Russia’s Volna-Kupol-Garant electronic warfare system, developed to protect strategically important infrastructure, could eventually become part of the country’s integrated air defense network, according to military analyst Alexey Leonkov.

The system entered service in spring 2026 and is capable of disrupting Starlink satellite communications terminals used by Ukrainian forces. Its electronic warfare coverage extends across an area of approximately 20 square kilometers.

Speaking to RIA Novosti, Leonkov explained that the system’s coverage of 20–25 square kilometers indicates that it was designed primarily to protect individual facilities rather than extensive territories. However, he considers its deployment an initial step toward establishing a continuous air defense network across Russia.

The analyst described Volna-Kupol-Garant as an electronic warfare platform specifically designed to interfere with satellite-based systems. It operates by generating an electronic protective field that blocks the transmission of certain signals.

Military expert Yuri Knutov also outlined the system’s potential impact on hostile unmanned aerial vehicles. According to his assessment, a drone entering the protected area can lose communication with its operator or the artificial intelligence controlling its flight.

Such interference can cause the aircraft to deviate from its intended route, miss its designated target or crash.

Leonkov believes the development of Volna-Kupol-Garant marks the beginning of a broader Russian effort to counter both the Starlink satellite network and its military counterpart, Starshield.

He suggested that the existing system represents only the first generation of the technology and expects future versions to provide coverage across considerably larger areas.

Another characteristic highlighted by Leonkov is the system’s reported ability to operate without being detected from outside its protected zone.

The analyst attributed this capability to the use of millimeter-wave frequencies, which he said are also employed by Starlink.

In his assessment, this allows Volna-Kupol-Garant to provide concealed protection for infrastructure facilities, making it difficult even for saboteurs to determine the system’s location.

Earlier media reports indicated that Volna-Kupol-Garant electronic warfare systems could eventually be deployed to protect all major infrastructure facilities in Russia’s border regions.