Ukrainian forces struck two Russian S-400 Triumph air defense missile systems in the Vygonychi district of Russia's Bryansk Oblast overnight on Sept. 16-17, Ukraine's General Staff claimed on Sept. 17. The statement did not specify the extent of the damage to the launchers or the weapons used in the attack.
The S-400 is Russia's most advanced long-range air defense system, introduced in 2007. An S-400 system costs an estimated $500 million and has a maximum range of around 400 kilometers (250 miles).
In the same statement, the General Staff claimed that Ukrainian forces also struck several other Russian military targets overnight, including a drone base and military warehouses in Donetsk Oblast, as well as Russian troop concentrations in Kherson Oblast and a troop concentration and military warehouse in Luhansk Oblast.
Russia regularly employs S-400 systems to launch ballistic missiles against Ukraine, putting Kyiv's limited stock of U.S.-made Patriot interceptors under further pressure. Ukraine currently relies on partner countries for these advanced interceptors, which are the only systems in its arsenal capable of countering some of the ballistic missiles used by Russia.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug. 5 that Ukrainian forces would prioritize strikes on Russian missile launchers as Moscow steps up its use of ballistic missiles. Zelensky also said international deliveries of air-defense interceptors to Ukraine had fallen threefold from 2025 levels.
