Rare Kasta radar destroyed in occupied Crimea: What we know
Photo: Rare Kasta radar station destroyed in temporarily occupied Crimea (video screenshot)
In temporarily occupied Crimea near Yevpatoria, a rare Russian Kasta-2E2 radar system was destroyed in early August, according to the Telegram channel Crimean Wind.
"An attack on a former air defense position in the Khutir area near Yevpatoria (Saky district) took place between August 6 and 11. As a result of the attack, likely carried out by drones, the road-based Kasta-2E2 radar was hit. This is indicated by several factors," sources from Crimean Wind stated.
It was reported that the radar had been stationed at this position until the strike, after which a fire was observed, and an object covered with a net—matching the dimensions and appearance of the radar — was recorded. According to sources, the station stopped being detected after the attack.
What is known about the Kasta-2E2 radar
The Kasta-2E2 radar is reportedly used in the divisional air defense units of the ground forces — at the command posts of divisional air defense commanders and at command points of Tor surface-to-air missile regiments. Its main task is the timely detection of aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, and drones.
The radar’s coverage zone ranges from 5 to 150 km, with an altitude reach of up to 6 km. The detection range for targets is 30 to 44 km, depending on antenna height. It can track up to 50 targets simultaneously. The cost of a Kasta-2E2 system starts at 60 million dollars.
Destruction of the Kasta-2E2
According to monitoring sources, Russia deployed the Kasta-2E2 radar on February 15, 2022, 11 kilometers from the Ukrainian border near Kharkiv region to control airspace.
It was also reported that on February 13, 2024, Ukrainian military intelligence special forces struck a Russian Kasta-2E2 radar near the Russia-Ukraine border.
Additionally, on August 14, 2024, military counterintelligence from the 13th Main Directorate of the Security Service of Ukraine, in cooperation with the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Zaporizhzhia region, tracked and coordinated fire against a radar of the same type.
