This footage purports to show a Russian ‘Tornado’ multiple launch rocket system allegedly operating in Ukraine.
The footage was obtained from the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) on Monday, July 25, along with a short statement claiming that the images show the “combat work of crews of Smerch multiple launch rocket systems of the Central Military District performing combat missions as part of a special military operation.”
The Russian MoD also claimed: “In the course of completing tasks, the crews of the Smerch MLRS combat vehicles marched to firing positions and, after transmitting coordinates from unmanned aircraft, launched a 300-mm rocket attack on the positions and field warehouse of Ukrainian nationalists.”
The BM-30 Smerch – ‘Tornado’ or ‘Whirlwind’ in Russian – is a heavy self-propelled multiple rocket launcher that was first designed in the Soviet Union.
We have not been able to independently verify the claims or the footage.
Zenger News contacted the Russian Ministry of Defense for further comment, as well as the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, but had not received a reply at the time of writing.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 in what the Kremlin is calling a “special military operation”. Tuesday marks the 153rd day of the invasion.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between February 24 and July 26, Russia had lost about 39,870 personnel, 1,737 tanks, 3,959 armored combat vehicles, 880 artillery units, 258 multiple launch rocket systems, 117 air defense systems, 222 warplanes, 189 helicopters, 722 drones, 174 cruise missiles, 15 warships, 2,835 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 75 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower, but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
Ukraine has said that it hopes to begin exporting grain again via its ports in the coming days.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of “barbarism” after the port of Odesa, on the Black Sea, was hit by a missile.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that he expects both Ukraine and Russia to uphold the recently signed grain export agreement.
Russian energy company Gazprom has said that it will once again cut gas supplies to the EU through its main pipeline from Wednesday. It has attributed the move to maintenance work.
President Zelensky has called on Europe to hit back against Russia’s “gas war”.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that his country’s primary goal is to topple the Ukrainian government.
Ukraine has said that it destroyed 50 Russian ammunition depots using US-supplied HIMARS light multiple rocket launchers on Monday.
The Ukrainian authorities have credited the systems, which were delivered in late June, with having helped them turn the war in their favor by helping them to undermine Russian logistics and slow down the invader’s offensive ability.
Two American citizens who were killed in Ukraine in early July have been named as Luke Lucyszyn and Bryan Young. They were killed when they were ambushed by a Russian tank on July 18, according to their Ukrainian commander, Ruslan Miroshnichenko.
