A video circulates on social networks of a Russian soldier destroying an S-300 missile launcher from Ukraine, using an unconventional method: shooting with a machine gun. What could go wrong?
In the images, the soldier is seen lying next to a tree with a PKM machine gun pointed at the Ukrainian Forces S-300 long-range missile launcher.
A Russian soldier destroys a captured Ukrainian S-300 TEL using a fairly interesting method. pic.twitter.com/Oy9XvHLcD5
- OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) July 6, 2022
He cocks the gun, fires, and the result is as expected. Instantly the four missiles explode, showering the Russians with shrapnel and rocket fuel.
It is not known whether the Russians were injured or even survived the explosion. It is also unclear whether the Ukrainian missile launcher was captured because it was bogged down or even out of fuel.
The fact is that the Russians managed to disable the vehicle and its missiles, albeit in an “unorthodox” way. The video also shows that shooting at a missile with a machine gun at close range is, to say the least, a very bad idea.
Even so, it is still a blow against the invaded country's air defenses, increasingly scarce in the face of the enormous Russian arsenal (which also suffered heavy blows in the military campaign in Ukraine).
The S-300 is a long-range anti-aircraft missile system. Dubbed the SA-10 Grumble by NATO, the S-300 was developed in the 1970s in the former Soviet Union, remaining a serious threat to this day thanks to numerous upgrades.
The vehicle exploded in the video is a TEL (Transport Erector Launcher), responsible for transporting and launching the missiles. Depending on the variant, an S-300 battery can consist of a command and control vehicle, two other air target search and tracking radars and multiple TELs.
A Slovakia donated a complete S-300PMU battery in April. Until now it is not known how many of these missiles are left in service in Ukraine. Anyway, the country is already starting to use western systems, like the North American NASAMS and German IRIS-T SLM.
