Ukraine’s special operations forces reportedly captured a Russian Buk air defense battery equipped with TELAR (missile launcher) vehicle, reload vehicle and target-acquisition radar.
The special operations forces’ message on their Facebook account noted that the captured enemy air defense systems are usable.
The BUK missile system, also known as SA-11 Gadfly, Russian-made mobile medium-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system designed to defend field troops and logistical installations against air threats. It is intended to defeat tactical and strategic aircraft, cruise missiles, helicopters and other aerodynamics targets throughout the entire range of their combat employment in severe ECM environments, as well as Lance-type tactical ballistic missiles, HARM-type antiradar missiles and other airborne and ground-based high precision weapons and to engage waterborne and radio-contrast ground targets.
The Buk SAM system includes combat elements, such as a target-acquisition radar, a battle management station, self-propelled firing vehicles or TELAR, illumination and guidance radar, loader-launcher vehicles, surface-to-air guided missiles, as well as maintenance and repair facilities. The combat elements mounted either on tracked chassis.
Russia is now visually confirmed to have lost at least 2500 vehicles and pieces of equipment since it began its invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
Russia’s unprovoked and unwarranted invasion of Ukraine has resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians, while more than 3.7 million refugees have left the country. An additional estimated 6.5 million Ukrainians have also been displaced within Ukraine, and several of the nation’s cities have taken massive damage.