A video appeared on social networks, which recorded the impressive consequences of a rare successful strike by the Russians: the explosion of the Ukrainian S-300 anti-aircraft system, similar to the detonation of a small-arms tactical nuclear weapon.

The strike was allegedly carried out by Moscow troops from the Iskander 9K720 missile launcher, which has a range of about 400-500 kilometers and entered service with the Russian army in 2006.

Although the system has the dual capability to carry both conventional and nuclear warheads, the spectacular explosion in the footage is attributed to the explosion of the S-300 system’s munitions, not the warhead that the Russian missile was equipped with.

Based on video footage, the strike was geo-located near the village of Lisna Stinka in Kharkiv, a region largely retaken by Ukrainian forces after the blitzkrieg last September.

The direct predecessor of the S-400 anti-aircraft battery, which provoked a bitter conflict between Turkey and NATO over Ankara’s decision to purchase the Russian system, the S-300 entered service with the Soviet armed forces in 1978 and was subsequently exported to several countries. which were part of the Soviet bloc.

Ukraine is believed to have had about 100 S-300 anti-aircraft batteries and their variants before the Russian invasion on February 24 last year, most of which were restored after the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the separatist war in Donbas that followed.

The Russian attack was launched by a missile that was difficult to shoot down

The Russian Defense Ministry has repeatedly claimed in daily progress reports on the “special forces operation” that its forces have destroyed Ukrainian S-300 systems, but several videos have confirmed such successes for months.

Regarding this confirmed strike, the administrators of the OSINTTechnical page remind us that Ukrainian forces do not actually have an anti-aircraft system capable of stopping short-range ballistic missiles, such as those used by the Iskander system, which are among the most dangerous in Moscow’s arsenal. .

In fact, Ukrainian officials have also acknowledged this, saying that the January 14 Russian attack on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities would have used ballistic missiles that are difficult to detect and intercept.

Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ignat said at the time that “most likely, these were missiles flying on a ballistic trajectory from the north. Ballistic missiles are difficult for us to detect and shoot down.”

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