One drone. One hit. One rare Russian radar obliterated in Donetsk Oblast

A Ukrainian drone strike destroyed a rare Russian missile radar system in the occupied east of the country today, on 5 January 2026, according to footage shared by drone forces commander Robert “Madyar” Brovdi. The drone, operated by the 412th NEMESIS Brigade, hit the 9S32M1 radar from the S-300V air defense system—one of the rarest and most valuable Russian anti-air assets targeted in the war.

Ukrainian drone hits key S-300V radar in occupied Donetsk Oblast

Brovdi released a video of the strike on his YouTube channel and confirmed that it took place on 5 January in Donetsk Oblast. The operation was conducted by the 412th NEMESIS brigade using a middle-range strike drone. The 9S32M1 radar—part of the Soviet-designed S-300V surface-to-air missile system—is responsible for coordinating missile launches and tracking targets, making it a crucial component of Russia’s layered air defenses.

Brovdi wrote that the “old but expensive and powerful” machine had been “sung off” on the battlefield, confirming its destruction.

Footage shows antenna module struck directly

According to Militarnyi, the shared footage evidence suggests that the drone directly struck the radar’s antenna module. This would "almost certainly" disable the entire system. While the extent of internal damage and casualties remains unclear due to a lack of data about the drone’s warhead, Militarnyi noted that the strike may also have damaged the radar’s chassis and potentially injured its crew.

Rare and strategic loss for Russian forces: What makes the 9S32M1 so important?

The 9S32M1 radar is an extremely rare asset in the Russian arsenal. According to equipment losses tracker blog Oryx, only two such radar stations—a 9S32M1 and a 9S19M2—had been damaged during the entire course of the war prior to this strike.

The 9S32M1 is a three-coordinate, multi-channel missile guidance radar. It manages combat operations of the S-300V system by tracking air targets and directing up to 12 surface-to-air missiles at six targets simultaneously. It is equipped with a coherent pulse radar operating in the centimeter waveband and uses a phased-array antenna, allowing for rapid electronic scanning without mechanical rotation.

Militarnyi notes that the radar can detect and track targets autonomously or via external targeting data and simultaneously control the activity of both launchers and reloaders. Its stated detection range for a fighter-type target at 5 kilometers altitude is between 140 and 150 kilometers.