One of the Russian propaganda “media” published a review of the S-350 Vityaz complex, which is rare for the Russian army, which has already appeared three times in the list of losses of the Russian occupiers, one of these episodes became known in February 2025.
This review is interesting in terms of what characteristics the Russians declare for the S-350, and how they plan to position this complex for export. Although in this case, we are talking about the type of air defense system, for which at the beginning of 2022 it was known about the presence of only 12 launchers (that is, an incomplete division).
The ruscists claim, in particular, that even two types of anti-aircraft missiles can be placed on the S-350 launcher – short-range 10-15 kilometers and medium-range from 40 to 120 kilometers, but without detailing specific types. The declared target detection range of this complex is up to 240 kilometers.
It is further stated that during state tests, the Russian S-350 Vityaz complex allegedly showed its ability to counter not only aircraft and helicopters, but also missile and anti-radar missiles, as well as guided aerial bombs and rockets from MLRS.
And as for the practice of using the S-350 during the full-scale war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, a statement of a general nature is prescribed – they say, this complex allegedly showed the ability to counter Storm Shadow and aircraft-type drones, but without any indicators that could justify such a statement.
As for exports, the option is to sell the S-350 to those countries that now continue to use the S-300 (except for Ukraine, of course). Moreover, the Russian S-350 was created precisely as a replacement for the Soviet S-300, only here the question is how long it took the Russians themselves to work on this air defense system.
Because the Russians showed the first sketches on the future of the S-350 back in 1999, during the MAKS-1999 air show, but work on this air defense system started only in the early 2010s, and already in 2020 this complex was adopted by the Russian army.
It is claimed that according to current plans, Russia plans to produce the S-350 Vityaz at least until 2027, and it follows that at the moment this type of air defense system has not yet been supplied to the Russian occupation forces in sufficient quantities, so it is somehow too early to talk about the export prospects of this system.
But at the same time, the ruscists demonstrated the S-350 in November 2024 at the Airshow China exposition in the city of Zhuhai, and during IDEX 2025 in February this year.
