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Ukrainian Drone Turns Russian BM-21 Grad Into a Post-Apocalyptic Movie Set, Video

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Photo of Vlad Litnarovych
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Illustrative image. Russian Grad MLRS in the industrial zone of Avdiivka, in Yasynuvata, Donetsk region, Ukraine, on May 28, 2022. (Source: Getty Images)
Illustrative image. Russian Grad MLRS in the industrial zone of Avdiivka, in Yasynuvata, Donetsk region, Ukraine, on May 28, 2022. (Source: Getty Images)

Ukrainian drone pilots from the Signum battalion of the 53rd Separate Mechanized Brigade destroyed a Russian BM-21 Grad multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) on the Siversk front, the unit reported on November 4.

In a video released by Signum, a reconnaissance drone locates a Russian launcher hidden in what the operators described as a “post-apocalyptic movie set.”

The footage shows the UAV maneuvering through a narrow gap before striking the camouflaged vehicle, triggering a massive explosion that sent thick black smoke billowing into the sky.

“The pilot went out hunting and ended up in a post-apocalypse of our own making,” the battalion wrote. “He spotted a shelter that looked like something from a movie set. Turns out, it was a BM-21 ready for a show. The drone slipped through a gap and sent the guest on a long journey.”

The explosion was powerful enough to suggest the launcher had been loaded with a full complement of rockets. The battalion said the strike eliminated the target completely, adding, “The blast spoke louder than any words. The enemy won’t hide from Signum.”

The BM-21 Grad (“Hail”) is one of the most recognizable and widely used Soviet-designed multiple rocket launchers. Developed in the early 1960s, it was officially adopted into service on March 28, 1963, after a series of field and combat tests. Since then, it has been used in conflicts around the world, including extensively by Russian forces in their war against Ukraine.

Mounted on a Ural-4320 high-mobility truck chassis, the BM-21 is armed with 40 launch tubes capable of firing 122 mm rockets.

A full salvo takes only 20 seconds, covering an impact area of up to 14.5 hectares. The system has a maximum firing range of 40 kilometers, a reload time of 7 minutes, and can retreat from a position within 1 minute after launching an attack.

The launcher’s crew typically consists of three personnel, and the vehicle can carry up to 60 rockets in total.

Earlier, Ukrainian forces destroyed a rare Russian long-range multiple launch rocket system, likely the modernized Tornado-S.

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