Ukraine targets Russian Buk‑M3 with HIMARS near Kursk

As reported by Reuters on September 23, Russian forces managed to slow but not stop Ukrainian units leading the offensive in the Kursk region. Significantly, the Ukrainians decided to use Western weaponry on Russian territory. This time, there is evidence of the use of American HIMARS rocket artillery, considered one of the best in the world.

In this instance, the "American god of war" targeted the Russian Buk-M3 air defense system. Based on the online recording, analysts estimated that two elements of this Russian complex were destroyed—the 9A316M and the 9A317M launchers.

The Ukrainians utilized missiles typically launched from the HIMARS, which they were supplied with. They used rockets from the GMLRS family, which have a range of about 50 miles. Thanks to a guidance system based on inertial and satellite navigation, these rockets provide high precision in hitting designated targets.

The Buk-M3, on the other hand, is the latest version of the surface-to-air missile system, developed based on solutions created in the USSR in the late '70s. The Buk-M3 complexes have been serving in the Russian army since 2015. The loss of each of these systems is significant because the Russians do not have large reserves of this type of weaponry.

The Buk-M3 is designed, according to its developers, to combat various types of targets, including aircraft, drones, and even ballistic missiles. Its range depends on the target and the missiles used. It can reach up to about 43 miles, although this range significantly decreases with fast-moving objects.

Previous reports and accounts from the Kursk region indicated that the Ukrainian units sent there also use American Stryker armored vehicles, Polish Oncilla armored personnel carriers, PT-91 Twardy tanks, Challenger 2 and Leopard 2A6 tanks, and German Marder 1A3 infantry fighting vehicles.