Ukraine destroyed another Russian S-300V system in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, along with its radar, in a drone strike on 3 September, media reports said. The attack marks another major blow against Russia’s air defenses in Ukraine’s occupied south.

Ukrainian drones strike in Polohy district

Militarnyi reports that the strike was carried out in the morning near the village of Oleksiivka in Polohy district by the Lasar’s Group unit of the National Guard. Video published by Telegram channel Butusov Plus shows drone operators identifying the Russian system before hitting it on a roadway. Petro Andriushchenko, head of the Center for the Study of Occupation, also released images of the destroyed launcher.

Radar supporting Buk systems eliminated

The destroyed radar was the 9S36 station, which forms part of Russia’s modern middle-range Buk-M2 and Buk-M3 air defense systems. The station uses a mast that can extend to 22 meters, giving it the ability to detect low-flying targets even in forested or uneven terrain. It guides missiles through its antenna post, which can rise to 21 meters.

According to the manufacturer’s data, the radar can track and engage up to four air targets at once, adjusting for terrain obstacles up to 20 meters high.

Recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian air defenses

On 27 August, Ukraine struck a Russian S-300 division and aircraft at Baltimor airbase. That attack destroyed a 76N6 radar responsible for detecting targets at medium and high altitudes, as well as a 30N6 radar used for illumination and guidance.

Another S-300 system was destroyed earlier on 20 August by fighters of Lasar’s group on Russian-occupied territory in Zaporizhzhia oblast. Together with the latest strike, these operations highlight a sustained Ukrainian campaign targeting Russian air defense assets.

In the early hours of 4 September 2025, Ukrainian Defense Forces reportedly struck two radar installations in southern Russia’s Rostov Oblast. Militarnyi reports that the targets were the “Navigation of the South” radar complex (RLS-1) and a site located at a former air defense base.

Ukrainian strike hits Rostov aviation radar

The RLS-1 “Navigation of the South” is part of the Aeronavigation South branch infrastructure in Rostov-on-Don. It performs key functions in air traffic management over southern Russia, including aircraft detection and tracking, route coordination, flight support, aviation radio communication, and fixed satellite links. The complex is part of Russia’s centralized air traffic control system.

Ukrainian Telegram channel Krymskyi Veter reported that a fire broke out at the site on 4 September, as shown by NASA’s FIRMS map that features detected thermal signatures at the location. 

Strike also hits former air defense base

NASA data also show that the second site was on the grounds of a former air defense unit (military unit 65312) and military town that previously hosted the 1244th anti-aircraft missile regiment, which had been equipped with S-300PS surface-to-air missile systems in the 1990s. In 1997, the unit was merged with the 584th regiment and moved to Maryino in Moscow Oblast.

Militarnyi notes that Russia likely decided to restore the site for use in the war. A radar complex similar to RLS-1, believed to perform similar tasks, is located at the site. 

August radar strike in occupied Crimea

On 12 August, Ukrainian Special Operations Forces destroyed the Skala-M radar station in Russian-occupied Crimea. The station was used for air traffic control along routes and approach zones, with a range of up to 350 kilometers. Images published by Dnipro Osint showed the station before and after the strike.

The Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense continues to demonstrate its strength, UNIAN reports. In temporarily occupied Crimea, several key Russian targets have been destroyed, including the RT-70 radio telescope, in a latest strike. 

Impressive results from the Phantoms special unit

According to HUR and the Ukrainian Navy, in August, fighters from the special unit “Phantoms” struck:

• the Utios-T radar system
• the RT-70 radio telescope
• the GLONASS satellite navigation system in its dome
• the coastal radar station MR-10M1 “Mys” M1
• the 96L6-AP radar of the S-400 missile system

“The radio telescope is truly unique. It was built during Soviet times to monitor satellite constellations. It is genuinely one-of-a-kind,” emphasizes Ukrainian Navy Spokesperson Captain 3rd Rank Dmytro Pletenchuk.

Strategy to thin out Russian air defenses

Pletenchuk noted that in Crimea, the enemy deployed a dense network of air defense systems to protect the Crimean Bridge and the peninsula’s military infrastructure. The layered air defense system also covers Novorossiysk, where the Black Sea Fleet’s missile carriers are based.

“Clearing a path to other Russian targets begins with the air defenses,” he stresses.

Disrupting Russia and destroying its key targets makes their restoration costly and difficult.

Impact on Russia’s defense capabilities

Destroying such targets significantly complicates the operation of Russian air defense, reducing its effectiveness against airstrikes, missile attacks, and drones. This is a strategic step in the demilitarization of temporarily occupied Crimea and in preparing for subsequent operations by Ukrainian forces.