A statement on January 7 by the Russian Ministry of Defense said that Russian armed forces destroyed a Ukrainian Buran multiple rocket launcher system, marking the first time this weapon has been destroyed.
According to convention, the Russian Ministry of Defense did not provide details, only stating that the Buran MLRS system was destroyed in the attack area of the Central Operations Cluster, in the direction of Pokrovsk.
In addition to the Buran multiple rocket launcher, the Ministry of Defense also announced a series of other losses of Ukraine on January 7, including more than 425 soldiers, a German-made Leopard tank, 9 battle armored vehicles, 11 motorized vehicles, and 2 field guns.
The Ukrainian side has not yet responded to this information.
The 220mm Buran multiple rocket launcher system was developed at the Shepetivka Repair Plant. The Buran was designed to replace the Soviet-era BM-27 Uragan system in the Ukrainian armed forces and has undergone firing tests since 2020.
Buran is installed on the Tatra T815-7T3RC1 8x8 chassis, with armored cabin. The system is equipped with a digital fire control system, including a battlefield information exchange system, with a maximum road speed of up to 100 km/h.
The Ukrainian armed forces once said that Buran had participated in operations from the early days to respond to Russia's special military operation.
However, after 2 videos recording the operation of this system appeared in June and July 2022, Buran was no longer recorded to reappear. There were no more images or evidence showing that this system continued to be used on the battlefield.
Observers believe that Buran's almost non-public appearance after the above time does not mean that this system no longer exists. It is likely that Buran only has one prototype or is produced in very limited quantities and Ukrainian armed forces deployed discreetly to avoid leaking technical information as well as location.
In that context, Russia's discovery and destruction of the Buran launcher shows the reconnaissance and accurate attack capabilities of Russian forces, even against rare and well-hidden weapons.
If Buran only exists as a single prototype, the system being destroyed also means that Ukraine completely loses its ability to continue testing and developing this type of rocket in conflict conditions.
