Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR) said on Tuesday that its special operations forces struck and destroyed two Russian air defense radar systems in occupied Crimea ahead of Ukraine’s Military Intelligence Day on Sunday, Sept. 7.
The Crimean Peninsula, illegally occupied by Moscow in 2014, remains a key bridgehead of the invasion, serving as a launch site for Russian aircraft and missiles targeting Ukrainian cities since 2022.
According to HUR, drone crews from its Department of Active Operations targeted a 48Ya6-K1 “Podlet” radar and an RLM-M module of the 55Zh6M “Nebo-M” system. It did not say when the attack took place.
Both systems are among Russia’s most valuable air defense assets, designed to detect low-flying aircraft and drones, HUR said.
HUR said the strike on the “Nebo-M” module occurred when the system was on the move, as Russian personnel were leaving their combat duty position. The agency did not disclose the exact location of the attack on the peninsula, which lies about 300 kilometers (186 miles) south of mainland Ukraine.
“These were precision strikes against high-value air defense targets of the occupiers in temporarily occupied Crimea,” Ukrainian intelligence said in its statement, adding that the operation highlighted the growing capability of its unmanned systems units.
Russia has not commented on the reported destruction of the radar systems. Kyiv Post could not independently verify the claims.
Earlier this month, HUR released footage of a special operation in occupied Crimea, where fighters from the “Prymary” group struck Russian strategic targets – an airbase in Hvardiiske and a military vessel in Sevastopol Bay.
According to HUR, Ukrainian drones hit a Russian military airbase near Simferopol, where combat helicopters were stationed. As a result of the attack, at least two Mi-8s were destroyed.
The estimated cost of these aircraft is between $20 and $30 million. Another strike hit a Russian military tugboat, presumably a BUK-2190, which was located in Sevastopol Bay.
Ukrainian intelligence operatives reportedly directed a warhead at the vessel, which was part of Russia’s so-called Underwater Sabotage Forces (PDSS) – elite units comprising diver-reconnaissance specialists equipped with advanced training and equipment.
“The destruction of the tugboat significantly limits the combat capabilities of the elite Russian unit,” the HUR statement said.