Exceptional russian air transport movements through November 2023 suggest that russia has likely moved strategic air defense systems from its Baltic coast enclave of Kaliningrad, to backfill recent losses on the Ukraine front, the UK Defense Intelligence reports.
This follows an uptick in losses of S-400 (SA-210) air defense systems in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine in late October 2023.
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As its most westerly outpost and bordered on three sides by NATO member states, russia sees Kaliningrad as one of its most strategically sensitive regions. The fact that the russian MoD appears willing to accept additional risk here highlights the overstretch the war has caused for some of russia’s key, modern capabilities.
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