The pro-Ukrainian guerrilla group Atesh, which monitors Russian movements in occupied Crimea, has spotted the movement of Bastion-P systems. This is a very dangerous Russian weapon capable of launching hypersonic missiles. Ukraine already suffered from the strikes of the Bastion-P, which makes it very important to track these systems down.
Bastion-P systems ready for launch. These systems fire Oniks missiles, originally meant for destroying ships. Image credit: Mil.ru via Wikimedia (CC BY 4.0)
“Our agent conducting reconnaissance in Sevastopol managed to capture the deployment of two self-propelled launchers SPU 340P, also known as the Bastion-P Coastal Missile System. These systems are used to destroy ships of various classes and types, and can also attack ground targets,” Atesh said in its statement.
Members of the underground Crimean resistance organization Atesh also published photos of the system driving on public roads. They added that they managed to identify the Russian unit that operates these particular Bastion-P systems that were now spotted. The members of the resistance also determined the final destination of the trip that they’d seen.
The development of the K-300P Bastion-P coastal defence system began sometime in the 1990s, but the first such systems officially entered service with the Russian forces only in 2015. The mobility of the system is ensured by an 8×8 chassis, on which a container with two rocket launch tubes is installed. Upon arrival at the launch site, those tubes rise to a vertical position and fire P-800 Oniks missiles.
One such missile has a warhead of 200-300 kg and can accelerate to about 3180 km/h (it’s technically a hypersonic missile). The range of Oniks depends on the version, but there are some that can cover as much as 800 km. Oniks can shoot up to an altitude of 14 km and then descend closer to the surface of the water closer to the target to avoid being detected and shot down. It is a very powerful and advanced missile.
The primary target of the Bastion-P systems are a variety of surface ships, including large battle groups escorting aircraft carriers. The Bastion-P is designed to defend the coast against various ships, including amphibious landing ships. However, as Atesh notes, these systems can also be used to destroy ground targets. And unfortunately, Ukraine learned this in the worst way possible.
Oniks missiles launched by Bastion-P systems are known to have hit Ukrainian coastal cities including Odessa in 2022 and 2023. Before the war, Russia was thought to have only about 40 Bastion-P systems, but now the exact number is hard to estimate. But their presence in Crimea will always be bad news for Ukraine.
The only good news is that the local resistance is tracking these systems and know their locations – this can help Ukraine defeat them or at least predict their actions.
Written by Povilas M.
Sources: Tech.wp.pl, Wikipedia