Several reports speak of an attack on an ammunition depot and the destruction of almost a dozen helicopters. If this information is confirmed, this attack will represent the darkest day for the Russian Air Force since the beginning of the conflict
According to the New York Times, citing official North American sources, Ukraine used North American ATACMS ballistic missiles with a range of 300 kilometers to hit the air base in Berdyansk, a Ukrainian city occupied by Russia since the beginning of the invasion was. American.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky himself confirmed that the ammunition used in this attack was indeed ATACMS tactical missiles. In the past, the United States has been very reluctant to supply this munition, which gives Ukraine the ability to attack targets deep in Russian territory.
“Today we are particularly grateful to the United States. Our agreements with President Joe Biden are being implemented. They are being implemented very precisely ATACMS has proven its value,” said the Ukrainian President in his usual evening speech.
Sources familiar with the matter report that after delaying the shipment of these ammunition for several months, the US armed forces secretly sent several ammunition to Ukraine. In the past, the United States has been very reluctant to send this munition, which gives Ukraine the ability to attack targets deep in Russian territory.
Although there are models of these missiles that can hit targets at a distance of around 300 kilometers, the models sent to Ukraine have a shorter range and carry 950 M74 fragmentation munitions inside. Images shared on Russian social media show that the ammunition used is the MGM140A variant, manufactured in 1996 and 1997.
#Ukraine: Well, something extraordinary happened the remains of M39 missiles (manufactured in 1996 and 1997) of the MGM140A ATACMS Block I system used by Ukrainian forces against Berdyansk AB.
This variant has a range of approximately 165 km, inertial guidance and carries 950 M74 submunitions. pic.twitter.com/AJQPC1WM2Q
— 🇺🇦 Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) October 17, 2023
In the early hours of Tuesday, Ukrainian forces launched an attack on one of the main Russianoccupied airports on the southern front, which served as a base for a fleet of Russian air force helicopters. The extent of the damage cannot currently be estimated.
Several reports speak of an attack on an ammunition depot and the destruction of almost a dozen helicopters. If this information is confirmed, this attack will represent the darkest day for the Russian Air Force since the beginning of the conflict.
I have been waiting for this news for months and believe that we now have enough evidence that the Russian helicopter base in Berdyansk has suffered a devastating blow. This footage appears to show the result of last night’s strike. The proRussian channels like… pic.twitter.com/jMCBg5KQxd
— (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) October 17, 2023
These missiles are fired by the HIMARS system, which was sent to Ukraine in the summer of 2022. This mechanism allowed Ukraine to destroy several Russian ammunition depots and significantly affected Moscow’s logistical capacity.