Ukraine’s defense forces have destroyed a 9A310 self-propelled launcher from the Russian Buk-M1 air defense system using precision-guided weapons, according to a video released by the Khortytsia Operational-Strategic Group.

Drone operators from the 15th “Black Forest” Artillery Reconnaissance Brigade located the air defense system while it was in transit, allowing for a successful strike.

Footage shows that drones tracked the system until it stopped in a concealed position within a forested area, after which it was struck by precision-guided munitions.

The blast triggered an immediate detonation of the solid rocket fuel in the system’s anti-aircraft missiles, likely destroying the launcher.

The Buk-M1 system appeared to be equipped with makeshift upper-hemisphere protection, but it failed to prevent the attack.

The exact location and date of the strike were not disclosed in the shared video.

Shifting Tactics in Air Defense Suppression

In recent months, the number of precision-guided weapon strikes against air defense systems, particularly the Buk series, has declined as drone bombers increasingly take on this role.

In January, a Ukrainian National Guard drone bomber struck a Buk-M1 launcher in the Donetsk region.

Since October 2024, Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) have been targeting Russian Buk air defense vehicles deep behind the front lines using multirotor bomber drones. The servicemen of various units shared video on the issue on social media accounts.

On October 21, USF units worked with other defense forces to locate a Russian Buk-M3 9A317M launcher 60 kilometers from the combat zone. A free-falling munition struck one of the missiles on the launcher, causing the entire ammunition load to detonate.

Later, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine published footage of how, on October 25, Ukrainian drone operators struck another Buk-M3 system and destroyed a 9S36 missile illumination and guidance radar in the Luhansk region.

These strikes, carried out deep in Russian-controlled territory, have become more frequent in recent months.