Ukraine destroys uncommon Pantsir-S1 air protection variant

Ukraine’s Unmanned Programs Forces have struck and destroyed a beforehand undocumented variant of Russia’s Pantsir-S1 (SA-22 Greyhound) air protection system, in keeping with fight footage analyzed by the open-source intelligence neighborhood Exilenova+, which recognized the system mounted on an unusual heavy Belarusian MZKT-7930 chassis.

Footage launched on-line reveals the second a Ukrainian strike drone hits the Pantsir system positioned close to the entrance line. Analysts famous that the automobile differs from normal manufacturing configurations sometimes deployed by Russian forces, drawing consideration attributable to its uncommon chassis design.

In accordance with evaluation shared inside the OSINT neighborhood and referenced by Ukrainian protection observers, the destroyed system was mounted on a heavy MZKT-7930 multi-purpose wheeled chassis manufactured in Belarus.

The usual Pantsir-S1 configuration is often put in on the 8×8 KamAZ-6560 truck platform, whereas much less frequent variants have appeared on BAZ-6309 chassis and export variations mounted on the MAN SX45 automobile.

The newly noticed configuration had not beforehand been publicly documented in operational service. Protection analysts famous {that a} comparable configuration appeared solely as a show mock-up throughout a protection exhibition in 2009, making the fight loss the primary confirmed visible proof of the variant in energetic deployment.

As reported by Ukrainian sources, the strike was carried out by Ukraine’s Unmanned Programs Forces, which focus on drone-based reconnaissance and precision assaults in opposition to high-value Russian army tools.

The Pantsir-S1 is a mixed gun-and-missile point-defense system designed to guard army formations and strategic belongings from plane, cruise missiles, and drones. The platform integrates radar detection methods with short-range surface-to-air missiles and twin automated cannons able to participating targets at shut vary.

In sensible army phrases, Pantsir methods act as the ultimate defensive layer round higher-value air protection belongings similar to long-range missile batteries or logistics hubs. Their function is to intercept incoming threats that penetrate outer defensive rings, notably low-flying drones and precision-guided weapons.

Due to this function, destroying Pantsir methods can create gaps in layered air protection networks, permitting Ukrainian drones and strike methods larger freedom of operation. Ukrainian forces have more and more targeted on figuring out and focusing on these methods utilizing reconnaissance drones and precision loitering munitions.

Open-source monitoring group Oryx, which paperwork tools losses based mostly on publicly out there visible proof, has recorded no less than 41 Russian Pantsir methods destroyed or broken for the reason that begin of the full-scale struggle. Ukrainian officers have additionally said that sustained focusing on efforts have resulted within the destruction of roughly half of Russia’s deployed Pantsir methods, although impartial verification of that broader declare stays restricted to visible affirmation knowledge.

The looks of the MZKT-7930-based variant suggests ongoing experimentation or adaptation inside Russian air protection deployments, presumably pushed by chassis availability or operational necessities. Earlier developmental variations of the Pantsir system have been additionally mounted on Belarusian-made platforms, though these differed structurally from later serial manufacturing fashions.

The invention underscores how battlefield losses proceed to disclose beforehand unseen tools configurations that had not been publicly acknowledged earlier than fight use. Fashionable conflicts more and more expose prototype or limited-production methods via fight footage moderately than official bulletins.