Russian media reported that on Saturday, June 22, a Pantsir-S1 air defense system was destroyed on the outskirts of Belgorod.

The Astra Telegram channel reported that it happened near the village of Dubovoye.

Eyewitnesses among local residents posted a video of a fire in the area, and the road was blocked for traffic.

According to the local Telegram channel Pepel, the roofs of two private houses and 17 cars were allegedly damaged in the village.

According to preliminary reports, a cluster munition hit the air defense system, but the crew managed to escape.

Russian social media pages reported that black smoke was rising over the site of the Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile and gun system. Photos were posted online.

At the same time, Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region, claimed only that the grass was on fire near the village of Dubovoye.

Notably, Novaya Gazeta Evropa published a video from the scene in which a female voiceover is heard saying:

“This is our air defense. What should we do now? They won’t be able to catch missiles now.”

The publication clarified that the smoke observed by eyewitnesses occurred near the City Mall shopping center, which is on the outskirts of Belgorod but legally located in the village of Dubovoye.

The Russian 72V6 combat vehicle of the 96K6 Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile and gun system was likely intended to cover military facilities on the outskirts of Belgorod but failed to protect itself from being hit.

Since 2022, the Ukrainian Defense Forces have been actively targeting these systems using various means, including attack drones. In particular, one of the strikes on Pantsir-S1 took place in late February, near the village of Golovchino in the Grayvoronsky district of Belgorod region.