Ukraine Launches Massive Strikes, Russia Shoots Down 12 Missiles

In recent developments, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported three waves of artillery rocket attacks on Belgorod, Russia. The official social media account of the ministry claimed that 17 rockets, purportedly launched by Ukraine, were successfully intercepted by Russian air defense systems. 

The weapon in question is the Vilkha multiple-launch rocket system, a notable choice considering the limited information available about its usage by Ukrainian forces since the outbreak of the Russian invasion. The Russian side asserts that local authorities reported damage and casualties in Belgorod, although no visual evidence has been provided to support these claims. According to the Russian MoD, similar rocket attacks, involving both Vilkha and Ukrainian RM-70 Vampire systems, targeted Belgorod on December 30th.

The combat application of Vilkha rocket systems by Ukrainian forces remains shrouded in mystery. There have been only two credible reports, one being a video from ArmyInform in July 2022, where a rocket system identified as Vilkha was purportedly striking Russian positions. Additionally, a now-deleted post from the Luch Design Bureau claimed that the Vilkha system had successfully carried out 50 strikes against Russian targets on March 3rd, 2022, one week after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

Notably, the Vilkha system and its modernized Vilkha-M variant are not commonly used by Ukrainian artillery forces. The system was in its final testing stage in Q4 2021 and was expected to be commissioned in 2022. Derived from the BM-30 Smerch rocket launcher, both versions of Vilkha utilize 300mm R624 rockets, with the Vilkha-M variant having a range of 110–130 km.

Russia claims to have shot down 12 Ukrainian missiles over the Belgorod Region, including six Tochka-U missiles and six Olkha missiles. The Russian Defense Ministry stated that these missiles were launched in an attempt to carry out a terrorist attack on Russian facilities. The statement highlights the ongoing tensions in the region, with both sides making claims and counterclaims about the missile strikes. 

While the Russian media has portrayed the Vilkha MLRS as a formidable weapon, the Ukrainian military has remained relatively silent about its rocket system. Official Russian reports have consistently mentioned Vilkha since July 2022, often stating that all rockets launched by the system were successfully intercepted by Russian air defense.