Ukraine's worries when Russia exploded the `fire god` HIMARS 9
(Dan Tri) – After Russia released a video of destroying Ukraine’s HIMARS multiple launch fire system, Kiev officials expressed concern about the risks this weapon faces in the future.
Russian media earlier this week published a video recording the scene of the HIMARS complex being destroyed on the Donbass front.
The HIMARS launcher is believed to have been shot down in the vicinity of the Ukrainian-controlled town of Dobropolye, more than 40km from the front line.
Russia released a video of exploding Ukraine’s `fire god` HIMARS (Video: RT).
Previously, Russia had repeatedly claimed to have destroyed Ukraine’s HIMARS but rarely released evidence.
Therefore, according to Western observers, this may be one of the first complexes among the 39 HIMARS systems that Russia destroyed in Ukraine since the US granted Kiev this system.
In Ukraine, the destruction of HIMARS has caused concern among the country’s authorities, as this firepower complex has played an important role in targeting command posts, logistics centers and gathering places.
Roman Kostenko, secretary of the National Security, Defense and Intelligence Committee of the Ukrainian parliament, called for an investigation.
`It takes a lot of time to aim such an Iskander missile (at HIMARS),` he told Ukrainska Pravda, referring to the type of ballistic missile that Russia is said to have hit at Kiev’s fire complex.
`Let the experts investigate why this happened. HIMARS often operates far from the front lines and we see that Russian intelligence is working to detect HIMARS,` he said
Image of HIMARS being destroyed was recorded by a reconnaissance UAV (Photo: RT).
By nature, conventional rockets on HIMARS have an attack range of 80km, so Ukraine often deploys this system far from the front line to avoid Russian counterfire.
Therefore, the loss of a HIMARS complex is also a loss even though Ukraine still has many other systems in operation.
Ivan Stupak, a former officer of the Security Service of Ukraine and now an advisor to the National Security, Defense and Intelligence Committee of the Ukrainian parliament, told Newsweek: `The destruction of HIMARS means the war is still on.`
The attack was carried out with the support of high-altitude reconnaissance drones.
Mr. Stupak said: `On the one hand, it is a sign of Russia’s ability to locate targets, but on the other hand, it shows that the Ukrainian side lacks sophisticated radar stations, front-line air defense systems to protect
He added: `From time to time we see evidence that Russian reconnaissance drones fly 50km deep into Ukrainian controlled territory.`
Pavel Luzin, a Russian military analyst and visiting scholar at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (UK), told Newsweek that although Russia destroyed HIMARS, they also lost a series of other firepower systems in the process.
He said that Ukraine will find a way to protect HIMARS for the future and the loss of this complex may not be a sign for Kiev to worry too much.
