The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on 7/7 that, "Through reconnaissance operations, the Russian military detected the deployment of a unit belonging to the 154th Independent Mechanized Brigade of Ukraine in a forest near the city of Chuguev, Kharkov province. An Iskander-M tactical ballistic missile system carried out a strike when enemy forces were at their most concentrated."
Russian military television released a video the same day from a reconnaissance UAV, showing the barracks area in the forest and some Ukrainian soldiers moving. An Iskander-M missile then strikes, creating a large plume of smoke.
Iskander-M missile strikes Ukrainian brigade base in Kharkov province in video released on 7/7. Video: Zvezda
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the strike resulted in approximately 50 Ukrainian casualties and destroyed a drone control center and three vehicles.
Ukrainian officials have not yet commented on this information.
In a bulletin on 7/7, the Ukrainian Air Force Command reported that Russia had attacked the country with 4 converted S-300/400 missiles along with 101 Geran-2 suicide drones and decoys, but did not mention the Iskander-M ballistic missile.
The agency claimed that air defense units successfully intercepted 75 drones, with 58 shot down and 17 electronically suppressed. The Ukrainian Air Force admitted that 10 locations were hit by drone strikes and debris fell in 7 areas.
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Location of Chuguev, Kharkov province. Graphics: RYV |
Location of Chuguev, Kharkov province. Graphics: RYV
US media describes the Iskander-M ballistic missile as Russia's "most fearsome and effective weapon" in the Ukraine conflict, adding that only the Patriot air defense system is capable of countering it. However, the Patriot's interception rate is reportedly declining due to missile and launcher depletion, with several batteries also being targeted and destroyed by Russia.
Ukrainian officials say Russian forces have been continuously upgrading the Iskander-M missile, making countermeasures increasingly difficult. Kyiv is also facing a shortage of ammunition for its air defense systems. The Ukrainian military appears to have exhausted its missiles for the European-supplied SAMP/T system, considered a counterpart to the Patriot system.
Nguyen Tien (Zvezda, RIA Novosti, AP)
