Russian air defenses challenged by HIMARS in recent Ukrainian clash
The short film was recorded by a Russian soldier. It was probably intended to be longer, but there was an event the recorder did not anticipate. During the operation of the Russian air defense systems, one of the Ukrainian missiles fell nearby. At least one of the invaders' pieces of equipment was damaged, and the recorder, as the end of the video material suggests, was injured.
The Russian soldier may have overly believed the assurances of their command that the S-400 and Pantsir-S1 systems are among the best in the world in their category of military equipment. These are the ones being used to secure the skies over Moscow.
HIMARS versus Russian S-400 and Pantsir-S1 systems
The S-400 was developed in the 1990s as a major upgrade of the S-300PMU system. It was put into service in 2007. It has been adapted to use several types of missiles, with a range from 25 miles (approximately 40 kilometres) for 9M96 missiles weighing about 350 kilograms, to even 249 miles (approximately 400 kilometres) for 40N6E missiles weighing about 1,800 kilograms. The distance at which a target can be engaged also depends on what it is.
The history of the Pantsir-S1 also dates back to the 1990s. This system is equipped with a pair of automatic 30 mm caliber cannons with a firing rate of 2,500 rounds/min, which allow engaging targets at a distance of up to about 2.5 miles (approximately 4 kilometres). In addition, it has slots for 12 57E6 or 57E6-E anti-aircraft missiles, which are used to eliminate targets at distances up to 12 miles (approximately 19 kilometres) and altitudes up to about 9.3 miles (approximately 15 kilometres).
Russian anti-air defense can be unreliable
Not only during the war in Ukraine, but also before, there were pieces of evidence that the performance of the S-400 systems does not always meet expectations.
Their fate during confrontations in Syria was puzzling, for example, where they often failed to respond to incoming Israeli planes. They also proved ineffective in defending the Belgorod airport, which Ukrainians attacked in 2022. Interestingly, they were performing this role along with the Pantsir-S1 systems.
In this case, they did not fully cope with the Ukrainian attack, which was carried out using HIMARS artillery. Most likely, standard M30 missiles were used.
