Ukrainian intelligence announced the destruction of two Pantsir-S1 air defense systems in Russia's border province of Belgorod, a day after invading the province.
The raid was carried out by the "999 Group" of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine (GUR) on January 6, targeting the positions of Russian air defense complexes in Belgorod province, GUR announced on Telegram on January 7.
In the video posted by GUR, the Ukrainian suicide drones are seen flying straight at the Pantsir-S1 systems, but the results of the attack are not shown. The images from the UAV's sensors show a tracking frame around the Russian systems, suggesting that they appear to be operating in autonomous mode, so in theory they could continue to aim even after losing contact with the control team.
"As a result of the strike, two enemy Pantsir-S1 air defense missile-gun complexes were neutralized," the agency wrote, adding that each complex costs $10-15 million.
Ukrainian UAV attacked Russia's Panstir-S1 complex in Belgorod province on January 6. Video: GUR
GUR did not reveal the model of UAV used in the raid, but some Ukrainian social media accounts said it could be a Switchblade or Warmate line provided by the US or Poland.
The Russian Defense Ministry has not commented on the information.
Belgorod, a region of about 1.5 million people, has been regularly targeted by Ukrainian artillery and drone attacks since the start of the conflict. The recent surge in attacks is in response to a series of large-scale Russian incursions into Ukrainian territory, according to Kiev officials.
Location of Belgorod province bordering Ukraine's Kharkov province. Graphics: RYV
Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on January 7 that in the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian army fired nearly 130 shells of various types into six districts of Belgorod province, including rockets, artillery shells, mortar shells, grenade launchers and suicide drones.
A GUR commando group had infiltrated Belgorod province two days earlier, planted mines on the only road in the area and attacked a Russian outpost with infantry and mortar fire, “causing damage to the enemy.” Belogrod has also been infiltrated several times by the pro-Ukrainian Free Russian Corps (FTL) armed group, most recently on December 17 last year.
Developed in the 1990s and put into service with the Russian army in 2003, the Pantsir-S1 is equipped with two 30mm cannons and 12 anti-aircraft missile launchers with a range of 18km. The Pantsir-S1 can detect and counter missiles, rockets, helicopters as well as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that Ukraine often uses for reconnaissance or suicide attacks.
Russian Pantsir-S1 air defense missile-gun complex entered combat in Ukraine in April 2022. Photo: RIA Novosti
The Pantsir complex has a thermal imaging camera that allows the gunner to detect whether the UAV's plastic shell is equipped with explosives and a fuse.
The Russian Defense Ministry’s Zvezda channel said last year that Ukraine was hunting for Pantsir systems because they were “100% effective” on the battlefield. Kiev has repeatedly claimed to have destroyed the systems, most recently in November last year near the village of Chaplynka in Kherson province.
Pham Giang (According to Kyiv Post, Ukrainska Pravda, Militarnyi )
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