Small FPV Drone Strikes Russian S-300V Air Defense System for First Time

In July, a Ukrainian copter-type FPV drone managed, for the first time in history, to fly to and strike a Russian S-300V air defense system.

This was reported by a user kriegsforscher on X.

Sources in the Ukrainian Armed Forces specify that the enemy S-300V air defense system was struck in the occupied Luhansk region.

The S-300V is designed to intercept ballistic and aerodynamic targets.

Depending on the variant, it is capable of engaging aerodynamic targets at ranges of up to 75–100 km.

The Ukrainian defense industry has significantly modernized FPV copter-type drones; for example, the Kolibri UAV from TAF Industries recently managed to travel over 50 km and strike camouflaged enemy equipment.

Soviet-era air defense systems have difficulty detecting small FPV drones, making them increasingly vulnerable to such weapons.

At depths of up to 20 km from the front line, Russian troops typically deploy a layered defense system that includes small radar stations, electronic warfare posts to cover logistics and artillery, aerial observation posts, mobile fire groups, and UAV interceptor crews.

Under such conditions, the S-300V was supposed to be under the cover of a dedicated radar crew, FPV interceptors, and an electronic warfare post.

The loss of the system indicates that such cover was either not organized or proved ineffective.

In late June, the Ukrainian National Guard destroyed two Russian air defense systems — the Buk-M3 and the S-300V.

The operation was conducted in the Kostiantynivka area.