Ukrainian forces claim to have destroyed $5 million worth of Russian radar equipment in an attack in Crimea, crippling part of the Russian military's defense system.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence said that the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (GUR) had successfully destroyed the "Podlyot" radar system stationed in western Crimea. They did not specify how the equipment was destroyed.
The Podlyot-K1 is a mobile radar system that can detect up to 200 air targets at once, and has a detection range of up to 180 miles, according to the Army Recognition website.
The system reportedly has a price tag of $5 million and is specifically designed to detect low-altitude targets, such as the drones that Ukraine has employed throughout the war. First developed in 2009, the technology has been used extensively by Russia's Air Defense Forces since 2015.
In a post on social media site Telegram, GUR said: "On November 28, 2024, as a result of a successful operation by the GUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, near the settlement of Kotovskoe in the west of the temporarily occupied Crimea, the Russian "podlyot" radar complex was destroyed.
"The 48Я6-K1 'flying' mobile radar is used by the enemy to detect air targets at low and extremely low altitudes in a difficult obstacle environment.
"The estimated cost of the destroyed enemy radar complex 'Podlyot', intended, in particular, for issuing target designations for the S-300 and S-400 air defense systems, is 5 million dollars."
Newsweek contacted the Russian Ministry of Defence to confirm the destruction of the radar equipment.
Crimea has remained an important supply route for the Russian military since the war's escalation, with bridges to the peninsula being vital in maintaining forces in eastern Ukraine.
Consequently, Crimean infrastructure has been a significant focus of Ukrainian attacks, with strikes against the Kerch bridge continuing throughout 2022 and 2023. Russia has since attempted to fortify the bridge with underwater barriers.
Recent escalations in the war have seen strikes from both sides hit deeper into opposition territory than before. Following President Joe Biden's approval for long-range strikes inside the Russian border, Ukraine used missiles supplied by the U.K. to hit the Maryino Estate, a command center for the Russian armed forces thought to house North Korean troops.
Additionally, more than 10,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to the front lines in Kursk, after Pyongyang agreed to back the Russian invasion.
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