To Bolster Its Air Defenses Near Finland, Russia Plans Air Defense Reform

A leader of Russia’s aerospace forces said that after the war in Ukraine, Russia plans to change its air defense forces. It will also strengthen its air defenses in response to Finland joining NATO, the commander said.

Since Russia attacked Ukraine on February 24, 2014, in what it calls a “special military operation,” the fighting has turned into a long-lasting artillery war with a lot of drones and missiles being used to test both countries’ air defenses.

In an interview with the Red Star newspaper released on Monday, Lieutenant General Andrei Demin, who is the deputy commander-in-chief of aerospace forces, said that Ukrainian attacks had caused a number of problems for air defense forces.

He said that Russia had added more than 50 mobile radar stations and that A-50 early warning and control planes were patrolling 24 hours a day. He also said that missile and anti-aircraft installations had been strengthened in areas near Ukraine.

Demin said that air defense units had been set up to protect key sites in the parts of Ukraine that Russia controlled, and that Russia had also stepped up production of the RLK-MC anti-drone system.

Demin told the defense ministry’s newspaper that reforms “are definitely planned and will be done.” “The upcoming changes are meant to improve the air defense system of the Russian Federation by building up the armed forces.”

Demin said that Russia would also make its defenses stronger after Finland joined NATO. Finland shares an 800-mile border with Russia.

“In these circumstances, the air defense forces are figuring out how to protect the state border in the north-west of the country because the threat level has gone up,” Demin said.