Two newly deployed 117Zh6 RLK-MC Valdai radar air defense systems were destroyed near Moscow using explosives, Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) reported via Telegram on Feb. 13.
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According to the report, a powerful explosion occurred early on Feb. 7 at military unit 52116 in Dolgoprudny, near Moscow. This unit is tasked with securing the airspace over the Russian capital.
“The explosive device destroyed two Russian Valdai radar complexes, designed for 24-hour automatic detection and counteraction of UAVs,” according to the HUR report.
The agency described Valdai as a cutting-edge development of Russia’s military-industrial complex and the first of its kind to be deployed by the Russian army.
The development of Valdai started in 2016, with a prototype showcased at Russia’s International Military-Technical Forum in 2018. By April 2019, the system was seen to participate in strategic missile force exercises, providing cover against surveillance and simulated enemy attacks for missile systems on patrol routes.
Valdai is capable of autonomously countering detected drones, equipped with a jamming module to disrupt control and navigation signals.
According to open-source data, the system’s radar can detect small drones, such as Mavic or Phantom models, at a range of at least 5–6 kilometers (3-3.75 miles). For larger targets, the detection range extends beyond 15 kilometers (9.4 miles).
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