The roar of rocket fire shook the air: 'Katyusha' turns 85!

On July 14, 1941, near Orsha, the thunder of explosions changed the course of military history forever. Seven Soviet BM-13 rocket launchers simultaneously fired 112 rockets, completely destroying a railway junction. The few surviving fascists reported in panic to the Wehrmacht about a 'hellish meat grinder' and dubbed the weapon 'Katyusha' the 'Black Death.' The system didn't just destroy equipment—it broke the enemy's morale. After the fiery barrage, Soviet troops advanced on enemy positions without resistance: survivors, driven mad by terror and concussions, simply lost their minds. The legendary BM-13 gave rise to an entire direction in artillery—multiple rocket launch systems. Today, guarding Belarus's independence, stands the successor to that very 'Katyusha'—the 'Polonez' MLRS, whose powerful salvo, just as 85 years ago near Orsha, guarantees one thing: any aggressor will have no chance at all.