How Ukraine Fooled Russian Air Defences: First Inside Story Of The Decoy Strike – India’s Enemies, Take Note | World News
New Delhi: A Ukrainian drone operator, known as ‘Shadow’, has shared an inside account of a daring mission that brought down a Russian S‑400 air defense system. This operation, centered in Kursk Oblast near Bolshoe Zhorovo, took place overnight on November 22‑23, last year.
‘Shadow’ joined the mission after satellite images pinpointed the S‑400’s location. It used drones and human intelligence to track S‑400 technicians from Almaz-Antey who were repairing the radar and missile launcher. ‘Shadow’ says those components were not in full working order yet.
Drone surveillance crews positioned themselves roughly 80 kilometres away. They monitored the system, radar units, missile launchers and nearby fuel trucks while electronic warfare systems like Krasukha‑4 and Repellent‑1 jammed GPS signals.
In response, the team deployed decoy drones emitting false GPS signals to confuse these Russian jammers.
That evening, around 9:45 pm, three ATACMS missiles were launched from HIMARS systems. Shadow says the first missile destroyed the radar, the second hit the launcher and the third struck the ammunition depot.
The explosion marked a major success. Shadow remembers the moment as one of profound relief, stating the S‑400 posed a real threat to Ukrainian cities.
The mission faced high risk. GPS jammers threatened missile navigation. Repair crews were in place. Success was far from guaranteed. But the strike worked. The S‑400 was destroyed.
Ukraine’s military had initially announced the S‑400 hit with missile strikes back in late November. Now with Shadow’s account, the full picture is emerging.
Analysts in Kyiv see the operation as proof that even Russia’s most advanced systems can be vulnerable.
In Moscow, official reaction was muted. The defense ministry confirmed the attack but denied the S‑400 was destroyed. Russian military bloggers called out their own intelligence and logistics failures.
The mission shows how Ukraine has combined accurate satellite data, drone control, human intelligence and advanced missile systems to outsmart its enemy. The target might have been under repair but its impact remains powerful. Ukraine turned a silent Russian symbol into a smoking ruin.
