Russian-occupied Lugansk, 100km from the front line, was struck by unknown weapons using US ADM-160B MALD decoy missiles
On the evening of May 12, there was an explosion in the centre of Lugansk, which has been occupied by Russian troops. The strike was carried out at the plant by an unknown weapon.
Here's What We Know
The missile hit a building which is about 100km from the front line. This means that the strike could not have been carried out by GMLRS rockets, as they have a maximum launch range of about 80 km.
Naturally, there was immediate speculation that the attack was carried out by a Storm Shadow missile. The day before the UK officially announced the transfer of such missiles to Ukraine. Which version was received by the Ukrainian Armed Forces is currently unknown, but even the export version (250 km) is enough to strike the occupied territory.
#Ukraine: Remains of ???????? AGM-160B MALD decoy missiles were found today after a powerful strike on a Russian target in the city of #Luhansk.
- ???????? Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) May 12, 2023
Decoys like this are designed to deceive enemy's air defence systems, and as in this case, to allow a real munition to pass through. pic.twitter.com/IzjGGGk2bH.
More interestingly, the remains of an ADM-160B Miniature Air Launched Decoy (MALD) were found at the site of the explosion. It's a US air-launched cruise missile that is used as a decoy to deplete enemy air defences and divert attention. It was developed 20 years ago by Raytheon. The MALD can be carried by Soviet MiG-29 fighters.
