According to British assessments, the alleged Ukrainian drone attack on a Russian military airfield shows the vulnerability of Russian air defenses. It is becoming increasingly clear that Russia is having difficulties repelling attacks deep inland, the Ministry of Defense said in London on Thursday.

This is probably due to the fact that modern anti-aircraft systems such as SA-22 Pantsir are currently rare. "In addition to defending strategic locations like Engels, these systems are currently needed in large numbers to protect headquarters near the front line in Ukraine," it said, citing intelligence findings.

According to Russian sources, three soldiers were killed in a drone attack on the Engels military airfield in southern Russia on December 26, hundreds of kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

The British Ministry of Defense has published daily information on the course of the war since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine at the end of February, citing intelligence information. In doing so, the British government wants to both counter the Russian portrayal and keep allies in line. Moscow accuses London of a targeted disinformation campaign.