Putin's Lesoczek blunder: Russian leader exaggerates impact of system on anti-drone warfare
Defence 24's Maximilian Dura noticed Putin's blunder during a major Kremlin-organized press conference in mid-December.
Commenting on problems caused by Ukrainian drones, Putin asserted that nearly all Russian armored vehicles are protected by the RB-333P Lesoczek system. However, the reality is different; Lesoczek is neither widely installed nor used for drone combating, demonstrating that Putin's claims were amplified by Kremlin propaganda.
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The RB-333P Lesoczek functions as a jamming device, safeguarding the vehicle from remotely activated mines and other explosive traps placed en route. It's mainly used in various asymmetric conflicts where mines and "ajdiki" (improvised explosive devices) predominantly threaten armored vehicles.
In such circumstances, the Russian jamming device is effective as it defends the vehicle from assault attempts by disrupting the immediate GSM signal.
A solution against mines, not drones
However, in the case of the war in Ukraine, traps, contact mines, or self-detonating ones that activate on detecting a target via their own sensors are primarily deployed. Thus, Lesoczek doesn't serve much purpose, since it provides protection against a non-existent threat. As highlighted by Maximilian Dura:
Lesoczek is not designed to counteract the real threat Ukrainian drones pose. Furthermore, contrary to Putin's claim, Lesoczek is not commonly used. Despite earlier Russian announcements in 2013, predicting thousands of deliveries when Lesoczek was first introduced, images and videos from the Ukrainian conflict do not substantiate its widespread use.
