Ukrainian Forces Destroy Billion-Dollar S-400 Air Defense System in Crimea

During the night of February 25, 2026, the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SSO) conducted a precision strike against Russian air defense positions in occupied Crimea.

According to an official statement from the SSO, operators from the “Middle Strike” unit successfully neutralized several high-value targets, including the advanced S-400 “Triumph” surface-to-air missile system.

The operation resulted in the confirmed destruction of a critical S-400 launcher and a 92N6E multi-functional radar station. In addition to the S-400 components, the SSO reported the elimination of a Pantsir-S1 air defense system.

The Pantsir-S1 was reportedly positioned to provide close-range protection for the S-400 battery against incoming drones and low-altitude missiles.

“The Pantsir-S1, which covered important objects and positions of the enemy’s air defense from drones and missiles at low and medium altitudes, also ceased to exist,” the Special Operations Forces stated via their official channels.

The destruction of these assets represents a significant financial and operational loss for the Russian military. The total market value of a complete S-400 “Triumph” system is estimated at approximately $1 billion.

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The S-400 is Russia’s flagship long-range air defense asset, and the loss of the 92N6E radar is particularly critical, as it serves as the “eyes” of the system, capable of tracking and engaging multiple targets simultaneously.

The SSO emphasized that these “asymmetric actions” are part of a broader strategy to degrade Russia’s offensive potential and territorial control over the peninsula.

Earlier on February 21, Ukrainian drone units destroyed a Russian Tornado-S—the Kremlin’s precision-guided equivalent to the HIMARS—while it was actively firing toward Zaporizhzhia.

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