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Business Insider
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
Ukraine has been catapulting drones to strike Russia's million-dollar air defenses deep behind battle lines
Ukraine's intelligence directorate (GUR) has released footage of Kyiv's UJ-26 "Bober" drone being launched via catapult to attack Russian air defenses. The video, published on Tuesday, shows the locally manufactured 8-foot-long loitering munition being slung into the air from a fixed ramp. GUR said its special forces launched the drones to attack targets in Russian-occupied Crimea. The new launch method allows the fixed-wing Bober to enter combat without landing gear, which would likely improve its range or maneuverability. Traditionally, the Bobers take off from airstrips like traditional aircraft. Given that the ramp would likely have to be set up in Ukrainian-held territory west of the Dnieper River, the drone would have to travel a minimum of roughly 60 miles to reach Russian targets in Crimea. The drones also seem to be equipped with thermal cameras in several first-person view clips uploaded by the defense intelligence agency. One montage appears to show a drone evading a missile and then flying into a $15 million Pantsir S-1 point air defense system. A second drone is also shown flying into the ground next to a Pantsir S-1 as the vehicle crew scrambles for cover. GUR described the attack as the "successful defeat" of the Pantsir, but did not show footage of the results. The intelligence agency also said it conducted similar successful attacks on three Russian radar systems — The Niobium-SV, the Pechora-3, and the Provotnik GE — as well as a fourth-generation Su-30 fighter. It uploaded several first-person view clips of drones approaching these systems with thermal cameras, though many of them can only be seen flying close to their target. Business Insider could not independently verify the damage caused. Ukrainian media regularly describe the Niobium-SV as a $100 million system. Earlier Russian estimates from before the full-scale invasion indicated that the Kremlin was acquiring the Niobium-SV in 2016 for about $40 million per unit. However, these may have since been fitted with more expensive upgrades. Meanwhile, one Bober, which translates to "beaver" in Ukrainian, reportedly costs around $110,000 to manufacture. The propeller drone is meant for long-range attacks and is known to carry the KZ-6 charge, a 6.6-pound demolition explosive designed to break through concrete or armor. It's yet another example of how the war has increasingly featured cheaper systems being used to attack and, at times, destroy expensive high-end equipment, posing difficult questions for the traditional defense procurement model that heavily prioritized advanced technology. For example, one of Ukraine's biggest community drone funds, run by activist Serhii Sternenko, reported to donors that its crowdfunded drones have damaged at least 11 Buk surface-to-air missile systems in 2025. The fund often publishes footage of such strikes. Depending on whether they have the latest upgrades, these defenses can cost Russia between $10 and $100 million each. By comparison, Sternenko's fund said it receives roughly $6 million in donations a month for its entire budget.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine Launches FPV Drone Attack On Russia's Air Defenses In Crimea
Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR) said it carried out a large-scale attack on Russian radar and air defense systems, boats and a helicopter in occupied Crimea using first-person view (FPV) drones presumably launched from drone boats. A video compilation released by GUR shows the FPV drones hitting nearly two dozen targets. 'The invaders in the temporarily occupied Crimea trembled for several days from an unprecedented rumble – their expensive air defense systems proved helpless against the well-aimed strikes of the soldiers of the Air Defense Forces of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine,' GUR stated on Telegram. The directorate did not say when or exactly where on Crimea these attacks took place. The target list included Podlet, Nebo M, Niobium-SV, Kasta-2E2, 9S19 'Ginger,' Sky-SV, Mys, 59H6-E 'Protivnik-GE' and ST-68 radar systems. GUR said it also attacked radar for an S-300VM surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, an S-300SV SAM launcher, three Pantsir S1 SAM systems, a Project S4236 transport ship, the Fyodor Uryupin universal tug and an Mi-8 Hip helicopter. The three-minute, 14-second video shows the FPVs striking these targets. GUR states they were damaged or destroyed, but the video does not show the aftermath of the strikes and The War Zone cannot independently confirm the outcome. Ukraine's Special