Thread by @bellingcat

Russia says it no longer operates the the type of missile that struck #Kramatorsk railway station last week, killing dozens.

But open source evidence suggests otherwise. New from @Michael1Sheldon

bellingcat.com/news/2022/04/1…

@Michael1Sheldon On April 8, 2022, a Tochka-U short-range ballistic missile struck the main railway station in Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region of government-controlled Ukraine.

The missile killed at least 50 people, including five children. edition.cnn.com/2022/04/08/eur…

@Michael1Sheldon Civilians had gathered at the station to flee the approaching Russian offensive, which has pivoted to the country’s east in recent weeks.

@Michael1Sheldon Russian officials have blamed the strike on Ukraine, citing claims that the Russian military does not use the Tochka-U.

Pro-Russian media cited other assertions relating to the missile’s serial number, and a hypothesised flight path of the missile.

@Michael1Sheldon At the time of writing, the available open source evidence remains insufficient to reveal all details about the strike, including the direction of origin of the missile.

@Michael1Sheldon However, it does appear to debunk a central argument by the Russian state in its defence: that its military does not operate the Tochka-U missile system.

@Michael1Sheldon Social media images and videos, as well as Russian news reports from 2021, show the country’s forces displaying Tochka-U launchers

@Michael1Sheldon Satellite imagery from February 2022 also seems to depict military vehicles consistent with the appearance and dimensions of the launchers at a base in south-western Russia.

@Michael1Sheldon Experts Bellingcat spoke to also said that even though Russia has reportedly phased out the Tochka-U missile in recent years, that doesn’t render its residual stock of the weapons inoperable or mean they cannot still be deployed.

@Michael1Sheldon Amnesty International, meanwhile, stated that a Tochka-U missile was used by Russia in Donetsk on 24 February 2022. amnesty.org/en/latest/news…