Military expert and aviation major general Vladimir Popov said that the provocation by the Kiev regime ahead of the opening of the economic forum in St. Petersburg could have serious consequences for both Ukraine and its Western backers.
According to Popov, attack UAVs may have been launched from the Baltic states, Finland, or from vessels operating in the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea.
He said that during the economic forum, Russian air defense units, border guards and the National Guard have been given the task of not waiting for drones to cross the state border, but to destroy them as soon as they are detected.
Popov noted that Moscow had previously shown diplomatic restraint toward Kiev’s European allies, but that approach has now been revised. In his view, Ukrainian drone launches are demonstrative in nature. After launch, the UAVs disappear from sight but continue along a pre-programmed route toward Russian regions, including the Leningrad and Pskov regions.
The expert said Russia would destroy such targets immediately after detection, without waiting for them to enter Russian airspace. He added that if a downed drone falls on the territory of a neighboring state, the consequences would be that country’s responsibility.