Russia Firing S-300 Surface-To-Air Missiles At Land Targets In UkraineFrom July this year.
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However, as the article points out, “The possibility of hitting stationary ground targets was originally incorporated by the developers into the design of the S-300 air defense system adopted for service in 1979, as well as all its subsequent modifications.”
At the time, Belarus was known to use the S-300PS (NATO codename SA-10 Grumble) version of the system, introduced in the mid-1980s and which includes 5V55R missiles which a maximum engagement range of up to 56 miles against aerial targets. The Naviny article states that the maximum range of the (Belarusian) S-300 against ground targets is 75 miles, being limited by the guidance system, rather than the propulsion.
Interestingly, the Naviny article states that, in the past, including in Soviet times, the cost of each S-300 missile round made it prohibitively expensive to practice using them against ground targets. At the same time, there were many more tactical surface-to-surface missiles available. Now, however, with the S-300PS being replaced in Russian service, including by the more advanced S-400, it’s become possible to test them for land attack role — a mission in which they are reportedly now also being used in combat.
Russia has a large stock of S-300 and even if they are not cost effective they don't need to keep them in storage because they are being replaced anyway. Slap on a GPS to them and they can be turned from surface to air to surface to surface platform. No at all accurate, but when you are firing upon a fixed large target like a city it will get the job done.
That said it seems more likely this was a Ukraine launch at Russian air assault that went haywire.
CKA Moderator 
CKA Moderator 
