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At the end of April 2024, Ukrainian forces launched a furious offensive against Russian forces entrenched in Crimea with the help of sophisticated US Army tactical missile systems.
This unexpected onslaught, like a heavy punch, caught the Russian army off guard.
The Ukrainian side proudly claimed that their actions not only succeeded in destroying Russian S-400 and S-300 air defense systems, but also ignited raging fires in many corners of Crimea, and the sound of explosions shook the world one after another.
According to some unofficial sources, at least four S-400 launchers were wiped out by Ukrainian precision strikes.
In the face of Ukraine's fierce offensive, US National Security Adviser John Kirby openly questioned Russia's claims that it had successfully intercepted missiles, which was tantamount to a resounding slap in the face to Russia.
And by May 4, the Russian Ministry of Defense had to admit that their air defense systems had indeed failed to fully withstand the Ukrainian missile offensive, with three ATACMS missiles breaking through the defensive line.
Analysts have speculated that this may be a foreshadowing for Ukraine's possible attack on the Crimean bridge.
At the same time, the Ukrainian army was not satisfied with the blow to Crimea, they keenly seized the gap in the heavy defense of Crimea by the Russian army, and instead launched a thunderous raid on a Russian training base in Luhansk Oblast.
This is the first time that the Ukrainian army has used ATACMS missiles to directly deliver a lethal strike on Russian military personnel.
As can be seen from the video materials transmitted from the scene, the Ukrainian army launched four missiles in a row in just over 90 seconds, precisely aiming at the training base of the Russian army that was preparing for the attack on Kharkko.
The missiles, which were loaded with a large number of M74 anti-personnel/equipment submunitions, caused huge casualties to Russian soldiers at the training base, with more than 110 soldiers falling in a hail of bullets and multiple military vehicles destroyed beyond recognition.
This action not only demonstrates the bravery and decisiveness of the Ukrainian army, but also exposes serious loopholes in Russia's military deployment.
Ukrainian military officials proudly say that their attack is aimed at cutting off the Russian offensive in the Luhansk region, stressing that they will use all available forces to smash into the rear of enemy forces and prevent them from gathering forces and advancing to the front line.
The importance of this strategic initiative cannot be overstated.
Through the frequent use of the US Army tactical missile system, the Ukrainian army has demonstrated their diverse tactical layout and excellent response capabilities.
Especially in the face of the S-300 and S-400 air defense systems, which the Russian army boasts of being able to effectively intercept surface-to-surface missiles, the Ukrainian army is even more adept.
Despite Russia's claims that its air defense system successfully intercepted some of the missiles, published photos of missile wreckage have been mocked because they look more like stones than fragments of advanced weapons.
From a technical point of view, although the S-400 system is designed to have a strong interception capability, it has exposed problems such as slow response speed and low deployment density in actual combat.
These problems are especially acute in the context of the border engagement with Ukraine.
In addition, due to the lack of an effective kinetic warhead, the S-400 is far from the expected performance in anti-missile operations, and is often helpless in the face of high-tech missiles such as ATACMS.
To make matters worse, Russian air defenses seem helpless against Ukraine's Hippocampus rocket artillery systems.
This allows the Ukrainian army to safely carry out missile launches in areas close to the front line, with little to no tactical risk.
This tactic not only significantly shortened the missile's flight time, but also significantly increased the accuracy and suddenness of the strike, thereby further weakening the defensive effectiveness of the Russian air defense system.
The U.S. Army tactical missile system provides strong tactical support to Ukraine, and its excellence on the battlefield speaks for itself.
In the context of modern warfare, can traditional air defense systems also effectively cope with the challenges of emerging tactics? After all, in this contest between ancient tactics and modern technology, the truth often emerges in the smoke of gunpowder.