AFU destroys the position of Russian artillery with a cluster shell

Rupture of submunitions and the destruction of the Russian BM-21 Grad MRL. August 2023. Ukraine. A frame from the video of the Shadow unit

In the Donetsk region, Ukrainian artillery neutralized the position with rocket launchers of the invaders with a cluster shell.

The engagement was shown by the soldiers from the 55th Artillery Brigade.

An aerial reconnaissance unit “Shadow” was also involved in the operation.

Russian BМ-21 MRLs were spotted on the outskirts of the village of Yasynuvata.

The invaders conducted artillery fire near the civilian houses of this settlement.

To destroy them, the defenders used a cluster shell, which released its submunitions at the position.

As a result, the submunitions affected the MRL’s rockets, followed by their detonation and a powerful explosion.

The military said that one launcher was completely destroyed, and the second one suffered damage.

Presumably, the military used western M864 and M483A1 cluster shells that are in service with Ukrainian artillery.

M864 and M483A1 cluster shells of the Ukrainian military. Summer 2023. Ukraine. Photo credits: War Noir

72 bomblets of the M864 are placed in the projectile. These are 48 small M42 HEAT-Frag bomblets and 24 larger M46s. In turn, the M483A1 has M42 submunitions in the amount of 64 units, and M46 in the amount of 24 units.

Each of the М42/М46 submunitions has a zone of continuous destruction of 10 square meters. But the debris action is effective within a radius of 50 meters from the place of rupture of the submunition.

Rupture of submunitions before the destruction of the Russian position by a cluster shell. August 2023. Ukraine. A frame from the video of the Shadow unit

When the submunitions disperse in a circle and explode, they create a zone of continuous destruction and a zone of fragmentation. Therefore, the impact zone of the cluster shells looks like a circle.

7 comments

  1. That was pretty spectacular. Those cluster bombs certainly know how to fry orcs. Interesting the location this took place is Yasynuvata, which is 6km East of Avdiivka, well inside orc controlled territory.

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