--- title: "NYT: Ukrainian Lima EW system knocked two Oreshnik missiles off course during May 24 attack" description: "NYT: Ukrainian Lima EW system knocked two Oreshnik missiles off course on May 24, resulting in zero hits; interference disrupted civilian navigation for thousands of miles." date: 2026-11-12T12:22:55.633Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukraine-ew-lima-missile-deflection-nyt tags: [ukraine, electronic-warfare, oreshnik-missile, russia, gps-interference] author: "Alexander Buran" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # NYT: Ukrainian Lima EW system knocked two Oreshnik missiles off course during May 24 attack ![Launch of an Oreshnik ballistic missile against a forested background with a smoke trail](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/12/ukraina-reb-lima-sbila-kurs-oreshnik-nyt/ukraina-reb-lima-sbila-kurs-oreshnik-nyt-1.webp) ## Key Points - According to NYT, the Ukrainian EW system Lima (Cascade Systems) knocked two Oreshnik missiles off course during the May 24 attack, and neither hit a military target. - The first missile fell near Bila Tserkva; the second disintegrated in the air, with debris falling in the occupied Donetsk region. - Russia does not link the miss to EW: Putin stated they "simply struck where it was convenient to observe the results." - Lima's interference disrupts civilian GPS navigation: routes across oceans and coordinates appearing in Peru. On the night of May 24, Russia deployed two Oreshnik ballistic missiles against Ukraine. According to data from The New York Times, cited by RBK-Ukraine, Ukrainian forces used the "Lima" electronic warfare (EW) system to knock both missiles off their intended course, resulting in neither hitting any military objective. ### How the Lima system works According to the publication, Lima was developed by Cascade Systems to counter Russian missiles and drones. The system emits electromagnetic interference that affects the navigation systems of weapon platforms: specifically, it is capable of transmitting false coordinates, causing missiles and drones to change trajectory and deviate from their set route. Representatives of Cascade Systems and Ukrainian military officials claim the system can even influence Russian hypersonic missiles. ### Course of the May 24 attack According to fighters from the "Night Watch" unit, Russians launched two Oreshnik missiles toward the Kyiv region, and one operator used the EW system to counter both targets. As a result, the first missile fell near Bila Tserkva, in a garage area, miles away from any military target. The second disintegrated in mid-air, with its debris falling in temporarily occupied territory of the Donetsk region. ### The Russian version of the miss Russia also admitted that important targets were not hit during this attack. Vladimir Putin stated that the Russian military "simply struck where it was convenient to observe the results." Thus, the official Russian version does not link the miss to the work of Ukrainian EW, whereas the Ukrainian side and the NYT point specifically to the interference caused by Lima. ### The cost for civilian navigation The work of Ukrainian EW creates issues for civilian navigation: due to interference, GPS devices may determine a person's location thousands of miles from the real one. One taxi passenger in Kyiv received a home route through South America, the Atlantic Ocean, and Europe, with the app estimating the trip at 12,276 minutes. The GPS watch of one Ukrainian official showed he had run over six kilometers in Lima, the capital of Peru. The same glitches were encountered by NYT journalists who arrived to inspect the system's antennas near Kyiv: their car's navigation also placed their location in Peru. The military, according to the report, considers the advantages of Lima far more important than the inconveniences for the civilian population. ### Context: Myths about Oreshnik Russian propaganda claimed that Oreshnik possesses colossal destructive power and is capable of striking deep-seated objects, but research results indicate otherwise. In addition, according to available data, Russia may have started small-batch production of this weapon, but its total quantity in the arsenal remains minimal. ## Accounts differ ### Reason for the Oreshnik missile miss on May 24 - **Ukrainian military and NYT (Cascade Systems):** The missiles were knocked off course by the Lima EW system, which transmitted false coordinates and introduced navigation interference ([rbc.ua](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/ukrayina-dvichi-zbila-kursu-oreshnik-dopomogoyu-1794484400.html)) - **Vladimir Putin (RF):** The Russian military "simply struck where it was convenient to observe the results," without acknowledging the influence of Ukrainian EW ([rbc.ua](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/ukrayina-dvichi-zbila-kursu-oreshnik-dopomogoyu-1794484400.html)) *Where they agree:* Both sides confirm that two Oreshnik missiles were launched on May 24 and neither hit the intended military target. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Украина дважды сбила с курса "Орешник" с помощью РЭБ, - NYT](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/ukrayina-dvichi-zbila-kursu-oreshnik-dopomogoyu-1794484400.html) - Source: NYT report on the May 24 attack, Lima's operation, missile impact results, and GPS failures. EW mechanism is a claim by the Ukrainian side/Cascade Systems, not confirmed by the RF. - [Украина нанесла ракетный удар по производителю ракетных комплексов «Орешник» в Волгограде. 1585 ...](https://www.rfi.fr/ru/%D1%83%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0/20260627-%D1%83%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BB%D0%B0-%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9-%D1%83%D0%B4%D0%B0%D1%80-%D0%BF%D0%BE-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8E-%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BD%D1%8B%D1%85-%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BC%D0%BF%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%B2-%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%88%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA-%D0%B2-%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B5-1585-%D0%B9-%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%8C-%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B9%D0%BD%D1%8B) - Contextual source: confirms the existence of Oreshnik production and strikes using it; does not relate to the EW mechanism or the May 24 attack. ## FAQ ### According to NYT, what knocked the Oreshnik missiles off course on May 24? The Ukrainian Lima electronic warfare system, developed by Cascade Systems, which transmits false coordinates and introduces interference into navigation. ### Where did the two missiles fall? The first near Bila Tserkva (a garage area); the second disintegrated in the air, with debris landing in temporarily occupied territory of the Donetsk region. ### Does Russia acknowledge the impact of Ukrainian EW? No. Vladimir Putin stated that the military "simply struck where it was convenient to observe the results," not linking the miss to EW. ### What side effects does Lima's operation have? Glitches in civilian GPS navigation: routes spanning oceans and coordinates displaced by thousands of miles (even to Peru).