Russia Too Massive to Defend Against Ukrainian Drones, Top Official Admits

A Russian official admitted Russia is too massive to fully defend against Ukrainian drone strikes, The Moscow Times reported on March 18, citing Russian media.

State Duma  Deputy Andrei Gurulyov told local media that the Russian military lacks the air defense forces needed to create a continuous protective shield against the deep-strike campaign.

Responding to recent warnings from Russia’s Security Council head Sergei Shoigu that Ukrainian strikes could now reach beyond the Ural Mountains, Gurulyov bluntly stated that forces are stretched too thin to cover everything.

Instead of a blanket defense, commanders are forced to selectively protect only major cities, regional capitals, and critical strategic infrastructure like power plants, military factories, and key bridges, according to The Moscow Times.

The admission comes as Ukrainian deep strikes against Russia’s fuel and energy complex continue to intensify. According to Russian Defense Ministry data, the number of long-range Ukrainian UAVs launched into Russian airspace surged to roughly 4,300 per month by December 2025.

While Defense Minister Andrei Belousov recently claimed an improbable 97% interception rate, Shoigu directly contradicted the official optimism, stating that the sheer sophistication of Ukrainian drones means “no region of Russia can feel safe.”

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War in Ukraine

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Highlighting the growing desperation within the Russian military establishment, Sergei Khatylev, the former commander of Moscow’s anti-aircraft forces, recently proposed instituting World War II-style rolling blackouts across major cities. Khatylev argued that plunging urban centers into darkness at night, combined with intense electronic warfare jamming, is necessary to disrupt the optical navigation systems of incoming Ukrainian drones, The Moscow Times wrote.

Russia’s military leadership struggled to maintain a coherent air defense umbrella over its vast territory as Ukrainian long-range strikes became a daily reality in 2026.

After months of targeting refineries and factories, Kyiv successfully breached the once-untouchable industrial heartland of the Urals. Currently, as the Kremlin pulls front-line batteries to guard Moscow and Yekaterinburg, the systematic dismantling of the Russian energy sector has already inflicted over $12 billion in losses.

Despite claims of high interception rates, the inability to protect strategic rear assets has forced Moscow to consider desperate measures like machine-gun trucks and urban blackouts to protect critical infrastructure.

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