Ukrainian Defense Forces Hit Space Surveillance Radar in Crimea
The Ukrainian Defense Forces’ attack drones have hit a space object tracking radar near the city of Feodosia.
This is evidenced by the recording of abnormal temperatures by the NASA Firms service in the area of the radar, which indicates fire damage to the object.
The radar complex is used as one of the elements of Russia’s air defense and monitors the airspace, transmitting relevant information to the posts of anti-aircraft missile systems.
The four radar antennas are located 300 meters above sea level and are covered with radio-transparent spherical domes to protect them from wind and snow.
Under the domes is the 57U6 ‘Periscope-VM’ radar system, which has been operating at this location since Soviet times.
The Periscope-VM system operates in the decimeter wave range with a pulse power of up to 100 kW. The range of detection of a target with an effective reflective surface of 2.5 m² at an altitude of 2000 m above sea level without interference is 200 kilometers, with interference – 100 kilometers.
The radar is located on the Tepe-Oba ridge between the city of Feodosia and the village of Ordzhonikidze and is subordinated to the 3rd Radio Regiment.
According to NASA, the fire on the territory of the radar complex started at 02:52.
Earlier, Militarnyi reported that in June 2024, a series of explosions had occurred in the temporarily occupied Crimea during the night near several settlements.
The long-range space communication center in the village of Vitino, which has the full name of the 40th Separate Command and Measurement Complex as part of the Main Test Space Center named after G.S. Titov of the Russian Aerospace Forces (military unit 81415), was hit.
This facility was seized by the Russians during the annexation of Crimea.
From the military unit near Yevpatoria, Russians control orbital grouping of their spacecraft. In particular, they provide the GLONASS navigation system and space monitoring.
