HIMARS Destroys Russian 'Wasp' System in Woods: Ukraine Video

Ukrainian forces released a video they say shows a U.S.- supplied HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) destroying a Russian missile system.

Kyiv has regularly shared footage of what it claims shows strikes against Russian targets using HIMARS, which is among the most effective pieces of kit that the U.S. has given Ukraine's forces.

In the latest clip, Ukraine's Special Operations Forces said in a social media post on Tuesday that during a reconnaissance mission on the southern axis of the front, a drone crew from its 73rd Maritime Center spotted an Osa system, which it said is used against Ukrainian troops. Named after the Russian word for "wasp" the 9К33 Osa is a highly mobile, low-altitude, short-range tactical surface-to-air missile system.

"Despite poor visibility...SOF operators adjusted the fire of the HIMARS missile and artillery unit of the Defense Forces of Ukraine on the enemy target," the post said, according to a translation.

It posted a short clip of black and white drone footage showing a target hidden in the trees of a field. The video cuts to an explosion and smoke, although the site is difficult to view. Ukrainian forces didn't specify where exactly along the southern axis the explosion took place or date the unverified clip, which Newsweek has contacted the Russian defense ministry about.

Developed by Lockheed Martin, HIMARS entered service with the U.S. Army's 18th Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in 2005. Mounted on a five-ton truck, it fires guided missiles in quick succession, allowing Ukraine to make battlefield gains and hit Russian targets behind enemy lines.

The U.S. initially gave Ukraine 20 of the systems, which were used in Ukraine from June 2022. Ukraine is estimated to have 39 HIMARS, and Russia reportedly hasn't managed to destroy them yet.

Earlier this month, Ukraine said HIMARS conducted a series of strikes to knock out three Russian howitzers, a quartet of rocket-launchers and an air-defense vehicle.

Last week, video posted on the Telegram channel of the Ukrainian commander-in-chief, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, purportedly showed a strike against "enemy equipment and manpower along the entire front line." Also this month, Kyiv said the system took out Russian Buk-M2 anti-aircraft missile systems and a radar.

Meanwhile, Zaluzhnyi confirmed on Monday that the Ukrainian Air Force had destroyed a Russian Beriev A-50 spy aircraft and an Ilyushin Il-22 airborne control center. This followed Ukrainian media outlets reporting that the A-50 plane had been downed over the Azov Sea.

Zaluzhnyi said it was "a perfectly planned and executed operation in the Pryazovia region," without giving further details about the incident.