Ukrainian 77th Airmobile Brigade’s Drone Unit Strikes Russian Buk-M2 SAM

4 November, 2024 Launching and charging installation of Buk-M2 SAM. April 2022. Photo credits: Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Ukrainian drone operators targeted a Russian Buk-M2 anti-aircraft missile system launcher in the Luhansk region. The communications department of the 77th Airmobile Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine published the corresponding video. The launcher was detected by a reconnaissance drone, which then adjusted strikes.

According to the interface specifics, it was likely a FlyEye UAV. FPV strike drones were specifically used to target the 9A317 TELAR. However, due to the poor video quality, the results of the attack cannot be clearly determined.

The Buk-M2 anti-aircraft missile system is designed to protect troops and facilities from planes, helicopters, drones, cruise and ballistic missiles. Meanwhile, the Russian system failed to detect a Ukrainian reconnaissance drone, which should have been an expected target.

This highlights once again that reconnaissance UAVs remain challenging targets, even for advanced air defense systems. The destruction of such systems reduces both the threat to Ukrainian aircraft striking ground targets and simplifies reconnaissance and strike missions for UAVs. In addition to the air defense system, the video also shows footage of other targets being hit.

In particular, armored vehicles, enemy manpower, and shelters. For this purpose, both FPV kamikazes and drones with ammunition and incendiary mixture were used.

The drone in use by the 77th Airmobile Brigade. Freeze frame from the video of the 77th Airmobile Brigade

Another Russian Buk-M1-2 anti-aircraft missile system was also destroyed by a unit of the 77th Airmobile Brigade in early October 2024.

For this mission, drones were used, with the same interface as for strikes and target detection.

The SAM was destroyed in the Luhansk region to the west of the occupied village of Honcharivka, according to the OSINT analyst Dominik.