File image.
The Russian military’s Sever [North] Group of Forces struck several targets of Kiev forces in the Kharkiv direction with Tornado-S multiple rocket launchers, the Ministry of Defense announced on July 29.
In a brief statement, the ministry said that the targets included combat vehicles, an ammunition depot, a drone command post, and a gathering of troops.
The Tornado-S is a deeply upgraded version of the Soviet-era BM-30 Smerch 300 mm launcher. Video footage released by the ministry indicates that 9М542-series precision-guided artillery rockets were used in the strikes on Kiev forces in Kharkiv.
9М542-series rockets are guided by a GLONASS-aided inertial navigation system and have a maximum range of up to 120 kilometers. The rockets are armed with a cluster munitions warhead or a high-explosive fragmentation warhead.
The Tornado-S was put in use since the start of the special military operation in Ukraine. However, recent months saw a notable increase in attacks with 9М542-series on Kiev forces, which indicates an increase in the production of these rockets.
9М542-series rockets fill the gap between longer-range precision-guided projectiles, like Iskander-M tactical ballistic missiles, and lighter systems like Lancet loitering munitions and Krasnopol guided artillery shells. At the same time, they are faster to deploy than air-launched systems like UMPK-equipped guided glide bombs.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence
NOW hosted at southfront.press
Previously, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.org.
The .org domain name had been blocked by the US (NATO) (https://southfront.press/southfront-org-blocked-by-u-s-controlled-global-internet-supervisor/) globally, outlawed and without any explanation
Back before that, from 2013 to 2015, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.com
