Russian air defense forces continue to face attacks from the Ukrainian armed forces using Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG cruise missiles and ATACMS ballistic missiles. Four months have passed since mid-December 2024, when the Russian Defense Ministry reported the destruction of 86 Storm Shadow missiles and 215 ATACMS, but the intensity of the strikes has not decreased. According to the department, the Ukrainian side is actively using these high-precision Western systems, despite enhanced countermeasures. The Defense Ministry's reports indicate regular attempts to break through the air defense, which underscores the complexity of the task of protecting facilities in the south and west of Russia. Such data are cited by the Military Chronicle.

Thus, on December 19, 2024, a strike by four Storm Shadow missiles on the Rostov region was recorded, which was neutralized. The next day, air defense forces intercepted three cruise missiles, and on December 27, they destroyed three more. In January 2025, activity increased: on January 14, two raids were reported, during which six and eight Storm Shadow missiles were shot down, and on January 17, eight more were intercepted. The total number of missiles of this type involved in four months was 32 units. In addition, nine strikes were recorded using 53 ATACMS missiles, which demonstrates the scale and systematicity of the attacks. The Russian military emphasizes that the air defense system creates an effective "umbrella", but the enemy continues to look for vulnerabilities, counting on surprise and mass.

These developments come amid escalating conflict and changing Western policies. According to Reuters, in November 2024, the United States gave Ukraine permission to use ATACMS to strike Russian territory, starting in the Kursk region, and the UK soon approved the use of Storm Shadow. The BBC reported that on November 20, 2024, Ukraine used British missiles for the first time against targets in Russia, striking the Kursk region, where up to 10 missiles were fired, according to The Wall Street Journal. Such actions, according to analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), are aimed at disrupting Russian supply chains and command centers, although their strategic impact is limited by the redeployment of key facilities deep into the country.