Video surfaced today showing rocket salvos being fired from Russian territory into Ukraine. The rockets are likely from BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers, a common weapon deployed to date by Russian-backed militants and also responsible for various attacks on Ukrainian military positions, as well as civilian areas.

Rocket attack location highlighted in red

The Interpreter reported on the ongoing attacks from the Russian border, and was able to geo-locate the videos to the outskirts of Gukovo, in Krasnosulinsky District, Rostov Oblast.

Twitter reports in recent days have indicated that attacks have increasingly originated from Russia. A source recently indicated to Kommersant newspaper that Russia was planning “surgical strikes” into Ukraine, saying “Our patience is not boundless,” stressing that “this means not a massive action but exclusively targeted single strikes on positions from which the Russian territory is fired at.” Sentiment for attacks on Ukraine in response for alleged ‘shelling’ was also reciprocated by deputy speaker of Russia’s upper house, Yevgeniy Bushmin. “We should use precision weapons, like Israel, to destroy those who fired [into Russia],” Bushmin was quoted.

The U.S. Department of State says it is ‘confident’ that the Russian government is mobilizing tanks from old stock to the Rostov region, and that tanks, artillery, and multiple rocket launchers have already been delivered to militants in Ukraine – several of which were transferred this past weekend alone. It also says the number of rocket launchers and other equipment has doubled in recent time on the Russian side of the border.

The Abkhazian Network News Agency (ANNA), a heavily pro-Russian news agency that mostly focuses on anti-Ukrainian propaganda (but also interviews and coverage of the militants themselves) also published video of a GRAD attack today at roughly the same time as the other videos. Though its location could not immediately be verified, it does however provide a more up-close look at how these attacks operate up close.

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Tags: Donbas war (2014-present), Luhansk, Russia