Services has released a video from the past few days of dismantling Russia's anti-aircraft and radar networks in stations hit: 48Я6-К1 "Flight" (2) 1L125 'Niobium-SV' (2) 39Н6 "Kasta 2E2" (3) 9S19 'Ginger' 'Sky-SV' S-300VM … — SPRAVDI — Stratcom Centre (@StratcomCentre) March 19, 2025 GUR's video doesn't show the drone boats, but that is the most likely method for this kind of strike given how far Crimea is from the front lines. Another possibility, although less likely, is that some of the FPV drones were launched from land nearby their targets by partisans opposed to Russian occupation of Crimea. If launched by drone boat, it would be the largest example of them launching FPV drones for attacks. The melding of the two drone systems first emerged back in January, when FPV drones were launched from drone boats, also known as uncrewed surface vessels, (USVs) against two Russian Pantsir-S1 systems and one Osa system in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine's southern Kherson region. You can read more about that in our initial story here. Launching FPV drones from USVs greatly extends the reach of these swift, highly manueverable weapons, enabling them to hit targets that often require more expensive long-range strike weapons that are far fewer in number. However, as Ukraine has shown it its campaign against Russia's oil infrastructure, it also has a large number of long-range drones at its disposal. Another advantage of using FPV drones for these attacks is that they are harder to defend against using traditional air defense systems like those being targeted. Unlike the front lines, where FPV drones are a ubiquitous threat, Russia wouldn't have the same level of countermeasure systems deployed in Crimea to fend off FPV drones. Combining these two systems is the latest development in Ukraine's Black Sea drone war, which is seeing increasingly innovative use of uncrewed systems, including adapted air-to-air missiles launched from USVs against Russian aircraft. The following video from Ukraine's Defense Ministry (MoD) shows that encounter. A historic strike: @DI_Ukraine warriors destroyed an aerial target using a Magura V5 naval drone.A russian Mi-8 helicopter was destroyed using R-73 'SeeDragon' missiles near Cape Tarkhankut in temporarily occupied enemy helicopter was damaged and returned to… — Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) December 31, 2024 In addition to being another example of Ukraine's technical innovation, this wave of attacks continues its targeting of Russian air defense and radar systems on Crimea. Taking out these systems potentially open holes in Russia's air defense overlay of the peninsula and the northwestern Black Sea. This could go a long way to ensuring the survivability of standoff strike weapons, like Storm Shadow and SCALP-EG, and other attacks, such as those by long-range kamikaze drones. You can see an August 2023 attack on a Russian S-400 SAM system in the video below. В окупованому Криму знищено російський комплекс С-400 — Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (@DI_Ukraine) August 23, 2023 By striking two vessels and a helicopter, Ukraine is also continuing its asymmetric fight against Russia's Black Sea Fleet. Already, Ukrainian USVs have inflicted disproportionate losses on Russian surface vessels operating in that body of water. As we have reported in the past, Russia has used its Mi-8 Hip helicopters to defend against Ukrainian USVs. Given the large number of attacks over a short period of time, it is possible that Ukraine is softening up Russia's air and missile defense capabilities for a much larger aerial attack. Though Ukrainian leaders have made it clear they want the return Crimea – annexed by Russia in 2014 – ongoing peace negotiations might put that goal out of reach. As we noted yesterday, U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin reached a tentative, limited ceasefire deal to end attacks on power infrastructure. However, Putin has not given up its desire for permanent occupation of Crimea. Moreover, the Trump administration is considering recognizing Crimea as Russian territory as part of any future agreement to end Moscow's war on Kyiv, Semafor reported, citing two people familiar with the matter. 'Administration officials have also discussed the possibility of having the US urge the United Nations to do the same, according to both people,' Semafor added. 'Such a request would align the Trump administration with the position of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has long seen Crimea as his nation's territory.' The current state of affairs on the battlefield make a Ukrainian military recapture of Crimea impossible. However, continued attacks like these add to Russia's cost of holding onto the peninsula. Contact the author: howard@
