Leaked photos reveal Russia’s secretive Krasukha-4 electronic warfare system in production

Recently leaked photos and documents have revealed details about one of Russia’s most advanced and secretive electronic warfare (EW) systems—the Krasukha-4. The leak, reportedly from hacker group Black Mirror, includes internal production and assembly images, as well as technical information, providing a rare glimpse into this strategic ground-based EW system built on the KamAZ-6350 8×8 (heavy utility truck) chassis.

Think of the Krasukha-4 as a super powerful “invisibility cloak” for Russian forces. Instead of hiding physically, it hides electronically by scrambling the signals enemies use to see or attack. The recent leak has pulled back the curtain on this complex tech, helping the world better understand one of Russia’s key modern military tools.

What is Krasukha-4?

The Krasukha-4 is a mobile electronic jammer mounted on a big truck that can move wherever it’s needed. It fights by sending out strong signals that “jam” or block radars and communication channels used by enemy surveillance aircraft, spy drones, and satellites. This makes it very hard for opponents to track or attack Russian forces accurately.

Its offensive and defensive capabilities are considered pivotal in Russia’s layered air defense architecture, aimed at blinding and degrading high-value western intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets.

Technical and operational details:

• The Krasukha-4 system operates by detecting and jamming large radar installations including airborne early warning radars and satellite-based sensors. This prevents early detection of Russian forces and protects strategic military sites from precision-guided strikes.
  
• The system is integrated onto a heavy tactical truck platform, offering mobility while maintaining a powerful electromagnetic jamming capability.
  
• Krasukha-4 is a successor and complement to the earlier Krasukha-2 system, which is capable of jamming S-band radars and missile guidance systems at ranges reportedly up to 250 kilometers. Krasukha-4 represents an advance in both range and operational versatility.
  

• Russian electronic warfare units, including five dedicated brigades, deploy Krasukha-4 among other EW systems like R-330Zh Zhitel jammers and RB-341V Leer-3 cellular deception systems, demonstrating high operational maturity and battlefield effectiveness.
  

Russia has deployed its EW assets extensively in its conflict with Ukraine, where Krasukha-series systems and other EW platforms have been used to jam Ukrainian drone surveillance and communications, as well as counter satellite-guided weapons. Russian EW brigades are integrated within battalion tactical groups (BTGs) to provide dedicated electronic warfare support on the battlefield, enhancing maneuvering forces' survivability and combat effectiveness.

Significance of leak

The leaked production photos and internal documents exposed the complexity of manufacturing and assembly of Krasukha-4 systems at Rostec, Russia’s state defense conglomerate. The documents reportedly include a production report intended for a foreign client, speculated to be Serbia, marking a rare instance of transparency for the usually tightly controlled Russian EW capabilities.

Military analysts believe this leak will aid Western and global military intelligence by enabling better understanding and modeling of Krasukha-4’s capabilities, facilitating improved countermeasures and operational planning wherever Russian EW assets operate.

Broader EW capabilities

Russian EW technology has evolved with the incorporation of systems capable of not only jamming but also electronic surveillance and precision geolocation of enemy transmissions. For example, the Moskva-1 system is used for passive detection and tracking of targets using reflections of commercial broadcasts, enhancing targeting data for weapon systems. Additionally, Russia is known to have trialed and integrated Chinese EW technology aimed at countering drones and satellite communications, broadening its EW toolkit.

The recent leak sheds significant light on this secretive system’s production and operational scope, deepening understanding of the evolving electronic battlespace in current and future conflicts.