File image.
The Kiev regime attacked civilians in the city of Lugansk with five ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles, Russia’s Defense Ministry said on June 7.
“At 11:00 a.m. Moscow time [8:00 a.m. GMT], the Kiev regime committed a crime against civilians of the Lugansk People’s Republic with Western-supplied weapons. It delivered a deliberate strike by five United States-made ATACMS missiles against residential areas of the city of Lugansk,” the ministry said in a statement.
Russian air defense systems shot down four out of five missiles. However, the last missile hit two apartment buildings in Lugansk, according to the ministry.
“As a result, more than 20 civilians, among them children, were injured, according to preliminary information,” the ministry said.
Videos posted to social networks showed large blasts in Lugansk’s residential areas and dark smoke rising from multi-story buildings.
The missile strike came following an overnight Ukrainian drone attack that targeted the Crimean Peninsula and four other Russian regions. The attack was however foiled by Russian air defenses, which intercepted over two dozen drones.
Kiev forces first deployed the ATACMS in October of last year. At the time, Ukraine received a limited number of ATACMS missiles from the U.S. However, the missiles were of the older M39 Block I version, which has a range of 165 kilometers. This version is armed with a cluster warhead with 950 M74 bomblets. This batch was quickly used within a few weeks.
In April, Kiev forces resumed attacks with ATACMS missiles after receiving around a hundred units in secret from the U.S. These missiles were however of a newer version with a longer-range.
It is still unclear what was the version supplied to Ukraine. The U.S. might have supplied the M39A1 Block I which is armed with a cluster warhead with 300 M74 bomblets but has a range of 300 kilometers, or with the M48 QRU and M57 Block IA Unitary versions which are both armed with WAU-23/B unitary warheads and have a range of 270 and 300 kilometers respectively.
The attack on Lugansk was not apparently carried out using a mix of the older and newer versions of the missile as there were reports of cluster munitions at the scene in addition to the initial large blasts.
Recent Ukrainian ATACMS attacks were not that successful which indicates that Russian air defenses have begun to intercept the missile effectively.
The Kiev regime apparently understands this. Last month, Ivan Stupak, an adviser to the Ukrainian parliament’s national security, defense and intelligence committee, said that Kiev forces have only up to two months before the Russian military adapts to the ATACMS.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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
targeting civilians is a sign of weakness. like israel. israel and ukraine have much in common. both led by jewish freaks. this will only make ukraine’s case in front of the world non existent.
this is not a dance israel will never face any consequence
tak toto si ozaj žiada odplatu!!! treba udrieť tvrdo a rázne, bez zľutovania. a treba recipročne vyzbrojiť tých čo vedú vojnu proti darebáckemu štátu usa!!! treba ich tak isto plne podporiť ako to robia usa!!! aký požičaj taký vráť!!! svetu mier!!!
making a basic assumption here… when the u.$./nato contingent inside ukraine manning their own weapons fire on targets both inside russia and ukraine. does russia have the means to decisively track the origin and location(s) latitude and longitude to destroy each of them once located?
and if not “why not” given their satellites and air defense ew capabilities. or are they permitting the casualties (much like crocus hall) in order to garner further support both inside and outside the country?
houttis continue launching missile and drones despite us capabilities to track the origin and location…while hbz destroyed an iron dome system despite israeli attacks…
the russian military aren’t “houthis”…
no, the comparation is about russia = us and houtis = ukraine.
the russians don’t have a satellite constellation that can provide real time data. instead they have dual citizen oligarchs with 350 million dollar yachts.
this is what happens when you are not serious russia can prove that they are find the nearest city where the missiles were launched from and carpet bomb it
exactly! and the question remains after million both dead and displaced since maidan 2014…
“why”???
pardon “million(s)” both dead and displaced since maidan 2014…
the millions soon to turn into a billion once the nukes start flying. but not to worry, still 3 seconds left to doomsday on the clock.
there are only two locations where these weapons are coming from lyiv or odessa russia chose one and carpet bomb the entire city
if the bridges over the dnieper were destroyed it would be much more difficult for the americans to do things like this.
what america the evil empire and its evil minions do best, target civilians. it’s part of their evil doctrine of exceptionalism.
for those in doubt, show me a war that america fought where it didn’t purposely target civilians. can’t, can you?