Incredible drone footage has revealed the moment a brave Ukrainian paratrooper rushed out from hiding to use a guided missile to obliterate a passing Russian tank from just meters away.
The armored vehicle, one of Russia’s modern T-80 main battle tanks, drove on a dirt road lined with wooded areas – perfect camouflage for lurking Ukrainian soldiers.
Passing through a certain line of trees, a lone Ukrainian soldier jumped out of cover, shouldered his weapon – an anti-tank missile – and fired a single shot.
He did so even when another Russian tank sitting within range appeared to have aimed its gun directly at the Ukrainian position – although it is unclear whether this vehicle had been abandoned or disabled.
In a flash, the missile sped across the track and hit the passing tank, which exploded in a cloud of fire and white smoke.
The crashed vehicle initially rolled on slowly, possibly damaged if not even sunk.
But moments later, the armored hull exploded in a series of blasts as the ammunition inside boiled away, the blasts hurling metal across the dirt road and sending huge plumes of smoke billowing over the timber.
As the Russian T-80 main battle tank rolled down the dirt road, a lone Ukrainian soldier jumped out of cover, shouldered his weapon – an anti-tank missile – and fired a single shot from just a few yards away
With lightning speed, the missile sped across the track and hit the passing tank, which exploded in a cloud of fire and white smoke – even as another Russian tank watched from below
The crashed vehicle continued to roll slowly at first while billowing smoke, possibly damaged if not completely sunk
A series of explosions then occur in the damaged tank, with the ammo tray apparently exploding as smoke billows into the air
The video was released today by the 95th Air Assault Brigade of the Ukraine Air Assault Forces, along with a statement that read: “A fighter from the 1st Airborne Assault Battalion of the 95th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade destroyed an enemy tank at close range.
“Every day the soldiers of the Armed Forces risk their lives, demonstrating courage and heroism and gradually liberating our country from the Russian invaders.
“Honour to Ukraine! Glory to the Air Assault Forces! Together to victory!’
Images from the footage were also shared by the Strategic Communications Office (StratCom) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“A fighter from the 1st Airborne Assault Battalion, 95th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade destroyed an enemy tank with a point-blank shot,” StratCom announced.
The footage was released alongside images showing another group of Ukrainian troops blowing up two Russian ammunition trucks and joking that they were “fined” for improperly parking.
Black smoke billowed from the site of the detonations as munitions burned in the Bakhmut oblast of Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine.
The pictures were obtained this morning by the 93rd Independent Mechanized Brigade Kholodnyi Yar of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, along with a statement that said: “The 93rd Brigade destroyed ammunition stores belonging to the Russian occupying forces in the Bakhmut region.
A mechanized battalion of Kholodnyi Yar soldiers ‘fined’ two enemy Kamaz vehicles with ammunition for improper parking. In addition, the building with the ammunition was destroyed.
“We continue to eliminate the forces and means of the occupying forces and defend Bakhmut!”
The picture shows an explosion in a residential area in the direction of Bakhmut, Donetsk region in Ukraine. Fighters of the 93rd Independent Mechanized Brigade Kholodnyi Yar destroyed Russian warehouses with ammunition and KAMAZ vehicles
Black smoke rose from the site of the detonations as ammunition burned
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 in what the Kremlin still calls a “military special operation.” Today is the 254th day of the war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported today that between February 24 and November 4 Russia lost an estimated 74,840 troops, 2,750 tanks, 5,580 armored fighting vehicles, 1,772 artillery units, 391 multiple missile systems, 201 air defense systems, 277 aircraft and 258 helicopters.
Russia has claimed its losses were much lower but rarely releases updates to its latest figures.
It comes as Russia’s ambassador to the UK claimed British special forces were involved in a drone attack on Russia’s Black Sea fleet, which Moscow had previously blamed on Ukraine.
Ambassador Andrei Kelin told Sky News: “We know exactly what’s going on [the] Participation of British specialists [the] Training, preparation and use of force against Russian infrastructure and the Russian fleet in the Black Sea. We know it happened.’
Kelin added: “This is actually a warning that Britain is too deep in this conflict. That means the situation is getting more and more dangerous.”
Ukrainian military officials, meanwhile, warned that Russia could set a trap by pretending to pull out of the Kherson region only to ambush oncoming Ukrainian defenders.
Russian Ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin (pictured) claimed that British special forces took part in a drone attack on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (pictured) claimed Ukrainian forces could likely retake the long-occupied Kherson region of southern Ukraine
Natalia Humeniuk, a spokeswoman for Ukraine’s Southern Military Command, said: “This could be an expression of a special provocation to give the impression that the settlements are deserted, that it is safe to enter while preparing for the road fights.’
Humeniuk added: “We continue to fight, also in the direction of Kherson, although the enemy is trying to convince us that he is leaving the settlements and creating the effect of a complete evacuation.”
The comments come after Kirill Stremousov, Russia’s deputy civilian administrator for the Kherson region, said: “Most likely, our units, our soldiers, will go to the left [eastern] banks of the Dnieper.
Lloyd Austin, the US Secretary of Defense, said he believed Ukrainian forces could retake Kherson and said they worked in an “effective” and “methodological” manner.
Ukraine has declared that the forced relocation of Ukrainian citizens to the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions amounts to “war crimes” and “deportations”.
Russia has claimed that 70,000 civilians in Kherson “will be temporarily relocated deep into the Kherson region as well as other regions of the Russian Federation”.
Moscow said this was due to “possible damage to the dam at the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station”.