Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SSO) destroyed a Russian Buk-M3 (NATO: SA-27 Gollum) surface-to-air missile system and a Uragan-1 multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) using precision drone strikes.
According to a video and statement posted by the SSO on Telegram, the equipment was discovered during a reconnaissance operation in one of the current combat zones.
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
According to the report, SSO operators then quickly prepared and launched strike drones, successfully reaching and hitting both of the weapon systems.
“The Buk-M3 is one of the enemy’s key air defense systems, capable of targeting threats in the air, on the ground, and at sea,” the caption to the released video read.
Kyiv Post could not independently verify the time and location of the footage, which shows the Russian equipment being struck by attack drones causing multiple explosions, ammunition detonation, fireballs, and thick plumes of smoke.
The report states that the Buk-M3 system – estimated to be worth $45 million – was completely destroyed along with its ammunition. It does not specify which model of strike drones were used.
The Buk-M3 is among Russia’s most advanced mobile air defense systems, capable of hitting targets at altitudes of up to 35 kilometers (22 miles) and ranges of up to 70 kilometers (44 miles). It is designed to engage aircraft, cruise missiles, helicopters, and other aerial threats.
Zelensky Says NATO Needs Ukraine More Than Ever, Offers to ‘Share Priceless Experience’
The BM-27 Uragan-1 is a 220mm MLRS also capable of delivering high-explosive fragmentation and cluster munitions at ranges of up to 35 kilometers.
In early April, Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces disabled three Russian Buk air defense systems in Russia’s Kursk Oblast within just 12 hours.
According to the report, Ukrainian pilots used first-person view (FPV) drones to carry out precision strikes. One of the targets was a Buk-M2 (NATO: SA-17 Grizzly) launcher hidden in a forest, which detonated after being hit.
The other two were Buk-M3 systems; their radars, critical for missile tracking and guidance, were struck and damaged, significantly degrading their operational effectiveness.
As previously reported by Kyiv Post, Ukrainian Special Ops have consistently targeted Russian Buk systems using a combination of tactics and technologies since the beginning of 2024.
In early 2024, the SSO destroyed multiple Buk systems across key sectors, including Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia, through coordinated drone strikes and artillery fire.
In April, SSO operators had eliminated a Buk-M1 in the Donetsk region and used drones to destroy another Buk and its evacuation vehicle at a launch position in the Sumy region.
By May 2024, the 3rd Separate Regiment of the SSO confirmed the destruction of four Buk systems, including one hit by a newly deployed attack drone.
In November, SSO forces - working with other Ukrainian defense units - took out a radar station belonging to a Buk-M3 system in Zaporizhzhia.
You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter
