Russia has not destroyed any of the HIMARS artillery that the US gave to Ukraine, General Mark Milley said. Speaking at a Pentagon news conference on Wednesday, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said: “To date, these systems have not been eliminated by the Russians.” Milley acknowledged that the systems are at risk, adding “I knock on wood every time I say something like that.” His statement contradicts many claims by Russian officials and the media that they have destroyed the valuable weapons, which Ukraine has lobbied hard for and says gives it a much-needed way to soften Russian aggression. HIMARS – short for High Mobility Artillery Missile System – has proven critical in efforts to stem Russia’s advance in eastern Donbas where it is concentrating its troops. Truck-mounted units can fire precision-aimed heavy artillery about 50 miles, depending on the projectiles used. The U.S. has given Ukraine 12 units so far, with four more on the way, Milley said. His remarks followed several Russian claims to have destroyed up to four of them. In a briefing carried by state media outlet Zvezda, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said Russian forces destroyed four HIMARS launchers between July 5 and July 20. Two of them were in Malotaranovka in the Donbass, according to a July 6 Russian Foreign Ministry Telegram post, which also said it had destroyed two ammunition depots for the weapon. Milley did not specifically address the Russian allegations in his briefing, instead saying generally that HIMARS had not been destroyed. Neither the Pentagon nor the Russian Embassy in London immediately responded to Insider’s after-hours request for comment. In addition to supplying the units themselves, the Pentagon is sending hundreds of cartridges for them and providing training on how to use them. The HIMARS had been used “against Russian command and control hubs, their logistical networks, field artillery near defense sites and many other targets,” Milley said. HIMARS strikes were “steadily undermining” Russia’s efforts, he said. CNN footage taken from the Ukrainian frontline in the Donbass in early July showed an operational HIMARS, which its Ukrainian operators clearly appreciate. As Insider’s Alia Shoaib reported, Ukraine has been forced to change tactics since Russia began focusing its efforts in the east of the country, where Russia has made significant gains. If Russia holds back, commentators predict a bloody “slugfest” in which a long stalemate is likely.
