Ukrainian forces and affiliated Telegram channels have reported new strikes on Russian military targets inside Russia.
They said drones operated by Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces hit two Russian helicopters — a Mi-28 and a Mi-17 — near the village of Babki in the Voronezh Region, about 152 kilometers (94 miles), from the Ukrainian border. The open source intelligence (OSINT) channel Dnipro Osint ⟨Harbuz⟩ published the exact coordinates of the strike. At least one person was killed in the attack, according to the MADYAR channel, run by Unmanned Systems Forces commander Robert "Madyar" Brovdi, which said the person can be seen in the video.
Separately, Ukraine’s 429th “Achilles” Unmanned Systems Brigade said it destroyed a Russian Nebo-M radar system near the settlement of Ukolovo, at the junction of the Belgorod and Kursk regions, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the border with Ukraine. Ukrainian forces said the strike hit the most vulnerable part of the system, making its further use impossible. The Nebo-M radar can cost up to $100 million, according to estimates previously cited by media outlets and Ukraine’s General Staff. Russian officials have not commented on the reported strikes.
The Nebo-M is a mobile, multifunctional radar system designed to detect aerodynamic and ballistic targets at medium and high altitudes. It can detect aircraft at distances of up to 500 to 600 kilometers (310 to 370 miles), ballistic targets at up to about 1,500 kilometers (930 miles), as well as low-observable and small targets, including drones and cruise missiles.
Russian Nebo-M radar systems have previously been targeted by Ukrainian strikes. On May 28, 2024, a Nebo-M system was hit near Luhansk, and in October of that year, Ukrainian forces also said they destroyed a Nebo-M radar using an ATACMS missile, though the exact location of the strike was not disclosed.
