Buk

Buk refers to a family of mobile air defense systems developed by the Soviet Union and later operated by Russia and other countries. The system is designed to defend against aircraft and missiles at medium range and is deployed as a self-propelled complex that includes radar, command vehicles, and launcher units. It has been upgraded through several generations to improve tracking, engagement range, and mobility.

The base system, along with its successors, has undergone multiple variants. Key versions include Buk-M1, Buk-M2, and Buk-M3, each offering enhancements in detection radar, missile performance, and all-weather capability. The Buk family has been widely deployed by the Russian armed forces and has been exported to several other nations.

The Buk air defense system has appeared in international discourse due to its association with conflict incidents. Investigations into the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in Ukraine concluded that the aircraft was brought down by a Buk missile launched from territory controlled by armed groups, with tracing indicating a Russian military origin for the launcher involved. The incident remains a focal point in discussions about the use of air defense systems in conflict zones.

Beyond the military equipment, Buk is also used as a proper name in various languages and can refer to places or people in different regions. As a term, its meaning depends on context, spanning technical equipment and unrelated personal or geographic uses.