Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR) announced the destruction of a Russian early warning and surveillance radar system, the Kasta-2E2 (NATO reporting name: Flat Face), located along the border northeast of Ukraine’s Sumy and Kharkiv regions. The operation was carried out by the Special Forces’ Geese-9 group using a drone to deliver a targeted strike on Tuesday, February 13.

The drone employed in the attack dropped two general-purpose unguided bombs, leading to the radar’s destruction and the loss of Russian personnel tasked with its operation. The released video footage, showcasing the attack through infrared imaging, confirmed the radar’s complete neutralization and the effectiveness of the drone strike.

The Kasta-2E2 radar plays a crucial role in providing situational awareness by monitoring air movements over a significant portion of the border area, including the Kharkiv and Sumy regions of Ukraine and extending into the Belgorod, Kursk, and possibly Voronezh regions of Russia. As a mobile, three-axis system with 360-degree coverage, the Kasta-2E2 is capable of detecting objects at extremely low altitudes, determining their trajectory, and relaying target coordinates to air defense units. Its operational range extends up to 150 kilometers, making it a valuable asset for air surveillance and defense coordination.

This strike underscores the ongoing conflict’s dynamic nature, highlighting the Ukrainian forces’ ability to target and neutralize key components of Russian military infrastructure. The loss of the Kasta-2E2 radar system not only represents a tactical setback for Russian surveillance capabilities along the border but also reflects the continued use of drone technology as a critical tool in modern warfare, particularly in the context of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.