Ukrainian forces take down 15 Russian air defense systems in Crimea
6:14 AM EDT, June 18, 2024
Ukrainian armed forces have reported the exact number of S-300/400 air defense systems destroyed over the past few weeks. Over the last two months, the defenders' army has eliminated approximately 15 of these air defense complexes in Crimea alone.
The Russian S-300/400 systems have recently become priority targets for the Ukrainians. With the intensification of attacks on these systems, public opinion suggests that the Ukrainian army is trying to prepare for the arrival of the F-16 in this way.
Military analyst Oleksandr Kovalenko confirmed this by assessing that American fighter jets will perform best in the southern part of Ukraine and Crimea precisely because of the reduction in Russian air defense systems.
Moreover, Ukrainians know that the Russian Federation is facing a shortage of S-300/400 systems. Military experts point out that currently, the Russians have about 100 battalions equipped with these complexes, while they need ten times more equipment for effective defense.
Over 2 months, Russians lost 15 systems in Crimea alone
Just before the F-16 appears in Ukraine, it certainly doesn't help the Russians that their S-300/400 air defense systems in Crimea are virtually powerless against Ukrainian missiles. The scale of the problem was illustrated by the Ukrainian armed forces' StratCom profile on Facebook.
They published a map of the destroyed air defense complexes used by the Russian Federation within two months. The graphic shows that Russians lost as many as 15 S-300/350/400 systems over the past eight weeks. The most significant losses include the western and southwestern parts of Crimea.
The army loses more S-300/400 complexes
It should be noted that the S-300 and S-400 are actually two different weapons, but they have similar capabilities. The S-400 Triumf complex is an evolution of its predecessor, the older S-300, but it is generally adapted to fire at enemy objects using the same missiles designed for the S-300.
These complexes' potential targets include a wide range of threats. The S-300/400 can eliminate virtually any air threat, including aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles.
The newer S-400's range is set at a maximum of 250 miles, thanks to the use of 40N6 missiles. The most popular missiles the Russians use for firing from this complex are the 2-ton 48N6DM/48N6E3 rockets, with a warhead weighing nearly 440 pounds. These allow for attacks within about 155 miles from the launch point.
