Ukrainian Forces Destroy Russian Buk-M2 Air Defense Systems

Aerial reconnaissance from Ukraine’s 15th Black Forest Artillery Reconnaissance Brigade helped make a direct missile strike on Russian Buk-M2 air defense systems.

The footage was published by the press service of the Brigade.

According to a statement from the brigade’s press service, the operators of the Shark reconnaissance system identified a 9A316 transporter-loader and a 9A317 self-propelled launcher.

The Russian systems were conducting airspace surveillance at the time of detection.

Using the provided coordinates, a nearby Ukrainian unit carried out a successful strike, critically damaging both vehicles.

The impact triggered secondary explosions and a fire.

One of the vehicles attempted to retreat but was later abandoned by its crew due to ongoing fire.

A month earlier, the same brigade identified a 9A310 launcher from an older Buk-M1 system. Ukrainian artillery, guided by reconnaissance, destroyed the system when its ammunition detonated.

Footage of the Buk-M1 system showed improvised add-ons mounted above the missile rails. These structures were likely intended to offer limited protection from drone attacks. Such modifications have become increasingly common amid the growing use of unmanned aerial systems by Ukrainian forces.

The number of high-precision strikes on Russian surface-to-air missile systems, including various Buk models, has declined in recent months. However, this role is increasingly being filled by drone bombers.

In early April, Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, working with paratroopers, located and destroyed three Buk air defense systems in the Kursk region of Russia within 12 hours.