MOSCOW, December 14. /TASS/. The crew of a Tor-M2U surface-to-air missile system of the Western Military District wiped out Ukrainian reconnaissance drones during the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday.

"During its combat operations, the crew of a Tor-M2U air defense system belonging to the Western Military District obliterated the Ukrainian army’s reconnaissance UAVs. Once in position, the crew employed a panoramic view radar station to spot the enemy’s approaching drones. After the targets were locked on, the missile launches were carried out," the ministry said in a commentary.

All the aerial targets were destroyed, it stressed.

Tor anti-aircraft missile systems are tasked with covering units on the march within military columns and during combat operations in line formations, it said.

"The vehicle is capable of locking on a drone the size of a bird. The UAVs are artillery spotters and gunners. The hardest of all is to engage fast-speed targets because there is very little time to make a decision," said the Tor-M2U crew commander codenamed Kochevnik.

He said that his crew had destroyed about 50 aerial targets during the special military operation in Ukraine.

Crews of surface-to-air missile systems continue providing a super-reliable shield for Russian troops against enemy aerial attack weapons round the clock during the special military operation in Ukraine, the ministry said.

"A radar station scans the sky with a 360-degree view and within a range of more than 30 km. The guidance and tracking station automatically identifies and locks on the most dangerous targets," the ministry explained.