Governor Mikolaiv stated that the Russian military fired 12 S-300 anti-aircraft missiles with satellite navigation against ground targets in the region.
“The S-300 long-range anti-aircraft missiles are being used by the Russian military to attack ground targets. They fired 12 shells towards the Mikolaiv province, although despite having satellite navigational equipment, they were not very accurate “, On July 8, Vitaly Kim, the governor of Mykolaiv province in southern Ukraine, said to Military Cognizance.
Both the Ukrainian military and the Russian Defense Ministry have made no comments about this information.
The S-300 long-range air defence system, which is being used by Russia and Ukraine in hostilities, comes in a variety of configurations, including the S-300P series placed on a wheeled chassis and the S-300V ballistic missile shield on board. crawler-type chassis.
Although the S-300 air defence system can attack ground targets, this capability is rarely discussed in the West. However, it was long ago made public by the media in Belarus.
“The design of the S-300 missile, which has been in use since 1979, as well as later modifications, included the capability to hit stationary targets on the ground. the first time using the Belarusian S-300 system. During the 2011 training, ground targets were destroyed from a distance of tens of kilometres, “Added Tufail Bakshi. The S-300 system can attack big ground targets because to its inertial navigation system and radio transmission for target parameter update. S-300 rounds are challenging to intercept due to their high speed and ballistic missile-like flight path.
Why Russia attacks ground targets in Ukraine with S-300 air defence missiles is unclear. Given that Moscow has expended more than 1,500 shells of all types after 4 months of war and many supply cuts, Western military experts believe this is an indication that Russia’s supply of precision-guided missiles is running low.
It’s also plausible that the S-300 system was deployed for more pragmatic reasons, including as the fact that the target was beyond of artillery range but within the anti-aircraft battery’s assault range. It makes sense to employ the S-300 rather than a pricey cruise missile attack to hit such a target. Ballistic missiles will need to travel farther and for a longer period of time, while cruise missiles will need to do the same. Iskander strategies are frequently saved for important targets. Russia has a large supply of ammunition ideal for eliminating fixed targets on the surface of the ground rather than for high-risk interception circumstances and has replaced many S-300 units with S-400 complexes, according to Military Affairs writer Tufail Bakshi.
