Video Shows Russian Anti-Drone Device Obliterated by Ukraine Strike

A Russian anti-drone device is purportedly shown being obliterated by artillery fire in a video shared by the Ukrainian military.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that a Russian "Strizh" electronic warfare system was destroyed when a strike by an AHS "Krab" howitzer "worked brilliantly" in the video posted to Facebook on Wednesday.

The video was also shared to Facebook on Tuesday by Ukraine's 30th Mechanized Brigade. The earlier post indicated that scouts from the brigade had worked with artillery gunners from Ukraine's 26th Artillery Brigade to take down the device.

The exact timing of the strike is unclear, although the posts indicate that it took place in the Donetsk region, likely near the embattled city of Bakhmut or the Russian-occupied settlement of Soledar.

A Facebook post by the General Staff on Saturday featured footage of Krab howitzers being operated by Ukrainian troops and firing at multiple Russian targets.

Ukraine has been using the Polish-made Krab artillery systems since the summer, having been sent 18 of the 155mm tracked howitzers by Warsaw in May. The weapons are operated by five gunners and have a maximum firing range of 25 miles.

"Our warriors have quickly mastered Western technology and have experience that is valuable to partners and manufacturers of weapons," the General Staff said on Saturday. "The Krab self-propelled artillery system has shown itself well both in terms of aiming speed and firing range."

While the Krab howitzers may be effective at striking Russian targets at times, some of the systems have also been destroyed by Russian attacks.

The "Ukraine Weapons Tracker" Twitter account shared a video of a Krab system being destroyed by a Russian "Lancet" kamikaze drone in the Donetsk region on Wednesday.

According to the Armed Forces of Ukraine website, the tripod-mounted Russian Strizh devices have been acting as "trench hunters" that target Ukrainian drones by blocking visual and control signals.

The electronic warfare systems are effective within a roughly one-mile radius, although systems can be linked together for longer reach. Russia has also recently been testing a similar "Serp-VS" anti-drone device.

Drones have been a key part of the Ukrainian defense strategy during the nearly 14 months since Russian launched its full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022.

Summer saw the launch of an "Army of Drones" initiative, which asked international donors to provide funds for the Ukrainian military to purchase drones, as well as make direct "dronations" of unmanned aerial vehicles.

A massive stockpile of drones acquired as a result of the program was revealed in a video shared by a Ukrainian official this month. Ukraine says that more than 7,000 military personnel have been trained to operate the drones.

Newsweek has reached out via email to the Russian Ministry of Defense for comment.