Special Operations Forces (SSO) units struck the radar station of Russia’s S-400 Triumph air defense system in Russian-occupied Crimea early on Tuesday, Sept. 30.
The radar station is described as the “eyes” of the S-400 Triumph complex. Without its observation and guidance system, the entire S-400 loses combat capability, the report noted.
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“It is symbolic that the enemy’s expensive air defense system, aimed, in particular, at UAVs, was neutralized by SSO strike drones,” a report on Telegram said. “SSO units continue to inflict significant damage on the enemy, accelerating his inability to conduct further combat operations.”
The Special Ops did not disclose the exact location of the strike or provide photos or videos confirming the damage.
The Crimean Wind Telegram channel suggested that two to three explosions in Feodosia and the Leninsky district of Crimea around 2:57-3:00 a.m. coincided with the strike.
The S-400 system (NATO reporting name: SA-21 “Growler”) is considered one of the most advanced air defense systems in Russian service, second only to the newer S-500, introduced in 2021. Comparable to the US Patriot system, the S-400 is a modernized version of the Soviet-era S-300, officially adopted by Russia in 2007.
Visually similar to its predecessor, the system includes a radar station, launchers, and autonomous detection and target designation systems. Its developer, the Almaz Design Bureau, claims its functions – detection, tracking, target distribution, missile selection, launch, and strike evaluation – are fully automated.
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A single S-400 launcher can hold four missiles with a declared range of up to 400 kilometers (249 miles). The missiles are designed to engage long-range radar aircraft, strategic bombers, and ballistic targets at speeds of up to 4,000 kilometers (2,485 miles) per hour.
Developers also claim the S-400 can track up to 80 targets simultaneously, launching two missiles at each, totaling 160 missiles. With each launcher holding four missiles, the system can operate up to 40 launchers.
Russia began deploying S-400 systems on the northwestern coast of occupied Crimea in May 2022. Similar complexes are also positioned in Moscow, even within residential areas.
Estimates of the system’s cost vary widely. Some sources put the price at around $1.2 billion, while a 2023 Newsweek article citing a Royal United Services Institute expert suggested it may be closer to $200 million per unit.
Journalist Yuriy Butusov reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) first destroyed an S-400 system on Aug. 5, 2022.
Earlier this month, on Sept. 5, Ukraine’s Special Ops reported destroying another Russian S-400 system in Russia’s Kaluga region, which borders Bryansk — an area frequently targeted by Ukrainian strikes, including cross-border raids.
A 2024 Newsweek article estimated that Russia possessed around 56 complete S-400 systems as of the 2020s.
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