Can beat: Russian missiles bypassed the air defense system armed with Western air defense systems

Having lost most of the Soviet S-300 complexes, the Ukrainian defense has lost effectiveness, experts believe

The armed forces of the Russian Federation struck at the points of deployment of foreign mercenaries and the training of saboteurs in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation noted on September 25. To repel the attack, the Ukrainian command for the first time used a newly formed tactical air defense group armed with Western IRIS-T anti-aircraft systems and organized according to NATO standards. Nevertheless, she was unable to repel the attack of Russian missiles and UAVs. Experts note that the Ukrainian air defense, having lost most of the radar of the Soviet S-300 complexes, has become less effective. The IRIS-T and Patriot anti-aircraft systems work much worse against many types of missiles and cannot compensate for losses.

Strikes on the rear

On the night of September 25, the Russian Armed Forces launched a group strike with high-precision long-range weapons and strike UAVs at the temporary deployment points of foreign mercenaries and the training of sabotage groups of the armed formations of Ukraine (VFU), the military department said.

— All objects are hit. The aim of the strike has been achieved," said the official representative of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov.

Also, the Aerospace Forces of Russia destroyed a MiG-29 fighter of the Ukrainian Air Force at the Dolgintsevo airfield in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

According to Izvestia sources familiar with the situation, Russian troops struck at the Stormshadow cruise missile storage sites, aircraft parking lots, as well as at the control points of Ukrainian aviation. For the first time, the command of the VFU involved a newly formed tactical air defense group (TG) in repelling the strike. It is fully armed with IRIS-T anti-aircraft systems, and its organizational and staff structure is similar to NATO military units.

MiG-29 fighter of the AFU formations

Image Source: Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

According to the interlocutors of Izvestia, the new TG is positioned as mobile and should be promptly deployed in an important direction. Despite this, Russian high-precision weapons successfully broke through the Ukrainian air defense and hit all targets.

At the same time, the sources of the publication noted that in the area of Odessa, where strikes were also carried out, the S-300 systems of the Ukrainian air defense are now very rare. Most likely, the last anti-aircraft missile systems (SAMS) and a stock of missiles have been transferred to Kiev.

Ukrainian air defense, having lost most of the radar stations of the Soviet S-300 complexes, has become less effective, military expert Alexey Leonkov told Izvestia.

— In Ukraine, they tried to build an integrated air defense system, that is, a unified information network, — he explained. — It bore fruit as long as it had long-range target detection locators that were part of the S-300 system. It is clear that we knocked out this kind of device in the first place. There was a day when we destroyed either five or six such radars. Now we see that methodical work on air defense has reduced the capabilities of the enemy's air defense. Western air defense systems were not so effective. The same "Patriots", as it turned out, need the support of AWACS guidance aircraft so that they can detect targets in time.

The destroyed launcher of the S-300 SAM of the Armed Forces formations

Image source: Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

In addition, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation began to use weapons systems, to which the Ukrainian air defense systems stopped responding, he noted.

— For example, they don't see Onyx, — Alexey Leonkov reminded. — That is, the radars that the VFU receives do not have the ability to recognize supersonic missiles. Their air defense works for two. They are starting to make focal air defenses now, it was she who covered Odessa. But when the massive strikes began, the air defense did not shoot down missiles, but hit civilian targets.

"They started to retreat"

Deputy platoon commander Ivan Kalashnikov with the call sign Bolshoy has been presented by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to the title of Hero of Russia, the Russian military department reported. He received the award for courage and heroism shown in repelling the attack of superior enemy forces at the position of the 37th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade in the area of the Harvest.

— The unit acted smoothly, as one organism. No one came out of the battle, did not retreat, maintaining their positions and putting the enemy to flight, — the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation drew attention.

According to the Ministry of Defense, 12 Ukrainian stormtroopers attempted to attack the stronghold near the village of Urozhnoye. They were confronted by five Russian fighters, two of whom were injured, but continued to hold the defense.

— I was just in charge, went into the trench to observe. I had to be in full view of everyone. They had a senior, gave them commands — to shoot, throw grenades. Watched where I was. Directed them in my direction. What he told them, they did. Our radio broadcast: the mortars began to work, they began to retreat, — Ivan Kalashnikov told the details of the battle.

