New footage released by Ukraine's Security Service has revealed the destruction of an exceptionally rare Soviet-era radar system, highlighting what analysts say may be a growing reliance by russia on obsolete air surveillance equipment after sustained Ukrainian strikes against its modern radar network.
The video showcases the combat results of the Alpha special operations unit, which reported eliminating more than 5,500 russian troops during June. Among the targets struck by Ukrainian drones was an unusually large radar installation that initially puzzled military observers due to its enormous size and uncommon appearance.
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The system was later identified as the 5N84A Oborona-14, the last mobile variant of the Soviet P-14 family of early-warning radars developed in the late 1950s and introduced in its upgraded form during the 1970s. With an antenna measuring approximately 32 meters wide and 11 meters high, and an overall structure reaching around 25 meters in height, it is one of the largest radar systems ever fielded by the Soviet military.
Operating in the VHF band, the Oborona-14 was designed for long-range surveillance, capable of detecting aerial targets at distances of up to 600 kilometers. However, the radar suffers from significant limitations by modern standards. Its detection accuracy is relatively poor, it provides only range and azimuth without altitude information, and its low resolution makes it difficult to distinguish multiple aircraft flying close together.
Russia officially retired the last P-14 family radars from active service in 2003, making the appearance of Oborona-14 system on the battlefield particularly noteworthy. This is the second confirmed Ukrainian strike against the system in 2026. The first was reported in March, when Ukraine's Special Operations Forces destroyed another Oborona-14 system deployed in Crimea.
The reappearance of these legacy radars may indicate growing pressure on russia's integrated air defense network. Ukrainian long-range drone and missile campaigns have repeatedly targeted more modern surveillance systems, particularly the Nebo family of radars, which are essential for detecting aircraft, cruise missiles, and ballistic threats. As these assets become scarcer, Moscow may be forced to reactivate older equipment to fill surveillance gaps.
Interestingly, the newly released footage also appears to show Nebo radar positioned near the destroyed Oborona-14 system. Analysts suggest several possible explanations: the newer radar may have already been disabled in an earlier strike, or it could have been a decoy intended to mislead Ukrainian intelligence. Regardless, the destruction of another rare Oborona-14 system illustrates Ukraine's continued focus on degrading russia's air surveillance infrastructure and forcing it to rely on increasingly outdated technology.
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