Russian State TV Laments Gaps in Air Defense System, Lack of Satellites

A wave of strikes on air bases deep inside Russia this week exposed vulnerabilities in the country's defenses, with Russian state TV lamenting the apparent lack of satellites.

Russian military historian Yuri Knutov made an appearance on state television this week, in which he complained that there are gaps in Russia's air defenses because most systems had been moved closer to Ukraine after the full-scale invasion launched by President Vladimir Putin in February.

"The special military operation began. It was necessary to provide cover for troops directly located on the territory where they're fighting Ukraine, on our territory, fighting the Ukrainian army," he told Olga Skabeyeva, the host of a primetime news and politics chat show.

"Naturally, everything we had in the border zone went there. Gaps formed in our air defense system," he said.

Knutov added that many believe American satellites are able to "see these gaps well."

"I don't doubt that, and neither do the specialists."

The historian suggested that if Russia's air defenses were strong enough, the drones that Moscow has said were launched by Kyiv "would have been shot down around 50 to 60 kilometers away and we wouldn't even be discussing this incident."

Knutov claimed that Ukraine could attempt to launch strikes toward Moscow, given the recent attacks on the Engels-2 air base in Saratov, located some 600 kilometers (373 miles) east of Ukraine, the Dyagilevo airfield near Ryazan, on Monday, as well as a third strike on an airfield in the Kursk region near the northeastern Ukrainian border.

The air bases are home to long-range strategic aircraft that are capable of targeting Ukrainian infrastructure.

Kyiv hasn't claimed responsibility for the attacks, but has celebrated them. The New York Times cited a senior Ukrainian official on Monday as saying that the drones used in the strikes were launched from Ukrainian territory.

The U.K. Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday that "if Russia assesses the incidents were deliberate attacks, it will probably consider them as some of the most strategically significant failures of force protection since its invasion of Ukraine."

In a separate Russian state TV broadcast, an expert told Kremlin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov that the country lacks satellites to help with communications.

"I talk to field commanders, including those from the Donbas, and they say that there's no satellite constellation to provide all the necessary communication in the war zone," he said.

"Well, we're a space power, we've been told so, that everything is alright. Where is that constellation, how can we fight a modern war without it?"

Newsweek has contacted Russia's foreign and defense ministries for comment.

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