GELENDZHIK, Russia — Ukrainian forces have destroyed a Russian Volna Kupol Garant electronic warfare system in Gelendzhik, Krasnodar Krai, according to satellite imagery published by open-source intelligence analysts.
The system was located at Russian military unit No. 2156, which is part of the Novorossiysk Border Detachment of the FSB Border Service.
Satellite images published by the OSINT group Dnipro Osint show the complex at the location on August 2. By August 7, the equipment was no longer visible, while changes to the site were consistent with the aftermath of a strike. The destruction has not been independently confirmed by Russian authorities.
Volna Kupol Garant Targets Starlink
The Volna Kupol Garant is designed to interfere with Starlink satellite communications by transmitting radio-frequency signals toward Starlink satellites rather than directly jamming individual ground terminals.
The system operates in the 14–14.5 GHz range, which is used by Starlink terminals to communicate with satellites. Its antennas transmit interference toward satellites passing over the affected area, disrupting their ability to properly receive signals from terminals on the ground.
A complete complex is reported to cover an area of approximately 20 square kilometres. The system uses multiple directional antennas and can be deployed across as many as six trailers. The antennas can remain mounted on the trailers or be positioned separately.
The system can receive power from generators carried with the equipment or from external sources.
Large Size Creates Detection Challenges
The Volna Kupol Garant's physical size makes it difficult to conceal compared with smaller electronic warfare systems. Its operation also produces strong radio-frequency emissions, which can provide another means of locating an active system through electronic reconnaissance.
Ukrainian defence adviser Serhii Beskrestnov and other open-source analysts have previously highlighted these characteristics when discussing the system.
Reuters reported in July that Ukrainian drone units had identified around 10 Volna Kupol Garant systems and were targeting them because of their role in disrupting Starlink-linked drone operations.
Third Documented Destruction
The Gelendzhik strike is being described in open-source reporting as the third documented destruction of a Volna Kupol Garant system.
Earlier systems were reported destroyed in June, including one near Kerch in occupied Crimea. Ukrainian forces have focused on these systems because of their ability to interfere with satellite communications used by Ukrainian drone units.
The Volna Kupol Garant is produced by Rossiysky Kupol LLC, based in Simferopol, Crimea. Estimates reported for the system's cost range from approximately $1.5 million to $1.8 million, with some reports giving a figure of around 150 million rubles.
The reported destruction in Gelendzhik is notable because the system was located on Russian mainland territory, rather than in occupied Ukrainian territory.
The incident adds another documented loss to Russia's deployment of specialised electronic warfare equipment intended to disrupt Starlink communications used by Ukrainian forces.
——— End of Article ———
