Ukrainian strike in Crimea decimates Russia's top S‑400 system

The Ukrainian attack on the Dzhankoi airfield in Crimea using MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missiles destroyed an entire battery of Russia's premier anti-aircraft and anti-missile system, the S-400 Triumph. We delve into the specifics of this assault and detail the extent of the destruction.

The strike on the Dzhankoi airfield in Crimea executed with MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missiles has led to the obliteration of a battery of the S-400 Triumph system, evidenced by photographic confirmation. The destruction encompassed launchers and, most crucially, the command vehicle and radars, components Russia finds irreplaceable due to sanctions impacting electronic parts.

Switching radar suppliers poses a significant challenge. It’s important to highlight that creating such a component is not a matter of months but can span several years. Concerning the command centre, the additional loss of skilled personnel is challenging to replenish. This represents a more severe setback than the loss of launchers, which can be relatively easily and promptly manufactured. The attack also resulted in damage to aeroplanes, helicopters, and personnel stationed at the airfield at the time.

For the offensive, the Ukrainians deployed the oldest M39 variant missiles from the 1990s, boasting a range of approximately 165 kilometres. Despite their reliance on merely inertial navigation, rendering their precision somewhat wanting, the shortfall in accuracy is significantly mitigated by the cluster munition warhead, which delivers a load of 950 M74 APAM bomblets.

These bomblets, resembling balls weighing about 600 grams and having a diameter of around 6 centimetres, scatter tungsten fragments over a few meters upon detonation. They can also pierce the armour of light vehicles.

The method through which these dated missiles vanquished Russia's most contemporary air defense system still invites speculation. It is conceivable that the Ukrainians might have coupled M140 ATACMS missiles with, for instance, S-200 Vega missiles or other decoys, squandering Russian anti-missiles in the process.

Another possibility is that the Russian crew's lack of training left them ill-equipped to handle the situation, as the older Soviet-era S-300 systems deployed by the Ukrainians have shown considerable efficacy in intercepting even Russia's latest Iskander ballistic missiles Iskander.