Russian Air Defense Complex Attacked by Ukraine Drones

As a way to celebrate Air Defense Forces Day, Ukrainian fighters from the Main Intelligence Directorate’s special operations unit hit one of Russia’s air defense systems, the 9K35 Strela-10, which are designed to provide close-in support against fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, and UAVs (NATO: SA-13 Gopher).

The Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) of Ukraine said that on Sunday, Ukrainian troops destroyed it via a drone assault.

Fighters from Kyiv’s special operations unit found the defensive system near the front lines, according to a 30-second video provided on Telegram on Tuesday by HUR. After being hit, the apparatus went up in flames.

Russia has one surface-to-air missile system, the 9K35 Strela-10, which dates back to the Soviet period and is capable of short-range aerial targets. Ukraine has destroyed or seized 44 of Moscow’s Strela-10 systems, according to the Dutch open-source intelligence site Oryx. Oryx has been tracking Russia’s military losses since the conflict started. It seems that Oryx’s database was last updated around a month ago.

Also, on Tuesday, along the Donetsk front, the Special Operation Forces (SSO) of Kyiv were claimed to have destroyed one of Russia’s T-90 tanks. The tank was followed as it drove along a neighboring road, according to a video posted to SSO’s Telegram page, which included footage from an FPV drone. After the strike caused the tank to catch fire, Russian troops were seen exiting the damaged T-90 and boarding another armored vehicle in a subsequent video.

On Sunday, a geolocated video examined by the US-based research tank Institute for the Study of War revealed that Moscow advanced the conflict flashpoint further into Ukrainian territory in the Donetsk area.

In March of last year, a group of Iranians were invited on a VIP shopping tour of a Russian armaments manufacturer’s facility. Lunches and cultural performances were provided to the 17 guests, and on the last day, they visited a factory that produces goods that Tehran has long desired: sophisticated Russian air defense systems designed to shoot down enemy jets.

It is unclear if the visit resulted in a straight purchase. Intelligence analysts say that in the two years following Russia’s full invasion of Ukraine, there has been a strengthening strategic alliance between Moscow and Tehran. This alliance could play a significant role when Israeli leaders consider possible military strikes in response to the hundreds of missiles and drones fired at Israel over the weekend.