The Kremlin invests millions in drone protection

The Russian Government and state-owned establishments have reportedly spent over a billion rubles (more than $11 million) during the first ten months of this year to secure themselves against drone attacks, according to independent Russian portal Meduza and the opposition service Agency.

The nuclear power plant in Smolensk, situated almost 124 miles (~200 km) from the Ukraine border, tops the list of costs for such protection. A company affiliated with the state-owned Rosatom concern has reportedly spent 34.7 million rubles ($370,000) on drone protection measures.

In total, Russian firms have spent more on drone attack defense in the first 10 months of this year than in all of last year - reports the Agency.

The frequency of drone raids on Russian military, industrial, and technological facilities has escalated in recent times. Moscow attributes these operations to Kiev. However, independent experts indicate that part of the drone attacks, many of which are launched from Russian territory, are targeting sites further away from Ukraine.

In late August, notable targets included a military airport in Pskov, located roughly 435 miles (~700 km) away from this country's borders.

Drones regularly disrupt operations in Moscow and its vicinity, often leading to the closure of local airspace above airports.

Ukrainian media outlets report that since early 2023, there have been over 200 instances of unmanned aircraft striking Russia and the territory it occupies in Crimea.

In September, the frequency of Russian drone assaults on Ukraine — primarily using Iranian-made, Shahed-136 kamikaze drones — reached a pinnacle since the commencement of the conflict; the invaders deployed 503 drones, out of which, we successfully neutralized nearly 396, or about 79 percent, as per the Ukrainian military portal, Defense Express.

The site also highlights that Russian strategists, acknowledging these statistics, have recently diverted their assaults from targets in the southern Odessa region of Ukraine towards central and western targets, particularly Vinnytsia, Khmelnytsky, and Cherkasy regions.

Another point to note is the low expense of the Shahed drones — ranging from $20,000 to $40,000 each, which the Kremlin finds advantageous. Thus, it's estimated that Russia designated the equivalent of $10 million to $20 million for attacks in September alone, according to Defense Express.