Ukrainian Drones Take Out $10 Million Russian Osa-AKM Air Defense System, Video

The Ukrainian military destroyed a Russian Osa-AKM air defense system, according to a video released by the 411th Separate Battalion of Unmanned Aerial Systems ‘Yastruby’  on December 16.

The video shows Ukrainian reconnaissance drones tracking the movement of the enemy’s surface-to-air missile system (SAM) as it attempted to retreat into a hiding spot. Operators from the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion coordinated the surveillance.

The strike was delivered to the building where the Russian Osa-AKM system was concealed, resulting in its destruction. The footage shows an explosion after a precise hit, suggesting the use of a high-precision munition, though the exact weapon used has not been disclosed.

The military has not revealed the location of the strike or the distance from which the attack was carried out.

The Russian Osa-AKM is a Soviet-era, all-weather short-range air defense system equipped with six 9M33M3 surface-to-air missiles.

It can engage aerial targets at distances ranging from 1.5 to 10 kilometers and altitudes between 10 and 5,000 meters.

In October 2024 Southern Defense Forces of Ukraine estimated that this complex is valued at approximately $10 million.

Earlier, Ukrainian drones successfully struck a $27 million Russian Tor-M2 air defense system in the Zaporizhzhia region.