Ukraine's National Guard destroys Russian Smerch rocket system in Kherson Oblast
Lasar's Group, a special forces unit of Ukraine's National Guard, says it destroyed a Russian BM-30 Smerch multiple-launch rocket system and its transporter-loader vehicle in Kherson Oblast. The unit says the system had been used against civilians in Kherson and Mykolaiv oblasts.
Lasar's Group, a special forces unit of Ukraine's National Guard, has destroyed a Russian BM-30 Smerch multiple-launch rocket system and its transporter-loader vehicle in the Russian-held rear of Kherson Oblast, southern Ukraine. According to the unit's statement on social media, the system had been used to attack civilians in Kherson and Mykolaiv oblasts. Ukrainska Pravda also reported on the operation.
How the operation unfolded
The unit says the operation took place a few days ago and was carried out entirely by its own personnel. Its intelligence analysts first studied Russian firing activity in the sector and identified an area where the system might be hidden.
The second step was aerial reconnaissance. The unit's crews found a shelter about 60 km from the line of contact, where they located the system.
Lasar's Group then deployed its strike teams. Bomber drone crews carried out a series of precision strikes that destroyed both the rocket launcher and the transporter-loader vehicle, leaving them as burnt-out wrecks.
The unit has also published video of the operation. The details come from the unit's own statement and could not be independently verified from the source.
