UK-supplied Brimstone missile used in Ukraine failed to explode
KYIV, ($1=30.25 Ukrainian Hryvnias) — Every day, more photos from Ukraine’s battlefields prove that Britain has delivered Brimstone ground or air-launched ground attack missiles to help the Ukrainian army, which has continued to defend itself against the Russian invasion since February 24.
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This time, the Brimstone rocket failed to explode and fell before reaching its target. Sources claim that the missile was found in Zaporizhzhya Oblast, Ukraine. The photos show that the rocket was manufactured in June 2004. BulgarianMilitary.com reminds us that in this period 18 years ago a large part of the parts for Brimstone were delivered from the USA.
The guidance system and warhead of the unexploded Brimstone were most likely manufactured in the United States in February 2004, as written on the plate. The WHD designation is often associated with the American warhead fuze designation, and the AAW designation means Anti Air Warfare system. These designations are described in detail in the Hazard classification of US military Explosives, which you can read here.
This rocket is powered by a solid-fuel rocket engine and according to its description it was manufactured in September 2001 by Alliant Techsystems, Inc. – an American aerospace and defense company based in Arlington County, Virginia, USA. However, the company no longer exists after it ceased operations in 2015 and was succeeded by Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems and Vista Outdoor. The HIA designation on the plate is the manufacturer code for Alliant Techsystems, Inc.
For the first time, BulgarianMilitary.com reported on the use of the British-delivered Brimstone rocket on May 6. Russian sources showed photos of the British rocket, but they show that, unlike this one (2004), the first one exploded.
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 21 February 2022, the Russian government claimed that Ukrainian shelling had destroyed an FSB border facility on the Russia Ukraine border, and claimed that it had killed 5 Ukrainian soldiers who tried to cross into Russian territory. Ukraine denied being involved in both incidents and called them a false flag.
On the same day, the Russian government formally recognized the self-proclaimed DPR and LPR as independent states, according to Putin not only in their de-facto controlled areas, but the Ukrainian Oblasts as a whole, and Putin ordered Russian troops, including tanks, to enter the regions.
On 24 February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an invasion of Ukraine by Russian Armed Forces previously concentrated along the border. The invasion followed by targeted airstrikes of military buildings in the country, as well as tanks entering via the Belarus border.
Russia has so far not recognized the invasion of Ukraine as a “war”, although that is exactly what it is, claiming that it is a “special military operation”. According to the UN, in which Russia has its permanent representation, for military action to be defined as a “special military operation”, it must have a resolution issued by the UN. There is no such resolution, which automatically defines the military actions of the Russians as an invasion and war against the citizens of Ukraine.
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