Russia is soon to reinforce its special military operation zone in Ukraine with the latest Pantsir-SM systems. According to an informed source, air defences in the Area of Operation (AOR) of the Russian forces in Ukraine will soon be bolstered with Pantsir anti-aircraft missile and artillery system “in the latest modification”, Sputnik reported.
“It is planned that, in the near future, a batch of Pantsir anti-aircraft missile and artillery systems in the latest modification – the Pantsir-SM – will be sent to the zone of the special military operation to strengthen the air defence system,” the source told Sputnik. The system is set to counter missiles targeting Russian forces launched by “Ukrainian militants” and is effective against the American HIMARS multiple rocket launchers (MLRs) “at a significantly greater range,” the source added.
Ukraine to be the testing ground for the Pantsir-SM system
Russia plans to test the latest variant of the Pantsir self-propelled missile system in its special military operation zone in Ukraine. Notably, the Pantsir-SM variant has increased target detection range due to incorporating a multi-functional targeting station. The system’s target detection ranges from 40 to 75 km while the engagement range is from 20 to 40 km. Additionally, a new high-speed extended-range missile is used in the latest variant of the Pantsir system.
According to the source, one battery of Pantsir-SM can be equipped with 48 mini-missiles. The decision to deploy Pantsir-SM on Ukraine’s frontlines has been taken to counter Ukrainian forces and destroy “drones and self-propelled projectiles of multiple launch rocket systems of the ‘Grad’ type,” the source informed Sputnik.
Meanwhile, the latest intelligence update by the UK Ministry of Defence states that Russian forces suffered heavy causalities following a strike carried out on January 1 by Ukrainian forces on troop accommodation at Makiivka in the vicinity of Donetsk City. “Following the strike, the Russian Ministry of Defence took the rare step of publicly acknowledging it had suffered casualties, claiming 89 killed,” the UK MoD tweeted.
