Ukrainian Drones Humiliate Russian Air Defenses on Snake Island
Russian Navy is not having a good war
On April 25 a military cargo plane took off from Turkey and landed in eastern Poland. Soon thereafter Ukrainians started flying TB2 drones again.
The drones received by the Ukrainian army didn’t accomplish all that much. A number were shot down trying to penetrate into Russia proper.
Ehem…there are 2 TB-2 down. One in Kursk area and another in Belgorod. pic.twitter.com/GnXaktmrAN
— 3Tro³ (@TriTro29) April 27, 2022
The drones given to the Ukrainian navy on the other hand staged quite the show.
First on May 2 they hit two Russian patrol boats near Snake Island. These vessels have a crew of 3.
UKRAINE: The Ukrainian MoD released footage of 2 Russian Raptor class patrol boats destroyed by a Tb2 drone near Snake Island today. pic.twitter.com/fFLeATD33i
— Conflict News (@Conflicts) May 2, 2022
The Clash Report channel (likely linked to the Turkish government) posted a longer video of the TB2 strikes on the two Raptor fast-attack craft near Snake Island this morning. https://t.co/pJ8LhFAtE5 pic.twitter.com/moZgFIcW8i
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) May 2, 2022
The next day they hit an Osa anti-aircraft system on Snake Island causing it to cook off.
They also destroyed a Shilka anti-aircraft system two hours later on the same island.
Osa and Shilka are both equipped with radars. Osa fires missiles, while Shilka fires 23 mm automatic cannons. They are both supposed to be able to handle drones.
Two hours before the ZU-23-2 strike, a Ukrainian TB2 struck a Russian Strela-10 short-range air defense system on Snake Island. https://t.co/rbTvheDN0n pic.twitter.com/nt1D9PvBES
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) May 2, 2022
Y también del ataque de los #Bayraktar 🇺🇦 contra la ocupada Isla de las Serpientes, en el Mar Negro, la destrucción de un cañón AA ZSU-23-2 #UkraineRussiaWar #UkraineWar #UkraineUnderAttack #SlavaUkraïni pic.twitter.com/EViDGwh54Y
— Frostilicus 🇺🇦🤝🏼🇪🇸🤝🏼🇲🇩 (@Frostilicus_) May 3, 2022
This was just the introduction.
On May 6 Ukrainian drones visited Snake Island again and destroyed the even more capable Tor anti-aircraft system.
#Ukraine: New footage from the famous Snake Island – a Russian 9A330/9A331 Tor surface-to-air missile TLAR was destroyed by a Ukrainian Bayraktar TB2 UAV. pic.twitter.com/06IaahmPb2
— 🇺🇦 Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) May 6, 2022
A Bayraktar drone watches from a 108 km distance as another Bayraktar drone hits the Russian Tor SAM system on Snake Island pic.twitter.com/cp66PkztOe
— Mykhailo Golub (@golub) May 7, 2022
The next day they then destroyed a Serna-class landing ship just as it was delivering another Tor system, before moving onto targeting buildings.
🧵Drone footage of a Ukrainian TB2 engaging Russian forces on Snake Island.
Initially what looks to be a Project 1170 landing craft is hit. pic.twitter.com/07D5P4YlRl
— Oliver Alexander (@OAlexanderDK) May 7, 2022
It could be said the Ukrainian Navy wrecked Snake Island pretty good. 3 boats and 4 anti-aircraft systems lost including 3 of which were deployed. Particularly embarrassing is the latter since all of these systems are supposed to be able to handle Bayraktars.
Things are apparently so bad that the Russians are now having to resort to Su-27 fighter jet patrols to be sure of keeping Ukrainian drones away.
***UPDATE***
2 aircraft seen operating east of Snake Island today, may be #Russian FLANKERs according to expert opinions. They tired southeast of Odesa. #OSINT
Update on earlier post #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/oPF0nNMJt2
— H I Sutton (@CovertShores) May 7, 2022
Another one… pic.twitter.com/XTJol6c7Ls
— H I Sutton (@CovertShores) May 7, 2022
Ukraine : Vidéo qui montre un drone Bayraktar qui cible des positions et des matériels de la Russie sur l'île Zmeiny (Snake Island).
Coordonnées : 45.25474, 30.20297
Géolocalisation : https://t.co/JyBzBKPuQ1 pic.twitter.com/thmRaCd1tU— Rebecca Rambar (@RebeccaRambar) May 3, 2022
There were reports of Russia air defense activating, then several explosions and now smoke from a large fire near Tomarovka in the Belgorod Oblast of Russia.
Seems like an ammunition depot might have been hit. pic.twitter.com/rU43encdnN
— Oliver Alexander (@OAlexanderDK) May 1, 2022
This is becoming an interesting pattern, in Russian cities close to the Ukrainian border, oil depots are suddenly catching fire.
This video is from Bryansk. pic.twitter.com/nMIbx4GyPj
— Oleksiy Sorokin (@mrsorokaa) April 25, 2022
The fire at the oil depot in Bryansk has been going for more than 12 hours. https://t.co/yIvUIlAw0l pic.twitter.com/5hI92AYcIF
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) April 25, 2022
Spectacular video of fire at oil depot in Bryansk pic.twitter.com/wXByzZI1DF
— Liveuamap (@Liveuamap) April 25, 2022
On the othet hand, the muddy season is now over, the ground in the Kramatorsk Pocket is dry & firm enough for tanks to roam. Perhaps, we’ll see something spectacular.
But what is going on around Harkov ? Why is the Russian Army of Liberation leaving the neighbourhood ?
Baabushka Anya is now in Harkov. After the Russian artillery demolished their very good looking house, the government of Ukraine relocated them there.