The Russian Ministry of Defense released reconnaissance drone footage on 16/7, showing a Ukrainian S-300PS air defense site near Gvardeyskoye in Odessa Oblast. The drone identified a command post, fire control radar, two transporter erector launchers (TELs), and a generator within the fortifications.
Target data was relayed to an Iskander-M tactical ballistic missile system for the strike. Subsequent drone footage revealed explosions and large smoke plumes engulfing the area. The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed the destruction of the command post, radar, and two TELs. Ukrainian casualties are unknown.
Ukrainian officials have not commented on the video.
In a related announcement, the Ukrainian Air Force Command reported a Russian attack involving an Iskander-M missile, 400 Geran suicide drones, and decoy aircraft.
The primary targets were Kryvyi Rih, Kharkiv, and Vinnytsia. Ukrainian air defense units downed 198 suicide drones, while electronic countermeasures disrupted 145 aircraft. One missile and 57 drones hit 12 locations, with debris from intercepted aircraft falling on two other areas. The specific impact locations were not disclosed.
The Soviet Union introduced the S-300 long-range air defense system in the late 1970s, with three main variants: the S-300P for air defense forces, the S-300V for ground forces, and the S-300F for naval vessels.
The S-300PS, launched in 1982, features self-propelled combat vehicles, replacing the trailer-mounted configuration of the original S-300P. The S-300PS also utilizes the 5V55R missile with a 75 km range, a significant improvement over the 47 km range of the 5V55K missile used by the S-300P.
The Belgium-based analysis group Army Recognition considers the S-300PS technologically comparable to the American MIM-104 Patriot air defense system, with superior mobility and low-altitude target engagement capabilities.
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Location of Gvardeyskoye, Odessa Oblast. Graphic: RYV |
The precise number of S-300 missiles in Ukraine's possession is unknown. The country operates several Soviet-era S-300PT and S-300PS systems for air defense.
The Russian military has repeatedly targeted Ukrainian S-300 batteries, including initial strikes on bases during the early stages of the conflict, as well as attacks using suicide drones and guided missiles against deployed or mobile S-300 units.
Nguyen Tien (According to RIA Novosti, Zvezda, AP)
