Rare Russian Irbis Radar Tries to Escape Ukrainian Drones—And Got Hit Anyway, Video

Ukrainian forces have struck a rare Russian Irbis counter-battery radar system after detecting and tracking it during an aerial reconnaissance operation, Ukraine’s 43rd Separate Artillery Brigade named after Hetman Taras Triasylo reported.

According to footage published by the brigade on Facebook, Ukrainian aerial reconnaissance operators identified the Russian radar system and monitored its movements before passing its coordinates to neighboring units.

The brigade said the Russian system attempted to evade detection by maneuvering and changing positions after being spotted by a Ukrainian reconnaissance drone.

However, Ukrainian forces had already established its coordinates and relayed the information to nearby units, enabling them to strike the target.

The video released by the brigade shows the Russian radar system moving between positions before being hit.

The Irbis is a versatile Russian radar system designed to detect artillery and rocket fire and determine the coordinates of enemy firing positions, allowing it to operate as a counter-battery radar.

According to Ukrainian defense outlet Militarnyi, the system can also monitor airspace and detect enemy aircraft and drones at distances of up to 150 kilometers.

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Category

War in Ukraine

Ukraine Strikes Russian Drone and Ammo Depots, Command Post and Communications Hub

Oct 06, 2026 14:04

The strike follows another Ukrainian operation targeting a rare component of Russia’s air defense infrastructure. Ukrainian forces recently reported destroying a transport-loading vehicle used by the Russian Buk-M3 air defense system, marking the first recorded destruction of this type of equipment since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

That operation was carried out in the 3rd Army Corps’ area of operations by drone operators from the Skyfom strike wing company, part of the Unmanned Systems Battalion of Ukraine’s 3rd Separate Assault Brigade.

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