Russia shifting strategic defenses from Kaliningrad, UK Ministry says
Unusual activity by Russian air transportation services was observed in November, suggesting that Russia may have transported strategic air defense systems from the Kaliningrad Oblast, also known as Königsberg Oblast. The assumption is they might be compensating for their recent losses on the Ukrainian front - such information was shared by the British Ministry of Defense on Sunday.
The latest intelligence reports highlight that these movements followed a detectable increase in the losses of SA-21 air defense systems on the Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia, recorded at the end of October.
Russians appear to be deploying strategic air defense systems
It was also noted that Russia perceives the Königsberg Oblast, their westernmost outpost bordering three NATO member countries, including Poland, as one of their most strategically vulnerable regions. "The fact that the Russian Ministry of Defense appears willing to accept extra risks in this area underlines the pressure the war (with Ukraine) has placed on some of Russia's crucial, modern capabilities," it was reported.
The intelligence report stressed that the unusual activity of Russian air transport services, observed in November, may imply that Russia has decided to move strategic air defense systems from Königsberg region, also known as the Kaliningrad Oblast, to offset recent losses on the Ukrainian front. This information was released by the British Ministry of Defense on Sunday.
Overview of SA-21 air defense systems
SA-21 Growler is the name used by NATO for the Russian fourth-generation earth-to-air missile system S-400 Triumph, developed by the Almaz-Antey Design Bureau. Its inception dates back to the late 80s, but it only went into service in 2007. It is designed to destroy aerial targets such as airplanes, helicopters and even smaller objects like drones and ballistic missiles. Depending on the missile utilized, the operational range of the launcher can vary from 25 miles (with a 9M96 weighing approximately 772 pounds) up to 236 miles (with a 40N6E weighing roughly 3968 pounds).
The "Missile Threat" service emphasizes, "the capabilities of the S-400 comparably align with the American Patriot system." However, a key difference lays in the fact that the S-400 currently does not use hit-to-kill ballistic missile defense technology. There are reports that Russia is developing 77N6 missiles with traits akin to American PAC-3 missiles, which could heighten capabilities in this area. Owing to their specific function, Russian S-400 systems form some of the key targets for Ukrainian forces.
The destruction of such equipment hinders the Russians' ability to launch effective attacks on aerial targets, especially as the S-400 systems can detect stealth-equipped aircraft and simultaneously strike up to 36 targets. A notable attack on the S-400 was carried out by Ukrainians at the end of last August, where the damage was clearly seen in satellite images, and Moscow lost two launchers. Reports suggest that the Ukrainians used new weapons during the attack. More on this topic can be found here.
