The Russian Ministry of Defense released footage on 14/7 taken by a reconnaissance UAV, showing a 36D6 air defense radar system and a military vehicle parked roadside near the city of Borzna in the Chernihiv province of northern Ukraine. The radar's antenna was deployed but not rotating.
The first Geran-2 suicide UAV struck, appearing to detonate its warhead in the air to maximize damage. This is the first time footage has shown a Geran-2 using an airburst detonation mechanism, rather than the typical contact detonation. A second UAV attacked shortly after, completely destroying the target.
The Russian reconnaissance UAV continued to circle overhead to assess the damage, showing a fire erupting after the attack and both Ukrainian military vehicles ablaze.
Ukrainian officials have not commented on the incident.
The 36D6 radar, also known as the ST-68, has a tracking range of approximately 200 km and is a crucial component of the S-300 long-range air defense system. It specializes in detecting targets like cruise missiles and low-flying fighters. The 36D6 can also operate independently as an early warning radar for regional air defense networks.
The Geran-2 is a Russian-made UAV based on the Iranian Shahed-136 design. The initial Geran-2 variant weighs around 200 kg, carries a 50 kg warhead, and has a range of 2,500 km.
Russia has significantly upgraded the Geran-2 to increase its effectiveness. Upgrades include a new 90 kg warhead, electro-optical sensors combined with AI for target recognition, and improved jamming resistance to counter Ukrainian electronic warfare measures.
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Location of Borzna city. Graphics: RYV |
Frontelligence Insight, a Ukrainian intelligence analysis group, estimates that Russia produced an average of more than 60 Geran-2 long-range suicide UAVs per day – almost 1,850 per month – between February and April.
The US-based Institute for the Study of War noted on 8/7 that increased production of long-range UAVs allows Russia to deploy more of them for daily attacks on Ukrainian territory. This development also enables Russia to use Geran-2s for frontline target strikes, rather than solely for attacks on infrastructure deep within Ukraine.
Nguyen Tien (According to RIA Novosti, Zvezda, AP)
