On Tuesday morning, according to eyewitnesses, a rocket hit a Russian ammunition depot north of Crimea, in the town of Novoolexiyivka in the Ukrainian region of Kherson. The unusual thing about it: the impact was more than 150 kilometers behind the Russian front line. So far, the Ukrainian troops have been able to hit targets at a maximum distance of 80 kilometers, presumably with the long-range rocket launchers Himar from the USA and Mars II from Germany.
The next attack came on Tuesday afternoon: the Russian “Saki Air Base” near the city of Novofedorivka in Crimea was allegedly fired upon by the Ukrainian army. The air force base is around 200 kilometers from the front – Ukrainian missiles have not yet reached that far. The two attacks fuel rumors that Ukrainian troops have been outfitted with new, even more powerful weapons that give them greater advantages.
On Monday, Pentagon top official Colin Kahl announced that the new US arms package to Ukraine – the largest to date – includes anti-radar missiles that could be fired by Ukrainian planes. It is said to be the AGM-88 HARM high-speed anti-radar missile. It can hit targets at a distance of 25 to 150 kilometers. The $1 billion package also includes additional ammunition for the Himars and Nasams missile launch systems and 1,000 Javelin anti-tank missiles.
The attack in Cherson now suggests that the missile is already deployed. This should also be documented by pictures on Russian Telegram channels. The images are said to show smashed parts of the missile, also known as the “radar killer”, apparently in the vicinity of Russian positions in Ukraine. The origin of the images has not yet been publicly documented, but the images of the missile’s rear fins show the code printed on them, which suggests the AGM-88. It is also unclear whether the pictures really come from Ukraine, as the surrounding area cannot be seen. It is possible that Russia has manipulated images to accuse the US and NATO of wanting to intervene in the war with large arms shipments, weapons expert Tyler Rogoway writes in The Drive magazine.
Ukraine is said to have confirmed the delivery of such weapons. Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov reportedly told members of the press that unspecified anti-radar missiles would be delivered to Ukraine. “We will receive special anti-radar missiles, which we did not have before. With it, we can effectively destroy their radar system and essentially blind the enemy, giving us an opportunity to gain an advantage for a counterattack,” said Reznikov.
“The AGM-88 would be a real threat,” believes weapons expert Tyler Rogoway. The weapons expert Thomas C. Theiner also writes on Twitter that this missile can also be guided to the target with the help of GPS satellites, even if these no longer emit radio waves. “That means even if the Russians turn off their radars, they have no chance of escaping the AGM-88.” If the Russians leave their radio frequencies on, “Ukraine will destroy them all with AGM-88s,” Theiner said.
The AGM-88 HARM has been in the US Arms Depot since 1983. For the maximum range of 150 kilometers, the missile is ideally shot down by a fighter jet. This is consistent with Pentagon official Kahl’s statement that the “radar killers” are to be launched by Ukrainian planes. “Many suspect that these missiles may have been integrated into upgraded Ukrainian fighter jets,” journalist Stefano D’Urso told The Aviationist magazine. However, Ukrainian fighter jets would have to be modified for this, according to weapons expert Tyler Rogoway. Theiner also says that the AGM-88 can be used in programmed mode if the missile’s target is set to before launch. Rogoway writes in The Drive magazine that the missile is better able to pick up radar signals from the air and thus determine the direction or even the exact position of the position. However, Rogoway believes that Russian air defenses would face greater threats if the Ukrainians fired the missile from ramps on the ground.
