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Ukrainian Drone Strike Destroys Russian Buk-M1 System in Zaporizhzhia Region, Video
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![Amira_barkhush]( "Photo of Amira Barkhush")
Ukrainian Forces have destroyed a Russian Buk-M1 surface-to-air missile system in the Zaporizhzhia region using a strike drone.
Footage of the precision hit was published by the Ukrainian Operational Command South on May 11.
At the time of the strike, the air defense system was reportedly not in a combat-ready position, making it easier to detect and eliminate.
The strike took place near the village of Verkhnii Tokmak in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region.
According to Militarnyi, at the moment of the strike, the launcher was armed with a single missile, suggesting it had likely been used recently. The precise drone strike triggered a detonation of the remaining munitions, sparking a fire that completely destroyed the system.
The agency added that in recent months, the number of Buk system losses has sharply increased. Ukrainian forces have successfully targeted both the older M1 and M2 variants as well as the newer M3 version, which can carry between six and twelve 9M317ME missiles.
The open-source intelligence group Oryx reported that Ukrainian forces have now destroyed or damaged over 40 Buk systems. Their analysis of verified imagery shows Russia has lost at least 23 9A316 transporter-loader vehicles and 30 9A317/9A317M self-propelled firing units.
On May 9, the 413th Separate Unmanned Systems Battalion “Raid” reported destroying a modern Russian self-propelled artillery system, the 2S43 “Malva,” using a Ukrainian FPV drone.
-21d0b63c17f6020e4df75f6c6f9a2f4f.jpg "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
