Ukrainian forces have struck a launcher from the high-cost S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft missile system and targeted a military echelon of Russian troops, according to the General Staff of Ukraine on Monday.
The S-400 “Triumf” system was hit near the village of Gvardiyske in occupied Crimea, according to the General Staff’s report.
The S-400 Triumf (NATO designation: SA-21 “Growler”) is one of Russia’s most advanced air defense systems, often compared to the US-made Patriot missile system.
With a reported range of up to 380 km (240 miles), it is second only to the newer S-500, which entered service in 2021.
The system plays a key role in protecting military infrastructure and controlling airspace.
According to Army Inform, a full S-400 system costs around $1 billion, while a 2023 Newsweek report, citing an expert from the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), estimated a single battery at about $200 million.
The S-400 replaced the Soviet-era S-300 and was officially adopted in April 2007. Since then, Russia has actively promoted it for export, according to military outlet Militarniy.
Open-source data indicate that by 2021, the S-400 had replaced roughly 70% of older S-300 systems in Russian service – about 576 launchers. A 2024 Newsweek report estimated that Russia had around 56 S-400 systems by the early 2020s.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, S-400 systems have been widely deployed to protect Russian troops and strategic sites in occupied territories, defending against Ukrainian aircraft, missile strikes and drones.
On Sunday, March 29, hits were recorded on a military echelon of Russian troops near the occupied village of Novosvitlivka in the Luhansk region.
In addition, a series of strikes targeted command posts and areas of Russian troop concentrations that same day.
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) command post was hit in the area of Hulyaipole in the Zaporizhzhia region. An area of Russian troop concentration was also struck near the village of Nova Tavolzhanka in Russia’s Belgorod region.
Several clusters of Russian troops were also hit near the settlements of Berezove in the Dnipropetrovsk region, Basivka in the Sumy region, and Hulyaipole.
“The enemy’s losses and the scale of the damage inflicted are being clarified. Available photo and video materials of objective control confirm the accuracy of the measures taken,” the report says.
Separately, a Monday report by the Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) said Ukrainian units struck a Tor missile system anti-aircraft system in the Luhansk region.
“Hitting a moving target is always a challenge. And hitting a Tor on the move is a completely different level of complexity,” the report reads.
A 30-second video released by the USF, filmed from a drone, shows the UAV approaching a Russian Tor air defense system and striking it, causing a large explosion with visible flames. Kyiv Post was unable to independently verify the time or location of the footage.
The Tor system (NATO designation: SA-15 “Gauntlet”) is a Soviet-era, short-range surface-to-air missile system capable of intercepting aircraft, helicopters, drones, and cruise missiles.
The estimated cost of a Tor-M1 system – introduced in 1991 as an upgraded version of the original Tor, which entered service in 1986 – is about $25 million.
The USF said the strike was carried out by operators of the 9th Separate Brigade in coordination with the Deep Strike Center.
“Result: Tor is damaged, enemy air defense in the direction weakens, and the Defense Forces have more room for action. We continue to hunt,” the report adds.