Ukrainian forces have successfully targeted Russian air defense infrastructure in temporarily occupied Crimea and a drone storage facility near the city of Donetsk, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on January 17.
In Crimea, Ukrainian forces hit two critical components of Russia’s air defense network. According to the General Staff, a Nebo-U radar system was struck in the vicinity of Yevpatoria, a western coastal city on the peninsula.
Additionally, a Pantsir-S1 surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft gun system was hit near the settlement of Khutorok in the same district.
Separately, in the temporarily Russian-occupied part of Donetsk region, Ukrainian forces reportedly targeted a site used by Russian troops to store and prepare unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for deployment.
Russian Pantsir‑S1 air defense system displayed during rehearsals for the Victory Day military parade on Red Square in Moscow, May 6, 2012. (Photo: Getty Images)
“The extent of the damage is currently being assessed,” the Ukrainian military noted in its official update.
While no images or independent assessments of the aftermath have yet been released, the General Staff emphasized that Ukrainian forces “continue to systematically destroy enemy capabilities.”
Both the Nebo-U radar and Pantsir-S1 systems play key roles in Russia’s integrated air defense architecture. The Nebo-U is designed to detect aerial threats at long range, including stealth aircraft and cruise missiles, while the Pantsir-S1 is used for close-in protection of strategic sites.
Earlier, Ukraine’s military intelligence reported that its combat drone units destroyed a Russian S‑300V air defense launcher and two 1L125 Niobiy‑SV radar systems during a nighttime strike in the Donbas in late November 2025, releasing video footage of the operation to show the targeted hits on key components of Russia’s air defense network.
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