R-330Zh Zhitel

One Zhitel system consists of two elements: a wheeled platform with an operator station for the reconnaissance system (0.1–2 GHz frequency range) and a trailer with emitters and antennas of the active jamming system. According to the official information, the system's purpose is to detect, track and jam the Inmarsat and Iridium satellite communications and GSM-1900 cellphones, and also to act against GSM navigation system utilizing the NAVSTAR satellites. Activation of the station jams all communications and navigation systems.[4] Zhitel covers a waveband of 100 MHz to two gigahertz; this allows attack on both military and civilian communications; for example V/UHF UAV RF links in addition to GNSS satcom signals.[5] The Zhitel system is designed to protect brigade- or division-level command posts against precision guided munitions (PGMs).[6]

The Zhitel system was allegedly employed during the 1996 assassination of the President of Ichkeria, Dzhokhar Dudayev.[7]

The Zhitel system was allegedly used in the 2008 Russo-Georgian War.[7]

In spring 2014 a Zhitel system was spotted on the road to Crimea,[8] as well as in the Donbas region at various times over the pre-invasion War in Donbas period of the Russo-Ukrainian War.[7]

In November 2018 difficulties with communications were reported in the Finnmark region of Norway and the Zhitel system was suspected.[9]

In spring 2019 Zhitel systems were reported to be in the Donbas region of Ukraine. This was simultaneous with "a sharp uptick of drone losses" remarked by both the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine and the Ukrainian military.[2] A Zhitel system was spotted by the OSCE SMMU near Luhansk city.[10]

On 14 June 2019, Russia was reported to have trialled new techniques with its Zhitel systems, which were able to interfere with satellite communications equipment, navigation systems and mobile phones within a 30 km radius.[11]

On 28 November 2020, during the War in Donbas, a Zhitel system was spotted by an OSCE drone, a few kilometres north-west of Kovske, Novoazovsk Raion of Donetsk Oblast of Ukraine, within reach of the border with the Russian Federation.[12][13]

In 2021, the AFRF tried to use Zhitel systems to jam signals from RQ-4 drones.[14]

In May 2022 the Ukrainians destroyed a Zhitel system by drone-targeted artillery.[3]

In September 2022 the Zhitel system was reported to jam the AWACS E-3 Sentry and AEW E-2 Hawkeye airborne warning and control aircraft, which try to locate Russian attack aircraft in flight.[15]

On 26 September 2022, during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, a Zhitel system was destroyed somewhere in the Kharkiv region,[16][17][18] with the aid of a Bayraktar TB-2 drone.[19]

On 26 March 2023, Ukraine reported the destruction of a Zhitel system by drone-targeted artillery,[20] by an M982 PGM with the help of a targeting drone.[21]