Russia’s Answer to Ukrainian Drones Is a Rebranded Missile System Decades in the Making

Russia’s Kalashnikov Concern is preparing to begin serial production of the Krona-E short-range air defense system, a platform intended to protect critical infrastructure from unmanned aerial vehicles.

According to Defense Express on June 23, a representative of the Russian defense manufacturer announced the plans during the “National Security. Belarus-2026” exhibition held in Minsk from June 17 to 19. The system is being positioned as part of Russia’s broader effort to expand layered air defense capabilities against drone threats.

The Kalashnikov representative stated that the company is preparing for the serial production of the Krona-E territorial air defense system, which is designed for short-range air defense missions. The system is intended primarily to defend strategically important facilities against drones.

According to Defense Express, Krona-E was first publicly presented at the IDEX defense exhibition in the United Arab Emirates in February 2025. Although promoted by Russia as a new development, the outlet notes that the system is closely related to the earlier Sosna air defense system, which itself was developed as a successor to the Soviet-era Strela-10 platform.

The system can reportedly employ both 9M333 and 9M340.E missiles and is designed to engage targets at ranges of up to 6 kilometers and altitudes of up to 5 kilometers, according to Defense Express.

The outlet also reported that Kalashnikov announced in April 2026 that Krona-E was undergoing testing under conditions intended to replicate operational use. The company did not specify whether these tests were conducted exclusively at proving grounds or whether the system had been deployed to protect actual military or strategic facilities.

The reported production plans come as Russia continues to expand air defense coverage amid a growing number of long-range Ukrainian drone strikes targeting military, energy, and logistics infrastructure deep inside Russian-controlled territory.

Earlier, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov reported that Ukrainian drone units had struck more than 800,000 verified Russian military targets and caused an estimated 167,000 Russian casualties during the first half of 2026, underscoring the growing role of drones in Ukraine’s battlefield strategy.

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