Ukraine’s Drones Strike $5M Russian “Podlet-K1” Radar System in Crimea

A Russian air defense radar station in Crimea was hit in a drone strike, the Russian media outlet ASTRA reported on February 27.

On the night of February 26, a Ukrainian drone struck a mobile command post belonging to Russia’s 31st Air Defense Division near the village of Olenivka, close to Cape Tarkhankut.

The attack reportedly damaged a mobile radar station, though the extent of the damage remains unclear.

Earlier reports suggested that the radar in question was the 48Ya6-K1 “Podlet-K1”, a long-range target acquisition system.

Russian “Podlet-K1” radar tests began in 2010. It is designed to provide targeting information for S-300, S-400, and similar air defense systems. The first deliveries of the system to the Russian Air Defense Forces began in 2015.

The “Podlet-K1” universal mobile solid-state three-coordinate radar station was designed to detect small, low-speed, and low-flying air targets at low and extremely low altitudes in difficult interference conditions. It is primarily used to detect cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and other aviation systems.

The system’s worth is estimated to be around $5 million, it includes an antenna post control console and a mobile power generator, which are mounted on separate KAMAZ wheeled chassis.

According to the developers, “Podlet-K1” is allegedly capable of detecting airborne objects at a maximum distance of 300 kilometers at altitudes of up to 10 kilometers. The number of targets simultaneously tracked by the system is at least 200.

Ukraine’s OSINT-analytics group CyberBoroshno reported that, in addition to this radar, airfields in Kacha and Saky were hit in overnight strikes. They further reported that a Pantsir-S1 air defense system was also damaged, though they are awaiting satellite imagery for confirmation.

Earlier, HUR successfully eliminated another “Podlet-K1” radar system near the village of Kotovske in western temporarily occupied Crimea.