Recently, during a conversation with journalists, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin said: “Our response is to reinforce the air defense system of the Russian Federation.”However, Russia’s air defense system covers only key facilities — Moscow and the Moscow region, as well as the dictator’s residences.It is worth noting that the country’s air defense network was effectively dismantled during former Defense Minister Serdyukov’s so-called “reforms.”A vivid indicator of the current state of Russia’s air defenses is its request to Turkey to sell back S-400 systems that Moscow previously sold to Ankara.According to the Turkish outlet Nefes, Russia has asked Turkey to return two S-400 surface-to-air missile systems purchased in 2017 for $2.5 billion, citing a shortage of such systems in its own reserves.Moscow is eager to replenish its stockpiles quickly, as losses on the battlefield and export demand have created a deficit. There are no ready-to-use S-400 systems in reserve, only those already in operation.This demonstrates that not only is Russia’s air defense incapable of countering external threats, but its defense industry also cannot meet the needs of its own army or fulfill foreign contracts. Notably, Russia’s deal with India to supply S-400s has been postponed twice.According to The Times of India, during a bilateral meeting between India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and his Russian counterpart, the delivery schedule for the S-400 was pushed back to 2026–2027.The final two systems were originally supposed to be delivered by April 2023. In total, India ordered five divisions, but repeated delays have affected its defense readiness.Analysts say these delays are partly due to Russian losses in Ukraine and Moscow’s efforts to redirect air defenses to intercept Ukrainian drones, which have been striking military and oil infrastructure targets deep inside Russia.For instance, Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces used strike drones to destroy a P-14F Lena early warning radar and a Sopka-2 radar complex in Russia’s Voronezh region.The Lena radar monitored the airspace around the Buturlinovka Air Force Base, while the Sopka-2 was part of Russia’s continuous radar coverage along the Ukrainian border. Both were designed to counter Ukrainian UAVs — unsuccessfully.Ukrainian drones also struck a launcher and radar of an S-400 Triumf air defense system in Russia’s Kaluga region.Russia’s air defense, experts say, has a “localized” nature — protecting mainly Moscow, the surrounding region, and the occupied Crimean peninsula.According to Ukrainian Navy reserve colonel and military expert Vladyslav Seleznov, Moscow prioritizes the protection of the capital and occupied Crimea.“The highest concentration of air defense and missile defense systems is around Moscow and the Moscow region, as well as Crimea. The enemy has deployed enormous resources to protect the Kerch Bridge — at least two air defense brigades guard it — and other military facilities on the peninsula are also well-defended,” Seleznov said.Yet, recent Ukrainian strikes — including on Foros — have once again cast doubt on Russia’s claims of a layered defense system in Crimea.Military analyst Oleh Zhdanov noted that while the density of air defenses there is high, “explosions on the ground mean the systems are still failing to intercept incoming weapons.”Until recently, Crimea was considered to have Russia’s most layered air defense. But successful Ukrainian drone strikes have shattered that perception.In late June, Ukrainian military intelligence drones hit five components of an S-400 Triumf system in Crimea, including two multifunctional 92N6E control radars and two 91N6E detection radars. Another drone reached a launcher likely loaded with missiles.On September 30, Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces struck another S-400 radar station in occupied Crimea.“It’s symbolic that the enemy’s expensive air defense system, meant to counter drones, was itself destroyed by Ukrainian drones,” the SOF noted.Without its surveillance and guidance elements, the entire system becomes inoperative.The destruction of Russian launchers and radar systems in Crimea severely undermines the occupiers’ air defense, leaving legitimate military targets — airbases and especially the crucial Kerch Bridge — exposed.Specially for EspresoAbout the author: Dmytro Sniehyrov, military expert, co-chair of the Prava Sprava NGO.The editorial board does not necessarily share the opinions expressed by the authors.