Ukrainian ballistic missile strike cripples Russian airbase in Crimea

For months, Ukrainians have been attacking Russian airports with MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missiles or drones to weaken Russia's ability to strike ground targets with guided bombs from the FAB family. Another objective has been to target medium-range anti-aircraft systems like the S-300 or S-400.

The Saki airport, similar to Dzhankoy, is one of the critical locations from which Russians can launch air strikes on Ukrainian territory. These locations had already been attacked, but evidently, there were justified targets on the night of July 24-25, prompting another strike.

According to the portal Militarnyj, MGM-140 ATACMS missiles fell on the airport premises and around the village of Shturvkovski, where a radar of the anti-aircraft system was reportedly hit. Meanwhile, at the airport, at least an ammunition depot was struck, and two soldiers died. The losses could be higher, but without satellite imagery, it's impossible to gauge the scale of the damage.

Before the attack, 16 airplanes were reportedly stationed at the airport, although the pilots might have evacuated them. It is worth noting that in the case of ballistic missiles, the time from launch to impact over 300 kilometres is a matter of minutes.

MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missiles were introduced into service in the U.S. Army in the 1990s and, depending on the version, have a range of about 165 or 300 kilometres.

Ukraine has used chiefly M39 missiles with a range of 165 kilometres or M39A1 with a range of 300 kilometres equipped with cluster warheads. The first contained a payload of 950 M74 APAM bomblets, while the second 300 bomblets were at the cost of a more significant fuel reserve.

Both missiles are known for their similar guidance systems, with the M39 using less precise inertial navigation and the M39A1 supplemented with a GPS module, offering greater precision. It's worth noting that Russians have learned to jam GPS signals. Still, in the case of the ATACMS, especially the cluster variant, a deviation of a few metres is not as significant a problem as it is with artillery shells.

The main hit mechanism of the cluster variants of MGM-140 ATACMS missiles is M74 APAM bomblets, which resemble balls weighing 590 grams and having a diameter of 5 centimetres. Their casing is made of tungsten, which, upon explosion, generates fragments capable of penetrating bulletproof vests. In addition to the explosive material, there is also an incendiary material inside the casing, which, when dispersed during the explosion, is intended to cause fires.

As a result, nothing is left intact in the impact area, and safe shelter can only be found inside an armoured vehicle. Defence against these missiles, capable of flying at Mach 3 (3,700 km/h), is tough, and even the best Russian anti-aircraft systems, S-400 Triumph, can't cope with them.