Drone of the 1st USF Center Destroyed Russian S-300VM SAM Launcher Near Mariupol

The operator of a strike drone from the 1st Separate Center of the Unmanned Systems Forces struck a Russian S-300VM air defense system launcher near Mariupol.

This was reported by the Telegram channel “Nikolaevsky Vanek” which published a video shot by the military.

According to the channel, the strike on the Russian air defense system took place on the night of February 17.

The published footage shows a Ukrainian drone detecting a self-propelled launcher and heading towards it.

In the last seconds of the video, it can be seen an operator aiming a drone directly at the transport and launch containers with missiles located on a vehicle from the S-300VM system.

The explosion or ignition of one or more anti-aircraft missiles of this system usually leads to the destruction of the launcher.

It is currently unknown to what extent this element of Russian air defense in the temporarily occupied territory has been damaged.

S-300VM

The S-300VM Antey-2500 air defense missile system is the result of a thorough modernization of the basic S-300V, which was developed in the USSR. This mobile system belongs to a new generation of Russian air defense systems. All components of the system are based on a tracked chassis.

The system is designed to defend important state, military, and industrial facilities, as well as troop formations, from ballistic and aerodynamic air attack weapons.

The S-300VM uses new anti-aircraft guided missiles with increased flight range.

The S-300V (S-300VM) air defense missile system includes a command post, radar stations, a multi-channel missile guidance station, separate self-propelled launchers, and launch-loading vehicles.

Elements of this Russian air defense missile system have repeatedly been targeted by the Ukrainian Defense Forces. In particular, in early January, an USF drone struck the 9S32M1 radar station from the S-300V in the Donetsk region.