Major General Vladimir Popov has argued that Russia needs to broaden the range of institutions involved in protecting its regions from Ukrainian air attacks. He emphasized that border troops and the National Guard should play a greater role in countering aerial threats.

According to Popov, air defense systems and aviation alone are insufficient to ensure complete control over the skies, especially beyond the zone of the ongoing military operation. He said additional forces are required to effectively manage new tasks connected with monitoring and securing the airspace.

The general suggested that border troops, the FSB, the National Guard, and local authorities — from city to rural administrations — should be integrated into the process of detection and response. He also underlined the need to involve civilian officials so that every available resource could be used for observation and countermeasures.

Popov added that police must actively cooperate with municipal and regional administrations, training both staff and officials to engage in optical and electronic surveillance of the airspace. In his view, even civilian and meteorological radar stations should be incorporated into the monitoring network. This, he argued, would allow threats to be detected in time, populations warned, and countermeasures taken.

He concluded that only a systematic, multi-layered approach can guarantee reliable protection of civilians against hostile air attacks.