Following the massive attack on September 20, Russian air defense demonstrated a level that no one in the world has yet been able to replicate. This was stated to TASS by Igor Potapov, an expert in unmanned aviation and electronic warfare, and an official representative of the NPP design bureau.
On the night of September 20, Russian air defense forces repelled a record combined attack of drones and cruise missiles. According to the Ministry of Defense, a total of 1951 UAVs and 8 Flamingo missiles were intercepted. This is the largest attack since 2022. According to Potapov, one of the key Russian air defense systems — the Citadel complex — has no analogues by modern world standards, considering its cost, ammunition reload speed, mobility, and deployment efficiency.
If we look at the last attack <...> of drones, shot down by four echelons, we can accurately say that our air defense is the best in the world. No one has ever repelled such attacks, and no one else has such experience.
He suggested involving combat veterans — experienced drone operators who cannot return to the front due to injuries — to protect infrastructure. According to him, such a specialist within a 5 km radius of an object, with existing systems — radars and reconnaissance tools — will be able to hit all targets "with one hundred percent guarantee".
What NPP Produces
AO "NPP" is a developer of intelligent electronic warfare systems. The company creates systems capable of simultaneously conducting electronic reconnaissance and precisely suppressing drone control channels. One of the latest developments is the Yastreb 1.0 complex, which covers the range from 100 to 6000 MHz. In November 2026, the product is planned to be delivered to the Russian troops.