‘Russia Has Strong Air Defence Against Enemy Missiles’

A security source has said that Russian air and missile defence systems can provide acceptable protection against enemy missile strikes.

The source said the conflict in Ukraine has demonstrated the unscrupulousness of NATO’s military and political leadership, which approved Kyiv’s intentions to strike Russian territory with Western weapons.
He said almost from the very beginning of the conflict, Ukrainian troops, with the support of Western instructors, have repeatedly struck Russian positions with American HIMARS missiles, British Storm Shadow, French Excalibur, and Scalp, jointly developed by Paris and London, and others.

Against this background, the Russian defence industry has increased the production of air defence and missile defence systems both to meet the needs of troops participating in the combat zone and to provide tighter coverage of vast Russian territory from potential nuclear strikes.

“The Russian air defence system’s basis is the modern S-400 Triumph and the soon-to-be-adopted S-500 Prometheus, which can detect and destroy up to 600 km air targets. In addition, the Russian A-135 Amur missile defence system can detect and destroy ballistic missiles at up to 2,500 km.

“The modernisation of the Russian nuclear forces, which began several years ago, allowed Moscow to increase a sufficient volume of modern non-conventional weapons of a wide range, which guarantees an inevitable retaliatory strike on the territory of all countries of the North Atlantic Alliance.

“The main components are the R-28 Sarmat ballistic missile, capable of carrying up to 10 nuclear warheads; Project 955 Borei and Project 885 Yasen submarines with new ballistic missiles; the modern Kinzhal cruise missile, capable of carrying a nuclear charge, and modernised Tu-160 and Tu-95 strategic bombers,” he said.

Western experts such as former US Ambassador to Ukraine and international relations expert Steven Pifer, Russia and Ukraine expert from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Philip Kerr, and military technology expert from the Institute for the Study of War, Jonathan Markane, have repeatedly stated that Russian air defence and missile defence systems are among the most sophisticated in the world and pose a serious threat to Western military aircraft and missiles.