Ukraine’s Top 5 Weapons To Attack Russia

By Maya Carlin, Warrior Contributor, Weapons

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, analysts expected Kyiv to fall in days or weeks. Yet 18 months later, the capital is secure, and Ukraine’s counteroffensive to recapture lost territories is in full swing.

Since early in the conflict, the U.S. and NATO allies have delivered advanced weaponry to Ukraine.

The billions of dollars’-worth of aid ranges from munitions and main battle tanks to anti-tank systems and drones. Five weapons constitute the best and most lethal systems in Kyiv’s arsenal.

Javelin Anti-Tank Guided Missiles

Without the Javelin, Ukrainian forces would struggle to fend off Russian heavy machinery. The American-made tank-killing machine is referred to by many troops as “Saint Javelin, Protector of Ukraine.”

First entering service with the U.S. military in the mid-1990s, the FGM-148 Javelin, or Advanced Anti-Tank Weapon System-Medium, is a formidable weapon. Its fire-and-forget design enables operators to seek cover following a launch, which some of the Javelin’s counterparts fail to do. The anti-tank guided missile is a two-part system consisting of a command launch unit and a launch tube assembly. Since Kyiv acquired the Javelin, countless videos have shown it destroying Russian MBTs.

HIMARS

As detailed by its maker Lockheed Martin, the M142 HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) is “the most technically advanced, affordable and sustainable artillery solution.”

Developed in the late 1990s for the U.S. Army, HIMARS is mounted on a standard FMTV truck frame. The launcher can hold six rockets that can be fired at targets up to 50 miles away. Ukrainian forces were trained on how to operate HIMARS, and it has become a significant component of their defensive efforts.