Ukrainian strikes dismantle critical Russian S‑300 defences near Rostov
Ukrainians have been methodically trying to destroy Russian medium-range anti-aircraft systems from the S-300 or S-400 Triumf family for several months. Recently, a Ukrainian attack hit an S-300 battery deployed near the town of Novoshakhtinsk, located near Rostov-on-Don in Russia. We explain why these systems are so important and present their performance.
Ukrainians can effectively eliminate Russian anti-aircraft system batteries using MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missiles in the M39 or M39A1 version, which are equipped with a cluster warhead.
This is ideal for area attacks, and Russian systems have a significant problem countering American ballistic missiles developed in the 1990s. Theoretically, Ukrainians could also use Storm Shadow / SCALP cruise missiles flying at very low altitudes.
Using other weapons, such as GMLRS rockets or drones, seems unlikely because the target was about 180 kilometres from the front line. Adding a buffer of around 20 to 30 kilometres, a system with a range of at least 200 kilometres was needed. On the other hand, drones are an easy target to shoot down, and systems like Tor or Pantsir-S1 usually accompany S-300 batteries. Unfortunately, the means used by Ukrainians are unknown, but a large fire broke out at the site of the strike, and there were secondary explosions, such as missile explosions in the launchers.
Medium-range anti-aircraft systems — the only protection against ballistic missiles and glide bombs
The S-300 system, developed in the Soviet Union in the 1970s, is the Russians' main medium-range shield. Depending on the missile version used, it is capable of combating aircraft at a distance of up to 150 kilometres and an altitude of 25 kilometres or ballistic missiles, but in their case, the interception range drops to a maximum of 40 kilometres from the launcher.
The disadvantage of this system is that, in most versions, the target must be illuminated with a fire control radar beam until the launched missile hits, which makes it very difficult to defend against an attack from several directions simultaneously.
The only exceptions are the newest 9M96E1 and 9M96E2 missiles or missiles designed for S-400 Triumf, which have their own active radar homing head, allowing them to independently guide themselves to the target in the final phase of interception without radar assistance.
The S-400 Triumf system, on the other hand, is a straightforward evolution of the S-300 system. It can, in theory, combat targets at a distance of up to 400 kilometres using 40N6 missiles. However, due to backward compatibility, its performance may be lower if loaded with older missiles.
These are the only Russian systems, apart from the experimental S-500 Prometey, capable of combating ballistic missiles or aircraft carrying JDAM-ER or similar glide bombs, which, after being dropped from high altitudes, can fly a distance of up to 70 kilometres. They are indispensable for destroying even very solid field fortifications or buildings.
