Insane moment Ukraine's new NATO weapon wipes out £630m Russian missile battery

Ukraine has successfully utilized US-provided ATACMS missiles to destroy a significant Russian air defense battery behind enemy lines, showcasing Kyiv's enhanced capabilities. Dramatic combat footage captures the moment a £630 million Russian S400 air defense battery is obliterated by these new long-range weapons.

Reports indicate that the US ATACMS missiles destroyed four batteries and a radar system. Video shared on the Ukrainian Telegram Channel Tivaz Division appears to show cluster munitions being released over the firing Russian missiles, culminating in a massive fireball.

Last month, Ukraine deployed these long-range ballistic missiles, provided secretly by the United States, for the first time. They targeted a Russian military airfield in Crimea and other Russian-occupied areas, according to US officials.

The ATACMS were part of a new military aid package approved by President Joe Biden in April. This allowed Ukraine to nearly double its striking range to 300 kilometers (190 miles) compared to the mid-range version received from Washington in October. Kyiv's forces also reportedly used these missiles to strike a Russian communications hub in Alushta, occupied Crimea. The attack caused significant equipment damage and numerous casualties, with reports suggesting the command center may have been destroyed.

According to Crimean Wind, the facility was hit by at least six ATACMS missiles, striking the antenna and multiple buildings where high-ranking military personnel were located. Explosions were heard across almost all regions of Crimea. Despite Russian air defenses being active, they were largely ineffective, as per the Kyiv Independent.

Ukraine's Armed Forces have not yet commented on or claimed responsibility for the attack. Despite struggling to hold back advances by Vladimir Putin's forces along its northern and eastern fronts, NATO-supplied weapons have enabled Kyiv to challenge Russia's presence in occupied Crimea and target air-defense systems, jets, and warships.

Kyiv's long-range attacks are central to its strategy of degrading Russia's military capacity while rebuilding its own military after two years of conflict. However, crucial Western aid, particularly air defense systems to counter Russia’s targeted destruction of the power grid, is not arriving quickly enough.

Furthermore, most Western donors restrict Ukraine from using sophisticated long-range weapons to strike targets on Russian soil. This limitation allows Moscow to assemble troops for cross-border assaults and deploy missile launchers to bombard Ukraine with little impediment.