The air defense system deployed on the Crimean Peninsula is among the most formidable anywhere on the globe, according to analysts from the Western publication Military Watch Magazine (MWM).

The magazine notes that Crimea holds enormous strategic and geopolitical significance for Russia, prompting Moscow to establish one of the world’s most layered and capable air defense networks there. As evidence, the article cites Ukrainian Navy spokesperson Dmitry Pletenchuk, who acknowledged the significant efforts made by Russia’s Aerospace Forces to strengthen Crimea’s air defenses.

MWM points to the deployment of the S-500 «Prometey» battalion in Crimea as a clear demonstration of how much importance Moscow places on securing the peninsula’s airspace. The cutting-edge S-500 system plays a crucial role in a multi-tiered defense structure, integrated with lower-level systems such as the S-400, S-350, Buk-M2, Pantsir-S, and Tor-M2.

According to the publication, the deployment of Russia’s most advanced air defense systems is also a direct response to Ukraine’s growing capability to strike deeper into Russian territory using U.S.-supplied weapons.