KYIV, ($1=30.25 Ukrainian Hryvnias) — Ukraine claims that the Ukrainian armed forces use 227mm M270 multiple launch rocket system [MLRS] and M142 high mobility artillery rocket system [HIMARS] delivered from the US. The Ukrainian online publication Defense Express says that the GUR-Ukraine reported to the Ukrainian army headquarters that the armed forces are already using the most modern MLRS provided by partners.
“According to the wounded occupiers: units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine used the latest MLRS models provided by partner countries, which caused horror and panic among personnel,” the report said, according to the Defense Express. Ukrainian intelligence has attached a photo of the M270 [there is no confirmed information on whether the attached photo is from the battlefields of Ukraine].
The GUR-Ukraine says that on the night of April 22-23, Ukrainian troops used the “latest MLRS” to attack Russian positions near Novobahmutka in the Donetsk region. According to the GUR-Ukraine report, at least 50 Russian soldiers have been wounded and hospitalized, and a large number of them are in critical condition. Some were killed, according to the Defense Express, but did not specify the number killed.
There is no evidence [not yet officially confirmed] that Ukraine is using the M270 MLRS and M142 HIMARS, but here is what the Defense Express says: “The Central Intelligence Agency of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine may be able to provide inside information on the arrival and deployment of the M270 and M142 HIMARS launchers in Ukraine. Representatives of the United States mentioned this weapon several times, and it was also on the list of necessary weapons from Ukraine, which Zelensky said two weeks ago.”
M270 MLRS and M142 HIMARS
The two weapon systems have their differences, but they also have many similarities. The main difference between the M270 and M142 is the chassis they use and the rocket pack they can launch. I.e. the rocket package of the M270 is twice that of the M142.
Both missile systems have a caliber of 227mm. The M270 and M142 use [but are not limited to] the MGM-140 army tactical missile system [ATACMS] which is actually a surface-to-surface missile and is manufactured by Lockheed Martin. In both missile systems, the effective and maximum range is identical: 300 km effective and 500 km maximum in precision strike missiles.
The M270 and M142 can cover a distance of 480 km on a single refueling.
MGM-140 ATACMS is in service in four countries: the United States, South Korea, Greece, and Turkey. It was built in 1986 but entered service in the early 1990s. Participation in the wars in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq has been officially documented.
The MGM-140 ATACMS weighs 1,670 kg. Develops maximum speed Max 3 and has integrated a system for GPS-aided inertial navigation guidance. The missile is used only by M270 and M142.
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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