Russia's "killer UAV" destroyed by Ukraine, exploded in Kherson

The Russian Pantsir-S1 air defense missile-gun complex was said to have been destroyed in Ukraine (Photo: US Defense News).

Ukrainian forces have destroyed an advanced Russian Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile-gun system in the southern Kherson region, where fierce fighting is taking place.

In a clip shared by the Ukrainian military in southern Ukraine and widely circulated on open-source intelligence accounts, a Russian Pantsir-S1 air defense system appears to have come under Ukrainian fire in the Moscow-controlled Kherson region.

Newsweek was unable to independently verify the footage and has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry for comment by email but has not received a response.

Russian Pantsir-S1 air defense system destroyed in Ukraine (Source: Newsweek).

Russia's Pantsir-S1 self-propelled air defense missile-gun system has been deployed in Ukraine during Moscow's special military operation, which is now in its 21st month.

The short-range mobile air defense system, believed to cost around $15 million, is designed to counter aircraft, cruise missiles, precision-guided munitions and support other air defense units against larger attacks.

The Pantsir-S1 system was allegedly destroyed by Ukraine near the village of Chaplynka in Kherson, a prominent open-source intelligence account said, calling the system a “killer drone.”

The Chaplynka settlement is quite far from the current front line in Russian-controlled territory, and Newsweek was unable to independently verify this.

The Ukrainian General Staff was also approached by Newsweek for comment via email but has not yet responded.

Russia's Kherson region is one of four Ukrainian enclaves annexed by Moscow in the fall of 2022. The Dnieper River, which runs through the region, is the current front line, after a lightning counteroffensive last fall saw Ukrainian forces successfully push Russian troops east of the river.

Ukrainian forces are constantly conducting operations east or on the left bank of the Dnieper River, the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in its latest update.

The Ukrainian military's General Staff said Ukrainian defense forces "maintained holding positions on the left bank of the river" and added that their troops "continued to conduct counterattacks as they attacked behind enemy lines".

On November 19, the Russian Defense Ministry said its forces had eliminated 20 Ukrainian soldiers and destroyed two Ukrainian vehicles in the previous 24 hours in Kherson.

After slow progress in Kiev's summer counteroffensive, movement along the frontline has largely stalled. ISW added that while Ukrainian and Russian forces continue to advance in the south and east, heavy rainfall will hamper operations until winter conditions "fully set in".

According to the Dutch open-source intelligence agency Oryx, Russia has lost 21 confirmed Pantsir-S1 systems in Ukraine between February 2022 and early October 2023. However, the actual number could be higher as this figure only includes losses verified through published photos and videos .

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/sat-thu-uav-cua-nga-bi-ukraine-pha-huy-no-tung-o-kherson-20231122121527699.htm