Ukrainian UAV in Kursk region evades Russian Strela-10 air defense system and strikes it
Photo: A Ukrainian drone evaded a Russian air defense system and struck it (Getty Images)
Russian troops in the Kursk region attempted to shoot down a Ukrainian drone. However, the Ukrainian Armed Forces UAV operators outsmarted the enemy and launched a retaliatory strike, according to the Ukrainian Armed Forces' Unmanned Systems Forces on Telegram.
In Russia’s Kursk region, operators of the 413th Raid Battalion of the Unmanned Systems Forces, in coordination with the combined Bumblebee unit of the 78th Separate Air Assault Regiment, successfully struck a Strela-10 surface-to-air missile system.
According to the military, Russian forces spotted a Ukrainian reconnaissance UAV in the sky and deployed the Strela to try and shoot it down. However, the launch of two missiles proved ineffective — the Ukrainian drone pilots skillfully evaded them.
"After the failed interception, the enemy attempted to retreat, but didn’t make it in time. An FPV drone strike hit the target directly, causing serious damage to the air defense system," the Drone Systems Forces reported.
The skilled work of the drone operators was captured on video.
What is known about Strela-10
Strela-10 is a Soviet-made surface-to-air missile system. The system is designed for visual observation and destruction of air targets at low altitudes. It was adopted into service in 1976. The chief designer was O. E. Nudelman.
It is used for the direct protection of ground troops and small military and civilian facilities from low-flying aircraft (planes, helicopters, cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles) when they are in visual range.
Successes of Ukrainian drone operators
On April 7, personnel from the Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces destroyed three enemy Buk air defense systems in the Kursk region. The enemy’s air defense was eliminated within 12 hours. According to the military, the pilots carried out precise strikes with FPV drones on a Buk-M2 launcher, which had been camouflaged by the enemy in a forest belt. The strike on the equipment led to the detonation of the missiles and its destruction.
Additionally, operators from the battalion hit two Buk-M3 launchers, damaging their radars.
Moreover, soldiers from the 412th Nemesis Regiment of the Unmanned Systems Forces destroyed an enemy Buk-M3 surface-to-air missile system, valued at around $100 million.
Earlier, the commander of the Ukrainian Drone Forces, Vadym Sukharevskyi, revealed that Nemesis units had successfully targeted over 15 expensive Buk-M3 and Tor systems.
