On the night of October 16, 2026, units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck the Russian 55Zh6U Nebo-U long-range radar station near the settlement of Magri in Krasnodar Krai, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported. According to the agency, a fire broke out near the facility following the strike. The General Staff clarified that operations targeting key enemy military infrastructure are ongoing.
What is the Nebo-U Station
According to the General Staff's description, the 55Zh6U Nebo-U is a long-range three-coordinate meter-band radar station. It is designed to detect and track aerial targets, including aircraft, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. The estimated cost of the complex, according to the agency, is about 100 million dollars.
Why Radar Systems Are Targeted
The General Staff explains that destroying such stations reduces Russian troops' ability to control airspace and detect aerial targets in advance. Thus, strikes on radar installations fit into a broader campaign of long-range operations against military and industrial sites inside Russia, which Ukrainian forces state they continue to carry out.
Context: A Series of Strikes on Radars and Deep Targets
The strike on the Nebo-U is not an isolated incident. Previously, on September 21, the General Staff reported hitting a mobile Kasta radar in the area of Pikuzy, Donetsk Oblast, designed to detect aircraft, missiles, and UAVs at low altitudes (range up to 150 km, estimated cost from 60 million dollars). On the night of August 21, according to Ukrainian sources, long-range strike assets hit an oil refinery in Perm (more than 1,600 km from the border) and the Marinovka military airfield in Volgograd Oblast.
Statements by Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously stated that Su-34 bombers hit by Neptune missiles at the Borisoglebsk airfield were preparing for new strikes on Ukraine, adding that Russia is dragging out the war, which is why long-range operations will continue. In an interview with the Financial Times, he also reported that the ban on strikes against Russian oil refineries has been lifted: according to him, Ukraine refrained from striking Russian energy infrastructure for three days due to Washington's wishes, while Russia continued to attack Ukrainian energy facilities.
