Izvestia: Russia's first Buk-M3 air defense system brigade deployed in the Southern Military District
In the Southern Military District (SE), the first brigade of anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) "Buk-M3", which is part of the 8th Combined Arms Army, has been deployed in the Russian Armed Forces, Izvestia reports, citing sources in the Ministry of Defense.
The publication calls the southern NATO forces the likely opponent of the 8th Combined Arms Army defending the Rostov region, the Caucasus and the Crimea. The publication assures that the Buk-M3, which is the most advanced air defense system in its class, can intercept targets at altitudes up to tens of thousands of meters.
Former Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Sergei Ordzhonikidze noted that the Ukrainian military "has been trained by Western specialists over the past few years." "From the south-western direction, an imitation of bombing and launching missiles on the territory of Russia was repeatedly carried out. Therefore, modern air defense systems are especially relevant there," the expert said.
In October 2021, air defense exercises were held at the Kapustin Yar training ground in the Astrakhan region, where, in particular, the Buk-M3 and Tor-M2 complexes repelled the attack of cruise missiles that flew at extremely low altitudes.