Russia has released its S-500, an “experimental” weapon it has never used before, Ukraine's intelligence chief says as Ukraine tracks its air defenses in Crimea

• Russia deployed its only S-500 air defense system to Crimea amid Ukrainian strikes.

• The system is “experimental,” the head of Ukraine’s intelligence service said, and has never before been used in combat.

• Ukraine has stepped up its attacks in Crimea, likely hoping to destroy Russian air defenses in the region.

Russia has deployed its only S-500 air defense system in Crimea as Ukraine steps up attacks on the occupied peninsula, the head of Ukraine's intelligence service said this week.

The S-500, an advanced system described by Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Directorate as “experimental,” has never been used in combat before.

Russia moved the S-500s to protect the Kerch Bridge and strengthen its air defense network in occupied Crimea, Budanov said on Wednesday. The 19km-long bridge, which connects mainland Russia to occupied Crimea, is both a simplified way for Russian forces to reach the region, as well as a symbol of Russian control over the peninsula.

It has repeatedly been the target of drones, bombs and Ukrainian strikes. Russian air defense assets have also been targets, particularly in recent weeks.

The S-500, called Prometheus, is a mobile surface-to-air defense system designed to intercept ballistic missiles and other stand-off weapons. The system is “essentially a modernized version of the S-300,” the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington, DC-based think tank, said Thursday.

The S-500 has been tested several times but has never been in combat before. Russia has claimed it is capable of intercepting all weapons, including hypersonic missiles, which are extremely fast and follow unpredictable trajectories at low altitudes, but this capability remains unclear.

Russia has already claimed that the missiles are hypersonic, when they are not, and that the weapons are unbeatable, when they are not.

The problematic development and production of the S-500, from the project's inception in 2010 through significant delays over the following decade, raised questions about its viability as a system. It was delivered to the armed forces in 2021, but in a limited state, unable to meet system requirements.

In April 2024, Sergei Shoigu, then Russian Defense Minister, announced that it would enter combat in one of two variants: an anti-missile defense and an anti-aircraft role.

The S-500's new role in protecting the Kerch Bridge and boosting Russian air defense capabilities in Crimea comes as Ukraine carries out strikes on the peninsula aimed at making the area untenable for the Russian military.

Since the end of May, attacks in the region, particularly targeting Russian air defenses, have intensified. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has reported major strikes, including one this week, hitting the S-300 and S-400 systems.

Ukraine is suspected of using U.S.-supplied Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, among other capabilities.

As Ukraine continues to target its air defenses on the peninsula, Russia could deploy more of its air defense assets there, the ISW said, “making them vulnerable to further Ukrainian strikes.” A fight of this nature could strain and deplete Russia's air defense arsenal.

“ISW has previously estimated that Ukrainian forces could lead an organized effort to degrade Russian air defenses, which could allow Ukraine to more effectively exploit fixed-wing manned air power (including using F fighter jets). -16) in the long term,” the think tank said. wrote.

The Ukrainian strikes in Crimea have long been supported by the United States and its Western allies, but they follow US President Joe Biden and other NATO leaders agreeing – in some cases, reluctantly – to let Ukraine use long-range weapons to strike Russian targets in occupied territory. territory.

According to ISW, Ukraine could “in principle” replicate the success of its strikes in Crimea in other occupied areas if Western allies approved such strikes, thereby creating opportunities for Ukraine and degrading Russia's capabilities.

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