have become more frequent. This 11m long 7-ton Soviet-era weapon had earlier been removed from service with the Ukrainian army but it is now likely being used as a ground-based ballistic missile, according to intelligence analysts.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the roof of the railway station building in the Russian city of Kursk caught fire as a result of a drone attack.