On the night of August 20th to 21st, the Ukrainian army conducted a coordinated military operation involving Ukraine's Navy and other defense departments, targeting Russian forces in Rostov Oblast.
According to a statement from Ukraine's General Staff, Ukrainian forces successfully targeted a Russian S-300 air defense system near Novoshakhtinsk in Rostov Oblast.
"Explosions were observed at the targeted areas. The accuracy of the strike is being assessed," the General Staff reported.
No further details on the damage or casualties resulting from the attack have been provided.
Novoshakhtinsk is located in the northwestern part of Rostov Oblast, near the Ukrainian border and approximately 60 kilometers (35 miles) north of Rostov-on-Don. The region has become a focal point in the ongoing conflict, with Ukrainian forces increasingly targeting Russian military assets within their territory.
Earlier, authorities in Rostov Oblast claimed to have downed a Ukrainian missile in the western part of the region.
As reported by the Kyiv Independent, Governor Vasily Golubev shared on his Telegram channel that there were "no casualties or damage as a result of fallen debris," but did not comment on the reported strike on the S-300 system.
The S-300 is a Soviet-era surface-to-air missile system primarily designed for long-range interception of aerial threats. However, Russian forces have also used these systems to target Ukrainian cities, causing significant destruction and civilian casualties, according to Ukraine's General Staff.
Local Telegram channels circulated what appeared to be videos of drone attacks over Rostov Oblast, suggesting the strike may have been part of a broader operation.
Meanwhile, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin claimed that the Russian capital faced "one of the largest attempts to attack Moscow with drones to date," with ten drones reportedly shot down.
This strike follows a similar attack in mid-July, when Ukrainian forces successfully targeted another S-300 system in Donetsk Oblast.
