Ukrainian Drones Hit Russian Sopka-2 System in Voronezh Region

A Russian Sopka-2 radar system was damaged in a Ukrainian drone attack in the Voronezh region, Russian media reported.

According to ASTRA, on September 16, one of the drones exploded and damaged the antenna of the Sopka-2 radar near the village of Garmashevka in the Kantemirov district, more than 170 km from the Ukrainian border.

The day before, regional governor Pavel Gusev confirmed an attack, saying a drone had been destroyed.

The Russian Defense Ministry also reported shooting down one drone over the region.

The Sopka-2 system is designed to gather and analyze data on the air situation. It is a three-coordinate radar capable of monitoring airspace within a radius of up to 450 km, detecting aircraft, and determining their range and altitude. It can operate in winds of up to 40 m/s and temperatures as low as -40°C.

It was recently reported that Ukrainian drones destroyed a RLK-1 ‘Navigation of the South’ radar in the Rostov region.

The system had been deployed on the grounds of a former air defense unit (military unit 65312).

Ukrainian forces have recently stepped up strikes on Russian radar stations in an effort to reduce radar coverage in key areas, especially around occupied Crimea. On September 5, Ukrainian drones targeted Russian Podlyot and Nebo-M radars on the peninsula.