Russia’s so called advanced air defence systems are proving no match for Ukraine’s precise drone strikes, as the Ukrainian armed forces continue dismantling Moscow’s military assets across the frontlines.
On the eastern Pokrovsk front, Ukraine’s 38th Marine Brigade carried out a direct hit using the infamous Baba Yaga drone. The target was a building occupied by five Russian soldiers. All were neutralised in the blast. The building was completely destroyed in a single, clean strike. The Baba Yaga drone, operated remotely, once again demonstrated Ukraine’s ability to eliminate enemy threats without risking the lives of its troops.
This operation is one of many that highlight Ukraine’s growing mastery in drone warfare, which has shifted the dynamics on the battlefield. The Ukrainian National Guard has also successfully destroyed a Russian TOR M2 air defence system in the south. The TOR M2 is designed to protect against aircraft, drones and guided munitions. Despite its technical sophistication, it has become an easy target for Ukraine’s precision weaponry.
As of late 2024, open-source intelligence confirms Russia has lost at least 60 TOR systems, including more than 30 of the modern M2 variant. Each of these systems can cost up to 25 million US dollars, or about £20 million. Even rare Arctic-adapted TOR M2DT systems have been knocked out, signalling no area is safe for Russia’s hardware.
The loss of these systems has severely weakened Russia’s ability to protect both its front-line troops and strategic infrastructure. Ukraine has effectively used FPV drones and high-precision HIMARS rockets to take out these systems in regions including Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
In another recent strike, a Russian Buk M1 system was taken out by a Ukrainian loitering munition near Verkhnioi Taramchyk, along the southern front. This again underscores Ukraine’s evolving tactics in modern warfare, where low-cost, agile tools outsmart older, bulkier systems.
Each Russian air defence system destroyed represents not only millions of pounds lost but also leaves the invading troops increasingly exposed. These gaps in protection allow Ukraine to carry out more air operations with greater success, eroding Moscow’s battlefield control.
While Ukraine racks up battlefield successes, the Kremlin appears to be retreating into desperate propaganda. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused the leaders of France, the United Kingdom, and Germany of drug use, sharing a bizarre and doctored video clip. Her accusation was based on a fabricated scene in which French President Emmanuel Macron was clearing rubbish off a table — hardly the smoking gun of a narcotics scandal.
Meanwhile, a major Kremlin-linked spy ring in the United Kingdom has been brought down. Orlin Roussev, 47, the ringleader of a Russian surveillance operation, has been sentenced to 10 years and 8 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to spy for Russia. The five other members of the Bulgarian-led cell have received sentences ranging from 6 to 10 years. Altogether, the group has been jailed for around 40 years.
The judge ruled that the group’s espionage activities posed a serious threat to British national security. Prosecutors linked the cell to fugitive Wirecard executive Jan Marsalek, who remains at large and is believed to be hiding in Russia. The group had been spying on journalists, dissidents, and Ukrainian soldiers training at a United States base in Germany. Their aim was to feed information back to the Kremlin, according to police.
Despite Kremlin denials, their operations — including a plot to intercept mobile phone signals at a US base — are evidence of Russia’s continuing attempts to destabilise Europe. One intercepted message even referenced the 2018 poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal in Salisbury.
Even Russian war veterans were not spared the indignities of this crumbling regime. During Victory Day commemorations, some were reportedly served spoiled soup and chicken bones — a fitting metaphor for what remains of Russian pride.
