Ukrainian air defenses have suffered further significant losses following a Russian precision strike. Reports are emerging that appear to confirm earlier information that modern German TRML-4D radar systems were hit at Kyiv’s Zhulyany Airport.
A powerful explosion occurred near the airport on September 4 during a Russian drone and missile attack on the Kyiv region. A massive column of black smoke rose over Zhulyany afterward, with local media publishing photographs visible from different parts of the city. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed an explosion near the airport but provided no details.
Zhulyany Airport is also used to deploy air defense systems protecting the Ukrainian capital. Western-supplied surface-to-air missile systems are stationed at the facility.
According to the reports, Russian UAVs struck German-made TRML-4D radars produced by Hensoldt. These radars are part of the German-supplied IRIS-T SLM air defense systems and are designed to detect aerial targets, including low-observable, low-flying cruise missiles and drones, at ranges of up to 250 kilometers.
The loss of these radars could seriously weaken Kyiv’s air defense network. The TRML-4D, equipped with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, not only detects aerial targets but also provides targeting data for IRIS-T SLM systems. With the radars hit, these systems have effectively lost the targeting information they received from them.
The situation is compounded by problems affecting other Ukrainian air defense systems. The report claims that Patriot systems can no longer be used because of a lack of surface-to-air missiles, making the loss of the TRML-4D radars particularly significant for Ukrainian air defenses.