Russian forces launched three Iskander-M ballistic missiles against a convoy suspected of being Ukrainian HIMARS complexes in Kherson province.
On January 1, Russian media released a video showing three Iskander-M tactical ballistic missiles attacking a Ukrainian military convoy near the village of Davydiv Brod, located in the Kiev-controlled area in Kherson province.
In the video, a Russian reconnaissance drone (UAV) uses thermal imaging sensors to track a convoy of 7 Ukrainian motor vehicles stopping on the road.
The moment a series of Iskander-M missiles attacked the Ukrainian HIMARS convoy. Video: Lost Armour
The first Iskander-M hit the trees about 200 meters away from the convoy, creating a large explosion on the ground. It is unclear whether the missile missed the target or aimed at the shelter of Ukrainian soldiers near the convoy. The second shell carrying a cluster warhead is activated after just a few seconds, launching a series of submunitions at the target.
The third Iskander-M missile aimed at the back of the convoy and detonated in the air, causing a large amount of debris and a shock wave to cover at least four vehicles. It is unclear the extent of damage suffered by Ukrainian forces in this raid.
According to military news website RusVesnaa convoy of Ukrainian HIMARS rocket launchers and escort vehicles.
Lostarmour, an intelligence analysis site based on public sources based in Russia, initially reported that the target of the attack was the Ukrainian HIMARS convoy. However, this site later commented that the shape of the vehicle showed that this could be a “Patriot air defense missile battery” on the march.
The Russian Ministry of Defense and the Ukrainian army have not commented on the information.
HIMARS is a self-propelled multiple rocket launcher mounted on a wheeled chassis, able to hit targets at a distance of up to 300 km, depending on ammunition type and configuration. The HIMARS launch vehicle can reach a maximum speed of 85 km/h and quickly leave the battlefield to avoid counterfire.
Western media said in May 2024 that Ukraine owned 39 HIMARS projectile launchers, of which at least 3 artillery pieces were completely destroyed, two complexes were damaged and had to be shipped to the US for repair. The Russian military has since released many videos of raids on Ukrainian HIMARS batteries, with a series of systems completely destroyed.
Location of Davydiv Brod village, Kherson province. Graphics: RYV
On January 1, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that it had destroyed a total of 11 HIMARS batteries and 6 M270 heavy rocket artillery systems, a combination that can carry twice the ammunition of HIMARS, in nearly 5 months of Ukraine’s operation. The operation targeted the Kursk province. This number does not include batteries that were raided before the campaign, as well as on fronts such as Donbass and Kherson.