Ukraine destroys $40 million Russian Buk air defense system, military intelligence says
Ukrainian special forces successfully detected and destroyed a Russian Buk-M3 anti-aircraft missile system in the occupied part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast on Sept. 14, Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) reported.
The Buk-M3 is one of Russia's key air defense assets, used to engage targets in the air, on the ground, and on the water. It has an estimated value of between $40-$50 million.
HUR said its special forces struck the target — a 9К317М Buk-M3 anti-missile system — near Oleksandrivka, a town in the Melitopol district of Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claim.
The Buk is a self-propelled, medium-range surface-to-air missile system, first developed by the Soviet Union in the 1970s. In the decades since, the Soviet Union and then Russia developed several upgraded versions.
The Buk-M3 represents the latest version. It is manufactured by Russia's Almaz-Antey defense company, and can reportedly track and engage up to 36 targets simultaneously. The system is designed to target planes, helicopters, cruise missiles, and drones.
The Buk gained worldwide infamy in 2014 with the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17.
Ukraine has reported destroying Russian Buk systems in previous strikes. In May 2025, Ukraine's Special Operations Forces said they destroyed a Buk-M3 in an undisclosed front-line sector. In February, the General Staff reported a successful hit against a Buk system in occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
