Ukrainian drones are blinding Russia’s air defense right over the front line. On 1 March, a key Russian radar station "Kasta" was destroyed on the Zaporizhzhia front, according to Robert Brovdi also known as Madiar, the commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces.
The strike was carried out by Ukrainian soldiers from the "Birds of Madiar" 414th Separate Strike UAV Bridage together with the Special Operations Forces of Ukraine.
The station consists of a hardware vehicle, an antenna vehicle, and a cable trailer — all based on the KamAZ-4310 chassis. The set also includes main and backup power generators, as well as a remote operator workstation that can be deployed up to 300 meters away.
Hunting Russian eyes that see up to 115 km
The “Kasta” 35N6 radar is a two-coordinate self-propelled airspace surveillance station designed to detect aerodynamic targets at extremely low altitudes and transmit data to Russian air defense, aerospace forces, and military air defense command-and-control systems.
The radar can simultaneously detect up to 20 aerial targets per minute at ultra-low altitudes down to 100 meters, out to a depth of 44 km, and at altitudes up to 6,000 meters at ranges of up to 115 km. Systems like this allow the enemy to “see” Ukrainian drones and aircraft on approach, Militarnyi reports.
“Fierce enemy of Bird community”: how hunt unfolded
Destroying such stations “blinds” Russian air defenses and opens corridors for further drone strikes against rear-area targets.
“A fierce enemy of the Bird community of pilots operating at tactical and operational depth,” noted Robert “Madyar” Brovdi.
Every third hit is by drones
The Unmanned Systems Forces of Ukraine has reported that every third confirmed hit during the winter has been the result of drone operators’ work. Over the winter period, the troops struck 30,090 Russian personnel:
- December — 12,037
- January — 9,381
- February — 8,672
Beyond manpower, Ukraine's drones are systematically destroying Russian weapons and military equipment, including Russia’s air defense assets. The destruction of the “Kasta” radar is one of the key episodes in this campaign to “blind” Russian forces on the front line.
