Russian Air Defense Command in Crimea Faces Dismissals After System Losses, Partisans Report

The command of Russia’s air defense forces in occupied Crimea is reportedly facing possible dismissals following repeated losses of air defense systems.

This was reported by the partisan movement ATESH on March 10.

“Due to accumulated losses in Crimea’s air defense units, an inspection commission has been sent from Moscow to Sevastopol. According to ATESH agents, the issue of changing the command staff of the 31st Air Defense Division is being considered,” the statement said.

According to ATESH, the Sevastopol-based division is part of the 4th Air and Air Defense Army of Russia’s Southern Military District and is responsible for protecting the airspace over the occupied peninsula, including the areas around Sevastopol and Dzhankoi. Russian forces use S-400 Triumf air defense systems for this purpose.

Partisans said the unit has suffered repeated losses in recent months, which they claim has weakened Russian air defense coverage in the region.

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The group said the reported inspection from Moscow may lead to changes in the command structure of the 31st Air Defense Division, which oversees air defense operations in occupied Crimea.

The internal crisis in the Russian Ministry of Defense was accelerated by a precision operation conducted on March 9. The Special Operations Forces (SSO) of Ukraine confirmed a series of successful drone strikes targeting the “eyes” of Russia’s integrated air defense network.

Ukrainian drone operators hit four radar positions in Crimea, including the 5N84A “Oborona-14” early-warning radar and the 55Zh6U “Nebo-U” mobile radar system.

In a statement published on its official social media pages, the SSO said Ukrainian forces also destroyed two additional radar stations housed inside special radomes near the occupied city of Yevpatoria.

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The military noted that these dome-shaped structures allow radar antennas to rotate while masking the direction of the emitters from visual observation.

“Radomes allow the antenna to rotate in any direction while hiding its orientation,” the SSO said in the statement. “The destruction of enemy radar systems significantly undermines the enemy’s ability to detect and destroy aerial targets.”

Earlier, Ukraine's Defense Forces targeted a Russian Pantsir-S1 air defense system and a BK-16 landing craft in a series of coordinated strikes on Russian military infrastructure.

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