<p >On June 1 Russian <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/dozens-killed-iskander-training-camp" target="_blank">Iskander-M tactical ballistic missile</a> systems destroyed two Ukrainian Army <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/poland-486-himars-purchase" target="_blank">HIMARS rocket artillery systems</a> in the Sumy region. The Russian Defence Ministry reported regarding the attack: “Two HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems and their accompanying munitions were destroyed by a strike from an Iskander operational-tactical missile system in the Sumy region.” Reports hours later revealed that Iskander-M systems had also successfully targeted Ukrainian mobile drone launch and control stations near the settlement of Krolevets in Sumy, with the Defence Ministry elaborating: “As a result of the missile strike, two vehicles equipped with mobile drone launch and control stations, along with their crews, were hit. Objective control systems also recorded fires among UAVs prepared for launch, followed by detonation of their warheads.” Iskander-M systems were also reported to have targeted the position of long-range drone launchers in Chuguyev in the Kharkov region. The attack destroyed six drone launchers, eight vehicles, and around 30 single drones which had been prepared for launch, and were reportedly operated by far right paramilitary battalions rather than the regular armed forces.</p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/06/02/article_683d721596c524_07211157.jpg" title="Cluster Warhead Explosions From Iskander-M Strike on Patriot Batteries"></p><p >The ability to use Iskander-M systems to neutralise high value Ukrainian targets has provided the Russian Armed Forces with a considerable advantage since the outset of the country’s full scale war with Ukraine in February 2022. The systems have recently gained considerable attention for their <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/patriot-effectiveness-questioned-ukrainian-air-force" >multiple successes</a> in destroying Ukrainian Patriot air defence systems in multiple successful strikes, which has led Kiev to <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/combat-losses-wont-give-ukraine-patriot-free" >seek to urgently procure</a> new Patriots from the United States, at a time when Western stockpiles of the systems are severely depleted. Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Igor Ignat on May 26 confirmed that the Patriot had proven unable to intercept strikes by the Iskander-M. “The Iskander missiles perform evasive manoeuvres in the final phase, thwarting the Patriot’s trajectory calculations… In addition, the Iskander can drop decoys capable of fooling Patriot missiles,” he stated at the time. The first <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/putin-patriot-kinzhal-destroyed-onemonth" >reported destruction</a> of a Patriot system was achieved using an air launched derivative of the Iskander-M’s 9K720 missile, which was launched by a MiG-31K fighter as part of the <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/mig31k-patriot-killer-strike-fighter-why-won" >Kinzhal strike system</a>&nbsp;in May 2023.</p>
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