As of: March 7, 2024, 9:30 p.m
By: Patrick Mayer
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Russian military bloggers share a video that most likely shows the explosion of an American Ukrainian HIMARS multiple rocket launcher.
Nikanorivka - They were long considered virtually indestructible during the Ukrainian war, but now one of their own is said to have been hit for the first time.
We are talking about the American HIMARS multiple rocket launchers in service with the Ukrainian army.
Ukraine losses: Russian army destroys a HIMARS system for the first time
Military bloggers from Russia shared a video on social media (see tweet below) that is said to show the destruction of a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, as it is called.
According to unconfirmed reports, the images come from eastern Ukraine; the location and time of the drone images cannot be independently verified.
It is very likely, however, that this is the same HIMARS system, of which, according to the US State Department website, the Americans had delivered a total of 39 copies to the treacherously invaded country by the end of December 2023.
Since then, however, the US has stopped providing heavy weapons due to the Republican blockade in Congress.
Since February 2022, not a single loss of a HIMARS has been reported.
Russian losses in Ukraine: HIMARS harms Vladimir Putin's troops
The HIMARS multiple rocket launcher shown in the drone video was apparently parked at the edge of a forest.
It is not known whether there were any casualties among the serving soldiers.
In any case, Kiev has not yet confirmed the alleged loss of the HIMARS.
The multiple rocket launcher, whose prototype was unveiled in 1999, has inflicted heavy losses on imperialist Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin's invading troops over the past two years.
For example, when two Russian “Grad” rocket launchers were recently destroyed in one fell swoop by a suspected GLSDB bomb from a HIMARS near Kreminna.
And: Recently, according to Ukrainian information, a number of Russian soldiers were allegedly killed by a HIMARS hit at a ceremony in the settlement of Olenivka in the Donetsk region.
The information cannot be independently verified.
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HIMARS from the USA: Lucrative target for Vladimir Putin's troops in Ukraine
The M142, the US military's type designation for the artillery system, is considered very flexible in use due to its wheel drive and a top speed of up to 94 km/h.
Simplified: This makes it easy to shoot quickly and immediately hide from counterfire.
In this case, however, this was apparently fatally neglected.
According to Russian bloggers, the strike against the HIMARS system is said to have occurred near the village of Nikanorivka, around 40 kilometers northwest of Avdiivka, which cannot be verified, as can the claim that the Russian attack was allegedly carried out with an Iskander-M missile.
It would be a bitter setback for Kiev: The HIMARS missiles are said to have a range of up to 80 kilometers.
And: The precision-guided surface-to-surface missiles from the Guided MLRS series have GPS and INS positioning as well as steering mechanisms and are therefore capable of maneuvering and correcting during flight.
This makes it a highly precise weapon.
And for a lucrative target for Putin's Russian army, which was recently able to take out two Ukrainian heavy US M1 Abrams battle tanks.
Powerful and precise: A HIMARS multiple rocket launcher, as used in Ukraine.
(Symbolic photo) © IMAGO / ZUMA Wire
How many HIMARS missiles do the Ukrainians have left?
Republicans block
It is currently completely unclear how many missiles the Ukrainian armed forces still have for their HIMARS.
In general, the artillery has to be extremely careful in the middle of a defensive battle, which is said to have been one of the reasons why the former bastion in Donbass, the completely destroyed industrial city of Avdiivka, fell to the Russians in mid-February.
But: Donald Trump's Republicans, who will probably stand again in the US presidential election on November 5th, are still blocking a prepared military package by the Biden government worth a rumored $60 billion in the House of Representatives of Congress.
(pm)