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Ukrainian Forces Hit Russian Tornado-S Launcher and Key Military Targets Near Melitopol
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Ukrainian defense forces successfully hit another Russian 9K515 Tornado-S multiple rocket launcher system near Melitopol using a middle-strike drone. This operation was confirmed by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The strikes took place during the night of April 27 and throughout the following day, according to Militarnyi.
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In addition to the Tornado-S system, the operation targeted several other strategic Russian assets. These included an ammunition depot and a command-observation post near Selydove in the Donetsk region.
Ukrainian forces also struck drone control centers in the areas of Malynivka in Donetsk and Hulyaypole in Zaporizhzhia. Furthermore, a Russian repair unit was hit near Mykolaivka in the Zaporizhzhia region.
This incident marks the second time a Tornado-S system has been destroyed in this specific area within a short period. Previously, a similar vehicle was targeted by pilots from the 422nd Unmanned Systems Regiment LUFTWAFFE of the 17th Army Corps.
OSINT analysts identified the location of the system on the E58 highway between the villages of Chekhograd and Udachne near Melitopol.
The Tornado series consists of 122mm and 300mm rocket systems designed to upgrade the older Grad and Smerch models. These systems underwent state testing between 2012 and 2015. They are developed and manufactured by the Russian state enterprise NPO SPLAV, which is based in Tula and part of the Rostec concern.
The main feature of the Tornado-S is its integration of a computerized ballistic calculator and the GLONASS satellite navigation system. These launchers use specialized ground equipment to receive satellite signals. The updated systems can automatically transmit data through secure channels and perform navigation with electronic maps.
The launcher can be aimed automatically without the crew leaving the cabin, though manual control is still possible. There are two primary versions: the 9K51M Tornado-G for the Grad system and the 9K515 Tornado-S for the Smerch system. Due to high levels of automation, the crew size has been reduced to three people.
On March 29, 2026, Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces (SBS) carried out a series of deep strikes behind Russian lines, successfully destroying three high-value BM-30 "Smerch" or modernized "Tornado-S" rocket systems in temporarily occupied Crimea.
Operators from the 1st Separate Center of the SBS targeted a military base in the settlement of Sovkhozny, where they also eliminated an accompanying transport-loading vehicle. Simultaneously, in the Luhansk region, drone units worked alongside the Security Service of Ukraine to incinerate multiple fuel cisterns near Novosvitlivka.
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