August M
Russia is increasingly deploying outdated Soviet military equipment as shortages of modern air defense systems grow, according to Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces.
Ukrainian commander Robert Brovdi said Moscow is now relying on radar and defense technology dating back to the 1960s while trying to protect military sites from drone strikes, reports United24Media.
Old systems return
In an interview with Ukrainska Pravda published on May 13, Brovdi said Russian forces had begun using equipment removed from storage and repurposed for frontline defense.
He described the recent destruction of an air defense system that he claimed had originally been taken from a Russian naval vessel before being redeployed to the Donetsk region.
“It’s funny, but it says a lot,” Brovdi remarked. “They don’t have enough systems, so they use everything available.”
Soviet-era hardware
According to Brovdi, Ukrainian operators are increasingly encountering radar systems first introduced during the Soviet Union in the 1960s.
“I posted a video yesterday showing one of those radars being destroyed,” he said. “It’s mounted on such an exotic truck that I barely even recognize it anymore.”
“You don’t see vehicles like that even in Kyiv—they disappeared decades ago. These are old Soviet trucks from the 1960s.”
Drone pressure
Brovdi told Ukrainska Pravda that Ukrainian forces have destroyed 134 Russian air defense systems since the beginning of 2026.
He said the campaign is intended to weaken Russia’s ability to defend military facilities, infrastructure and logistics hubs located far from the front line.
“We are genuinely exhausting their air defense capabilities, and that opens completely different opportunities for deep strikes,” he said.
Deeper strikes
According to Ukrainian military officials, reduced air defense coverage has enabled drones to strike targets deeper inside Russian-controlled territory.
United24Media previously reported that Ukrainian drone operators recently targeted several military sites in occupied areas of Donetsk region, including radar systems, fuel depots and ammunition storage facilities.
The reported targets included a PRV-16 radar height finder and a P-18 early warning radar used by Russian forces.
Sources: United24Media, Ukrainska Pravda
