SBU Hits Russian Pantsir Systems in Crimea, Says ‘Enemy Will Not Feel Safe’

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) said on Friday that its drones struck several Russian military targets in occupied Crimea overnight, the Black Sea peninsula illegally annexed by Russia in 2014 and since turned into a major military hub used to launch attacks on Ukrainian territory.

A source in the SBU told Kyiv Post that drones operated by the SBU’s Alpha special operations center hit production workshops at the Yevpatoria Aircraft Repair Plant and targeted Russian military positions in Pushkine, near the Dzhankoi airfield in northern Crimea.

Preliminary information indicates that two Pantsir-S2 air defense systems were hit, along with a Mohajer-6 drone on the airfield, a ZU-23 anti-aircraft gun mounted on a truck, two fuel tankers, and a ground control station for a Forpost drone.

The Pantsir-S2 is a Russian short- to medium-range air defense system designed to intercept drones, aircraft, and missiles, with an engagement range of up to 30 kilometers (18.6 miles). It combines anti-aircraft missiles and rapid-fire cannons and is widely used by Russia to protect military airfields, command posts and critical infrastructure.

“Systematic SBU special operations in Crimea are aimed at destroying military infrastructure Russia uses for attacks against Ukraine,” the source said.

The source added that Ukraine is deliberately targeting Russian air defense systems, drones and military equipment to weaken Moscow’s ability to protect its military bases and strike Ukrainian cities.

Other Topics of Interest

Turkish Fishing Vessel Sunk After Apparent Black Sea Attack, One Dead

A Turkish-flagged fishing vessel, the Duru 67, was attacked and sunk in the northern Black Sea on Friday, June 5. The Turkish Coast Guard confirmed that the vessel came under fire west of Russian-occupied Sevastopol, resulting in the death of one crew member and wounding four others. Surviving mariners were rescued from the sinking trawler by another fishing vessel, which was subsequently met by a coast guard cutter equipped with a medical team.

“The enemy will not feel safe, especially on the territory of Ukrainian Crimea,” the source said.

Last week, 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 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.