The Ukrainian military said earlier Thursday it had used ATACMS ballistic missiles to strike a Russian radar station. The attack was carried out to reduce Moscow’s ability to detect, track and intercept aerodynamic and ballistic targets.
The military did not say when the strike had taken place or give the location of the ‘Nebo-M’ radar station. Ukrainians believe the radar’s destruction will create an ‘air corridor’ for the effective use of Storm Shadow missiles.
The Nebo-M radar is an integrated multi-functional radar system and a central data fusion centre. The Ukrainian military has said it believed Russia had just 10 such operational systems left. The Russians claim that the advanced mobile radar complex can detect stealth aircraft such as the F-22 and the F-35. Russia military claims that the Nebo-M radar system was able to detect western stealth fighters whilst deployed in Syria.
Nebo-M radar’s range is slated to be 3,800 km. It is said to be able to detect targets at an altitude of 1,200 km. The system uses different types of radars to form a comprehensive picture. Nebo-M can share data with other systems such as the S-400 or Pantsir to shoot down targets. Each of these systems is estimated to be worth more than $100 million.
The United States sent long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine this spring. U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Ukraine had committed at the time to only using the weapons inside its own territory. Russian forces currently occupy about 18% of Ukraine’s territory.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been pleading with allies for months to let Ukraine fire Western missiles, including long-range U.S. ATACMS and Britain’s Storm Shadow, deep inside Russia.
After discussions with allies, Washington did not signal any change in its position on Kyiv’s use of the long-range weapons on Russian territory. The Nebo-M radar was said to be placed in Russian territory.
Team Bharatshakti
(With inputs from Reuters)
