Ukrainian drone takes down costly Russian Buk‑M3 system

The Ukrainian SBS (Unmanned Systems Forces) published a short video of the successful attack on this Russian anti-aircraft system and posted it on the official profile of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense on X. As explained, a "bomb drone" worth about 500 dollars was used in the nighttime attack. This was intentionally highlighted as the cost of a complete Russian Buk-M3 system can be up to 100 million dollars (the combat component hit here costs several tens of millions of dollars).

The Ukrainian SBS reported that their operators identified and eliminated the launcher of a Buk-M3 medium-range anti-aircraft missile system. This incident underscores the power of modern technology, as a $500 round of ammunition was able to destroy a key part of the enemy's air defense system, valued at around $100 million when fully configured.

The location of the event was not disclosed, but it was reported that the Russian equipment was hit about 37 miles from the front lines. This is a rather unusual situation because drones dropping ammunition usually do not operate that far away.

Although, in this case, the Ukrainians highlight the differences in the costs of the used and destroyed weapons, for the Russians, the loss of any Buk-M3 system is very significant, and the circumstances provide mere context. It is equipment that they have relatively small stockpiles of.

The Buk-M3 began entering service in the Russian army in 2016 and remains one of the more modern weapons in its arsenal. This system's radar can detect targets from up to 99 miles. The range of the launchers associated with it reaches up to 43 miles in distance and about 19 miles in altitude at which the targets are moving. Each launcher has six effectors for missiles (they have warheads weighing about 143 pounds). The launchers are mounted on a tracked chassis.