The Ukrainian Defense Forces destroyed a Russian Buk SAM system in the Belgorod region, according to a video released by Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The footage shows Ukrainian aerial reconnaissance using a drone to detect the Russian missile system in a field. It is unclear what kind of weapon hit the Buk system, possibly a kamikaze drone or a precision-guided missile from the US HIMARS rocket system. The attack resulted in the solid-fuel engines of the anti-aircraft missiles catching fire, destroying the gun and possibly injuring the Russian air defense system’s maintenance crew.

Observers monitoring the Russian-Ukrainian war have reported that a fire launcher of the invaders’ air defense system was detected and destroyed near the village of Nechaievka in the Belgorod region. Over recent months, the Russian invasion forces have experienced significant losses in air defense systems, particularly in the temporarily occupied territories of Eastern Ukraine and Crimea, including the SSU drones hitting eight different air defense systems. The Ukrainian soldiers were able to adjust their strikes with the help of a reconnaissance drone that tracked the movement of Russian air defense systems, likely equipped with a targeting system for more accurate hits.

ملخص الأخبار

• The Russian air defense system was in a staging position while moving before deployment.
• The flames from the attack destroyed the Buk gun and possibly injured the Russian air defense system’s maintenance crew.
• The Russian invasion forces have faced significant losses in air defense systems in Eastern Ukraine and Crimea, including destructions of S-300 and S-400 systems.