Russia Destroys First Western-Supplied NASAMS In Ukraine - Defense Ministry

Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published February 03, 2023 | 08:30 PM

The Russian military destroyed the first NASAMS supplied by the West in the course of the special military operation in Ukraine in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), the Russian Defense Ministry said Friday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd February, 2023) The Russian military destroyed the first NASAMS supplied by the West in the course of the special military operation in Ukraine in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), the Russian Defense Ministry said Friday.

"One launching ramp for Tochka-U tactical missiles, and one Norwegian-manufactured NASAMS air defense missile system have been destroyed near (the city of) Krasnoarmeysk (Krasnoarmiisk, Pokrovsk) (Donetsk People's Republic)," the statement read.

The ministry noted that the tactical aviation, missile and artillery troops of the Russian armed forces also "neutralised 86 AFU (Armed Forces of Ukraine) artillery units at their firing positions, manpower and hardware in 103 areas."

In addition, the Russian military destroyed an Acacia self-propelled howitzer and two Gvozdika self-propelled artillery launchers, as well as a US-made HIMARS multiple rocket launcher system, near the Kherson region.

Three Ukrainian military ammunition depots near the settlements of Kozatske, Mykolaivka and Mykhailivka were also hit, according to the statement.

In November, the Pentagon confirmed that the first two NASAMS complexes had been delivered to Ukraine, and Ukrainian military had completed training on their use in Europe. In January, Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand announced the purchase of one more system from the US to boost Ukrainian air defense capabilities.

NASAMS is a mid-range air defense system designed and manufactured jointly by the Norwegian Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace company and Raytheon from the United States. The system was designed to identify, engage and destroy aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as to protect mass population centers against air-to-surface threats.