2022 According to Russia’s news agency TASS, Ukraine has requested “several battalions” of THAAD anti-ballistic missile defense from the US. Ukraine reportedly wants the missiles to be deployed near Kharkiv on Ukrainian territory.
This move was precipitated by Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the subsequent bolstering of NATO’s “enhanced forward presence” in Eastern European member states such as Poland and the Baltics.
The Russian S-400 Triumph air defense system boasts impressive capabilities, able to track airborne threats over a range of 400 kilometers and can be swiftly deployed through a mobile command vehicle. This system, clearly a crown jewel in Russian air defense, has been observed as part of Russia’s military strategy for years and is considered to be a peer to the U.S. Patriot air defense system.
Ukrainian forces have demonstrated a capacity to breach Russian defenses, as highlighted by the destruction of two out of five S-400 batteries in Crimea within three weeks. The successful strikes occurred on Aug. 23 and then in September 2023. Both strikes reportedly involved the latest version of the Ukrainian navy’s Neptune ground-launched anti-ship cruise missile.
These setbacks for Russian defenses have consequential implications. Each S-400 battery loss is a blow not only tactically but also economically, given the reported $200 million price tag per battery. the Washington-based think tank, the Institute for the Study of War, said Russia likely had “tactical failures” that could “reflect a wider systemic issue with Russian air defenses in occupied Crimea.”
The S-400 is Russia’s “premier” air defense system, yet Russia losing several S-400s in recent months is significant for several reasons, according to military expert David Hambling.” appeared to have performed well previously but now appears vulnerable,” he told Newsweek.”Secondly, knocking out S-400s punched holes in the air defense network that are then exploited,” Hambling added.
“The S-400s have performed nominally,” commented Ian Williams, deputy director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “They seem to have struggled against Storm Shadows, but without better insight into intercepts, it’s hard to assess with certainty.”
Relevant articles:
– Ukraine crisis: US THAAD vs Russian S-400 missile defence system, WION, Feb 8, 2022
– Russia Had Five S-400 Air-Defense Batteries In Crimea. In Three Weeks, Ukraine Blew Up Two., forbes.com
– Russia’s S-400 Air Defense Systems Are Being Cut to Shreds, newsweek.com
– Ukraine likely destroyed 3 of Russia’s prized S-400 missile systems worth $1.5 billion, weakening its air defenses, says UK intel, businessinsider.com