Ukraine poked Russia on Thursday by destroying a radar site that is part of Russia’s strategic defense against nuclear weapons.
According to Bloomberg, the Armavir radar station covered parts of Crimea, a part of Ukraine-Russia grabbed in 2014 and which is used now to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
That strike was followed on Friday by Ukraine’s use of an American Army Tactical Missile system to hit a Russian satellite communication center, according to Defense Express.
The radar strike has significance and potential peril, according to The War Zone.
The Military-focused outlet said that the radar attack was the first time Russia’s strategic defense had been whacked by Ukraine.
The War Zone wrote that by doing so, the attack could mean that one of Russia’s nuclear red lines has been crossed.
The Armavir site helps warn Russia of a potential ballistic missile attack. With it not in operation, there is a hole in Russia’s ability to detect an attack.
“The conditions specifying the possibility of nuclear weapons use by the Russian Federation” include any “attack by adversary against critical governmental or Military sites of the Russian Federation, disruption of which would undermine nuclear forces response actions,” Russia’s Basic Principles of State Policy of the Russian Federation on Nuclear Deterrence state said in a 2020 statement.
The War Zone noted that the attack followed Tuesday’s tactical nuclear drills conducted by Russia in its Southern Military District, which borders Ukraine.
In April, Ukraine struck another radar facility at which Russia based a 29B6 “Container” over-the-horizon radar, according to Newsweek.
That radar system is also part of Russia’s early warning system.
The extent of the damage in the April attack was unclear, but had radar been put out of commission, it, like the more recent attack, could meet Russian conditions for nuclear War.
No damage assessment was released.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.