Russian S-400 Triumf crews destroyed 10 Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jets in a single day in 2023 after engaging them from beyond-line-of-sight distances.

The figures appeared in an article published by the Russian Defense Ministry journal Military Thought. One of its authors was Major General Alexander Romanenkov, head of the Russian Aerospace Forces’ anti-aircraft missile troops.

The article, titled Features of Maneuvering by Anti-Aircraft Missile Forces During a Military Conflict Based on the Experience of the Special Military Operation, states that the first beyond-line-of-sight launches conducted by S-400 systems in 2023 produced significant results. Ten MiG-29s were shot down within 24 hours, while 24 aircraft were destroyed over the course of a week. The types of the remaining aircraft were not specified.

The authors also examined a tactic in which launchers belonging to long-range air defense systems covertly move into positions that allow them to engage targets outside direct visual range.

According to their assessment, the opposing side has already studied this method in detail, making it difficult to achieve the same level of effectiveness again.

The article nevertheless argues that the capabilities of these systems should continue to be used. It proposes deploying launchers closer to the enemy’s operational areas so that hostile aircraft enter the engagement zone of the air defense systems shortly after takeoff.

In October 2023, Sergei Shoigu, who was serving as Russia’s defense minister at the time, said the military had received systems that were used to destroy 24 Ukrainian aircraft within five days.

The S-400 Triumf, designated SA-21 Growler by NATO, is a Russian long- and medium-range surface-to-air missile system. It is designed to destroy aerial attack and reconnaissance assets, including aircraft developed with stealth technology, as well as other aerodynamic targets under intense fire and electronic warfare conditions.

The system entered service with the Russian military in 2007.