Local authorities have ramped up defense measures to protect critical infrastructure and civilians from drone attacks on Russian territory, Novgorod Region included. Following the attack with unmanned aerial vehicles in November 2024, the government of the region has since reinforced the air defense systems taking high alerts considering the future threat of drones in the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
The Novgorod Region, which had for a long time been considered far from the distances of frontlines in the war, recently became a target after attacks from Ukrainian UAVs at some central military installations, for example, the 13th Arsenal of the Main Missile and Artillery Directorate situated near the village of Kosovo. The arsenal is believed to have a wide range of military ordnance, including missiles for multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) and the Iskander missiles.​
With these attacks, Ukraine has gone a step further in demonstrating the developing range and precision of its drone operations that stretch into areas thought secure from threats from drones.
To this, the Ministry of Defence of Russia had strengthened air defense systems in the whole vast region. Interception of 20 UAVs over Novgorod on November 19, plus a total of 44 drones downed across it, reflects how efficient Russia’s counter-drone systems are, including highly advanced air defense technologies such as the S-400 missiles.
There were no casualties reported as a result of drone attacks in Kosovo on November 20, but assessments of damage were significant, along with the allocation of money for loss compensation to households involved.
Thus, this was a groundbreaking period in the evolution of drones in Ukraine, since this development has come more and more to be seen as a very representative feature of the war in its transformation into an arena of warfare driven by technology.
According to RBC-Ukraine, This itself forms part of a much larger strategy on the Russian side to disrupt logistics and military capabilities even further within Russia’s territory and brings new modifications in Russia’s security protocols and a reinforcement of the vulnerable areas. The authorities have gone further to establish temporary accommodation centers for internally displaced civilians while highlighting civilian safety in building up defense infrastructure.
As both Russia and Ukraine adapt their military strategies to air defense and innovations involving technology, drone warfare is expected to be an increasingly crucial factor in modernized armed conflicts.
