Ukraine’s Military Intelligence (HUR) struck Russian drone-launch airfields in the southern city of Primorsko-Akhtarsk and Russian-occupied Donetsk overnight on August 20, damaging drone storage and launch sites and destroying two advanced radar systems.
HUR operators targeted sites used by Moscow to launch long-range drones, hitting ground components and launchers at both airfields, the intelligence agency said in a statement on Telegram. Fires broke out at the attack sites following the strikes.
Two Radar Systems Destroyed
The operation destroyed a 55Zh6U Nebo-U and a 55Zh6UM Niobiy radar system, both critical components of Russia’s air defense and early-warning network. The Nebo-U is a VHF-band long-range radar designed to detect aircraft, cruise missiles, and ballistic targets at distances of up to 600 kilometers. The Niobiy variant is an upgraded version with improved tracking capabilities against stealth and low-observable targets.
Both radar systems are manufactured by the Russian defense conglomerate Almaz-Antey and are deployed to protect high-value military installations, including airfields from which Russia launches Shahed-type and Banderol drones against Ukrainian cities.
Part of Intensifying Deep-Strike Campaign
The Primorsko-Akhtarsk airfield in Krasnodar Krai has been one of Russia’s primary launch sites for long-range drone attacks on Ukraine. Ukrainian forces have struck the facility multiple times throughout the war as part of efforts to degrade Russia’s ability to generate drone stockpiles for continued strikes on civilian infrastructure.
The strike on occupied Donetsk marks a rare Ukrainian intelligence operation deep behind front lines in the Donetsk region, where Russian forces maintain dense defensive positions. HUR did not specify the munitions used in either strike.
The strikes are part of Ukraine’s deep-strike operations targeting military and industrial infrastructure in Russia and the Russian-occupied territories, using domestically produced long-range drones.
The operation came on the same day Russia launched one of its heaviest missile and drone attacks on Kyiv, killing at least 15 people and damaging a children’s hospital. Ukraine’s General Staff also confirmed strikes on the TANECO oil refinery in Tatarstan and the Tamanneftegaz terminal on the Black Sea coast, deepening pressure on Russia’s fuel supply chain.
Sources: Kyiv Independent; HUR Telegram statement; Defence Blog; General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
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