Ukraine Blinds Russia’s S-400 in Crimea, Then Sets Its Launcher Ablaze

Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) said its drone operators destroyed key elements of a Russian S-400 Triumf air defense system in temporarily occupied Crimea during a nighttime operation on July 26.

According to Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) of the Ministry of Defense, operators from its Unmanned Systems Department struck a launcher and a 96L6 target acquisition radar belonging to the long-range surface-to-air missile system. The agency released video footage showing the reported strikes.

The 96L6 radar plays a critical role within the S-400 air defense network, providing long-range target detection and tracking. Designed to operate in the S-band, the radar can reportedly detect aerial targets at distances of up to 300 kilometers and track as many as 100 objects simultaneously, including aircraft and missiles flying at various altitudes.

The destroyed launcher formed part of Russia’s S-400 Triumf system, one of Moscow’s primary long-range air defense platforms. Depending on the interceptor used, the system is designed to engage aerodynamic targets at ranges of up to 400 kilometers and ballistic missiles at distances of up to 60 kilometers.

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War in Ukraine

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HUR did not specify which drones or munitions were used in the operation, nor did it disclose the exact location of the strike within temporarily occupied Crimea. Russia has not publicly commented on the reported losses at the time of publication, and the claims have not been independently verified.

Earlier, Ukraine’s Defense Forces struck a Russian drone control relay station and a Chornomornaftogaz energy facility in occupied Crimea, while also confirming successful hits on the Tyumen Oil Refinery, a key fuel supplier for Russia’s military-industrial sector, according to the General Staff.

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