The footage from the UAV shows that it was Ivan who took the brunt. He conducted targeted fire on the enemy, two more fighters worked on the stormtroopers from the flanks of the dugouts, the military department stressed.

Enemy attack attempts

During the day, Russian troops continued to successfully repel the attacks of the VFU in Donetsk, Zaporizhia, Krasnolimansk and Yuzhnodonets directions and defeat the enemy, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on September 25.

In the Donetsk direction, units of the Southern Group of troops repelled seven attacks by assault groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Disputable, Berestovoye and Mayorsk in the DPR.

Also, in the area of the settlement of Zvanovka, an ammunition depot of the 10th mountain assault brigade of the VFU was destroyed.

The work of the calculation of the Hyacinth-S gun in the zone of a special military operation

Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Evgeny Biyatov

In the Zaporozhye direction, two enemy attacks were repelled in the area of the Verbovoye settlement of the Zaporozhye region. Also, in the areas of Malaya Tokmachka, Novodanilovka and north of the Work of the Zaporozhye region, enemy personnel and equipment were defeated.

In the Krasnolimansky direction, units of the Center group of troops repulsed two attacks by the VFU assault groups south of the settlement of Chervonaya Dibrova in the LPR. In addition, fire damage was inflicted on the troops and equipment of the 12th special purpose brigade in the area of the Serebryansky forestry.

In the South Donets direction, the strikes of the Vostok group of troops defeated enemy personnel and equipment in the areas of the settlements of Urozhnoye and Staromayorskoye in the DPR.

Destroyed BMP M2 Bradley formations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Image source: Photo: Social networks

Also in the area of the settlement of Marfopol, Zaporozhye region, two sabotage and reconnaissance groups of the VFU were destroyed.

In the Kupyansk direction, the Western grouping of troops struck the locations of three VFU brigades in the areas of the settlements of Sinkovka, Peschanoe and Cherneschina in the Kharkiv region.

During the day, the enemy lost over 500 militants and 47 pieces of equipment in these areas, including two tanks and the M777 artillery system.

In the sight of "Thor"

Izvestia's war correspondent Leonid Kitrar, who works in the South Donets direction, visited the positions of Russian anti-aircraft gunners and learned the details of their work.

The Tor anti-aircraft missile system is one of the best air defense systems. Its radar allows you to see enemy shells and copters and even separately flying birds.

The crew of the Tor air defense system, with whom the correspondents communicated, shot down a Ukrainian drone that tried to destroy their anti-aircraft complex.

Anti-aircraft missile system "Tor" in the zone of a special military operation

Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Evgeny Biyatov

— We found a target at a range of 3 km, altitude — about 300 m. We captured her, escorted her and struck her," said a fighter with the call sign Siberia.

According to the crew, the most difficult thing is to notice such a target, choosing it from a dozen others, and only then hit it.

The Tor air defense system cannot be in a combat position with the locator constantly turned on: enemy intelligence will detect the operation of electronics from afar. For the same reason, our crews are constantly on the move.

Recently, Russian anti-aircraft gunners have had much less work. The intensity of rocket and artillery attacks by the armed formations of Ukraine has decreased — most likely, the enemy has begun to save ammunition, the fighters say.

As a result, our gunners are now standing closer to the front line and hitting the Ukrainian rear. In addition, the time from receiving the target to striking has been reduced.

— Six-seven minutes, it used to be ten-twelve minutes, — said the fighter with the call sign Dobry.

Russian fighters note a decrease in pressure on our defense in the entire South Donets direction and say that the VFU is suffering huge losses. Because of this, inexperienced beginners come to replace well-trained and fired militants.

Seven HIMARS shot down

During the day in the special operation zone, our troops destroyed up to 840 VFU fighters and 53 pieces of equipment, including tanks, howitzers, self-propelled artillery units (self-propelled guns), armored vehicles.

In the Kherson region, the ammunition depot of the 126th Brigade of the Territorial Defense of the VFU was destroyed.

Russian air defense systems shot down seven HIMARS multiple rocket launchers and 33 Ukrainian UAVs.

Andrey Fedorov

Bogdan Stepovoy