Ukrainian HIMARS strike dismantles Russian Buk‑M3 in Kursk region
A recording showing the moment of an attack on the Russian Buk-M3 air defence system, which took place in the Kursk region, has been uploaded online. The Ukrainians used the HIMARS system.
As reported by Reuters on September 23, Russian forces managed to slow but not stop Ukrainian units responsible for the offensive in the Kursk region. It is significant that the Ukrainians decided to use Western weaponry on Russian territory. This time, there is evidence of the use of American HIMARS rocket artillery, considered one of the best of its kind in the world.
HIMARS attacks Russians in Kursk Oblast
In this case, the "American god of war" targeted the Russian Buk-M3 air defence system. Based on the online recording, analysts estimated that two elements of this Russian complex were destroyed: the 9A316M and the 9A317M launchers.
The Ukrainians utilized missiles typically launched from the HIMARS they were supplied with. They used rockets from the GMLRS family, which have a range of about 80 kilometres. Thanks to a guidance system based on inertial and satellite navigation, they provide high precision in hitting designated targets.
The Buk-M3, on the other hand, is the latest version of the surface-to-air missile system, developed based on solutions created in the USSR in the late '70s. The Buk-M3 complexes have been serving in the Russian army since 2015. The loss of each of them is significant because the Russians do not have large reserves of this type of weaponry.
The Buk-M3 is designed, according to its developers, to combat various types of targets, including aircraft, drones, and even ballistic missiles. Its range depends on the target and the missiles used. It can reach up to about 70 kilometres, although it significantly decreases with fast-moving objects.
NATO equipment in the offensive near Kursk
Previous reports and accounts from the Kursk region indicated that the Ukrainian units sent there also use American Stryker armoured vehicles, Polish Oncilla armoured personnel carriers, PT-91 Twardy tanks, Challenger 2 and Leopard 2A6 tanks, and German Marder 1A3 infantry fighting vehicles.
