Territorial defence neutralises third Russian Pantsir missile system
Denys Karlovsky – Monday, 7 March 2022, 16:29
Territorial defence fighters have destroyed another Russian Pantsir-S1 self-propelled anti-aircraft gun and missile system – the third in 10 days.
Source: Vitaliy Kim, Head of the Mykolayiv Regional Military Administration, on Telegram
According to Kim: "Bashtansk territorial defence sets a record. The third Pantsir in 10 days. Amazing!"
Details: In the video, the Pantsir seems to get stuck in a strip of forest. Fighters behind the scenes say that it was shot at, and then ran aground in the mud.
The person filming the video says Ukrainian troops were going to destroy it.
Additionally, at 16:25 (Kyiv time) Kim said that after a tank battle near Kulbakino airfield, about 20 Russian servicemen fled to the forest near the village of Balovne. According to Kim, they will look to hide in private homes until they are picked up by helicopters.
Kim urged locals to call 102, and let operators know if they see any fleeing Russian soldiers. He also asked that if residents of the Mykolayiv region come across Russian soldiers, to demand that the invaders lay down their arms and surrender.
Background: The Pantsir-S1 is Russia’s latest self-propelled anti-aircraft gun and missile system, which can be deployed on land and on warships. It is equipped with modern weapons to destroy any targets in the air in order to protect civilian and military facilities. During development, it was colloquially known as "Tunguska."
According to open data, the Russian Armed Forces have a total of at least 68 such complexes.
Some experts estimate that the export price of these systems could be as high as $20 million.
Earlier:
- At the beginning of the full-scale war on 25 February, Ukrainian defenders shot at a Russian Pantsir-S1 near Kharkiv, which the invading forces abandoned while fleeing.
- On 2 March, civilians in Bashtanka in the Mykolayiv region stormed occupiers and reclaimed another Pantsir, setting it on fire.
- Earlier this afternoon [7 March], Kim reported that a battle was being fought for the Kulbakino airport near Mykolayiv between Russian occupying forces and Ukrainian troops.
