Ukraine blinds Russian troops in Crimea, destroys scarce radar system (video)
Unmanned Systems Forces of Ukraine strike S-400 station in Crimea (photo: Getty Images)
Ukrainian defense forces carried out a series of precision strikes on Russia's air defense positions, destroying a rare S-400 radar station in Crimea and anti-aircraft systems in eastern Ukraine, the Unmanned Systems Forces report.
Operation details
The 9th Kairos Battalion of the 414th Separate Brigade Madyar's Birds struck a radar system from the advanced S-400 complex in the temporarily occupied Feodosiia.
This equipment can simultaneously track up to 100 targets and guide dozens of missiles over hundreds of kilometers.
According to the military, the targeted station was an extremely difficult objective due to the Russian troops' ability to maneuver quickly.
The brigade noted that the unit "typically changes position before it can be detected," but this time the drones were faster.
Unmanned Systems Forces strike an S-400 radar, a "Tor", an SKPP radar, and a ZU-23-2
— Unmanned Systems Forces (@usf_army) April 4, 2026
In Feodosiia, operators of the 9th "Kairos" Battalion of the @414magyarbirds , "Madyar's Birds", struck a radar station belonging to an S-400 system — a station that tracks targets at a range of… pic.twitter.com/qkPv8dbIbd
Successes on other fronts
Alongside the operation in Crimea, Ukrainian drone operators targeted Russian systems in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
In particular, in Donbas, a Tor surface-to-air missile system was struck, while in Luhansk, an airspace control system radar and an anti-aircraft unit based on an MT-LB vehicle were destroyed.
The destruction of these tracking stations is critical to the continued effectiveness of Ukrainian aviation and drones.
Commenting on the results, operators emphasized that after these detection systems were eliminated, the enemy in these areas essentially becomes "blind."
Russian logistics, air defenses under systemic attacks
Earlier, the Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) completed several successful operations in Crimea and eastern Ukraine. In early April, the USF, in coordination with military intelligence, conducted a large-scale strike on the peninsula, hitting an An-72P aircraft and destroying a depot of rare Russian Orion strike drones.
Also, USF operators, in cooperation with the Security Service of Ukraine, struck the Alchevsk metallurgical plant, halting production at one of Russia's key industrial facilities.
In addition, in late March, Ukrainian forces disrupted the launch of Gerbera drones and destroyed a Tor SAM system in the Donetsk front, preempting the adversary's plans.
