RIA: Russian specialists have gained access to the ATACMS missile guidance system
The guidance and flight correction system of the ATACMS tactical missile has fallen into the hands of Russian specialists, RIA Novosti reports. The agency said it had published a photo of the ATACMS internal device for the first time. American missiles are actively used in attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. They were also used in the attack on Sevastopol, as a result of which over 150 people were injured.
The Russian military is investigating the guidance and flight correction system of ATACMS tactical missiles supplied to Ukraine. This is reported by RIA Novosti with reference to one of the specialists in working with weapons.
"We can analyze the operation of the rocket systems at the entire stage of the flight path. The base of correction, how much it can be adjusted," the source told RIA Novosti.
The agency also said it had published a photo of the ATACMS internal device for the first time.
Earlier, the wreckage of the downed ATACMS missile was published by Izvestia.
Image source: Alina Dzhus/"Newspaper.Ru"
ATACMS in service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine
The first batch of ATACMS was delivered to Ukraine in October 2023, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing its sources. According to the newspaper, this was done secretly due to fears of a strike from Russia.
The decision to transfer ATACMS was openly announced in April 2024.
"I can confirm, as you have already heard from others, that in February the president instructed his team to provide Ukraine with a significant number of ATACMS missiles for use on the sovereign territory of Ukraine. This delivery started in March. And these missiles have arrived in Ukraine," said Assistant to the US President for National Security Jake Sullivan at a briefing for journalists (quoted by TASS).
ATACMS missiles were used in strikes on Luhansk on June 7, 2024 - six people became victims of that attack, more than 50 were injured.
ATACMS were also used to strike the Berdyansk airfield, Vladimir Rogov, chairman of the We Are Together with Russia movement, reported in his Telegram channel.
The "attacks" have shown themselves," President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky said in an evening address.
The same missiles were used on the night of April 30 in the attack on Crimea, Vladimir Rogov reported in his Telegram channel.
The defeat of American missiles was repeatedly reported to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. For example, on June 29, the agency reported that the Russian military shot down five ATACMS in a week.
The most famous case of the use of ATACMS is in the area of the beaches of Uchkuyevka and Lyubimovka on the northern outskirts of Sevastopol. According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the Armed Forces of Ukraine struck with five missiles loaded with cluster munitions. Four were shot down by air defense, and the fifth "as a result of the impact of air defense systems in the final section deviated from the flight path with the detonation of the warhead in the air over the territory of the city." Four people (including two children) did not survive, 151 were injured.
Russia's reaction to the use of ATACMS
Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking at a press conference on October 18 following talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, expressed confidence that the supply of such missiles would not radically change the situation on the line of contact, but only "prolong the agony of Ukraine."
"This, of course, causes harm, and it creates an additional threat. Secondly, of course, we will be able to repel these attacks," Putin said .
Putin accused the United States of involvement in the strikes.
"Here are the ATACMS. How are they used and how are they transmitted? So they handed over the missile system - the Pentagon handed it over, the Americans handed it over. But how is it used? The Ukrainian military cannot do everything on their own and strike with this missile. They are simply technologically unable to do this. To strike such a blow, Ukraine needs to have American satellite intelligence, and then on its basis form a flight mission and then introduce it into the missile system. At the same time, the West's supply of weapons to Ukraine is a direct participation in the conflict.", - ru/events/president/news/74223" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">said the President of the Russian Federation during a meeting with media representatives in St. Petersburg.
Alexey Permyakov
