Russian-made Pantsir-S1 air defense system overturns on road

A Russian Pantsir-S1 truck-mounted road-mobile air defense system overturned directly in the middle of a road in Sochi.

According to reports from Russian sources, the air defense system mishap occurred early in the morning near a bridge over the Mamayka River. While footage of the incident circulated online, it mysteriously disappeared from various platforms shortly after.

Video footage captured by surveillance cameras reveals the moment the Pantsir-S1, after crossing the bridge, abruptly veered off course and toppled onto the road.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the mishap resulted from excessive speed, causing the air defense system to lose control and fail to navigate a turn, ultimately leading to the overturning of the “Pantsir”. Subsequently, a crane was employed to lift the system back to an upright position.

This incident sheds light on technical deficiencies in the design of Pantsir truck-mounted road-mobile air defense systems, particularly in their high center of gravity, which poses challenges during maneuvers and increases the risk of rollovers, especially on sharp turns.