Ukrainian drones destroy Russian Smerch-2 rocket launcher in Donetsk Oblast
Soldiers of the 63rd Separate Mechanized Brigade, part of the Steel Lions unit, shared footage on Feb. 11 showing a rare Russian Smerch-2 anti-submarine rocket launcher being destroyed by drones in the Lyman sector of the front line in Donetsk Oblast.
Drones have played a pivotal role for both Ukraine and Russia throughout the full-scale invasion, used extensively for reconnaissance and combat operations.
According to the brigade’s statement, Russian forces had mounted a Smerch-2 anti-submarine rocket launcher on a Ural vehicle and concealed it in the forests of the Lyman sector before it was targeted and destroyed.
Ukraine has developed and deployed a wide range of aerial, naval, and ground-based drones for battlefield operations. Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said Kyiv delivered more than 200,000 domestically produced drones to front-line units in December alone.
The Smerch-2 is a Soviet-era rocket and bomb launcher designed to destroy submarines and attack torpedoes. It features a stationary installation with 12 radially arranged 213 mm caliber barrels and was adopted by the Soviet Navy in 1961.
Kateryna Denisova
