Ukrainian Armed Forces shot Russian missile: What's special about it
Ukrainian Armed Forces shoot down a Russian missile with APKWS for the first time (photo: building-tech.org)
The Ukrainian military has shot down a Russian missile using the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) for the first time. Previously, the Defense Forces had only shot down the Shaheds this way, Defense Express reports.
On January 25, the Ukrainian Navy showed footage of the crew of one of the boats destroying a Russian Kh-59 air-to-surface missile, which the Russian army wanted to use to attack the infrastructure of the Pivdennyi port.
Judging by the footage, analysts say that the Kh-59 missile was shot down using APKWS, and this seems to be the first public case of the Defense Forces shooting down this missile using APKWS.
Earlier it became known that the Ukrainian military used APKWS to shoot down Shaheds, but not missiles.
What is APKWS
APKWS (Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System) is a high-precision weapon that combines unguided 70-mm Hydra 70 missiles with a semi-active laser guidance unit. The transfer of such missiles from Germany first became known in 2023, and the first footage of their use appeared in the summer of that year.
It should be added that APKWS missiles are used in Vampire systems; a total of 14 such systems were ordered for the Defense Forces as part of defense assistance.
Attack on Pivdennyi port
As reported, the crew of one of the Navy's boats destroyed an enemy X-59 missile on January 25. It was supposed to hit the Pivdennyi port.
