Himars precision rockets shift the balance in Ukraine: experts

US-made precision rockets have given Ukraine forces a major battlefield boost since they were introduced in June, tilting the balance against the Russians and possibly forcing Moscow to pause its offensive, experts said.

Since mid-June, using the Himars missile systems, Ukraine has destroyed more than 20 major Russian ammunition depots and command posts that were previously too far behind the front lines to be reached by traditional artillery.

Videos posted on social media have shown spectacular prolonged eruptions at ammo dumps in Russian-controlled Lugansk, Nova Kakhovka, and elsewhere, attesting to the power and precision of the US missiles.

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Christopher Dougherty, a defense analyst at the Center for New American Security in Washington, said the Himars success is as good as could have been hoped.

Still, he said, "The thing by itself, it's not a game changer."

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Eventually the Russians will adapt and disperse their supply depots, and move some much further away from the front lines, analysts said.

But that will make their battlefield logistics tougher.

"Each time you distribute anything, it takes more trucks to get to the same amount of stuff to the people who need it," said Dougherty.

Read the full story and more from Radio France Internationale.