Ukrainian troops seize Russia’s most advanced Verba MANPADS

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.

Amid Russia’s ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the airspace along the frontline remains fiercely contested due to the saturation of anti-air weapons from both Russian and Ukrainian forces, including extensive use of MANPADS. As a result, aircraft are forced to operate from safer positions behind the lines.

The 9K333 Verba, introduced to the Russian military in 2014 – the same year Russia invaded Ukraine by annexing Crimea and launching military operations in the east – replaced the older Igla systems. It offers superior performance against low-flying targets and greater resistance to countermeasures, making it a key asset in modern warfare.

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.

The Russian Verba MANPADS should not be confused with Ukraine’s Verba multiple rocket launcher, which uses 122 mm caliber unguided rockets. The Ukrainian Verba is an upgraded version of the BM-21 Grad, featuring enhanced navigation, communication, alignment, and platform stabilization systems.

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.

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