Ukrainian forces have reportedly captured one of Russia's most advanced portable air-defense systems, the 9K333 Verba, according to Defence Blog. The Ukrainian military has published a detailed review of the seized 9M336 missile, which was manufactured in 2020.
The Verba system, designated as SA-25 in NATO classification, is a third-generation shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS). It is designed to target aircraft, helicopters, and even cruise missiles with high precision.
Defense Blog says that military analysts suggest capturing this advanced weapon could grant Ukraine critical insights into Russian defense technologies, with special focus on the seeker head, which operates across ultraviolet, infrared, and visible spectra to track heat signatures while resisting flares and other countermeasures.
Ukraine's earliest capture of the Russian Verbas occurred in March 2022 in Kyiv Oblast. In 2023, Russia unveiled an upgraded MANPADS system based on the Verba. The latest captured Verba missile may incorporate recent enhancements.Related:
- Russia’s illicit use of Starlink increases Russian effectiveness, Ukrainian soldiers report
- UK announces 650 air-defense missiles for Ukraine at Ramstein meeting
- Zelenskyy warns: North Korean troops join Russia’s war in Ukraine
- Cost-effective steel-screen Ukrainian solution outperforms Russian “turtle” tank protection
- Drone dogfights: Ukraine’s novel strategy to counter Russian reconnaissance UAVs
- Five Ukrainian war startups taking on Russia’s brute force
- Ukrainian forces destroy state-of-the-art Russian weapon dubbed ‘impenetrable drone dome’
- Frontline report: Ukraine’s MANPADS takes down Russian fighter jet
- Latvia to send all its Stinger MANPADs to Ukraine
