HIMARS Strike Blows Up Russian 'Command Center' in Kherson: Video

New footage surfacing online appears to show a reported Ukrainian strike on a Russian "command center" in the occupied southern Kherson region, in what would be the latest success for the U.S.-supplied artillery in Ukrainian hands.

Kyiv's security service, the SBU, provided a "tip-off" before a Ukrainian High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) struck a "daily meeting" of Russian officers, an anonymous source within the agency told Ukrainian outlet, Ukrinform. The officers belonged to Russia's 24th Motorized Rifle Regiment, the outlet reported.

Ukrainian forces carried out the strike on a temporary command center after receiving information from the SBU, Ukrainska Pravda also reported. Eight Russian soldiers were killed, and a further seven injured, according to both outlets. Newsweek could not immediately verify the veracity of the footage or reports.

Footage quickly emerged online, which looks to have been recorded by a Ukrainian drone, purportedly showing the targeting of the "command center," followed by the rockets hitting the target. The footage was geolocated to the Kherson village of Radensk, according to eastern European outlet, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

The village is around 14 miles from the city of Kherson, which lies to the northwest of Radensk. The Kherson regional capital was retaken by Ukrainian forces in November.

Ukrainian forces carried out the hit on September 18, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported, citing a source in the SBU.

The VChK-OGPU outlet, which purports to have inside information from Russian security forces, said on September 19 that Ukraine had attacked the headquarters of Russia's 7th Airborne Division near the city of Kherson. The sources for the Telegram channel are anonymous and cannot be verified, and other Russian sources did not mention such a reported strike, the Washington D.C.-based Institute for the Study of War said at the time.

Newsweek cannot independently verify battlefield reports nor the footage, and has reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry and the SBU for comment via email.

HIMARS have been used extensively by Ukrainian forces to target Russian positions and assets since the U.S. delivered the multiple-rocket launchers in June 2022. To date, the White House has donated 38 HIMARS and related ammunition to Kyiv.

The front lines between Russian and Ukrainian forces snake through the southern Kherson region, which was annexed by Russia in September 2022. The region links mainland Ukraine with the Crimean peninsula, which has been under Russian control since 2014. Ukraine controls territory on the western bank of the Dnieper River after Russia withdrew to the eastern bank in November 2022.

Ukrainian forces around the front lines in Kherson "continue to lead a counterbattery fight" and target Russian facilities in the region, Ukraine's General Staff said in a post to social media on Tuesday.

More than 15 Ukrainian fighters were killed, and 10 of Kyiv's military vehicles were taken out in the past day along the Kherson front lines, Russia's Defense Ministry said on the same day.