The article reports that Ukrainian forces struck a S-400 Triumph anti-aircraft missile system near the village of Gvardiyske in occupied Crimea. The S-400 Triumph, also known as the SA-21 Growler by NATO, is a highly advanced Russian air defense system. It is compared to the American Patriot missile system and plays a crucial role in protecting military infrastructure and controlling enemy airstrikes with a range of up to 380 km.
Since the large-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022, S-400 systems have been extensively deployed to protect Russian troops and strategic sites from missile strikes and Ukrainian drones. According to Army Inform, a complete S-400 system costs around one billion dollars. Another report from the Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) claimed that Ukrainian units also targeted a Tor-M1 anti-aircraft missile system in the Luhansk region.
The USF released a video showing one of their aircraft approaching a Russian Tor system, striking it, and causing a massive explosion. The Ukrainian Armed Forces unit responsible for the strike stated that it was carried out by the operators of the 9th Separate Brigade in coordination with the Deep Strike Center, weakening enemy air defense in the area. The Tor system, designated SA-15 Gauntlet by NATO, is a short-range Soviet-era surface-to-air missile system capable of intercepting aircraft, helicopters, drones, and cruise missiles.
The Tor-M1, introduced in 1991 as an upgraded version of the original Tor system from 1986, is estimated to cost around 25 million dollars.
