Russia destroys Ukrainian mobile radar station – MOD (VIDEO)
Russian forces have destroyed a Ukrainian mobile radar station, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said, releasing the video of the strike.
In a statement to TASS news agency on Wednesday, the ministry said the Malakhit-M vehicle had been spotted by aerial reconnaissance in Ukraine’s Sumy Region, which borders Kursk Region where fierce fighting has been taking place for almost a month.
The radar station was subsequently completely destroyed by a Lancet kamikaze drone, officials added.
The undated clip published by the ministry shows a Malakhit vehicle positioned in wooded terrain, which is then directly hit by a drone. Moments after the explosion, the vehicle is completely engulfed in flames, with plumes of smoke rising into the air. The fate of the crew is unknown.
The Malakhit-M is a modernized Ukrainian version of the Soviet-era P-18 radar station that was introduced in the 1970s. It can detect small, low-signature targets at a range of up to 400km. As of 2022, the Ukrainian military was estimated to have around 50 of these radar stations.
As drone warfare has become one of the most prominent features of the Ukraine conflict, Russia has been actively using Lancet drones against various Ukrainian targets, including Western-supplied tanks. Developed by ZALA Aero Group, which is part of Kalashnikov Concern, the drone has several modifications, carrying a payload of up to 3kg with a maximum range of 50km.
