The Russian military announced it had struck Ukrainian HIMARS and M270 systems, including a battery armed with ATACMS missiles that were about to be launched.
“Units of the Dnepr Group destroyed the M142 HIMARS and M270 MLRS systems, both manufactured by the United States, along with a 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer within the past 24 hours. The force also defeated personnel and equipment of Ukraine’s 23rd National Guard Brigade in the Dnipro region,” the Russian Ministry of Defense reported on June 15.
The type of weapons and specific locations of the HIMARS and M270 MLRS batteries were not disclosed by the Russian military, but the Dnepr Group is responsible for the Kherson front and parts of the Zaporizhzhia region.
Russian media on the same day released thermal imaging footage from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) showing explosions and large fires following a strike on what is suspected to be an M270 system preparing to launch ATACMS ballistic missiles near the village of Shevchenkivsky, close to the city of Zaporizhzhia under Ukrainian control on June 14.
“The M270 MLRS system carrying ATACMS warheads was detected when deploying to the battlefield and immediately came under attack from Iskander tactical ballistic missiles. The entire launcher and its crew were destroyed before they could fire,” stated the account The_Wrong_Side, which frequently posts about Russian strikes in Ukraine.
On the early morning of June 14, Ukrainian air defenses failed to intercept at least three Iskander-M ballistic missiles and one Kinzhal hypersonic missile during a coordinated strike by Russia.
Flight data of the missiles and Russian UAVs published by Ukrainian media indicated that the Iskander-M missiles were launched from Crimea and targeted the area near the city of Zaporizhzhia, though it is unclear if this was the same strike on the HIMARS and M270 MLRS systems mentioned by the Russian military.
