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An advanced Russian electronic warfare system has fallen into the hands of the Ukrainian army, a move that could help to reveal the secrets behind one of Russia’s most formidable pieces of military technology.
Ukraine Weapons Tracker posted an image on Twitter claiming to show a Krasukha-4 electronic warfare system that was captured by the Ukrainian Army just outside the capital of Kyiv in an area called Makariv. The advanced device appears to have been found separated from its truck mount, covered in sticks and tree branches as a rudimental form of camouflage.
The Krasukha-4 is a ground-based, electronic warfare system built by the Kremlin-owned KRET corporation. It’s capable of detecting and jamming radar on spy satellites, aircrafts, and drones. It can also block GPS, radio, and phone signals, leaving the enemies' communications in the dark.
In theory, positioning the Krasukha-4 near Kyiv would help to make it harder for Ukrainian and international reconnaissance systems to keep an eye on Russian forces near the capital, which has been the subject of heavy fighting over the past few weeks.
Not only does the system block aerial radar systems from surveying the ground, but it can also cause autonomous drones to lose control and crash. It’s said to have a range of up to 300 kilometers (186 miles) and is so powerful it can even cause physical damage to communication equipment.
Keen to understand the secrets of this tech, the capture of the Krasukha-4 has reportedly caught the attention of NATO. It's suspected that the electronic warfare system is already being transported by road to a US Air Force base in Germany where it will be flown to the US for closer examination by military engineers, according to the Telegraph.
