The Russian Armed Forces reportedly have lost its S-400 surface-to-air missile system.
According to the Militarnyi, Russia’s most advanced operational air defense system was blown up on the road near the village of Ilyine, in the part of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia region.
It is the first confirmed loss of the long-range S-400 (SA-21 Growler) surface-to-air missile system.
The Ukraine Weapons Tracker OSINT group reported that it was a 5P85SM2-01 launcher for the S-400 system with 5V55R missiles.
#Ukraine: As new photos have appeared, it is safe to say the Russian army lost a component of the advanced S-400 air defense system- a 5P85SM2-01 TEL with 5V55R missiles.
This is the first ever confirmed combat loss of the S-400.https://t.co/KH474JKfep pic.twitter.com/Ll1Ib1Ncaa
— 🇺🇦 Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) January 20, 2023
The S-400 is based on the S-300PMU2 air defense missile complex. It differs from its predecessors by its extended combat range and the capability of using new surface-to-air missile systems. It is capable of detecting and destroying low-observable (stealth) and fast-moving aerial targets. It is designed to destroy strategic and tactical aircraft (including stealth jets) and can hit any other air targets in heavy fire and radio-electronic countermeasures.
Russian state media said the first S-400 systems went into service on April 28, 2007.
