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Ukraine Destroys Russian Buk Missile Launcher in Precision HIMARS Strike
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Ukrainian artillery units, operating in coordination with reconnaissance assets, have destroyed a Russian Buk-series surface-to-air missile system, according to an official statement from Ukraine’s 43rd Separate Artillery Brigade published on February 2.
The brigade released aerial footage documenting the operation. In the video, a Russian Buk-M1 or Buk-M2 launcher is observed relocating from a firing position and attempting to conceal itself within a forested area.
The system was tracked using a Ukrainian Shark drone, which relayed targeting data for the strike.
The missile system was reportedly hit by a guided projectile—likely an M30A1 unitary warhead fired from a US-supplied HIMARS launcher. The munition, equipped with a proximity fuse and approximately 182,000 tungsten steel spheres, is designed to neutralize lightly armored vehicles and personnel across a broad impact zone.
The Buk-M1 and Buk-M2 are mobile medium-range air defense systems developed to intercept aerial threats such as aircraft, cruise missiles, and drones. Each launcher is capable of autonomously identifying, tracking, and engaging targets without centralized command input.
The Buk-M1 variant can strike targets at distances up to 35 kilometers and altitudes reaching 22 kilometers, but is limited to engaging a single target at a time. The upgraded Buk-M2 extends its engagement range to 50 kilometers and altitude to 25 kilometers. Notably, the Buk-M2 features a phased array radar, enabling it to simultaneously engage up to four aerial targets.
Earlier, Ukrainian drone operators from the STRIX and STAR units eliminated a Russian Tirada-2 electronic warfare system on the Pivdenno-Slobozhanskyi axis. The system, designed to jam satellite communications, was targeted and destroyed following precise aerial reconnaissance, according to Ukraine’s Border Guard Service.
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-00c8810e2b6e4b73f6542049feb07bfe.png "How Russia Turns Dumb Bombs Into Deadly Guided Weapons, Ukraine Intelligence Reveals")
