Ukrainian HIMARS destroyed in retaliatory strike – MOD (VIDEO)

An attack using the Western-donated missile launcher injured three civilians in Kursk Region on Sunday, according to officials

The Russian Defense Ministry has reported the destruction of a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) missile launcher used by Ukrainian forces in a recent cross-border attack that injured three people.

The HIMARS strike hit a building housing a car wash and a hostel in the city of Rylsk in Kursk Region on Sunday, the acting governor, Aleksandr Khinshtein, said. A woman and two men were wounded in the incident, he added.

The Russian military announced on Monday that reconnaissance units detected the launcher involved in the attack coming from near the village of Nagornovka in Ukraine’s Sumy Region. The US-made weapon was reportedly destroyed by an Iskander-M tactical missile, guided by drone-assisted targeting.

Footage released by the ministry shows two vehicles traveling along a road before stopping; one of them is then destroyed in a large explosion.

Valued at around $20 million apiece, HIMARS systems are capable of firing rocket barrages from distances of up to 90km and can rapidly relocate to avoid counterstrikes.

Russia’s Investigative Committee confirmed the use of a Western-supplied system in the Rylsk attack and has opened a terrorism probe. On Monday, it released a video showing forensic teams examining debris, including what officials said were fragments of HIMARS-compatible munitions.

The incident comes days after Russian President Vladimir Putin renewed his offer to resume peace talks, which Ukraine abandoned in 2022 following promises of sustained arms deliveries from Western donors. Moscow has proposed unconditional negotiations in Türkiye to begin as early as Thursday.

Kiev has insisted that any talks must be preceded by a 30-day ceasefire – an idea that Moscow views as a ploy to allow the Ukrainian military to regroup. Putin has said meaningful dialogue can resume if Ukraine lifts its legal ban on negotiations with Russia.