Ukraine Uses HIMARS to Destroy Advanced Russian Missile System—Reports

Ukrainian-operated HIMARS has destroyed part of one of Russia's most advanced anti-aircraft missile systems, according to reports on social media.

A HIMARS, or High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, struck a 55K6E mobile command post, which forms part of Russia's S-400 long-range surface-to-air missile system, posts and images posted online suggest.

Newsweek could not independently verify the footage and has reached out to the Ukrainian defense ministry, Ukrainian General Staff of the Armed Forces and Russia's Defense Ministry via email for comment.

Although it is difficult to confirm these reports at this stage, this is "exactly the sort of equipment that HIMARS would be used to target," military expert David Hambling told Newsweek.

Photographs of a destroyed vehicle, reportedly taken in Ukraine's contested southern Kherson region, appear to show a successful hit on what Hambling described as the "brains of the [S-400] system," adding: "Taking this one vehicle out is an effective way of disabling a battery."

The S-400 system is "very high value, usually located well behind the front lines where other artillery cannot reach, and destroying it will improve the tactical position by allowing Ukrainian drones and aircraft to fly more freely," he said.

The S-400 has reportedly been used by Russian forces to intercept the rockets fired by HIMARS, he added, saying: "So this might have been a straight duel between the two systems."

"The S-400 may have shot down several incoming rockets, but missing one was enough to seal its fate," Hambling said.

Russia developed the S-400 system to replace the older S-300, although both are still in use. The S-400 Triumpf, also known by its NATO reporting name SA-21 Growler, is a mobile platform that the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a U.S. think tank, describes as "roughly comparable to the U.S. Patriot system."

"There's a direct comparison with the US -supplied Patriot batteries dueling with Russian Kinzhal missiles launched at them in Kyiv," Hambling said.

Russian state military exporter Rosoboronexport described the S-400 as capable of destroying all types of airborne targets and ballistic missiles. It has an estimated range of around 400 kilometers, or approximately 250 miles, and went into service in 2007, according to Russian state media.

As of Wednesday, Dutch open-source outlet Oryx logged that just one S-400 mobile surface-to-air missile system had been destroyed since February 2022. However, this count only includes visually confirmed losses, so the count may be higher.

The U.S. has provided 38 HIMARS to Ukraine in its military aid packages, in addition to ammunition for the artillery systems. Washington also sent one Patriot air defense battery to the Ukrainian armed forces.

Ukraine's air force has previously suggested that Russia is making increased use of its S-300 and S-400 missile systems to make up for a shortage of ballistic missiles.