Russia’s A2/AD Strategy: Operational Challenges and Geopolitical Implications -Matlay Lyubava-

This article examines Russia’s Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) strategy, which is a key part of its military doctrine and regional security policy. The study argues that Moscow uses a combination of long-range precision weapons, advanced air defenses, electronic warfare, and artillery to create layered, multi-domain “denial zones.” By analyzing the application of this strategy in regions like Kaliningrad, Crimea, the Baltic and Black Seas, the Arctic, and the Eastern Mediterranean, the paper moves beyond simple weapons lists to show how Russia’s approach complicates NATO’s freedom of action. By synthesizing official sources, think-tank analyses, and recent conflict data, it argues that Russian A2/AD complicates NATO’s freedom of maneuver, raises intervention costs, and enables rapid, limited offensives under a “fait accompli” framework. These findings offer important insights for NATO’s deterrence strategies and force posture adjustments.