Ukraine Defense Posts Quirky Clip of Russian Destruction

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry praised its use of High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) against Russian forces in a quirky clip shared Friday on the ministry’s official Twitter account.

“HIMARS got talent! When used by #UAarmy [Ukrainian Army]it’s more than just a talent,” the ministry tweeted, and included a clip from America’s Got Talent, featuring a HIMARS animation as a performer auditioning in front of the judges. The animated idea and video were created by Twitter users Saint Javelin.

“Russia has invaded Ukraine and is causing unspeakable pain to Ukrainian people and I know that America’s Got Talent is one of the biggest stages in the world and I just thought I could have a big impact with my performance,” the animated HIMARS told the judges, adding that its performance will involve attacking Russian forces.

In recent months, Ukraine has been using the M142 HIMARS provided by the United States to strike Russian bases and arms depots. Ukraine also used HIMARS to hit bridges across the Dnieper River, separating the Kherson region, which fell to Russia earlier on in the invasion, from the main area of ​​Russian-controlled territory south of the river.

The US said that it sent a total of 16 HIMARS, with Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov confirming that the first systems arrived on June 23.

Russia has repeatedly said that its forces destroyed HIMARS, however, none of these claims have been independently confirmed. Last week, the Russian Defense Ministry said that it had intercepted 44 Ukrainian HIMARS rockets in Southern Ukraine, but officials did not claim hitting any of the launchers themselves.

In a press briefing, ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said: “In the areas of the city of Kherson, Novaya Kakhovka, Kherson region, Antonovsky bridge and Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station, three Ukrainian Tochka-U ballistic missiles were intercepted in the air, as well as 53 projectiles of multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS). Including: 44 – HIMARS, five ‘Alder’ and four ‘Hurricane.'”

Meanwhile, Ukraine has been reporting that it recently made some successful advances against Russian forces towards Kherson where it seeks to carry out a counter-offensive to take it back.

On Friday, the Air Force Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said that its air forces shot down a Russian reconnaissance drone named “Kartograf” in the Mykolaiv region.

“On September 02, at about 09.00 am the Russian ‘Kartograf’ drone was eliminated in the sky over Mykolaiv by the anti-aircraft missile unit of the Air Force. The drone is part of the Ptero family of multipurpose unmanned systems (UAV), ” the Air Force Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in a Facebook post, according to an English translation.

The Kartograf is a type of aircraft with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, which is often used to help adjust or organize artillery fire or missile strikes, the Ukrainian Military Center reported, adding that Russian forces have been trying to carry out aerial reconnaissance in southern Ukraine.

Newsweek reached out to the Russian foreign affairs ministry.