On October 28, Russia neutralized a series of attacks, intercepting multiple missiles and destroying 36 Ukrainian drones, TASS reported.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced on October 28 that it had successfully countered armed aggression, intercepting several missiles and eliminating 36 Ukrainian Armed Forces drones. This information was shared through an official statement broadcast by the state news agency TASS.
According to the ministry’s detailed report: “We managed to successfully attack and intercept four ATACMS, two JDAM bombs, three HARM missiles and eight US-made HIMARS projectiles .” These defensive actions underline the intense situation in the region.
In addition, Ukrainian drone activity was suppressed in areas including the villages of Proletarka and Sagi in Kherson, Valerianovka, Veseloe, Spornoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Verkhnekamenka in the Luhansk People’s Republic, and Tokmak in Zaporizhzhia, by means of destruction of 36 unmanned aircraft.
In the military context, the AGM-88 HARM (High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile) missile has vital importance in combined operations with the ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) or HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) missiles.
The primary purpose of the AGM-88 HARM is to neutralize or eliminate air defense systems that use radar signals. These, such as surface-to-air missile launchers or radar-guided anti-aircraft artillery, represent a serious threat to allied aircraft.
The AGM-88 HARM helps provide a safer operating space by disabling these radar systems, making it easier for ATACMS or HIMARS to operate effectively and achieve their assigned objectives.
During a coordinated operation, the AGM-88 HARM is deployed from aircraft to attack and destroy enemy radars. Upon launch, it uses internal sensors to locate radar emissions from enemy anti-aircraft systems.
It then attacks the source of the emissions and uses a powerful explosive charge to neutralize the threat. By disabling hostile radar systems, the AGM-88 HARM limits the adversary’s ability to identify and attack friendly aircraft or missiles, allowing ATACMS or HIMARS to operate with reduced risk of interception.
In synergy with ATACMS or HIMARS, the AGM-88 HARM offers a crucial capability to weaken or eliminate enemy air defenses, enhancing the effectiveness and survivability of joint operations.
The ATACMS is a surface-to-surface missile capable of striking distant targets, including adversary air defenses. Supported by the AGM-88 HARM, it can operate with less likelihood of being discovered or intercepted, improving opportunities to hit designated targets.
Likewise, the HIMARS is an extremely mobile rocket launch platform that can fire a variety of missiles, especially those intended for precise strikes. Coordinated use with the AGM-88 HARM provides additional protection against enemy air defenses.
The AGM-88 HARM is notable for its ability to jam or annihilate enemy radars, a crucial functionality to protect HIMARS missiles from possible attacks or interceptions. This scenario poses a significant challenge for Russia in Ukraine, where the main concern is not the ATACMS missiles but precisely the AGM-88 HARM. The rapid deactivation of the latter would simplify the detection of the slower ATACMS, according to Russian military strategists, who underline the importance of neutralizing the HARM vectors.
Illustrating the seriousness of this strategy, on October 20, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the disabling of seven Ukrainian MiG-29s, the result of a coordinated operation between combat troops and anti-aircraft defenses. Furthermore, in the previous week, twelve hostile aircraft, including ten MiG-29s, two Su-25s and two Mi-8 helicopters, were neutralized.
Alexei Leonkov, a military expert, attributes these achievements to efficient air control management and joint reconnaissance operations. “Our fighters faced constant provocations and attacks with AGM-88 missiles and distraction tactics to hide Storm Shadow ‘s maneuvers,” emphasizes Leonkov, highlighting the need to incapacitate these aircraft.
The Izvestia media outlet collects analysis from Russian tacticians who interpret the West’s rush to send Swedish F-16s, Eurofighters and Gripens to Ukraine as a response to the depleted Ukrainian aviation. Leonkov comments: “The aircraft used by the Air Force were acquired internationally, under the direct supervision of the United States and its allies.”
On February 21, 2022, Russia reported a devastating attack on an FSB border facility, allegedly carried out by Ukraine, resulting in the loss of five Ukrainian fighters. Ukraine strongly denied these accusations, describing them as disinformation or “false flags.”
In parallel, Russia officially recognized the self-proclaimed regions of the DPR and the LPR, a gesture that, according to Putin, covers all Ukrainian oblasts, not just the de facto-controlled territories. He subsequently ordered deploying Russian military forces, including tanks, to those areas.
