Russian air defence falters as Ukraine destroys more Pantsir-S1 units

Reports first emerged about eliminating two Pantsir-S1 (SA-22 Greyhound in NATO code) systems that served Russian troops on the Kharkiv front from further participation in the war. A few hours later, Ukrainians boasted about a Pantsir-S1 hit in the Donetsk region.

Defending army soldiers used the HIMARS rocket artillery system in at least one case. The photos shared online show that the scale of destruction of Russian equipment is very large.

The Pantsir-S1 is one of the most valuable weapons of this type for Russians. At the same time, it is one of the more modern anti-aircraft systems - it began entering service in the 1990s.

Launchers part of the Pantsir-S1 system are usually mounted on a wheeled chassis (less frequently on a tracked one). The essential equipment here consists of 57E6 or 57E6-E anti-aircraft missiles (12 units) that allow eliminating targets located at a distance of up to 19 kilometres, which move at an altitude not exceeding 14 kilometres. Additionally, the designers of the Pantsir-S1 have provided space for 30 mm 2A38M automatic cannons with a maximum firing rate of 2,500 rounds per minute, which enables hitting targets at a distance of up to approximately 4 kilometres.

For many months, Ukrainians have appealed to Western allies for more anti-aircraft systems. Russians are also increasingly feeling a shortage of this weapon in their ranks. In just the last few weeks, they lost many S-300/400 systems in Crimea, and reports of further Pantsir-S1 system destructions constantly emerge as well.

As a result, the invaders are having increasing difficulty guaranteeing the protection of the most important locations and equipment in occupied territories, as well as in Russia. This was evident, for example, during the recent Ukrainian offensive against Russian refineries.