Russians are building cages around industrial cities due to air defense shortages

What once protected tanks at the front is now being welded over Russia’s refineries, exposing how seriously Ukraine’s drone strikes are eroding Moscow’s sense of safety. The cope cages that first appeared as improvised armor on Russian vehicles have spread deep into the country’s industrial core, wrapping fuel depots and refining complexes in steel frameworks and mesh nets. This shift reflects the scale and precision of Ukraine’s long-range drone campaign, which has already taken a significant portion of Russia’s refining capacity offline. Refineries in regions far from the front—Samara, Ufa, Oryol, and others—now resemble fortified compounds, signaling that the war’s reach is no longer limited to occupied territories or border areas. The urgency with which these structures are being installed suggests that Moscow does not trust its air defense network to protect critical energy infrastructure. Instead, Russia is improvising defensive solutions normally reserved for battlefield armor, revealing both the pressure of ongoing strikes and the growing vulnerability of its industrial base.