Air Defense Systems Have Defeated the Russian Air Force: Expert Talks About a Revolution in Aerial Warfare

Military expert Oleg Starikov explained that Ukrainian air defense systems have gained the upper hand over the Russian Federation's air force, but using the same air defense systems against drones is not practical, Politeka reports.

He discussed this on his own channel.

According to the expert, at the initial stage of the full-scale war, Russia tried to gain air superiority, but the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ air defense system proved to be 80–90% effective and prevented this from happening. As a result, the number of aircraft involved decreased—first at the operational level, and later even at the tactical depth of the front line.

“In 2025, the main means of air attack became unmanned aerial vehicles such as Shahed and Geran, with not dozens, but several hundred used in a single attack,” Oleg Starikov emphasized.

However, Ukraine's air defense systems, the expert notes, were originally designed to combat threats in high-altitude airspace—specifically, against fighter jets, attack aircraft, and bombers—not against drones, which have revolutionized warfare since 2022.

“Air defense systems have defeated the air force, which gave the West a lot to think about. But in low-altitude airspace, no effective air defense system against unmanned aerial systems has been invented, and this has become a major problem for all countries. After all, you’re not going to shoot down a cheap $10,000 drone with a missile that costs over $500,000. No economy in the world can sustain that. It turns out that the mere launch of such a drone can already be considered a success, because it depletes the enemy's munitions and bleeds its economy,” Oleg Starikov explains.

Latest news:

Let's remember Politeka wrote, War in Ukraine: expert talks about the problems of the Russian army and the situation on the front.

Politeka also informed, The Armed Forces of Ukraine have begun to create "drone lines" with a 50-kilometer strike zone: Russian troops will not be able to launch offensives.

In addition, Politeka informed, Trump changes strategy: expert reveals how the US will achieve peace in Ukraine.