Click to see full-size image
On August 23, the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine claimed the destruction of the Russian S-400 air defense system in Crimea. The system was reportedly destroyed in the western part of the peninsula, near Cape Tarkhankut. The claims were supported by the footage filmed by Ukrainian UAVs in the area. The local sources confirmed large explosion in the area.
The Russian military is yet to comment on the incident. However, some Russian military sources revealed important details of the attack.
It turned out that the target was not the S-400 system but reportedly a more obsolete S-300 ADS and a fuel tanker located nearby.
According to preliminary reports, the peninsula was first targeted by two Ukrainian UAVs, probably Chinese-made Mugin-5, which took off from Krivyi Rih. The approaching drones were destroyed by fire of the Russian Air Defence Forces, which revealed their positions. Almost immediately, three Ukrainian missiles were reportedly fired from the sea. The air defense forces were overloaded by the attack of high-flying drones, after which it was struck with low-flying missiles. As a result, one of the Russian ADSs was destroyed and the Ukrainian UAV could film the result of the strike.
The footage was likely made by the UAV deployed from the area to the south of the Tendrov Spit. Russian experts supposed that this could be the Portugese Tekever AR5 UAV, which likely took off from the Odessa region. The Ukrainian military and their foreign instructors testlaunched the Tekever R5 UAV together with V-BAT drone in the Odessa region in late July.
It is yet to be revealed what missiles were used for the attack. They could have been launched from the side of Snake Island or boats that have recently increased their activities in this area of the Black Sea. Presumably, the Ukrainian military used the Storm Shadow cruise missiles or the naval version of the high-precision Brimstone II missile. Ukrainian boats can also be equipped with portable anti-aircraft missile and anti-tank systems, including RBS-17, armed with Hellfires.
The day before, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported the destruction of two Ukrainian boats in the Black Sea. LINK According to unofficial reports, a group of boats with scouts of the GUR of Ukraine on board was spotted when conducting reconnaissance operation a few dozen kilometers from the Cape Tarkhankut. At least one of them was destroyed.
The Ukrainian military has also increased their activities in the area of the island of Zmeiny in the recent weeks. They reportedly recently transfered some unidentified weapons to the island.
Click to see full-size image
The Black Sea region and the Crimean peninsula, including its western Cape Tarkhankut, where several military facilities are located, are closely observed with support of the NATO intelligence means.
The day before, a record number of NATO reconnaissance aircraft and UAVs were spotted over the Black Sea and Romania. They included:
- two Boeing E-3A Sentry AWACS aircraft;
- Lockheed EP-3E Aries II RER aircraft;
- Challenger 650 ARTEMIS reconnaissance and targeting aircraft;
- RQ-4 Global Hawk strategic reconnaissance UAV.
- The KC-135 Stratotanker tanker supported their operations in the air.
On August 22, the Russian Aerospace Forces reported that the flight of two unmanned aerial vehicles MQ-9 Reaper and TB2 Bayraktar carrying out aerial reconnaissance in the area of the Crimean Peninsula was recorded over the Black Sea. In order to prevent a possible violation of the State Border of the Russian Federation and to counter the operations of electronic reconnaissance UAVs, two Russian fighters of the air defense forces on duty took off towards the UAVs. As a result, the UAVs changed the direction of flight and left the areas of aerial reconnaissance.
The destruction of the Russian air defence system is not the Ukrainian victory. The attack was prepared, coordinated by NATO and it was likely carried out with NATO weapons. The operation of NATO aircraft over the Black Sea and the reconnaissance operations of the Ukrainian military near the Crimean coast rise doubts on the sufficiency of measures taken to secure the strategically important facilities on the Crimean peninsula. The ongoing operations of the Ukrainian military on the Black Sea coast are also likely to provoke another wave of Russian massive strikes in the Odessa and other regions. The Russian response is yet to come.
wow it sure took a lot of equipment and time to launch one little attack that destroys an outdated system. this sounds more and more like ukrainian independence day propaganda as it achieved nothing.