A Ukrainian drone struck a radar system in Russia’s Orenburg region, more than 1,100 miles from the border with Ukraine, the most far-reaching drone attack on a Russian target during the war so far.
The Ukrainian drone attacked a Russian early-warning Voronezh-M radar in the city of Orsk in Orenburg. The radars provide long-distance monitoring of aircraft and ballistic missiles and are crucial to Russia’s missile defense strategy.
“A Ukrainian drone has covered a distance of more than 1,800 kilometers to the enemy’s facility, setting a record for the range of destruction for kamikaze drones,” a source in the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) told news outlet Ukrainska Pravda on Monday, adding that the outcome of the strike is still being assessed.
“Yes, we can confirm this information,” a Ukrainian military intelligence source told Ukrinform.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry by email for comment.
Pilots prepare drones for a combat flight on May 16, 2024 in the Kharkiv region. Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), have played a crucial role in the war.
Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images
Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), have played a crucial role in the war. Mykhailo Fedorov, who is Ukraine’s vice prime minister for innovation in education, science and technology, as well as the digital transformation minister, has helmed Ukraine’s drone program since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Prior to this most recent attack, Kyiv intelligence sources said on May 9 that Ukraine was behind a drone attack on Russia’s Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat oil refinery in Russia’s republic of Bashkortostan, nearly 1,000 miles from the border.
It marked the first drone strike on the republic during the war.
“According to the source of Ukrainska Pravda, it was a [Security Service] drone that established a record by traveling 1,500 kilometers (930 miles),” the publication reported.
In April, Ukraine’s security service also said it was behind a drone attack on a Russian oil refinery in the republic of Tatarstan, which is located some 800 miles from the border with Ukraine.
On Sunday, drones were spotted over the Orenburg region. Local media reported that one drone fell 30 kilometers (18 miles) from Orsk.
A previous drone strike by Ukraine on May 23 in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region damaged a radar station that housed two Voronezh systems, U.S.-funded media outlet Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s (RFE/RL) Russian service reported.
At the time, Norwegian military analyst Thord Are Iversen, said on X, formerly Twitter, “Attacking this kind of target isn’t a particularly good idea.”
“It is in everyone’s best interest that Russia’s ballistic missile warning system works well, especially in times of tension,” he wrote. “Then there’s the issue of convincing the West, most importantly the White House, to lift the restrictions on hitting Russia proper.”
“There’s a boatload of targets to go after with UAVs inside Russia, only a handful one should avoid and this was one of the latter,” he added.
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