Russia Hid Its BM-30 Smerch 60 KM Behind Frontline—Ukrainian Drones Hunted It Down, Video

Ukrainian forces tracked down and destroyed a Russian BM-30 Smerch multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) and its accompanying reloading vehicle hidden approximately 60 kilometers behind the frontline. The launcher had reportedly been used to attack civilian areas in Ukraine’s Kherson and Mykolaiv regions.

According to a statement released by Lasar’s Group, a drone unit of Ukraine’s National Guard, on October 17, the operation began with an analysis of Russian artillery activity to identify the area where the rocket system was operating.

Ukrainian reconnaissance drones subsequently located the concealed position, identifying both the Smerch launcher and a transporter-loader vehicle used to replenish its ammunition.

Once the equipment was identified, Ukrainian bomber drone crews carried out a series of strikes. Lasar’s Group reported that both vehicles were destroyed and released footage of the operation.

The BM-30 Smerch is a Soviet-designed 300mm multiple launch rocket system capable of firing 12 rockets in a single salvo. Introduced in the late 1980s, it was developed to strike troop concentrations, military installations, and other targets over large areas.

The system has a firing range of approximately 70 kilometers with standard rockets, while upgraded ammunition can extend its reach to 90 kilometers or more. Its rockets can carry high-explosive fragmentation or cluster warheads.

The accompanying transporter-loader vehicle carries replacement rockets and provides the equipment needed to reload the launcher. Destroying both vehicles eliminates the launcher and its immediate ammunition resupply capability.

The strike follows another Ukrainian drone operation on October 17, when operators from the Third Army Corps hit Russia’s newest TOS-3 “Dragon” thermobaric rocket launcher approximately 12 kilometers behind the frontline. The attack marked the first reported successful strike against the system, which can launch 15 thermobaric rockets at targets up to 15 kilometers away.

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