Ukraine's Bold Offensive: Massive Soviet Air Defense Missiles and Dramatic Missile Strike on Russian Army Base
Ukraine may have repurposed its Soviet-era S-200 air defense missiles for land-attack missions, as evidenced by a missile believed to be a V-880 Vega impacting a sawmill in Russia. While Russia claims to have defeated multiple S-200 attacks, Ukrainian officials have neither confirmed nor denied these claims. Ukraine had retired its S-200s a decade ago but was thought to retain a few batteries. The lack of photos showing S-200 launchers may be due to operational security. If the reports are accurate, it is surprising for Ukraine to use air defense missiles for land attacks, considering the ongoing aerial threats from Russia. The S-200 missiles, with their supersonic speed and large warheads, could pose interception challenges and have a potential ground attack range of 250-310 miles.