Friday, December 19, 2025 2:00:18 PM

Andrei Belousov, who replaced Sergei Shoigu as Russia’s defense minister, is facing mounting criticism and, critics say, could be headed for dismissal – or even legal trouble – as he struggles to paper over gaps in the Russian military.

There are three main complaints against Belousov. First, Russia’s regions lack electronic warfare (EW) coverage, leaving critical infrastructure – including oil refineries and key defense-related plants – exposed to Ukrainian drone and missile strikes. Cities and regions across the country, including St. Petersburg, remain without adequate protection. That’s according to Petro Andriushchenko, head of the Center for the Study of Occupation, who wrote on his Telegram channel that Belousov highlighted air-defense “successes” only around Moscow and Valdai. Those two bright spots, he added, suggest a focus on shielding the Kremlin and President Vladimir Putin’s Valdai residence, reportedly ringed by multiple Pantsir air-defense systems.

Second, critics point to the absence of a dedicated UAV branch in the Russian military. Belousov himself has acknowledged the failure to stand up the new force, while Russian war  bloggers concede a stark gap between Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces and Russian units that use drones – calling Russia’s effort “a zero.” Belousov continues to assure Putin the special drones forces are about to be established , but the target date has slipped to 2026.

The third failure involves logistics and support. Russian engineers are still struggling to field the “Svod” communications system, meant to replace mobile phones and Telegram for military use.

“In the final analysis for the year, one can single out only the commissioning of the Knyaz Pozharsky ballistic missile submarine with Bulava missiles, as well as the first S-500 regiment going on combat duty,” Andriushchenko said.

Belousov’s perceived shortcomings are not entirely surprising to critics: he holds a doctorate in economics, previously served as a presidential aide on economic policy and as economy minister, and is not a career military officer.

(c)UAWIRE 2025