Ukraine Soldiers Find Mysterious Container Left Behind by Russian Forces

Ukraine's armed forces have captured a "mysterious container" that could be part of one of Russia's most advanced electronic warfare (EW) systems currently in service, according to a Twitter account that monitors weapons seized or destroyed during the conflict.

Twitter user @UAWeapons shared photos of a container and a military truck, identifying the first as likely to be the command post of a 1RL257 Krasukha-4 mobile EW system.

EW systems, first developed by Britain during the World War II, are considered among the most important fighting elements in modern warfare, although they often don't get the same media attention as heavy artillery.

The Krasukha-4 is a mobile, ground-based EW system designed to detect and jam radars, covering troops from radar detection and preventing Ukrainian forces from gathering intelligence. The system consists of two parts mounted on two KAMAZ-6350 vehicles, one carrying the EW system and one carrying the command post module.

The Krasukha-4 is said to be able to suppress airborne warning and control system radars, unmanned aerial vehicles and missile systems, preventing them from functioning properly.

The goal of these Russian EW systems in Ukraine is to make it harder for Ukrainian forces to monitor the trajectory of short- and medium-range missiles targeting Russian tanks and armored vehicles. The system is said to be able to cause significant damage to the enemy's own EW systems.

The Krasukha-4 has been around since 2013, and it has been reportedly used by Russian forces in Syria. The system was spotted in Belarus before the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24.

It was unclear how and when the command post module fell into Ukrainian hands, or what happened to the rest of the EW system it belonged to.

From the photo, it would appear that neither the container nor the truck are externally damaged. The container, which is lying on its side, is missing one of the access doors and appears to have some minor damage on the bottom side of the frame. The module looks to have been partially covered by branches, as if Russian forces had tried to hide it from aerial reconnaissance before abandoning it.

There is no evidence that the container captured by the Ukrainian armed forces is part of a Russian EW system. But if the claim is proven true, the potential loss of such a capable system would be significant for Russia.

Russia's military force has already dipped below 90 percent of its full capacity since the beginning of the invasion, according to estimates shared on Tuesday by the Pentagon.

Oryx, a website documenting equipment losses, has photo and video evidence of 1,748 vehicles and equipment lost by Vladimir Putin's forces, on top of 66 aircrafts destroyed, damaged or captured.

If the captured container is confirmed as a component of a Krasukha-4, the command post could be an invaluable source of intelligence for Western forces looking into the real capacity of the Russian military's most modern electronic warfare system.