The Ukrainian Army made use for the first time of the permission received from the United States and other Western allies for use weapons who send him against certain military targets located inside Russia destroying with an American-made HIMARS an anti-aircraft system deployed in the Russian oblast of Belgorod.
“Ukrainian forces have hit a Russian S-300/400 air defense battery in Belgorod Oblastpresumably with (a system) HIMARS, on June 1 or 2,” writes the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) of Washington, which cites geolocated information from open sources to reach this conclusion.
The ISW adds that the partially destroyed air defense system was located to the north of the city of Belgorodregional capital of the oblast of the same name.
“The S-300/400 was located about 60 kilometers from the current front line in the north of the oblast (Ukrainian and bordering Belgorod) of Kharkov already more than 80 kilometers from the citywhich is within the range of HIMARS but exceeds that of other multiple launch rocket systems” that Ukraine has, notes the ISW.
The destruction with Western weapons of a Russian air defense system was confirmed last night on her Facebook account by the Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Reintegration of the Occupied Territories, Irina Vershchukwhich did not specify the type of weapons used in the attack.
On the other hand, former advisor to the Ukrainian government Anton Gerashchenko published information about the operation on the X account (formerly Twitter) and even a video that, he noted, is attributed on Russian military news networks to the consequences of the explosions.
blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”>
A video appeared online that reportedly shows the result of a HIMARS strike on a S-300/S-400 complex in Belgorod region of Russia.
I’ve added a picture at the end of the video. I think it adds a little something. pic.twitter.com/VrCTITiIAH
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1797575173530386859?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Ukraine has received in recent weeks permission from more than a dozen allied countries to hit certain Russian military targets located within the Russian Federation with the weapons they send to kyiv. Until now it was not allowed to use its weapons to attack Russian territory for fear of possible retaliation from Moscow.
The United States has been one of the latest to join the list of countries lifting the ban, although it continues to limit the use of its weapons to certain military targets inside Russia that the Russians use to attack the Kharkiv region.
The cross-border offensive launched by Russia in the middle of last month against the Kharkiv region, where it has managed to open a new front, triggered the concern both in kyiv and in Western capitals.
Ukraine then began a campaign to be allowed to attack with the weapons it receives the troop concentrations, missile launchers, artillery systems, aircraft and other military targets that Russia uses to attack Kharkiv from its own territory.
Ukrainian pressure has had an effect and kyiv can now hit certain targets inside Russiaalthough it aspires for its partners to completely eliminate restrictions on the use of their weapons against legitimate targets that are on Russian territory.
Ukrainian forces attacked a Russian S-300/400 air defense battery in Belgorod Oblast, probably with HIMARS, on 1 or 2 June. Geolocated images published on June 3 show two launchers destroyed and one command post damaged of a Russian S-300/400 air defense in a field east of Kiselyovo (just north of the city of Belgorod).
Russian sources widely speculated that Ukrainian forces used HIMARS provided by United Statesbut Ukrainian officials have not yet commented on the attack.
The S-300/400 air defense system was located approximately 60 kilometers from the current front line in the north of the Oblast. Kharkov and more than 80 kilometers from the city, which is within the range of HIMARS but exceeds the range of other MLRS systems reportedly used by Ukrainian forces to carry out attacks in Belgorod Oblast.
Russian sources have increasingly claimed that Ukrainian forces are using HIMARS to attack Belgorod Oblast since the United States partially lifted its restrictions on Ukraine’s ability to use US-supplied weapons to attack military targets in Russia’s border areas with Kharkiv Oblast.
Russian sources are likely to continue to characterize any successful attack in Belgorod Oblast as a HIMARS attack, regardless of the system used.
(With information from EFE)
