Russian military destroys missile launcher in Ukraine

The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Friday that it had destroyed a US-made M270A1 MLRS missile system in Ukraine’s Nikolayev Region, sharing drone footage of the strike. The tracked launcher, capable of firing ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles, was located by surveillance drones near Shevchenkovo. The vehicle was tracked to a civilian hangar and subsequently targeted with a Russian Iskander-M ballistic missile, resulting in significant damage and multiple secondary explosions. The Russian military stated that the strike eliminated ‘Ukrainian Armed Forces militants, an M270A1 MLRS launcher, a support vehicle, as well as transport-loading vehicles with ammunition that were concealed in the hangar.’ The Russian military has been treating such weapons as high-value targets in recent months, with such weapons capable of (and now authorized by the US to) strike deep into Russian territory, often at civilian targets.