The Russian Federation will defend itself against UAVs with balloons – media

Russia, following the example of the First and Second World Wars, plans to create a network of barrage balloons to protect against attacks by Ukrainian UAVs, writes The Telegraph.

The publication said that Russian aerospace company First Airship said it has begun testing balloons capable of holding a net. Developers hope the mesh will provide protection against long-range UAV strikes that severely damage energy infrastructure and other key targets inside Russia. The balloons are designed to be launched from hangars, rise rapidly in succession, and then descend through a 250-meter-high net to form a protective boundary.

“Our main activity is the construction of cargo airships, but today, relying on the experience of our ancestors, we created the Barrier protection system,” said Polina Albek, CEO of First Airship.

He said the balloons have been tested and the company has received an order. Each balloon can float up to 300 meters above the ground and has a maximum load of 30 kg, enough to carry a light net suspended just above the ground. Balloons can also be equipped with radar, electronic jammers and video cameras that provide a 360-degree view with a range of up to seven miles.

“These capabilities provide significant vertical coverage, creating an effective barrier against low-flying drones that threaten sensitive areas. Drones cannot see the mesh, it is too thin for them,” Albeck said.

Let’s remember that on July 6, in the Krasnodar Territory of the Russian Federation, they announced that drones attacked three places, as a result of which a cellular communication tower was damaged and tanks at two oil depots were burned.

And on the night of July 7 in the Voronezh region of the Russian Federation, as a result of a drone attack, a fire broke out in a warehouse with explosives.