Two Pantsir ADS Caught Fire In Lightning Strike

The geography of the losses of the Russian Pantsir-S air defense missile systems expanded to one more country.

According to Russian media, two more Russian-made Pantsir-S complexes were destroyed and are no longer subject to restoration. Surprisingly, the destruction of “Pantsir” is not in combat, two “Pantsir-S” air defense missile systems were destroyed in Ethiopia with one single lightning strike.

The harden shelter was exploded due to the explosion of Pantsir’s ammunition. The Pantsir missile system is a family of self-propelled surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery systems.

According to the report, the Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile and cannon systems have been put out of action in Ethiopia. The reports say that two Russian-made Pantsir-S1 vehicles “were disabled by lightning strikes.” At the same time, it is noted that the “Pantsir AKA Shell-S1” of the Armed Forces of Ethiopia was located in the area of ​​the “Khidas” (“An-Nahda”) hydroelectric power station on the Blue Nile. No additional information is provided.

Such information is confirmed by a number of other sources, however, experts draw attention to the fact that such combat vehicles are not equipped with lightning protection means, and the likelihood that they were both within the radius of a lightning strike, since the complexes themselves are used to protect the dam, and therefore, they should be located at a distance of at least several hundred meters.

Information about the injured and casualties is not given, however, Ethiopia is another country in the world where the Pantsir-S air defense missile system was lost.

The Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) is operating several Russian-made Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft defense systems, footage released on a national TV has confirmed.

Russia’s main arms exporter Rosoboronexport declined to comment when asked about the Pantsir-S1 ADS destruction in Ethiopia.

People familiar with the talks said that Ethiopia ordered some number of modern and upgraded air defense systems and radars from Russia and Ukraine to increase the capability of its Armed Forces.

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