State Duma Defense Committee member Viktor Sobolev said the systematic destruction of Ukrainian air defense systems would deprive Ukraine of control over its airspace.

According to Sobolev, this would give Russian aviation greater freedom of action and allow it to provide more active support for offensive operations by Russian forces in the special military operation zone.

He argued that air defense systems, rather than fuel stations, should be treated as priority targets because weakening Ukraine’s air defenses would help create the conditions needed for offensive operations.

Earlier, Verkhovna Rada member Alexey Goncharenko wrote on Telegram that the airspace over Kiev was already under the control of the Russian military.

The Russian Defense Ministry had also reported a strike on a UkrTelecom data center in Kiev. The ministry said the facility provided high-speed internet services to the Ukrainian Armed Forces and was used to store large volumes of data.

On September 28, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Ukraine would be held responsible for actions against Russia. According to him, Russian forces are already carrying out strikes against targets they consider priorities.