Ukrainian FP-2 Drones Strike Russian P-18 Radar and PRV-16 Height Finder Behind Front Lines

Ukrainian operators from the Unmanned Systems Forces struck multiple Russian military targets in occupied parts of the Donetsk region, including a PRV-16 radar height finder, a P-18 early warning radar, ammunition depots, and fuel storage facilities.

According to the Unmanned Systems Forces on May 12, operators from the 1st Separate Center of the SBS used FP-2 medium-range strike drones during operations conducted in cooperation with the SBS DeepStrike Center.

Ukrainian forces reported hits against Russian radar systems near the settlements of Huselske and Zelenyi Yar, as well as strikes on fuel and ammunition storage sites in Valerianivka, Donetsk, and Bahatyr.

“Operators of the 1st Separate Center of the SBS struck the PRV-16 radar height finder and the P-18 radar station in the Donetsk region,” the SBS said in a statement published on Telegram on May 12.

The Ukrainian military said the PRV-16 system is used to determine the altitude of airborne targets and assist Russian air defense targeting. The P-18 radar, operating in the VHF band, is designed for long-range detection of aircraft, cruise missiles, and drones.

According to information released by the SBS, the strikes also targeted “a fuel and lubricants depot, an ammunition depot, and temporary deployment points of the enemy.”

The PRV-16 “Nadezhnost” is a Soviet-era radar height finder developed to measure the altitude of aerial targets at ranges of up to 300 kilometers. The system operates in the centimeter-wave band and remains in use by Russian air defense units.

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Belarusian defense enterprises have previously modernized the platform to the PRV-16BM standard, replacing analog components and improving its ability to detect smaller aerial targets.

The P-18 “Terek” radar is a long-range surveillance system operating in the meter-wave band. Open-source specifications indicate the radar can detect targets at distances of up to 250 kilometers and altitudes reaching 35 kilometers. Systems in this class are commonly used as part of layered air defense networks for early warning and target tracking.

Earlier, Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces reported the destruction of several Russian air defense assets in a single week, including a Buk-M3, Tor-M2, Tunguska, and Kasta-2E2 radar station collectively valued at more than $131 million, according to the Ukrainian command on May 11.

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