Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces published video and details of an operation codenamed “Polyphemus” — a months-long effort to disable radars of the airspace control system in Russia’s Bryansk Oblast, which is responsible for covering the direction toward Moscow.
According to the 1st Separate UAS Center, a strategic action unit, the operation was carried out by operators of the “Roni” group. Over the course of several months, a small team methodically struck airspace control radar stations monitoring the airspace in the direction of the Russian capital.
The operation’s name — “Polyphemus” — is symbolic: it refers to the one-eyed cyclops from ancient Greek mythology who was blinded. “Blinding” the enemy’s air defense was precisely the mission’s objective.
“Russia’s leaky air defense is not a social media rumor or a coincidence. Strikes on targets in St. Petersburg, Ust-Luga, and Moscow are only possible thanks to an open corridor in the enemy’s dense air defense network on their own territory,” the unit stated.
It is precisely the disabled radars that made possible the recent strikes on targets in St. Petersburg, Ust-Luga, and directly in the Moscow region, including repeated attacks on oil refineries and the Dubna Space Communications Center in the Moscow Oblast.
The UAS Forces emphasized that restoring the damaged section of Russia’s air defense will not be easy for the enemy, and the attrition of Russia’s air defense system will continue:
“And plugging this ‘hole to Moscow’ won’t be easy for the Russians. The enemy will be exhausted first.”
The success of Operation Polyphemus is linked to the development of Ukraine’s long-range strike drone concept — deep strike. This is a class of one-way attack UAVs (OWA-UAV) whose purpose is analogous to cruise missiles: striking strategically important targets deep in enemy territory.
According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, since 2022 the range of Ukraine’s deep strike attacks has grown more than 2.5 times: whereas at the beginning of the full-scale invasion targets could be struck at distances of around 630 km, that figure now reaches approximately 1,750 km.
According to representatives of the 1st Separate UAS Center, the effectiveness of Ukrainian long-range drone attacks currently stands at 20–30%, while the number of launches is steadily increasing.