Russian army reeling as Donetsk advance falters and £16m worth of key equipment wiped out | World | News
A fire at a factory in Voronezh destroyed two electronic warfare systems vital to Russia’s air defences.
The blaze broke out at the Protek industrial facility on January 28, where the R-330Zh “Zhitel” is produced.
Each unit is estimated to cost US$10 million (£8 million), with many now deployed to the battlefield in Ukraine.
Although the fire occurred at the end of January, it was not until today (February 17) that Ukraine‘s military intelligence confirmed the incident and damage sustained.
A video posted by the agency to its social media channels shows a factory building engulfed in flames, with thick smoke pouring out of the windows.
A statement read: “On the night of January 27-28, 2025, two expensive enemy R-330Zh ‘Zhyel’ electronic warfare systems were destroyed in Voronezh, Russia.
“These automated stations were located at the Protek plant, where they are manufactured.”
They added the Russians planned to send the units to the “combat zone of the criminal war against Ukraine” and described their destruction as a “serious loss”.
Ukraine‘s military intelligence did not comment on the cause of the fire, but Voronezh has been repeatedly targeted in drone attacks.
Electronic warfare (EW) has historically been a key pillar of Russian and Soviet military might.
The R-330Zh was originally designed to protect brigade or division-level command posts against precision-guided munitions.
It is able to detect, track and jam the Inmarsat and Iridium satellite communications and GSM-1900 mobile phones, as well as acting against GPS navigation systems.
Increasingly, the units are being used to try snd defend against Ukrainian drone attacks, that are causing havoc on both the battlefield and deep inside Russia.
Meanwhile, Russia‘s advance towards the strategically important city of Pokrovsk on the eastern front is showing signs of faltering.
Viktor Tregubov, a Ukrainian military spokesman, said the village of Pishchane had been liberated following a successful counterattack.
He said: “The village is located about five kilometeres south of Pokrovsk. Russian troops have also been pushed back from several other nearby settlements.”
While acknowledging the situation can change rapidly at the front, he added: “But it seems that in the Pokrovsk sector, a certain turning point has occurred, albeit cautiously speaking.”
