Ukraine’s Drones Strike Russian Radar, Arsenal, Air Defense System
AI Analysis
Ukrainian forces, including Special Operations Forces and Unmanned Systems Forces, conducted successful drone strikes on Russian military targets in occupied territories, notably destroying a radar in Crimea and a Buk-M1 anti-aircraft system in Zaporizhzhia. These operations significantly impacted Russian logistical and air defense capabilities.
Key Takeaways
- Ukrainian drones destroyed a 64N6E radar in Crimea, crucial for Russian S-300 and S-400 systems.
- Strikes targeted Russian arsenals, drone depots, and air defense systems in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia.
- A Buk-M1 anti-aircraft system was destroyed by Ukrainian drones in Zaporizhzhia.
- Ukrainian forces targeted fuel depots and command posts, disrupting Russian logistics.
- The operations were supported by underground resistance movements in occupied territories.
Why It Matters
These drone strikes demonstrate Ukraine's increasing capability to penetrate deep into Russian-occupied territories, targeting critical military infrastructure. This not only degrades Russian operational capabilities but also showcases the strategic use of drones in modern warfare, potentially influencing future military tactics and defense strategies.
Middle-strike units of Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SSO) struck a Russian arsenal in the occupied territory of the Donetsk region, a radar station in occupied Crimea, and a reconnaissance drone warehouse in the Zaporizhzhia region.
According to an SSO report on Telegram, the strike in Shyroka Balka, Donetsk region, destroyed a missile and artillery weapons warehouse, with ammunition continuing to detonate.
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“In Sevastopol, the 64N6E radar and its antenna, which served as the ‘eyes’ for the enemy S-300 and S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems, were destroyed,” the report adds.
Along with the report, the SSO released drone-camera footage showing the moments of the strikes. However, Kyiv Post was unable to independently verify the time and location of the video.
Earlier, the Telegram channel Crimean Wind reported that in occupied Sevastopol, in the area of Cape Fiolent, an important radar station – part of the peninsula’s air-defense network – had been hit. The SSO report appears to confirm that strike.
According to Crimean Wind, three explosions were heard in the area of Cape Fiolent on Wednesday morning.
Drones were also heard flying overhead, and Russian air defense attempted to shoot them down using the Pantsir air defense system and small arms. A fire later broke out at the radar station. The radar dome reportedly burned down completely, leaving only part of its frame, Crimean Wind wrote.
The radar is believed to be part of the 31st Air Defense Division of the Anti-Aircraft Missile Forces of the Russian Aerospace Forces, which operates systems including the S-400 surface-to-air missile system, the Pantsir system, detection radars, and target-guidance radars.
The SSO report also indicates that a drone warehouse was hit in Novozlatopil, Zaporizhzhia region.
“Medium-range strikes are carried out deep into enemy territory up to several hundred kilometers. Underground members of the Resistance Movement in enemy-occupied territories facilitated the strikes on enemy targets,” the report reads.
The Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) also destroyed a number of important Russian military targets in Crimea, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions on Tuesday, March 10.
According to the head of the USF, Robert “Madyar” Brovdi, the coordinated work of aerial reconnaissance and strike drone operators from the 1st separate USF center resulted in a strike on a Buk-M1 anti-aircraft missile system in the occupied territory of the Zaporizhzhia region.
The Buk-M1 is a self-propelled air defense system designed to combat maneuvering aerodynamic targets – including cruise missiles, guided bombs, airplanes, helicopters, and UAVs at low and medium altitudes ranging from 30 to 18,000 meters under conditions of intense electronic countermeasures.
After being detected by Ukrainian drones, the Buk-M1, reportedly worth around $10 million, was first immobilized using a small strike asset and later hit by FP-2 drones carrying a 100-kilogram warhead, ultimately destroying the missile complex.
The report is accompanied by drone footage showing the destruction of Russian military targets. However, Kyiv Post was unable to independently verify it.
In Crimea, the USF also struck tanker trucks at the oil depot in the village of Azovske and the oil depot in Dzhankoi.
The video further shows that in the Zaporizhzhia region, a Russian command post and logistics depot in the village of Pryshyb were hit in a double strike, along with a fuel and lubricants depot and a temporary deployment center of the Rubicon-7 Reserve unit.
In the Donetsk region, USF drones struck a Russian training center and personnel training area.
Notably, the General Staff of Ukraine also confirmed in its report the Russian military targets struck by the SSO and the USF.
According to the General Staff, fuel and lubricants depots in the areas of occupied Berdyansk and Kuznetsivka, as well as oil depots in Berdyansk (Zaporizhzhia region), were also hit.
The scale of the damage and other results are still being clarified.
“The systematic damage to ammunition depots, other logistical infrastructure, air defense systems, and enemy command posts significantly reduces its ability to support troops and conduct combat operations,” the General Staff added.
Julia Struck is a Deputy Head of News and correspondent for Kyiv Post who has previously worked as a parliamentary editor, journalist, and news editor. She has specialized in covering the work of the Ukrainian parliament, government, and law enforcement agencies.