Russian air defense expert and military historian Yuri Knutov has argued that Moscow should target vessels involved in supplying drone components to Ukraine. Speaking to NEWS.ru, he said such shipments are deliberately concealed within civilian cargo flows, a practice he believes NATO countries have refined over time.

According to Knutov, key parts for unmanned aerial vehicles are manufactured in the European Union and transported in disassembled form to Ukraine, where the drones are later assembled. He indicated that these logistics chains are well established and carefully disguised, making them difficult to detect.

He suggested that disrupting these deliveries at sea could significantly reduce the number of drones available to Ukrainian forces. In his view, this would require identifying transport routes and striking the ships carrying such cargo, including those sailing under foreign flags.

Knutov also pointed to ways Russia could strengthen its air defense capabilities. He proposed using large drones such as the Altius and Inokhodets as airborne radar platforms. This, he said, would improve early target detection and allow for faster coordination with fighter aircraft or mobile air defense units.

Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that air defense systems on duty had shot down 206 Ukrainian drones between March 16 and the morning of March 17. The highest number of interceptions was recorded over Bryansk Oblast, where 62 UAVs were destroyed. Another 43 drones were neutralized in the Moscow region, according to the ministry.