March 27, 2024

An Air Self Defense


An Air Self Defense
An artist's impression of Shahed 136 drones swarming an airport. Khamenei.ir, Wikimedia Commons

Russian companies are constructing their own air defense systems amid increasing drone threats. Nearly 300 tenders for the acquisition of counter-UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles) have been identified, according to independent investigative outlet Vazhniye Istori. Buyers include Rosneft, Lukoil, Bashneft, Slavneft, Transneft, and Rosseti.

To safeguard their enterprises, the state-owned Rosneft, the largest Russian oil company, intends to deploy portable anti-UAV systems, anti-drone guns, stationary systems for electronic detection and suppression of drones, as well as protective structures such as nets stretched between masts to detain and immobilize UAVs. Energy company Rosseti also employs grids, concrete blocks, and electronic detection systems at its substations.

Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian territory and annexed Crimea commenced in mid-June 2022, in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. By the end of August 2023, regional authorities reported 511 drone attacks. The frequency of attacks surged in March 2024, with almost 40–50 drones targeting Russia nightly. Many of these attacks target energy facilities. By February 8, 2024, at least six major Russian oil refineries had been targeted.

Measures adopted by Russian companies might prove inadequate against drones. Experts interviewed by Vazhniye Istori journalists suggest that domestically-made Ukrainian drones are behind the attacks. These UAVs are similar to the Iranian Shahed, which Russia actively employs. These experts argue that neither nets nor anti-drone guns, designed to disrupt communication with operators, are effective against such drones.

For instance, Syzran Oil Refinery adopted nets and a portable drone suppression complex in early 2023. Despite these efforts, the refinery fell victim to a successful drone attack on March 16, 2024.

You Might Also Like

Nationalize It
  • March 14, 2024

Nationalize It

Over the past two years, 180 private companies have been taken over by the Russian state.
Two Years
  • February 22, 2024

Two Years

Putin has gotten nothing he wanted from his War on Ukraine.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 
Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.
White Magic

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
Russian Rules

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955