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Ukrainian FP-2 Strike Drone With 100-Kg Warhead Blows Apart Russian Pantsir System Near Melitopol

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Destroyed Russian Pantsir-S1 air defense system near Melitopol after a Ukrainian drone strike, March 6, 2026. (Source: @BogdanovVitaliy)
Destroyed Russian Pantsir-S1 air defense system near Melitopol after a Ukrainian drone strike, March 6, 2026. (Source: @BogdanovVitaliy)

A Russian Pantsir-S1 air defense system was destroyed near the occupied city of Melitopol after being struck by a Ukrainian long-range drone carrying a 100-kilogram warhead, according to Militarnyi on March 9.

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The strike reportedly took place near the village of Nove, several kilometers from Melitopol in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region. An image of the destroyed system was published on X by military observer Vitaliy Bohdanov and later analyzed by OSINT researcher blinzka, who reported that the drone traveled roughly 90 kilometers before hitting the target.

The attack involved the Ukrainian FP-2 strike drone, operated by pilots from the 1st Separate Center of the Unmanned Systems Forces (SBS). Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces Robert “Madyar” Brovdi confirmed the use of the drone in the operation.

“The pilots of the 1st Separate Center of the Unmanned Systems Forces carried out the strike using a Ukrainian-made middle-strike FP-2 system with a 100-kg warhead,” Brovdi said.

Images published after the strike show severe damage to the Russian air defense platform. The explosion tore off the system’s radar module and completely destroyed the launcher and its carrier vehicle.

The FP-2 drone is produced by the Ukrainian company Fire Point and is structurally based on the earlier FP-1 long-range strike UAV, which Ukraine has used for attacks on targets deep behind Russian lines.

The platform can operate in different configurations: one version uses autonomous guidance to strike stationary targets, while another allows manual control via radio link, enabling operators to engage moving targets.

At least one known configuration of the FP-2 carries a modified OFAB-100-110-TU aerial bomb, with a total warhead mass of approximately 121 kilograms, the outlet reported.

The drone currently has a range of about 200 kilometers, and the manufacturer is working to increase its operational distance.

The Pantsir-S1 is a mobile air defense platform combining surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft guns. Russia widely deploys the system to protect military bases, airfields, and logistics infrastructure from drones, cruise missiles, and aircraft.

Earlier, Ukrainian FP-2 strike drones targeted multiple Russian air defense systems across occupied southern Ukraine, including Buk, S-300V, Pantsir-S1, and Tor platforms. The strikes were carried out by units of the Unmanned Systems Forces using drones equipped with 60-kg and 100-kg warheads to degrade Russia’s layered air defense network.

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