A Russian Krasukha-4 electronic warfare system.Mil.ru/Wikimedia Commons/Attribution
Ukraine has seized the command module of a Krasukha-4, one of Russia’s most advanced electronic warfare systems.
The high-tech unit was found abandoned on the outskirts of Kyiv.
Western intelligence agencies will investigate it, reports say.
Ukrainian forces have seized part of one of Russia’s most advanced electronic warfare systems that could reveal its military secrets, reports say.
The Krasukha-4 command module was found abandoned on the outskirts of Kyiv, partially damaged but otherwise intact, The Times of London reported.
Photos of the unit posted to social media appear to show the container containing the module covered in tree branches, possibly in a hasty attempt at camouflage by the retreating Russian forces.
The system is designed to jam satellites, drones and low-orbit missiles, but it is also believed to be capable of tracking NATO aircraft, The Times said.
A complete Krasukha-4 is a two-part system consisting of a command post module and an electronic combat system mounted separately on two trucks.
A Krasukha-4 system is believed to have been used against Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones in Syria, which jammed their control signal and crashed them, according to The Telegraph.
The highly rated Bayraktar TB2 drones are among those used by Ukrainian forces to destroy Russian tanks, armor and truck convoys.
The seized unit is under investigation by Western spy agencies, The Telegraph reported, adding that it would likely be taken by road to the US Air Force’s Ramstein Air Base in Germany before being flown to the US.
Studying the unit could reveal secrets of its operation, which could help Ukraine and Western allies render it useless on the battlefield.
Justin Crump, a military veteran and CEO of risk analysis consultancy Sibylline, told The Times that the seizure was among “many goodies recovered on the battlefield”.
“It shows how scattered the fighting is and how little communication there is on the Russian side,” Crump told the newspaper.
Read the original article on Business Insider