Operators from the 1st Center of the Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) struck a Russian Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile and artillery system in occupied Mariupol.
This was reported by USF Commander Robert ‘Madyar’ Brovdi on social media, where he also released a video of the combat operation.
The strike on the Russian air defense element in the temporarily occupied territory of the Donetsk region took place on the night of April 17.
The released video shows a Ukrainian Fire Point FP-2 Middlestrike drone attacking the Russian air defense system from the side while it is in position.
Afterward, another drone flies over the Pantsir-S1 position to verify the effectiveness of the strike.
However, the image quality does not allow for a definitive determination of whether this was an actual system or a mock-up, the use of which the Russians have increased to protect their air defense against Ukrainian drones.
Pantsir-S1 as Air Defense System
This system is designed to provide close-range protection for military facilities, as well as long-range air defense systems.
The Russians position the Pantsir-S1 as one of the most effective means of combating long-range drones.
Taking out such an air defense system weakens the protection of occupation forces’ facilities and creates conditions for further strikes by Ukrainian drones and cruise missiles against key targets in the enemy’s rear.
According to the commander of the USF, over the 16 days of April 2026, drone operators struck 16 Russian air defense systems and radars.
Specifically, on the night of April 9, operators from the 1st Center of the Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) struck a self-propelled launcher of the Russian Tor-M1 Air Defense System near the village of Kalchinivka in the Donetsk region.
Prior to that, during a nighttime operation in the east, soldiers of the Unmanned Systems Forces struck launchers of the Russian Buk-M3 and Tor-M2 Air Defense Systems, as well as the Zoopark-1M radar.
