October 25 Air Strikes: Preliminary Results and Damages

October 25, 2025October 26, 2025

Pidars Hit Us

Last night, Kyiv was under ballistic attack as part of the October 25 air strikes across Ukraine. At least, I didn’t hear drones flying or air defense systems used to hit them. But ballistics and corresponding interception systems were heard clearly around 3 AM. City authorities already reported the attack’s consequences: unfortunately, by morning there’s already one dead and about a dozen injured. Probably these aren’t final numbers. A bit later, they’ll sum up this attack’s results.

As of morning, the Air Force of Ukraine reported the enemy used nine Iskander-M class ballistic missiles and 62 drones of various classes, approximately 40 of which were Shaheds. At the time of the report, several Shaheds were still flying in Ukrainian airspace. Out of all this, four missiles were shot down and 50 drones — shot down or neutralized. At the same time, five missile hits and 12 drone hits were recorded at 11 different locations.

At least in one place, fire continues right now. Part of the Pidars’¹ means of destruction flew to Kyiv, others — to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. As far as can be understood from preliminary data — to Pavlohrad. It’s written that both Shaheds and missiles flew there. Because the enemy today used only ballistics, most likely all of it got through there for a quite understandable reason.

We Hit the Pidars

And at the same time, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are clearing the territory of temporarily occupied Crimea of enemy air defense. So, it became known that our drones took out a Buk-M3 air defense system and immediately two 1L119 “Nebo-SVU” radars. We know well what “Buk” is since the Malaysian airliner times. But with the “Nebo” radar, everything looks more interesting.

Main characteristics of “Nebo-SVU”

Here’s how open sources describe this unit’s characteristics:

• Type: VHF radar with active phased array antenna (AESA).
• Range: metric (VHF), effective against stealth technologies.
• Tracking altitude: up to 100 km in search mode, up to 180 km in tracking mode.
• Azimuth coverage: 360°.
• Power: about 30 kW.

Detection range:

• up to 380–400 km — for fighter-type targets;
• up to 100 km — for objects with RCS 0.1 m² (for example, low-visibility UAVs).

Purpose:

• Detection and tracking: aircraft, helicopters, drones, ballistic and cruise missiles.
• Integration into air defense systems: data transmission to air defense systems and command posts, providing target designation.

Ukrainian SOF Questions “Nebo-SVU” Effectiveness

The Orcs² emphasize that this wunderwaffe not only sees very far but literally sees everything, including aircraft created using stealth technologies. In addition, this radar can detect aircraft with minimal reflective surface. Therefore, they specifically designed it to track — at significant distances — drones of all types and issue target designations to appropriate means of destruction.

Special Operations Forces of GUR published a video that clearly shows how our drone hit this target on temporarily occupied Crimea territory. A slow-flying drone slowly and leisurely flew up to the locator and literally took out its famous phased arrays. And importantly, no Pidars runs away in the video. This means the radar didn’t see what was flying to visit it. You could attribute this to chance. But taking out two such radars simultaneously already says a lot. Recently, Ukrainian forces have taken out about ten installations of this type in various locations.

Clearing Corridors for Strategic Strikes

Because all this happens in Crimea, most likely, besides “degreasing” enemy air defense in general, we’re talking about supporting “corridors” to reach some important targets. After all, Ukrainian forces carried out precisely such measures before the enemy’s most important oil depots in Hvardiiske and Feodosia literally went up in smoke. Assets remain there for one more strike. But most likely, Ukrainian forces form “breaches” in enemy air defense for other targets. The October 25 air strikes demonstrate Ukraine’s dual capability — defending against russian attacks while simultaneously degrading their strategic defense systems. Everyone will see the results of this work soon.

¹Pidar (pronounced “pidar”) – Ukrainian military slang for an enemy combatant. In radio communications, the word “Pidar” sounds shorter and clearer than “Enemy” especially under EW.

²Orcs – a common term for Russians who support or participate in the armed aggression against Ukraine.