Recent satellite photos captured the aftermath of a Ukrainian attack in Dzhankoi, Crimea. It’s believed that the strike obliterated a sophisticated Russian air defense system.
The Ukrainian General Staff announced the successful destruction of a Russian S-400 anti-aircraft system near Dzhankoi and two S-300 missile systems near Chornomorske and Yevpatoria.
With Kyiv determined to reclaim the Black Sea Peninsula, Crimea has been a focal point for attacks during Vladimir Putin‘s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The region was annexed by Moscow in 2014.
The images were obtained by Radio Svoboda, a Russian service funded by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and were shared via Telegram. They show significant damage to a major military installation in Dzhankoi.
Although the satellite images didn’t provide high-resolution details of the equipment affected, they did reveal the presence of specific objects in the target area. Ukrainian forces claimed that their long-range attacks damaged crucial radar components in Russian air defense networks.
Anatoly Krapchinskyi, a Russian military expert specializing in air defense systems, suggested that the images could have featured the Russian Podlet radar, integral to S-300/S-400 systems.
Ukraine’s attacks on Russian military installations have been framed as legitimate actions in the ongoing conflict. Analysis from the British Defense Ministry suggests that such attacks may compel Russia to disperse its fighter jets or relocate air defense systems in the future.
A Russian military blogger, Boris Rozhin, based in Crimea, has highlighted the vulnerability of Russian air defense systems to potential airstrikes and called for urgent restructuring to enhance defenses.
Rozhin advocated for strategic changes in defense systems to improve their ability to withstand attacks successfully, transforming them into more compact and concealed structures.