A Ukrainian drone targeted a long-range radar deep within Russia on Sunday, marking the second such strike within a week on critical infrastructure used by Moscow to monitor Ukraine’s military activities, according to a Kyiv intelligence source.
The strike aimed at a “Voronezh M” radar near Orsk in the Orenburg region, located approximately 1,500 km from the nearest Ukrainian-held territory.
This represents one of the most profound attempted drone strikes into Russian territory since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. The unnamed Kyiv source did not confirm if the strike caused any damage.
There was no immediate response from Moscow regarding the incident. However, Russian media, including Izvestia, reported a drone had crashed in the Orenburg region on Sunday without hitting any civilian infrastructure.
The Kyiv source also verified an earlier Ukrainian drone attack on a “Voronezh-DM” radar in the southern Krasnodar region on May 22. Satellite imagery, cited by the Russian service of U.S. media outlet RFE/RL, indicated damage at the Krasnodar radar site. Reuters has not independently confirmed this imagery.
Thord Are Iversen, an independent defence analyst and former Norwegian Navy officer, stated that these radars are integral to Russia’s ballistic missile early warning system.
Their primary function is to detect and track intercontinental ballistic missiles and assess potential nuclear attacks on Russia. Additionally, they play roles in space tracking.
When asked why these radars were targeted, the Kyiv source explained that they monitor the activities of Ukrainian security and defence forces in southern Ukraine.
As the conflict enters its third year, Kyiv has increasingly relied on long-range drones to strike Russian military and energy infrastructure, including oil refineries.
Sunday’s drone attack reportedly covered a distance of 1,800 km (1,118 miles). Earlier this month, Ukrainian intelligence reported its longest-range drone attack to date, targeting an oil processing plant in Russia’s Bashkiria region at a range of 1,500 km.
This continued use of drones highlights Ukraine’s strategy to disrupt Russian military capabilities and retaliate against long-range strikes on Ukrainian territory.
With Inputs From Reuters
