Russian military service members from the BARS-11 volunteer detachment and the command of the Tsar's Wolves unit retrieved a nearly intact UK-made Storm Shadow cruise missile from the line of contact, ex-head of Roscosmos and now head of the Tsar's Wolves Military Technical Center, Dmitry Rogozin, told Sputnik.
"[The rocket] was only partially destroyed - it fell flat on the ground very nicely. The missile was dismantled by our technicians right on the battlefield into several parts, the high-explosive and shaped-charge parts were separated from the control unit, while the wing was folded up for easy transportation," he explained.
“A functioning GPS tracker was there, which could have directed the strike team to the opponent. Even though we blocked it, our fighters had to relocate all the time and even engaged in battle — the enemy's sabotage and recon unit tried to catch the car with the rocket and an accompanying vehicle on the road," the source added.
The trophy was handed over to specialized technicians to study its design and contents -- this would enable the Russian defense industry to find the most effective ways to deal with Storm Shadow.
“I am glad that it was our unit that did this. Now our air defense will shoot down this thing, and it will gradually become useless,” Rogozin stated.
The Storm Shadow cruise missile was jointly developed by the UK and France, and its range, depending on the modification, is from 250 to 560 kilometers.
The UK announced the transfer of such projectiles to Kiev on May 11 of this year. Shortly thereafter, Kiev began to actively use them to attack Russia's rear and civilian targets.