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By Maya Mehrara
News Reporter
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A Ukrainian High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) missile has destroyed one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's Grad systems, according to videos shared on social media platform Bluesky.
It wasn't Ukraine's first time using U.S.-made HIMARS missiles to blow up a Grad system, which is a self-propelled multiple rocket launcher, and this attack reportedly hit a BM-21 Grad missile system in Zaporizhzhia, according to the Ukrainian news outlet Censor.net.
Ukraine's attempt to weaken Russia's arsenal further highlights the increasing tensions between the two warring countries at a time when Moscow is in need of weapons and manpower. In October, Russia's equipment losses in Ukraine reached a two-year high, with the invading country having lost more equipment than any other month since the war began in February 2022.
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Newsweek, which was unable to independently verify the video, reached out to the Ukrainian and Russian defense ministries for comment via email.
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Yuri Butusov, Censor.net's editor-in-chief, posted the video of the attack on Telegram and wrote that reports said two members of Russia's crew were injured, and one was killed.
The HIMARS system is a long-range, mobile, precision-fire launcher that can carry a variety of munitions, according to its manufacturer, Lockheed Martin. Each one can launch six rockets in quick succession, striking targets up to 50 miles away and effectively reach Russian troop formations, command centers and logistics nodes.
As of June, the U.S. had supplied approximately 39 HIMARS systems to Ukraine since the beginning of the war.
Ukraine previously hit two Russian BM-21 Grad systems near the Moscow-controlled Luhansk city of Kreminna in February by using U.S.-supplied Ground Launched Small Diameter Bombs (GLSDBs), which can strike targets up to 90 miles away.
Following the detonation of the two Russian BM-21 Grad systems, a Russian military blogger alleged that Ukraine used HIMARS to fire the GLSDB.
Ukraine also destroyed several Soviet era BM-21 Grad units near Bakhmut, a city in Donetsk, in July and a post with footage of the attack said that "all enemy equipment and personnel were destroyed."
HIMARS was also used to hit one of Moscow's most prized assets, the Buk missile launcher, in October, effectively destroying it.
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have increased since President Joe Biden authorized Ukraine to use long-range weapons to conduct deep-strikes into Russian territory, and Putin updated Russia's nuclear doctrine. The world is waiting for the Trump administration to take over in January, with the president-elect keen to end the conflict.
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