Telegram/@Сили Спеціальних Операцій ЗС України
- Ukrainian special forces said they helped destroy a Russian weapons system in occupied Luhansk.
- The electronic system, Tirada-2, was blocking satellite communications, according to a Telegram post.
- Russia has been developing electronic warfare systems to try to cut Ukraine's access to Starlink.
Ukraine's Special Operations Forces said they helped destroy a Russian military system that was blocking satellite communications.
According to a Telegram post on Monday, special forces spotted the Tirada-2 electronic warfare system as part of reconnaissance operations in the Russian-occupied Donetsk region.
Using the coordinates, they then directed fire from a Ukrainian missile unit, which "completely destroyed it," the post said, per a translation provided by Ukrinform.
A video embedded in the post reportedly shows the missile strike.
The Tirada-2, also known as Tirada-2S, is a portable radio-electronic suppression system designed to interfere with communication satellites, per defense and security publication Army Recognition.
Russia developed it in 2018, and it was sighted by Ukraine for the first time in the occupied region of Luhansk in 2019, according to Ukraine's Special Operations Forces.
Ukraine has previously targeted Russia's electronic warfare systems.
In July 2023, it destroyed a Tirada and a "Leer-2" electronic system with drones, per a video shared on Facebook by the Command of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Access to satellites has played a critical role in Ukraine's defense against Russia, notably access to Elon Musk's Starlink satellite network.
In addition to keeping Ukrainians online and its companies running, satellite internet access has facilitated communication between soldiers on the front lines and even allowed weapons systems and drones to continue operating.
However, Starlink has not always been available to Ukraine.
Musk cut Ukraine's access to Starlink during a Ukrainian attack on Russia's Black Sea Fleet in September 2022, citing concerns about the conflict escalating into a nuclear war.
Russia is trying to develop an arsenal of electronic warfare systems aimed at jamming communication satellites, according to the digital magazine SpaceWatch Global.
Besides the Tirada-2, Russia is developing the R-330Zh Zhitel, a mobile truck-mounted jamming communication station, and Bylina-MM, a system designed to suppress communications satellites, per the magazine.
Russia has also been testing Tobol electronic warfare systems in a bid to disrupt Starlink's transmissions in Ukraine, The Washington Post reported in April 2023, citing a classified US intelligence report.