Russia Turns to WWI-Style Balloon Defenses Against Ukrainian Drone Strikes

A Russian chemical manufacturer has announced a tender to purchase aerostat-based defense systems designed to protect industrial sites from Ukrainian drone attacks, Russian outlet Daily Storm reported on October 21.

The project, valued at over 109,000$, aims to install the system at a chemical facility in Russia’s Tula region. While the specific company was not named, several major chemical plants operate in the area. The contract was published in September 2025, with completion expected within a month.

Developed by the Russian firm Stratospheric Systems, the technology uses tethered balloons connected by anti-drone nets and equipped with electronic warfare devices to disrupt UAV operations.

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However, the system’s practicality is questionable, since keeping aerostats aloft continuously is nearly impossible. Most likely, they will be deployed only during high alert or upon intelligence warnings, Militarnyi states.

Analysts point out that despite growing demand amid daily Ukrainian drone strikes, such balloon-based defenses remain rare due to high costs and limited effectiveness.

For now, Russia’s attempts to revive World War I–era air barrier technology show both the scale of the drone threat and Moscow’s struggle to find reliable protection for critical infrastructure, according to Daily Storm.

Previously, it was reported that Ukrainian forces employed balloons during a large-scale drone strike on Russia, marking the first reported mass use of such devices in the campaign.

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