During combat operations on the Zaporizhzhia axis in March 2026, operators of the 413th Raid Regiment of the Unmanned Systems Forces detected and struck an enemy R-330Zh Zhitel electronic warfare system. The incident occurred near the village of Balochky in the temporarily occupied part of Zaporizhzhia region, approximately 30 kilometers from the front line.
This episode suggests that, by conservative estimates, the russian army has already lost at least 25 R-330 Zhitel systems, either destroyed or damaged, during the full-scale war against Ukraine.
Read more: $10 Million Loss: Ukrainian Operators Take Out russian Zhitel EW System (Video)
Public sources commonly cite a conservative estimate of 23 lost R-330 Zhitel systems. However, this figure is based on calculations by Oryx and only accounts for losses recorded up to June 2025.
The figure of at least 25 lost systems can be derived from the March 2026 incident described above, as well as a similar strike carried out by operators of the 413th Raid Regiment in January 2026. Even so, this estimate remains incomplete, as it does not include results from other units of Ukraine's Defense Forces.
Looking more closely at the episode, the first point of interest is the engagement range, around 30 kilometers from the front line. Based on the stated characteristics of the R-330 Zhitel, including interception of UAV communication channels at distances of up to 50 kilometers and control channels up to 25 kilometers, positioning the system roughly 30 kilometers from the front appears optimal for its intended role.
The means of engagement in this case have not been disclosed, but it can be reasonably assumed that it was not a fiber-optic-controlled drone. Accordingly, the enemy R-330Zh Zhitel system failed to perform its function of intercepting and suppressing UAV control channels.
Two factors can be considered together: the conservative estimate of at least 25 destroyed or damaged R-330 Zhitel systems, and reports in Western media during 2023–2025 describing how russian EW assets reduced the effectiveness of Western precision-guided weapons used by Ukrainian forces.
Against this backdrop, it can be assessed that, as experience has accumulated, Ukrainian forces have developed their own methods and tools to counter enemy electronic warfare systems, including the R-330Zh Zhitel. The March 2026 strike on the Zaporizhzhia axis, carried out by operators of the 413th Raid Regiment, is one example of this evolving capability.
The 413th Raid Regiment of the Unmanned Systems Forces is currently raising funds to support its anti-air UAV unit. Donations can be made via the following details:
Jar link: https://send.monobank.ua/jar/5dZxSu9x4B
Card number: 4874 1000 2019 7854
Ivan Kyrychevskyi, serviceman of the 413th Raid Regiment of the Unmanned Systems Forces of Ukraine and weapons expert at Defense Express.
Read more: Ukrainian Forces Strike and Destroy Scarce R-330Zh Zhitel EW System (Video)
