Satellite images show scale of destruction following strike on Russia’s early warning radar

The image was taken on May 23, shortly after the attack, Radio Liberty reports.

Judging by the photo, the drones attacked the Voronezh-DM radar, the agency writes. It ensures radar control at a range of up to 6,000 kilometers. Serious damage to the buildings where the radars are located is also obvious.

Defense Express journalists came to the conclusion that the attacked system partially covers the observation area over temporarily occupied Crimea. At the same time, the main coverage area is the Balkan Peninsula, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Persian Gulf. For example, in 2013, the Russian authorities said the system had detected the probable launch of a ballistic missile into the Mediterranean Sea from Libya.

Some experts believe that the military facility in Krasnodar Territory became a target because it was capable of recording the launches of long-range ATACMS missiles supplied to Ukraine by the United States.

The War Zone outlet recalls that since Ukraine received ATACMS early this year, its Armed Forces have effectively used these capabilities against Russian airbases, air defense systems, and other targets. The latest batch of ATACMS are longer-range missiles compared to previous deliveries. This allows the Armed Forces to keep more targets in sight.

In total, at leasdt 10 Voronezh systems of various ranges are deployed along the southern and western borders of Russia.

The two Voronezh-DM systems in Armavir are a key part of Russia's larger strategic early warning network, and their loss could impair the country's ability to detect approaching nuclear threats. The attack could trigger a nuclear strike in response, The War Zone suggests.

The drone attack on the system located in Armavir took place shortly after Russia launched exercises involving its non-strategic nuclear forces in the country's Southern Military District, which borders Ukraine. The Russian Ministry of Defense previously stated that the measures are being taken "in response to provocative statements and threats by certain Western officials" against Russia.

Representatives from the Ukrainian side did not comment on the strike, and neither did the Ministry of Defense of Russia.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, drones operated by the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense attacked Russian defense industrial facilities in Russia’s Tatarstan.