A Ukrainian drone has struck and likely disabled a Russian mobile radar station in the Kursk region of western Russia. The drone attack, which occurred on 20 April, reportedly targeted a P-15 radar system, a Soviet-era device developed in the 1950s and long considered outdated by modern military standards. The footage of the direct hit was published by the Dosye Shpiona Telegram channel and shows an aircraft-type drone hitting the radar’s main equipment module.
The P-15 radar, mounted on a ZIL-131 truck and operating within the UHF frequency range of 835 to 870 megahertz, was originally designed to detect low altitude targets at a distance of up to 160 kilometres. Despite multiple upgrades over the years, including versions such as the P-15M, P-15MN, and P-15U, it remains considered obsolete compared to current technology.
The strike raises two important possibilities. Either the Russian military is using these old radar systems out of necessity due to a shortage of modern equipment, or they are deploying them as decoys to distract or mislead Ukrainian drone attacks. Analysts suggest the equipment hit may have been a P-15, but it could also have been a more modernised variant like the P-19, introduced in 1974, which offers slightly improved accuracy and splits its components across two vehicles.
This is not the first radar system hit by Ukraine’s armed forces this year. Earlier footage released in 2025 showed the successful destruction of a Kasta radar system. If Russia is resorting to restoring older radar systems like the P-15 and P-19, it reflects the sustained pressure on its military infrastructure amid Ukraine’s intensified campaign targeting enemy air defence and surveillance equipment.
These outdated systems were noted by Russian military sources back in 2008 to be in need of major refurbishment due to the harsh environment and decades of wear. Their continued use, whether from lack of resources or desperation, is further evidence that Russia’s modern military image is being dismantled piece by piece by Ukrainian precision strikes deep inside Russian territory.
