Why are Moscow’s air defences performing so badly?
The city is curiously unprepared for drone attacks
ON AUGUST 9TH a plume of smoke rose over the Zagorsk manufacturing plant, north of Moscow, which supplies optical equipment to Russia’s armed forces. An explosion there killed one person, wounded 60, and left eight unaccounted for, according to officials, who downplayed the obvious explanation: that it was the result of a Ukrainian drone strike. Since May dozens of “kamikaze” drones, apparently launched from Ukraine, have struck Russia’s capital or sites nearby. One high-rise building, home to three government ministries, was hit twice in successive attacks on July 30th and August 1st. That suggests that some of these drones are hitting their targets, rather than merely causing damage when crashing. Moscow is one of the world’s best-protected cities. Why is it struggling to defend itself?
From the August 19th 2023 edition
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