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‘Fire’! Ukraine Shows ‘Captain HIMARS’ Video in Warning to Putin

On Wednesday, via a social media post, the official account of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) released a video from “Captain HIMARS,” who offered “A friendly reminder” to the Russian military.

Captain HIMARS
On Wednesday, via a social media post, the official account of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) released a video from "Captain HIMARS," who offered "A friendly reminder" to the Russian military.

On Wednesday, via a social media post, the official account of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) released a video from “Captain HIMARS,” who offered “A friendly reminder” to the Russian military.

“Russian Soldier! My name is Captain HIMARS,” a masked figure said in the 53-second-long video, standing in front of a M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). Decked out in camouflage and armed with a suppressed assault rifle, he added,

“I stand by my words. I don’t strike the barracks in sectors from where I get coordinates for ammo depots. You’re constantly being lied to that there are barely any HIMARS left. Take a look at the conditions under which we store HIMARS.”

The video showed one of the U.S.-produced multiple launchers moving into a fortified bunker.

“These are military facilities built during the Soviet Union period. They can even withstand nuclear strikes. Since the beginning of the war, not a single HIMARS system has been destroyed,” the figure further explained. “Russian soldier! Keep sending me target coordinates so that death does not fall down from the skies on you. Fire!”

The video ends as the HIMARS launches several rockets.

This is the most recent video to feature Captain HIMARS, who earlier this year offered a similar message to the Russian occupiers.

In early January he issued the warning, “Russian soldier! My name is Captain HIMARS. I am your chance to come home alive. Give me the coordinates of the places where the armored vehicles are concentrated and headquarters and ammunition are located and I will not hit your quarters.”

It is clear that Kyiv has maintained a curious sense of humor as it mocks Russia on social media

Last month, another video was shared by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, which proclaimed “Stop, HIMARS time!,” a reference to the 1990 song “U Can’t Touch This” by rapper MC Hammer, which had the line “Stop, Hammer Time!”

No HIMARS Lost

It is unclear where or when the recent video was recorded, but as of May 3, 2023, Kyiv maintains that not a single HIMARS has been lost in Ukraine – despite Russian claims that multiple launchers have been destroyed. 

It was last August, several Russian propagandists claimed on Twitter and Telegram that its forces destroyed 44 HIMARS. That would be extremely impressive as the U.S. had only supplied 16 to that point! 

The Pentagon also denied claims that six U.S.-made HIMARS had been destroyed.

As recently as February, Russian state media outlet Tass reported that a pair of HIMARS had been destroyed near the city of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk Oblast.

Successful Decoys?

However, there is speculation that Moscow may have wrongly assumed it was successful in strikes against the launchers. The Washington Post had reported that Ukrainian forces had actually tricked the Kremlin’s forces by deploying decoy HIMARS, made of wood.

Likewise, Ukraine has been employing inflatable decoys of HIMARS, tanks, and other high-value vehicles. Produced by the Czech-based firm Inflatech, these were originally made for training purposes – but they’re not being employed as part of a deception campaign.

The HIMARS was actually designed to be a difficult system to target. It can operate safely behind the lines, move into a position where fresh ordnance is loaded, fire at the enemy positions, and then be on the move again to avoid counter-battery fire.

Author Experience and Expertise

A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.

Written By

Expert Biography: A Senior Editor for 1945, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer who has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,000 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.

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