Thursday, March 28, 2024

Russian KH-59M missile hit grain storage in southern Ukraine

Russia targeted a grain storage facility with Kh-59M Ovod-M (NATO reporting name AS-18 Kazoo) medium-range cruise missile.

Russian forces struck a grain silo near Mykolaiv with KH-59M air-to-surface missile on 3 April, according to images released by the PAEK group of companies.

A screen grab from a CCTV video from a facility reportedly shows a Russian Kh-59M missile only moments before hit.

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The 115 km range Kh-59M series stand-off weapon evolved from the earlier rocket-powered Kh-59 (AS-13 Kingbolt) missile. it is designed to arm Flanker fighter variants.

The most prominent design change is the installation of a ventral RDK-300 turbojet sustainer in a pod similar to the design in the Kh-55 cruise missile, replacing the rocket sustainer and its side mounted exhaust nozzles, according to ausairpower.net.

The Kh-59M missile

A U.S. official confirmed that Russia has repeatedly targeted grain silos in eastern and southern Ukraine, worsening a potential food shortage worldwide.

“Russia’s reckless damaging of these grain silos is a clear-cut example of how Putin’s war directly affects civilians in Ukraine and threatens food security around the world,” the official said.

“With countries across Africa and the Middle East reliant on Ukrainian wheat exports, the destruction of these food stocks and storage facilities could result in shortages and drive up prices in already vulnerable economies,” the official said.

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Executive Editor

About author:

Dylan Malyasov
Dylan Malyasov
Dylan Malyasov is the editor-in-chief of Defence Blog. He is a journalist, an accredited defense advisor, and a consultant. His background as a defense advisor and consultant adds a unique perspective to his journalistic endeavors, ensuring that his reporting is well-informed and authoritative. read more

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