The moment the Ukrainian S-300 site was hit by a Russian anti-ship missile

Video taken from a UAV shows the Ukrainian S-300 complex being detected, before being hit by a series of Kh-35 anti-ship missiles launched from a Su-34 fighter bomber.

War correspondent Andrey Rudenko of the All-Russian Broadcasting Company today released a video taken from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), showing the attack of a Su-34 fighter jet on a Ukrainian S-300 long-range air defense missile site in Mykolaiv province.

The Ukrainian S-300 complex, consisting of two missile launchers, a fire control radar and a command post, was detected by a Russian UAV while it was deployed in an area with many bushes. The first explosion occurred near the fire control radar, the next shell directly hit the missile launcher and caused a huge explosion. The consecutive explosions burned down the entire Ukrainian S-300 site.

The moment the Ukrainian S-300 site was hit by a Russian anti-ship missile — Ukrainian S-300 site hit by Russian missile in video released on August 24. Video: *Telegram/RtrDonetsk*

"Two Su-34 fighter bombers launched a total of four Kh-35 anti-ship missiles and completely destroyed the target. The tough retaliation prevented the enemy from celebrating after the attack on the Russian air defense system. This is the second Ukrainian S-300 complex destroyed in just the past month," Rudenko said.

The Kh-35 is a subsonic anti-ship missile that entered service with the Russian military in 2003. It is designed to destroy warships with a displacement of up to 5,000 tons and can be launched from a variety of platforms such as warships, coastal missile systems and aircraft. Each missile costs about $500,000.

The Kh-35U version has been produced by Russia since 2015, has a range of 260 km and a cruise speed of 1,040 km/h. The missile is equipped with an inertial guidance system, GLONASS satellite positioning and active radar. This allows it to attack ground targets, based on satellite coordinates or using radar to track objects with high contrast compared to the surrounding environment.

Russian Su-34 fighter bomber launches Kh-35U missile during 2021 exercise. Photo: Russian Ministry of Defense — Russian Su-34 fighter bomber launches Kh-35U missile during 2021 exercise. Photo: *Russian Ministry of Defense*

The S-300 system remains the main long-range air defense missile in Ukraine's service, as the country has just received two US-made Patriot systems and must prioritize protecting the capital Kiev.

There are no exact figures on the number of S-300 missiles that Ukraine possesses. This country has a series of S-300PT and S-300PS systems produced during the Soviet era for its air defense forces, along with the S-300V version for the army with anti-ballistic missile capabilities.

The Russian military has repeatedly destroyed Ukrainian S-300 batteries, including preemptive strikes against military bases in the early stages of the campaign, as well as suicide drone attacks on S-300 formations in the field or on the move.