A 120mm ‘Alakran’ (Scorpion) was among the equipment struck for the first time by Moscow’s forces
FILE PHOTO. © Sputnik / Evgeny Biyatov
The Russian Defense Ministry’s daily briefing has listed a Spanish-made 120mm heavy mortar as among the military equipment destroyed in the conflict with Ukraine. It is believed to be the first time that hardware of this type has been taken out by Moscow’s forces during the hostilities.
According to the ministry, the mortar was destroyed as Russian forces targeted Ukrainian troop positions in Kherson Region. The strike also resulted in three Ukrainian military vehicles being destroyed and up to 30 soldiers being killed.
Developed by Spanish company NTGS in the 2010s, the truck-mounted ‘Alakran’ (Scorpion) heavy mortar can rapidly change positions if needed. It is touted on the NTGS website as “a combat-proven system that is continually upgraded,” and the company notes that the 120mm barrels it produces “are specially designed to be used with the ALAKRAN system.”
The mortar itself is capable of hitting targets at a distance of over 7km, and can reportedly fire a total of 12 shells in the first minute after taking position. It is typically said to fire four shells per minute.
Russian military correspondent Yury Kotenok previously published a video purporting to show the destruction of the Spanish-made mortar. The short clip first shows a truck with the weapon system mounted on it standing on a dirt road passing through a field. The black-and-white footage then appears to show the truck being struck by a guided missile, before the video ends with images of the charred wreckage of the vehicle, apparently filmed from a drone.
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The news comes as Russian forces continue to repel Ukrainian attacks on several sections of the front. Kiev launched its much-touted counteroffensive in early June, but according to Moscow it has failed to make any tangible gains since it began.
In Donbass alone, almost a dozen unsuccessful Ukrainian attacks have resulted in Kiev losing more than 500 soldiers as well as dozens of pieces of heavy military equipment over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said. The list of Ukrainian equipment losses included a German-made self-propelled howitzer PzH 2000, two Polish ‘Krab’ artillery pieces, and two US-made M777 howitzers, the report said.
Earlier on Monday, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu questioned the quality of Western weapons being supplied to Kiev. Arms provided by Washington and its allies have “turned out to be far from flawless in reality,” the minister said at the opening ceremony of the annual Army 2023 military-technical forum in Moscow Region.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Ukrainian military has lost 43,000 soldiers and some 5,000 pieces of heavy equipment in largely unsuccessful attempts to break through Russian defenses since the start of the counteroffensive.
