Western and NATO weapons are vital to Ukraine’s military arsenal as Kyiv does its best to push Russia out of its homeland.
But not all military successes on the Ukrainian side of the war have come from NATO weapons, as some Soviet-era weapons used by Kyiv are quite lethal.
And now, we can see countless examples on social media of how badly Putin’s so-called special military operation has gone for Russian forces – at the hands of old Soviet weapons that Moscow also has in its arsenal.
Dramatic Footage Shows Strela-10 In Action in Ukraine
While NATO-standard missile systems have proven hugely valuable to Ukrainian troops, older Soviet-era missile systems remain in use by both sides.
While less advanced, the older missile launchers still provide troops that use them with an effective way of taking out enemy equipment, including low-flying helicopters, from the ground.
One such missile system is the 9K35 Strela-10, a Soviet short-range air defense system that entered production in 1973 and officially entered service in the Soviet Union’s military in 1976.
The Strela-10, an upgraded version of the original Strela-1, can be operated by a crew of three men.
Missiles are aimed visually, however, meaning that each one fired is less likely to strike its target than the more advanced weapons systems delivered to Ukraine over the last year.
The missile system can engage helicopters and other aircraft from a range of 5,000m, and missiles can also reach targets at a maximum altitude of 3,500m.
Watch the Strela-10 In Action
A video clip shared on Twitter on March 22 shows a Ukrainian unit using the Strela-10 missile system, though little information was provided about its location or when the video was recorded.
The clip was shared by the popular war news account @Feher_Junior.
In the clip, a Strela-10 system – which is mounted onto an MT-LB multi-purpose armored vehicle – is seen parked alongside a hedgerow. The missile system is aimed roughly 45 degrees into the air.
Seconds into the clip, a high-pitch sound is heard coming from the missile system before a rocket fires into the air.
The rocket moves at incredibly high speeds and can be seen spiraling into the air at an unknown target. The video cuts off before the missile can be seen striking its intended target.
According to the Twitter account that posted the video, the missile was aimed at a Russian drone.
“The Ukrainian army hunts enemy drones with Strela-10 #SlavaUkraïni,” the post reads.
The Ukrainian army hunts enemy drones with Strela-10 ???????????? #SlavaUkraïni pic.twitter.com/uZI0Km5N1j
— Feher_Junior (@Feher_Junior) March 22, 2023
Jack Buckby is 19FortyFive’s Breaking News Editor. He is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.
