Russia shuts internet to stop drones but the threat already moved on

Russia’s internal defensive posture against long-range Ukrainian strikes is increasingly defined by measures that trade public functionality for the illusion of control. Instead of intercepting threats at their source or adapting air defenses, authorities are leaning on blunt administrative tools that reshape civilian life during moments of perceived danger. This reflects a defensive logic rooted in earlier phases of the war, when denying connectivity could plausibly interfere with attack coordination. As strike systems evolve toward autonomy, however, the effectiveness of such measures rapidly decays while their social and economic costs compound. The result is a widening asymmetry between how the threat operates and how the state responds to it. Against this backdrop, developments across Russia’s western regions expose a counter-drone doctrine that is reactive, inward-facing, and increasingly misaligned with battlefield reality.

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