Ukrainian Drones Torch $25M Russian Tor-M2 Air Defense System

Ukrainian National Guard fighters have struck and destroyed a Russian Tor-M2 short-range air defense missile system, costing around $25 million, in the south of Ukraine using drones.

“Another enemy Tor-M2 air defense system was destroyed in the south! Thanks to the coordinated actions of intelligence and UAV operators, the enemy suffered significant losses,” the National Guard said in a Telegram post, accompanied by a video of the attack.

Kyiv Post could not independently verify the time or location of the video. The footage shows drones dropping explosives repeatedly on the Russian system. After several hits, the missile launcher caught fire as Russian troops began fleeing the area. The fate of the crew remains unknown.

The Tor-M2 (NATO: SA-15 “Gauntlet”) is a Russian-made short-range mobile air defense system developed by Almaz-Antey to intercept a variety of aerial targets, including airplanes, helicopters, drones, and guided missiles flying at low altitudes. The system uses a tracked chassis for its self-contained TELAR (transporter, erector, launcher, and radar) launch vehicle platform.

First unveiled at the Moscow Air Show in 2007, the Tor-M2 is an upgrade of the Tor-M1, with enhanced radar capabilities, the ability to launch while on the move, and an improved digital fire-control system.

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Russian forces have deployed an additional Pantsir anti-aircraft missile and gun system near the Moscow Oil Refinery, likely elocated from the front line amid a potential missile shortage.

It can guide up to four missiles simultaneously and carry up to 16 9M338 missiles, which boast greater accuracy and expanded range.

The system is also available in a wheeled version (Tor-M2K) and can operate in all weather conditions. In 2020, Russia announced it had modified the Tor-M2 to help protect oil and gas infrastructure.

In July 2024, the Atesh partisan movement reported spotting a Tor-M2 system deployed above a popular beach in Russian-occupied Sevastopol, Crimea.

“The Russians have chosen another ‘ideal’ place to place their anti-aircraft missile system,” Atesh wrote, sharing photos of the system’s position.

According to Atesh, the placement of the Tor-M2 directly above the beach once again endangered civilians in the area. The movement added that Ukrainian forces have been systematically targeting air defense assets and radar stations to open a “kind of corridor to the Crimean Bridge.”