Russian military strikes Ukrainian HIMARS-family launcher – MOD (VIDEO)
A US-made М270А1 MLRS system was destroyed on Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry has reported, sharing footage of a ballistic missile strike on its position.
The system, a heavier-tracked cousin of HIMARS capable of firing both ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles as well as smaller high-precision projectiles, was identified by a surveillance drone near the village of Novotroitskoye in Russia’s Kherson Region, which is currently occupied by the Ukrainian forces.
Footage shared by the military shows the launcher, marked with a large white cross painted on its top, traveling at high speed on a road before driving into the fields and hiding in a wooded area. A couple of pickup trucks, apparently carrying the launcher’s escort team, are also seen.
The location was promptly hit with a ballistic missile launched by a Russian Iskander-M system. A large explosion and subsequent fire were observed in the area after the strike. According to the Russian military’s estimates, up to 15 Ukrainian servicemen were killed in the strike, while the M270A1 and one escort vehicle were destroyed.
The Russian military has been hunting for high-value Ukrainian assets including the HIMARS-family launchers. In recent weeks, multiple systems of the type were reported destroyed, with their firing positions and hiding spots uncovered by surveillance drones deep behind the frontline.
The HIMARS-family launchers have been long touted by Kiev’s propaganda as one of the ultimate long-reach tools for striking Russian military assets, such as airfields, ammo stockpiles and command points. However, the systems of the type have been also routinely been used for staging indiscriminate attacks on civilian facilities deep inside Russian territory.
