On May 17, Ukraine’s Defense Forces carried out a strike on Moscow and the Moscow region. The attack demonstrated vulnerabilities in Russia’s capital and the country’s inability to effectively protect its airspace, which caused disappointment within the Russian ultranationalist information space. This was reported by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Source: “Priamyi”
According to analysts, Russian military bloggers and propagandists widely pointed out weaknesses in the air defense system and called for its urgent strengthening, including the creation of a multi-layered defense network around Moscow.
Some also argued for expanding early warning systems, as Ukrainian forces are allegedly increasing the scale and intensity of long-range strikes.
Other military bloggers criticized the shutdown of mobile internet in Russia, calling it an ineffective countermeasure.
At the same time, according to ISW, the official Kremlin response was restrained and aimed at downplaying the significance of the events.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova focused on criticizing Ukrainian strikes for their impact on civilians, without mentioning hits on Russian defense and energy infrastructure.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia “cannot be threatened as a nuclear power” and that its existence cannot be put at risk.
ISW analysts believe these statements aim to minimize the scale of the strikes and manage public expectations regarding a possible Kremlin response.
Russian state television gave minimal coverage to the incident, focusing mainly on civilian consequences and claiming that “retaliatory strikes” had already been carried out, without providing details.