Russia Finally Unveils Its New Pantsir-S1M—Ukraine Had Already Blown One Up Before the Premiere

Russia has officially unveiled a new version of its Pantsir-S1M air defense system mounted on a Belarusian-made MZKT chassis—but Ukraine had already encountered and struck one near temporarily occupied Mariupol months before its public premiere.

According to Defense Express on October 6, Russia displayed the Pantsir-S1M configuration during the Center-2026 military exercises, marking the first official public demonstration of the system in this form.

The unveiling comes more than seven months after Ukrainian drone operators targeted what appeared to be the same rare Pantsir configuration near the Azovstal steel plant in temporarily occupied Mariupol.

In late February 2026, operators from the 413th Raid Regiment of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces struck the air defense system, which stood out because it was mounted on an MZKT chassis rather than the KamAZ platform commonly used for Russian Pantsir systems.

Defense Express now identifies the vehicle targeted near Mariupol as one of the MZKT-based Pantsir systems and reports that Russia has already lost one of the systems before officially presenting the configuration.

The new version uses the Belarusian MZKT-7930 wheeled chassis produced by the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant. Russia has experimented with Pantsir systems on MZKT platforms before, including a prototype demonstrated at the MAKS-2009 aerospace exhibition.

The number of the new systems may remain limited. Defense Express cited a Belarusian opposition investigation published in April 2026 that claimed Russia ordered 18 MZKT-7930-312 chassis from Belarus in 2024 specifically for use with Pantsir air defense systems.

If the reported chassis order corresponds to the current production batch, the fleet could consist of around 18 vehicles. Defense Express noted that the MZKT-based configuration has been publicly observed only twice in 2026—the system targeted near Mariupol and the vehicle subsequently displayed during Center-2026.

The switch to the Belarusian chassis may also address shortcomings associated with the KamAZ platform traditionally used for Pantsir systems, particularly its stability and cross-country mobility.

The Pantsir family combines surface-to-air missiles and automatic cannons for short-range air defense against aircraft, missiles, and drones. The Center-2026 appearance provides the first official look at the MZKT-based Pantsir-S1M—after the configuration had already appeared within range of Ukrainian forces.

Earlier, Ukrainian forces destroyed Russia’s new Sarma 300 mm multiple launch rocket system for the first time during a mechanized assault in the Donetsk region. The HIMARS-like system, first displayed by Russia in 2025, was struck by a Ukrainian attack drone.

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