Ukraine's SBU 'destroyed or disabled' $4 billion worth of Russian air defense systems over past year, agency claims
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Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) claimed on Jan. 19 that its long-range strikes over the past year either "destroyed or disabled" Russian air defense systems worth a total of approximately $4 billion.
Among the Russian air defense systems on the list are S-300, S-350, and S-400 air defense systems, as well as Russian anti-aircraft missile systems BUK-M1 and BUK-M2, and Pantsir-S1 and Pantsir-S2s according to the SBU. Russia's radar reconnaissance and guidance systems also suffered "serious losses," the SBU claimed.
"This work had a systemic effect: Corridors were opened in the Russian Federation's multi-layered air defense system, ensuring safe passage for Ukrainian long-range drones deep into enemy territory — to military bases, warehouses, airfields, and other military facilities," the SBU reported, praising its Alpha special forces unit.
Moscow has not reacted to the SBU's claim by the time of publication.
The SBU's claim comes as Ukraine continues its efforts to grind down Russian combat capability from afar, trying to compensate for being outmanned and outgunned on the ground.
It is difficult to independently assess how much effect Ukraine's attacks with homemade long-range drones are having on the front.
The SBU regularly reports its attacks on Russian air defense systems in the Moscow-occupied Crimean peninsula and deep inside Russia, but they are difficult to independently verify.
SBU strikes also target other aspects of Russia's military — several production halls were destroyed at a large drone factory in Taganrog after a joint strike operation by the Ukrainian Navy and the SBU last week.
The Atlant Aero factory, among other drone parts and military hardware, produced Russia's notorious Molniya ("Lightning") drone, a cheap fixed-wing loitering munition used widely by Russian forces across the front line.
The announcement confirming the damage to the facility's production capacity was posted by the Navy on Jan. 16, after the SBU first reported the strike three days earlier.
