In its daily update, the British Ministry of Defence stated that Russia has presumably lost at least four mobile launchers for ground-based long-range air defense missiles (SAM) in attacks by Ukraine.
Via X, formerly Twitter, the British Ministry of Defence writes: “Over the past week, Russia has likely lost at least four ground-to-air missile (SAM) launchers with a long range due to Ukrainian attacks. On October 26, 2023, Russian media reported that three Russian SA-21 missile launchers had been destroyed in the Luhansk region. Ukrainian sources reported further losses of Russian air defense in Crimea.”
Further from London, it is said: “Russia has long relied on extensive, high-tech SAM systems with long range as a key component of its military strategy. The recent losses highlight that Russia’s integrated air defense system continues to struggle with modern precision weapons and will most likely increase the already significant burden on the remaining systems and operators. There is a realistic possibility that by replacing the destroyed systems in Ukraine, Russia will weaken its air defense in other operational areas.”
Image: kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Lavrov and Sergei Shoigu (2019-02-02) 03.jpg, via Wikimedia Commons (image size changed)