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Ukrainian strike destroys key Russian radar station in Rostov Oblast
Satellite images have confirmed the destruction of Russia’s RLK-1 Navigatsiya Yuga radar complex following a 4 September attack in Rostov Oblast, according to imagery published by the Telegram channel Dnipro OSINT.
The photographs show one of the complex’s dome-covered antenna arrays was destroyed in the strike. The facility was located on the territory of a former air defense unit (military unit 65312) and formed part of Russia’s air traffic control system in the country’s south.
According to the report, the radar complex’s primary functions included “detection and tracking of aircraft, guidance and coordination of routes, radio-technical flight support, aviation communications and satellite fixed communication.”
The attack represents part of Ukraine’s intensified campaign against Russian radar systems aimed at degrading radar coverage in specific areas, particularly around temporarily occupied Crimea.
On 5 September 2025, Ukrainian reconnaissance drone operators struck Russian air defense radars Podlyot and Nebo-M in Crimea, Dnipro OSINT reports. The strike drone hit the 55Zh6M “Nebo-M” system while it was moving between positions, destroying the compartment with the folded antenna.
Neutralizing the 48Ya6-K1 Podlyot system required two kamikaze drones, according to the channel. “The first one missed due to control difficulties, but the second hit exactly the phased antenna array of the complex,” the report states.
In late August 2025, special forces from the Main Intelligence Directorate’s Department of Active Actions struck a Russian radar complex from an S-400 air defense system in Crimea. The aircraft-type strike drone targeted the antenna system canvas, which is particularly sensitive to damage, and likely disabled the installation.
The destruction of this station continued the campaign to destroy Russian air defense in Crimea coordinated by the special unit Ghosts. According to the report, the unit’s operators use strike drones with satellite communication, enabling strikes on targets at long distances previously unreachable by Ukrainian forces.
