First confirmed destruction of US‑supplied HIMARS by Russian forces

For a long time, the Russians have periodically claimed the destruction of the M142 HIMARS launchers, but without any proof until now, these claims were seen as purely propagandistic and contrary to the facts.

The new recording, however, leaves no doubt that the Russian army can finally boast of a success, which is the destruction of one of the launchers supplied to Ukraine by the United States. According to the Russians, the vehicle was destroyed in the area of Nikonorivka village in the Donetsk region.

The recording shared on the internet shows the HIMARS being detected by a Russian drone, followed by the destruction of the launcher. The video captures the moment of impact, followed by another, larger explosion resulting from the explosion of the carried ammunition. The magnitude of the explosion suggests that it was a total loss.

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Information regarding the weapon used by Russians to destroy the HIMARS is conflicting. Some sources suggest the possibility of using a 9K720 Iskander-M ballistic missile, while others suggest a 9K515 Tornado-S system was used, which is an upgraded BM-30 Smerch system.

In terms of operation (multiple rocket launcher system), it is similar to the HIMARS, but while Ukrainian HIMARS have only 227-mm GMLRS missiles with a range of about 69-80 kilometres, the Tornado-S fires much heavier 300 mm caliber missiles, which can have a range of up to 200 kilometres.

The documented destruction of the HIMARS has an important propaganda dimension for the Kremlin, as the American rocket launchers have caused significant trouble for the Russians over the months of fighting.

The introduction of this equipment in Ukraine led to a serious change: it enabled the Ukrainians to effectively conduct counter-battery fire, as well as destroy targets tens of kilometres away from the front lines.

In practice, HIMARS forced the Russians to adapt their warfare tactics and move ammunition and supply depots further into the territory they control.