Ukrainian drones killed a Russian Buk-M3 air defense system, opening a corridor for the Air Force to strike two Russian command posts. Ukraine's Lasar's Group has released a video of the two-phase operation, run in the 2nd National Guard "Khartia" Corps area of responsibility together with the Air Force, the Joint Forces Group, and the 151st Separate Mechanized Brigade.
The operation reads like a Ukrainian suppression-of-enemy-air-defenses playbook, with drones hunting the Russian surface-to-air missile system, and then conventional air power exploiting the cleared corridor.
Ukraine has been wrecking Russian air defense assets at scale through 2026, with the Ukrainian drone force accounting for almost 200 Russian air defense targets destroyed since the start of the year, 31 of them in June alone.
The Buk-M3 serves as Russia's most capable Buk variant, engaging targets at ranges up to 70 km and altitudes up to 35,000 meters. Its loss opens Ukrainian air power to strike protected rear targets that had previously sat inside a Russian anti-access bubble.
Lasar's Group drones destroyed Buk-M3 first
The Russians had masked the Buk-M3 behind a dense tree line, per Lasar's Group. Lasar's Group operators located the system and struck it with Middle Strike-class drones. After several hits, the launcher was destroyed.
Ukraine's Air Force struck primary and reserve command posts
Only after the Buk-M3 was destroyed did the Air Force bring aircraft into the cleared corridor and strike two Russian command posts — a primary and a reserve, per Lasar's Group.
Ukrainian drone units have been systematically hunting Russian SAM systems to open corridors for follow-on strikes. Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces struck Russian Buk, Tor, Kasta, and Tunguska air defense systems worth an estimated $131 million in a single week in May 2026, per Euromaidan Press.
Lasar's Group operators said they will continue systematic hunting of Russian SAM systems to enable follow-on strikes on high-value Russian military targets.
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The operation reads like a Ukrainian suppression-of-enemy-air-defenses playbook, with drones hunting the Russian surface-to-air missile system, and then conventional air power exploiting the cleared corridor.
Ukraine has been wrecking Russian air defense assets at scale through 2026, with the Ukrainian drone force accounting for almost 200 Russian air defense targets destroyed since the start of the year, 31 of them in June alone.
