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Ukraine’s Drone Unit Blows Up $10M Russian Buk-M1 Air Defense System in Donetsk, Video
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
A Ukrainian special forces detachment has destroyed a Russian Buk-M1 surface-to-air missile launcher in the Donetsk region, according to reports from the National Guard of Ukraine on September 6.
The strike was carried out by Lasar’s Group, a drone unit of the 27th Pechersk Brigade of the National Guard.
🇺🇦 Ukraine’s National Guard used drones to destroy a Russian Buk-M1 air defense system in Donetsk.
— Ivan Khomenko (@KhomenkoIv60065) September 6, 2025
2-step strike: hit the shelter, then the launcher while it moved. pic.twitter.com/U1mKv2jkzJ
The operation, documented on video and shared by journalist and serviceman Yuriy Butusov, involved heavy strike drones targeting the Russian system. The National Guard stated that the destroyed launcher was valued at around $10 million.
According to Butusov, the mission was executed in two phases. The first stage involved striking the shelter where the launcher was hidden, while the second strike targeted the system as it was being relocated. The footage released shows the targeting process from the drone interface moments before impact.
The Buk-M1 is a medium-range surface-to-air missile system capable of engaging multiple aerial targets simultaneously at ranges of up to 35 kilometers and altitudes from 15 meters to 22 kilometers. A Buk-M1 surface-to-air missile launcher is estimated to cost approximately $10 million on the international market.
Ukrainian officials note that, as of September, more than 50 Buk launchers have been destroyed or disabled by Ukrainian forces since the start of the full-scale invasion.
The commander of the unit, Colonel Pavlo “Lazar” Yelizarov of the National Guard, was a television producer before Russia’s full-scale invasion. Under his leadership, the unit has developed its own drones and munitions, operating as a full-cycle design and production team.
Earlier, Ukrainian military intelligence reported that drone operators struck Russia’s Nebo-M and Podlet-K1 radar systems in occupied Crimea, creating “blind corridors” in Moscow’s air defense network.
