U.S. thinks Russia used short-range ballistic missiles in Ukraine's railway station strike

U.S. thinks Russia used short-range ballistic missiles in Ukraine’s railway station strike. 

WASHINGTON: According to a senior U.S. defense official, Russia used a short-range ballistic missile to hit a railway station in east Ukraine on Friday.

According to Ukraine, at least 50 people were killed, and many more were injured in a hit on a Kramatorsk station filled with civilians fleeing the fear of a significant Russian invasion.

The Pentagon believes Russian forces deployed an SS-21 Scarab missile in the hit. Still, the purpose of the action is unknown, according to a U.S. defense official who spoke with anonymity.

The NATO military alliance refers to a missile known as the Tochka in former Soviet states as the SS-21.

The U.S. was still investigating the strike, and it was unclear whether cluster munitions were employed.

“We don’t believe the Russian denial that they aren’t at blame,” the official said.

According to RIA news agency, Russia’s defense ministry stated Ukraine’s military fired the missiles that hit the station. Russia’s armed forces had no targets designated near Kramatorsk on Friday.

In recent weeks, videos released on social media appear to show Russian personnel in or near Ukraine transporting Tochka missile launchers, which Reuters could not independently verify.

According to a U.S. defense official, Russia’s fighting power in Ukraine has diminished. It is now between 80% and 85% of pre-invasion levels.

According to U.S. estimates before its invasion on February 24, Russia reportedly gathered more than 150,000 troops around Ukraine.

According to the official, the U.S. currently has information that Moscow has begun mobilizing reservists and may be aiming to enlist more than 60,000 people.

According to the official, Russian forces in the Kyiv region were being refitted and resupplied in Belarus and western Russia, including Belgorod.

On the other hand, the Pentagon feels Moscow has yet to resolve the logistical issues that have impeded its assault since the beginning, according to the official.

“We’ve seen indications of some units that have been destroyed.”