The Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense reported on 29 November a successful operation to destroy a sophisticated Russian radio-location system. Ukrainian reconnaissance scouts from the “Wings” unit within the active operations department executed a precision drone strike against the Russian Zoopark-1 counter-battery radar station. The HUR did not specify the exact front-line location of the strike.
The targeted system, a 1L219M “Zoopark-1” radar complex, was a high-value military asset with significant strategic importance. HUR emphasized the operation’s cost-effectiveness, noting that the radar system was worth approximately $24 million, while the strike was conducted using four long-range FPV drones, costing around $2,400.
According to Militarnyi, a Ukrainian reconnaissance drone initially tracked the Russian radar’s movement and deployment. The drone’s camera footage likely helped identify the precise location of the enemy equipment, enabling the subsequent targeted strike. After initial hits, Russian personnel attempted to escape, but the radar station ultimately burned completely in an open field.
Russia’s Zoopark-1 radar system is designed for reconnaissance and fire control, capable of detecting artillery positions including cannon artillery, multiple rocket launch systems, and mortars. Mounted on a multi-purpose tracked MT-LBu chassis and featuring a phased antenna array, the system can detect mortar crew positions up to 17 kilometers away, 105-mm and 155-mm howitzers up to 12 kilometers, and rocket systems like BM-21 “Grad” and BM-27 “Uragan” up to 40-45 kilometers.
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