Twice in a week, Ukrainian drones targeted the “Container” radar.
Ukraine plans to destroy a unique Russian radar with a range of 3,000 kilometers / illustrative photo Wikipedia
For the second time, Ukrainian drones attacked the Russian over-the-horizon radar station (ZGRLS) “Container” in Kovilkino, Republic of Mordovia, located almost 700 kilometers from the border. As written Forbes, last week the Ukrainians already tried to hit this radar with drones, but missed. On April 17, they tried again – more successfully.
“The fact that the Ukrainians had to direct more than one drone at the “Container” emphasizes how difficult it is to strike a radar that is located hundreds of miles from the Ukrainian borders, and whose components are scattered over a large area. We should not expect that the “Container” will easily destroyed. The Ukrainians will continue to strike on a unique radar,” Forbes writes.
Although the over-the-horizon radar is not as accurate as a conventional one, its range makes it invulnerable to all but the most long-range strike weapons, which few countries possess.
But Kyiv was able to develop completely new types of long-range attack drones that penetrate the territory of Russia at a distance of up to 1,000 kilometers, striking air bases, headquarters, oil storage facilities and strategic enterprises.
“It is still too early to say whether the drone raid caused damage to the “Container” and to what extent. Even the overturning of one or more receiving towers would not have permanently disabled the radar. If the Ukrainians were smart, experienced and lucky when planning and conducting the raid, they could have targeted the radar control center, without which the towers are useless,” Forbes noted.
After two airstrikes in a week, it is safe to say that the Ukrainians are determined, if not to destroy, then to suppress “Container”, the publication writes. It is said that this is most likely part of a broader strategy to make Ukrainian airspace safer for Ukrainian military aircraft, including the F-16, while blinding Russian air defense systems from drone strikes.
ZGRLS “Container” – what is known
Over-the-horizon radar (OTHR) is a radar station capable of detecting targets at very long distances, usually from hundreds to thousands of kilometers, beyond the radar horizon, which is the range limit for conventional radar.
Over-the-horizon radar station “Container”, which has a range of up to 3,000 kilometers and costs 110 million dollars, is the only Russian over-the-horizon radar directed westward to monitor European airspace. Other radars point north from the Russian Arctic.
On April 17, kamikaze drones of the Armed Forces of Ukraine attacked for the second time the 590 separate radio engineering unit of military unit 84680 in the city of Kovilkino (Mordovia), where the “Container” anti-aircraft radar is located. According to local residents, they heard the explosions around 9 am. Also, a video was published on the network, on which you can see smoke at the location of the “Container” radar after the drone was hit.
