Ukrainian special forces, working with Russian insurgents, report they destroyed two of Russia’s most advanced air defense assets in Rostov Oblast. The attack reportedly happened overnight on 28 September and was confirmed publicly on 31 October by Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SSO).

Ukrainian commandos say Buk‑M3 and Nebo‑U radar destroyed in covert operation

Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces announced they had taken out two major components of Russia’s air defense infrastructure — the Buk‑M3 surface-to-air missile system and the Nebo‑U early warning radar station — during a special operation carried out jointly with the Russian resistance group Chornaya Iskra (“Black Spark”). The hit occurred in Rostov Oblast, inside southern Russian territory, in the early hours of 28 September.

Euromaidan Press couldn't independently verify this report.

The military reported both systems were disabled and turned into “scrap metal.” They emphasized the strategic value of the strike, stating that the Buk‑M3 and Nebo‑U posed “a serious threat to the work of Ukrainian combat aviation in the frontline zone” and interfered with Ukraine’s deep strike kamikaze drone operations.

The Buk-M3 and Nebo-U

The Special Operations Forces said the value of each system is measured in hundreds of millions of dollars.

The Buk‑M3 is capable of hitting aerial targets at distances of up to 80 km and speeds of up to 3 km/s. Its engagement range spans from 2.5 to 80 km, with altitudes between 15 meters and 35 km.

The Nebo‑U radar system can detect fighter aircraft at a distance of more than 400 km when targets fly at an altitude of 20 km. For lower-flying objects, the range is 65 km. 

Ukraine’s HUR military intelligence agency destroyed two Russian radar stations and a Buk‑M3 surface‑to‑air missile launcher in occupied southern Ukraine. The operation, carried out on 23 and 24 October 2025, struck targets in Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Crimea. The drone footage shared by HUR shows that strikes were conducted using long-range drones equipped with FPV thermal cameras, allowing precise engagement of high-value systems at night.

Two Nebo-SVUs and a Buk destroyed

On 24 October, the HUR confirmed the elimination of three major Russian high-value air defense components. The operation was carried out by the HUR’s Department of Active Operations on 23 and 24 October, targeting two Nebo‑SVU radar stations and one Buk‑M3 launcher.

The destroyed systems were located in temporarily occupied areas of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Kherson Oblast, and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, according to the report.

Conflicting identifications

Ukrainian defense outlet Militarnyi reported different system types, stating that the radars destroyed were Nioby‑SV rather than Nebo‑SVU. The Nioby‑SV is a three-coordinate radar operating in the meter band with a vertical active antenna. Introduced to Russian air defense units in 2016, it detects both aerodynamic and ballistic objects, identifies them, and determines the origin of active jamming. The system is capable of operating at distances from 5 to 500 kilometers, and detecting threats at altitudes up to 65 kilometers, with an elevation range from −10 to 35 degrees.

Whether the radar was Nebo‑SVU or Nioby‑SV, both models provide early-warning functions critical to Russian air defense and are considered high-priority targets.