A £6million Russian radar complex has been knocked out by a kamikaze drone costing £21,000.
Vladimir Putin's Podlyot radar complex was hit by the Ukrainian drone earlier this week, with footage capturing the moment the cruise missiles detection system was taken down. Footage showed the target guidance device destroyed by a Polish-made Warmate drone operated by Ukrainians.
Ukraine's GUR military intelligence released a statement following the attack to confirm fire damage had destroyed the complex. They said: "Successful fire damage was inflicted on the antenna-feeder installation and the diesel station that fed the complex." It is not the first Ukrainian strike on Russian defence capabilities, with previous attacks showing activity against Putin's tech in Crimea and surrounding areas.
Footage of the blast showed a plume of spoke when the drone hits into the radar complex, which later suffered a complete shutdown and was rendered useless by the drone. There may be a further strike on Putin's £3billion Crimean bridge which links the annexed peninsula to mainland Russia.
Earlier this month saw a blaze onboard one of Putin's warships as Ukrainians claimed responsibility for a devastating attack on the naval vessel. The Putin-appointed Sevastopol governor admitted to a “small fire” after an incoming missile had been repelled by the port’s defences, but did not name the ship.
The "falling fragments" caused the blaze, which was "quickly extinguished", claimed the official, Mikhail Razvozhaev. Russian officials frequently blame falling fragments or debris for direct hits. Some reports say two people were wounded. It marked another heavy blow to Putin's naval might as he sees one third of his Black Sea Fleet wiped out in the war against Ukraine.
Further damage from Ukrainian spies is believed to have taken down a separate long-range radar system worth £80million. The Nebo-U in Bryansk Oblast was capable of monitoring Ukrainian troop and weapons developments but has since been taken down by a kamikaze drone. It is believed the radar is "no longer operational".