Remember when Ukrainian special forces destroyed an expensive Russian communication station?

Ukrainian Special Operations Forces scored a particularly destructive win against Russia in June 2024 after a successful mission identified and then destroyed an expensive radio communication system.

Newsweek reported that Ukraine's Special Operations Forces are one of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' five branches and that the group released video footage of their successful attack. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @ukr_sof

One Russian R-416GM ‘Granit-M’ digital radio relay communication station was found, targeted, and then attacked from above with what Defense Express reported was possibly a RAM II kamikaze drone.

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons: Авторство: Mil.ru, CC BY 4.0

"Operations personnel from the 3rd Separate Special Purpose Regiment identified a Russian R-416GM digital radio relay station while performing operations on one of the fronts," a description posted with the combat footage explained according to Newsweek.

The Russian R-416GM is a newer radio communication system that Moscow only began deploying in 2018. It is used to increase the efficiency of radio relays for combat units during operations in the field. 

The advanced Russian communications system was being used to support frontline troops fighting in Ukraine. Its loss at the time was likely a major blow to Moscow's war effort. 

The Ukrainian military news website Militarnyi reported that the R-416GM mobile radio relay station is mounted to the chassis of a KamAZ-5350 truck. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Vitaly V. Kuzmin, CC BY-SA 4.0

“Compared to previous generations of radio relay communication equipment, the new digital station has received several significant improvements: the level of automation, reliability, and ease of operation have been increased,” Militarnyi explained. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Mil.ru, CC BY 4.0

Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces explained that its operators used a recent drone supplied to the military branch at the time but it did not confirm the exact weapon that was used in the drone attack.

"Due to their accurate fire, the R-416GM station was disabled,” the Special Operations Forces (SFO) noted, this in turn has likely disrupted communication between command posts and the Russian military units, the group added. 

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense also shared combat footage of the attack, and in the video, a drone can be seen targeting the R-416GM before flying in for the kill on the station. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @ukr_sof

“For the first time in the history of this war, R-416GM, a modern Russian mobile communication station, was destroyed by @SOF_UKR operators,” the Ukrainian Defense Ministry explained in a post on X. 

Photo Credit: X @DefenceU

The video that was released provided some of the clearest footage of a kamikaze drone on an attack run and was coupled with footage taken by a Shark reconnaissance drone according to Militanyi.

The 40-second combat clip combines footage from the two drones showing the R-416GM set up near an unknown structure and edits together footage from the overhead drone and the kamikaze drone to show how operators approached and destroyed the communication station.

Photo Credit: Telegram @ukr_sof

The footage also revealed the aftermath of the attack showing the damage that was dealt to the R-416GM, which had its camouflage covering blown off. The base of the radio tower also appeared to be exposed and on fire in the final shots of the video. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @ukr_sof

Newsweek was not able to independently verify when or where the combat footage was captured, nor did the SFO disclose the location of the attack in its statement, However, Militarnyi reported that footage could have been taken somewhere inside Russia. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @ukr_sof

“Judging by the insignia, the destroyed invader system belongs to a Russian group that performs tasks in the Kharkiv sector from the territory of the Belgorod region,” Militarnyi explained in its report on the attack. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @ukr_sof

Militanyi added that “given the rear specifics of its use and the depth of the SFO's work, it is possible that the strikes could have been carried out on the territory of the Russian Federation.”

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David Axe of Forbes reported that radio vehicles can be “a pricey and precious resource” and Newsweek revealed the Russian R-416GM has an estimated cost of $25 million dollars, making it an expensive loss for Moscow. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @ukr_sof