Russia’s Insane Defenses in Ukraine Expose a Deeper Problem

Junkyard warfare at its finest.

A cheesy stock image I bought from Envato Elements. This is what you get when you search for “Russia’s Stupid Defense”

Imagine you’re Sergei Korolev, First Deputy Director of Russia’s FSB — Putin’s personal security errand boy. In October 2022, after Ukraine had the audacity to blow a hole in Putin’s beloved Kerch Strait Bridge, you were personally tasked with making sure it never happened again.

You accepted the job, knowing full well that failure means you’ll likely have an “accident” out of a Moscow high-rise window. Not that you haven’t arranged similar “accidents” for others in your time. But now? The bullseye is on you.

You’ve got air defense covered. S-400 Triumfs are in place, ready to intercept Ukrainian Storm Shadows and those pesky American ATACMS. You’ve even ordered truck inspections to prevent another bridge-exploding surprise.

But what about Ukraine’s dastardly naval drones? Those cheap, fast, and deadly uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) Ukraine keeps ramming into Russian ships?

That’s when you have your eureka moment — or at least what passes for one in Russia’s military-industrial brain trust.

If Trains Can Stop Tanks, Can Barges Stop Drones?

Back in Donetsk, some genius had parked a 32-kilometer-long freight train near the front line as a makeshift barrier…