Ukraine Destroys Russia’s New ‘Sapphire’ Anti-Drone Complex in Kursk

Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SSO) have successfully destroyed Russia’s latest “Sapphire” electronic warfare (EW) complex in the Kursk region, according to a statement from the SSO on Telegram.

“Operators of the SSO of Ukraine targeted and destroyed the ‘Sapphire’ Russian EW complex in the Kursk region,” the caption on the released video read.

Ukrainian servicemen identified the Russian EW complex during reconnaissance in enemy-controlled territory.

“The damage was inflicted by attack unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which destroyed the ‘Sapphire’ anti-aircraft missile system. The enemy also suffered casualties, both killed and wounded,” the SSO reported, without specifying the exact number.

A video from a drone camera, which Kyiv Post could not independently verify, showed the damage to the Russian anti-aircraft system. However, the low quality of the footage made it difficult to identify the specific EW system that was targeted.

In the video, Russian servicemen can be seen attempting to evacuate their wounded comrades, though it is hard to determine the exact number of injured.

In July 2023, the Russian state agency TASS reported that Russian forces had used the new “Sapphire” EW system for the first time in the combat zone in Ukraine.

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“The complex performed very well; the troops did not proceed with their tasks without it,” a source from TASS mentioned.

The “Sapphire” EW system was reportedly used to protect Russian engineering units building new trenches from Ukrainian drone operations on the battlefield.

Russian media at the time claimed that the “Sapphire” could counter all types of drones. When detecting a threat, the system could instantly classify the type of UAV and assess the level of danger. The EW complex would then issue an alarm and begin “jamming” the enemy drone.

According to the manufacturer, the “Sapphire” would detect and classify drones at a distance of up to 30 kilometers and counter them at a range of up to five kilometers.

Russian sources also claimed that the system could suppress ground-based drone control stations.

As reported by the specialized publication Militarnyi, the “Sapphire” is based on the chassis of a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter civilian bus, though it is likely possible to install it on other specialized chassis. The complex features a characteristic telescopic mast with numerous omnidirectional antennas, with its control point housed in the same vehicle as the hardware components.