‘Fat Target’: Video Captures American HIMARS Striking Russian ‘Uragan’ Missile System Loader

A video circulating on social media shows an American High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) strike on a Transporter Erector Launcher (TEL) for the Russian BM-27 “Uragan” (“Hurricane”) multiple rocket launcher.

The BM-27 “Uragan” is a Soviet self-propelled 220mm multiple rocket launcher primarily used for deploying cluster munitions, boasting a maximum range of 500 kilometers.

“Exhaust from secondary volleys indicate that the launcher was loaded with ammunition,” read the caption of the video published on the Gruz 200 Ukrainian military Telegram channel.

The drone footage shows the TEL driving into a shelter, followed by an explosion and a thick cloud of smoke, culminating in a ball of flames. Subsequent smaller explosions suggest the probable detonation of the ammunition.

Kyiv Post could not independently verify the date and location of the footage. It is also impossible to confirm from the video that it depicts the TEL for the Russian “Uragan.”

In a conversation with Kyiv Post, a Ukrainian aerial scout disclosed that the Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crew, allegedly behind enemy lines, discovered and coordinated the HIMARS strike on the 9T452 TEL.

According to him, such a TEL allows for quick reloading of 220mm shells for the BM-27 Uragan.

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“The targeting of such launchers is called a ‘fat target’ by the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine because this equipment is part of the logistics for delivering the enemy’s ammunition,” the Ukrainian aerial scout told Kyiv Post.

“Considering that such equipment is hidden deep in the rear, discovering the launcher was quite a feat,” he added.

The Ukrainian military officer confirmed that after the targeted hit on the 9T452 TEL, the launcher’s ammunition detonated. He suggested that the large number of tracks on the ground near the detonation site indicates it was a field warehouse for storing ammunition and the location of Russian military personnel servicing the equipment.

“I think that near the 9T452 TEL, enemy personnel necessary for reloading, including a gunner and a commander, were present,” he said.

“Maybe they even managed to launch two rockets, which then exploded. At the end of the video, a column of smoke from the ignition of rocket jet fuel can be seen. I believe both personnel and a hidden ammunition kit were destroyed,” the Ukrainian aerial scout suggested.

The Special Operations Forces of Ukraine (SSO) have periodically reported the successful destruction of Russian military equipment and personnel using American HIMARS systems.

For example, SSO fighters recently announced the destruction of a Russian Hyacinth-S 152-mm self-propelled gun (2S5) and a Buk missile system using the HIMARS system. Additionally, the SSO reported the destruction of the Zhitel Russian electronic warfare complex with HIMARS.

Since the first deliveries of the US-made M142 HIMARS to Ukraine in June 2022, Russian forces have hunted these systems and frequently claimed to have destroyed them.

Less than a month after the first systems arrived, Reuters reported a Kremlin claim that between July 5 and 20, “four launchers and one reloading vehicle for the US-made multiple launch rocket systems (HIMARS) were destroyed.”

Both Kyiv and Washington rejected Moscow's claims, labeling them “fakes” intended to undermine support for Ukraine.

Despite these assertions, Kyiv maintained that many of Russia's claims were based on sophisticated decoys manufactured by the Ukrainian company Metinvest. These decoys, built from scrap materials, successfully fooled Russian operators into wasting artillery, drones, and missiles on false targets.

Footage posted on Ukrainian and Russian social media in early March was different however. It showcased a vehicle remarkably similar to a HIMARS, likely followed by secondary explosions from at least one of its 227mm M30/31 rockets.

While the incident has not been verified by Ukrainian authorities, it seems likely that the video depicted the actual destruction of a HIMARS vehicle and its missiles, unless Metinvest's decoys have become even more sophisticated than before.