Ukrainian drone strike on Russian radar raises international concerns

Let us remind you that on Thursday, May 23, the Ukrainians attacked one of the most valuable Russian facilities – the radar station in Armavir (Krasnodar Krai), which consists of two over-the-horizon radars, 77Ya-6DM Voronezh-DM. The destruction of both radars is significant not only because the Russians have been deprived of an essential element for controlling airspace. It is also a blow to the economy of the Russian Federation, which, in a few moments, lost equipment worth 4.5 billion rubles (approximately 71 million Canadian dollars) each, and it is additionally challenging to rebuild in a short time.

Although a successful strike on Russian radars is an extraordinary success for the Ukrainians, Western analysts approach this incident skeptically and do not mince words, commenting that it was not the wisest decision of the defending army. Voronezh can track not only ATACMS missiles, which have been a nightmare for the Russians lately but more importantly, it is a station observing nuclear missiles.

“Not a wise decision on the part of Ukraine,” says Hans Kristensen, a nuclear arsenal expert at the Federation of American Scientists, quoted by the Unian agency. In a similar tone, a military analyst from Norway also spoke. “Isn’t a particularly good idea…especially in times of tension,” said Thord Are Iversen. He also emphasized that it is in everyone’s interest for the Russian nuclear threat warning system to work well.

Fabian Hoffmann, a doctoral student specializing in missile technology at the University of Oslo, also warns that Ukrainians must exercise caution, because for many countries such an attack on a radar system can be considered imprudent, including NATO allies. “I have some concerns about how politically wise this decision was, as it may have negative repercussions for Ukraine down the road in terms of targeting restrictions,” Hoffmann explained. It should be added that the Russians have not yet commented on the attack on the Voronezh radars.

The radars of the Russian Federation, which—as Unian explains—are regarded by Russians as prestigious tools, have a range of about 7,000 kilometres and can track up to 500 objects simultaneously. This means that the system can control airspace over all of Europe and even part of the Atlantic.

As journalist Łukasz Michalik explained, the Voronezh-DM radar's extensive range is because it is an over-the-horizon tool. It uses the properties of the ionosphere (a layer of the atmosphere at an altitude of about 60 kilometres), where plasma is present, allowing the ionosphere to reflect radar waves. Ordinary radars do not have this capability, as their signals do not reflect off the ionosphere.