Ukraine Seizes Abandoned Russian BUK Missile System, Ammunition Stock At Undisclosed Location

Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces reportedly seized a Russian Buk surface-to-air missile system that had been abandoned at an undisclosed location.

Ukrainian forces said they found ammunition stock at the site near one of the settlements. The Command of the Ukrainian Army’s Special Operations Forces revealed the news on Facebook on Sunday.

The post also had images of the Buk missile system.

"This find was made by a team of Ukraine’s Specops Forces together with fighters of the resistance movement. During special reconnaissance and search operations in the area of ​​one of the settlements, the soldiers discovered a Russian SAM system Buk. Next to the abandoned anti-aircraft missile system was a Russian hideout, where they hid ammunition, weapons, and equipment," the statement said.

The Special Operations Forces added they continue their efforts to locate the enemy to fully "thank" them for the trophies.

Last week, images on social media showed a radar-equipped air defense command post vehicle -- a component of a larger system known as Barnaul-T -- was captured by Ukrainian forces in the northeastern Kharkiv region. This is the third instance of this component being captured by Ukrainian troops.

The news comes as Ukraine continues to thwart Russian advances in the country. The move was stoking fears Russia’s Vladimir Putin will escalate the war to new heights, the Associated Press reported last week.

The Russian military death toll as of April 3 reached nearly 18,000. The enemy also lost 644 tanks, 1,830 armored combat vehicles, 325 artillery systems, 105 MLR systems, 54 air defense systems, 143 warplanes, 134 helicopters, and other equipment, Ukrinform reported.

Last week, Ukrainian forces claimed to have retaken a strategic suburb of Kyiv after a fierce battle. The regained territory allowed Ukrainian forces to retake control of a key highway. It also blocked Russian troops from surrounding Kyiv from the northwest.

“Putin’s back is against the wall,” U.S. President Joe Biden said last week. “And the more his back is against the wall, the greater the severity of the tactics he may employ.”

Meanwhile, on March 28, the Russian Ministry of Defense released a video showing how its forces shot down a Ukrainian UAV using Strela (SA-13) SHORAD systems with Barnaul-T command posts.

International Business Times cannot independently verify the claims.