Units of Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces struck Russian air defense positions in occupied Crimea in the early hours of Wednesday, Feb. 25, destroying key elements of an S-400 system and a Pantsir-S1 complex, the Special Operations Forces said in a statement.
According to the post, the strike targeted enemy air defense assets on the peninsula, with confirmed destruction of a launcher from an S-400 system, a 92N6E radar station and additional supporting components.
S-400 Triumf system
S-400 Triumf is one of Russia’s most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile systems. Designed to engage aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, it has a reported engagement range of up to 400 kilometers (about 250 miles), depending on the missile type used.
The system typically includes multiple launchers, a command post and radar units such as the 92N6E fire-control radar, which guides interceptor missiles toward targets. In Russia’s war against Ukraine, S-400 systems deployed in Crimea have been used to protect military infrastructure, air bases and logistics hubs, as well as to create extended air defense coverage over southern Ukraine and parts of the Black Sea.
Striking radar components can significantly reduce the system’s ability to detect and track incoming targets.
Pantsir-S1 short-range defense
The statement also said a Pantsir-S1 air defense missile and gun system was destroyed.
The Pantsir-S1 is a short- to medium-range air defense system designed to protect strategic sites and larger systems like the S-400 from low-flying threats, including drones, helicopters and cruise missiles. It combines surface-to-air missiles with twin 30mm autocannons and has an engagement range of up to about 20 kilometers (12 miles) for missiles.
During the war, Pantsir systems have been widely used to defend Russian airfields, command posts and ammunition depots against Ukrainian drone and missile strikes. Destroying such systems can weaken layered air defense networks and increase vulnerability to follow-up attacks.
The Special Operations Forces said they will continue conducting asymmetric operations aimed at reducing Russia’s offensive capabilities.
In Tuesday’s early hours, Ukraine’s Defense Forces struck Russian command posts, ammunition depots, logistics hubs and a repair base in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, including with US-supplied ATACMS missiles.