Ukraine Launches FPV Drone Attack On Russia’s Air Defenses In Crimea

Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR) said it carried out a large-scale attack on Russian radar and air defense systems, boats and a helicopter in occupied Crimea using first-person view (FPV) drones presumably launched from drone boats. A video compilation released by GUR shows the FPV drones hitting nearly two dozen targets.

“The invaders in the temporarily occupied Crimea trembled for several days from an unprecedented rumble – their expensive air defense systems proved helpless against the well-aimed strikes of the soldiers of the Air Defense Forces of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine,” GUR stated on Telegram. The directorate did not say when or exactly where on Crimea these attacks took place.

The target list included Podlet, Nebo M, Niobium-SV, Kasta-2E2, 9S19 “Ginger,” Sky-SV,  Mys, 59H6-E “Protivnik-GE” and ST-68 radar systems. GUR said it also attacked radar for an S-300VM surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, an S-300SV SAM launcher, three Pantsir S1 SAM systems, a Project S4236 transport ship, the Fyodor Uryupin universal tug and an Mi-8 Hip helicopter.

A Russian 1L125 Niobium-SV Mobile Radar System targeted by GUR (GUR screencap)

A Kasta 2E2 low-altitude 3D omnidirectional stand-by radar hit by GUR. (GUR screencap)

The Fyodor Uryupin universal tug hit by a GUR FPV drone. (GUR screencap)

A Russian Mi-8 Hip helicopter was also among the targets hit. (GUR screencap)

The three-minute, 14-second video shows the FPVs striking these targets. GUR states they were damaged or destroyed, but the video does not show the aftermath of the strikes and The War Zone cannot independently confirm the outcome.

GUR’s video doesn’t show the drone boats, but that is the most likely method for this kind of strike given how far Crimea is from the front lines. Another possibility, although less likely, is that some of the FPV drones were launched from land nearby their targets by partisans opposed to Russian occupation of Crimea.

If launched by drone boat, it would be the largest example of them launching FPV drones for attacks. The melding of the two drone systems first emerged back in January, when FPV drones were launched from drone boats, also known as uncrewed surface vessels, (USVs) against two Russian Pantsir-S1 systems and one Osa system in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine’s southern Kherson region. You can read more about that in our initial story here.

Launching FPV drones from USVs greatly extends the reach of these swift, highly manueverable weapons, enabling them to hit targets that often require more expensive long-range strike weapons that are far fewer in number. However, as Ukraine has shown it its campaign against Russia’s oil infrastructure, it also has a large number of long-range drones at its disposal. 

Another advantage of using FPV drones for these attacks is that they are harder to defend against using traditional air defense systems like those being targeted. Unlike the front lines, where FPV drones are a ubiquitous threat, Russia wouldn’t have the same level of countermeasure systems deployed in Crimea to fend off FPV drones.

Combining these two systems is the latest development in Ukraine’s Black Sea drone war, which is seeing increasingly innovative use of uncrewed systems, including adapted air-to-air missiles launched from USVs against Russian aircraft. The following video from Ukraine’s Defense Ministry (MoD) shows that encounter.

In addition to being another example of Ukraine’s technical innovation, this wave of attacks continues its targeting of Russian air defense and radar systems on Crimea. Taking out these systems potentially open holes in Russia’s air defense overlay of the peninsula and the northwestern Black Sea. This could go a long way to ensuring the survivability of standoff strike weapons, like Storm Shadow and SCALP-EG, and other attacks, such as those by long-range kamikaze drones. You can see an August 2023 attack on a Russian S-400 SAM system in the video below.

By striking two vessels and a helicopter, Ukraine is also continuing its asymmetric fight against Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. Already, Ukrainian USVs have inflicted disproportionate losses on Russian surface vessels operating in that body of water. As we have reported in the past, Russia has used its Mi-8 Hip helicopters to defend against Ukrainian USVs.

Given the large number of attacks over a short period of time, it is possible that Ukraine is softening up Russia’s air and missile defense capabilities for a much larger aerial attack. Though Ukrainian leaders have made it clear they want the return Crimea – annexed by Russia in 2014 – ongoing peace negotiations might put that goal out of reach.

Crimea is once again in the cross hairs of Ukraine. (Google Earth) The S-400 site near Olenivka is about 90 miles south of the front lines in Kherson Oblast and 115 miles southeast of Odesa. (Google Earth image)

As we noted yesterday, U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin reached a tentative, limited ceasefire deal to end attacks on power infrastructure. However, Putin has not given up its desire for permanent occupation of Crimea. Moreover, the Trump administration is considering recognizing Crimea as Russian territory as part of any future agreement to end Moscow’s war on Kyiv, Semafor reported, citing two people familiar with the matter.

“Administration officials have also discussed the possibility of having the US urge the United Nations to do the same, according to both people,” Semafor added. “Such a request would align the Trump administration with the position of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has long seen Crimea as his nation’s territory.”

The current state of affairs on the battlefield make a Ukrainian military recapture of Crimea impossible. However, continued attacks like these add to Russia’s cost of holding onto the peninsula.

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