The basic element is a broadband cage dipole 1.8 m in diameter and 8 m long made of galvanized steel wire, mounted 3.5 m above the ground, with a balun to connect it to the transmission line.

It has a total area of 150,000 square metres (1,600,000 sq ft), and a resolution of about 40 arcminutes at the middle frequency 16.7 MHz.

Steering of the antenna main lobe is accomplished with phase shifters consisting of switchable delay lines.

The telescope was seriously damaged during 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the observatory's measuring complex and scientific equipment (but not the antennas) were completely destroyed.

[1][2] The UTR-2 and GURT observatories repair will cost an estimated $4 million US (of which $150,000 has been secured from Ukraine's National Academy of Sciences (NAS)).