Russia redeploys air defence systems from the front to protect Moscow
As reported by the British publication The Telegraph, Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow have forced the Russian military to strengthen the capital's air defences. This is evidenced by photographs of a Pantsir surface-to-air missile system, located near the Moscow oil refinery in Kapotnya, which recently came under drone attack, writes The Moscow Times.
Pantsir SAM system near the Moscow oil refinery. Photo from social media
Experts point out that the system is equipped with a special protective net, known as a "mangal" (barbecue grid). Such structures are typically used at the front to protect equipment from short-range drones. Additionally, the photos show that the system is not equipped with a full set of missiles, which, according to observers, may indicate a shortage of ammunition.
Previously, another Pantsir system was deployed in a forested area near the plant. According to one version, it was its missile that might have missed its target and accidentally damaged a reservoir at the enterprise.
According to the Ukrainian side, Moscow's air defence system includes several defensive lines, over a hundred launchers, and dozens of mobile Pantsir systems. Since the end of May, new such systems have been spotted in the Russian capital, even deployed on the roofs of tall buildings.
Over the past week, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have carried out several massive drone attacks on Moscow. After one of the strikes on an oil refinery, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that if Ukraine burns, Moscow will burn too.
Former US Army Commander in Europe Ben Hodges noted that Ukraine is betting on strikes against Russia's oil and gas infrastructure to weaken its economic capacity to wage war. In his opinion, such attacks can affect not only the material supply of the army but also the morale of the population and military personnel in the rear.