Moment Putin tank unit is destroyed in ‘textbook’ use of drones and artillery by Ukraine
Stunning videos of a Ukrainian artillery, drone and mine attack on a column of Russian tanks have emerged from the front lines near Bakhmut, with one retired US general praising Kyiv‘s troops for orchestrating what he called a ‘textbook’ strike.
The attack in the countryside close to the town of Klishchiivka in Donetsk began when the Russian armour trundled past the cover of a tree line and into an open field.
Suddenly, explosions rang out when one tank appeared to run over a mine – a signal that triggered a hail of artillery fire and drone strikes on the unsuspecting column.
Incredible drone footage shared by Ukraine war monitors and open-source intelligence accounts showed the utter chaos and confusion of the Russian tank operators as shells rained down on the field, scoring direct hits on several vehicles.
One tank veered off to the right and broke from the column, perhaps looking to escape, when its main gun appeared to blast one of the other stricken Russian tanks mere feet away – a testament to the panic and likely inexperience of the unit.
Ben Hodges, the former commanding general of United States Army Europe, said the Russian column presented a perfect target and made ‘opening-day mistakes’.
‘Impressive by UAF. Textbook integration of fires, drones, and apparently mines. Russian tanks in column in combat with minimal separation… no evidence of experienced Sergeants in this Russian unit,’ he said.
Explosions rang out when one tank appeared to run over a mine – a signal that triggered a hail of artillery fire and drone strikes on the unsuspecting column.
One tank veered off to the right and broke from the column, perhaps looking to escape, when its main gun appeared to blast one of the other stricken Russian tanks mere feet away
Footage of the aftermath showed the smouldering remains of Russian tanks lying in the field
A Russian air-defence system is destroyed in occupied Crimea, according to Ukrainian officials
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials released a video today showing how their forces had destroyed an advanced Russian S-400 Triumf air-defence system loaded with missiles.
The video shows a giant explosion in Olenevka, a town on Cape Tarkhankut in Crimea, following the strike, which was confirmed by HUR, the Ukrainian military intelligence agency.
‘As a result of the explosion, the installation itself, the missiles and personnel installed on it were completely destroyed,’ said Ukrainian official Anton Gerashchenko.
Russian sources suspect the blast was caused by a Storm Shadow missile supplied by Britain and France to Ukraine.
Russian Telegram channel Military Informant said: ‘The enemy publishes footage of a strike on an S-400 air defence system in the Olenevka area in Crimea this morning.
‘What was hit is currently unknown, however, presumably, it was a Storm Shadow cruise missile.
‘In addition, a Ukrainian reconnaissance UAV hung unhindered directly above the positions of the air-defence system, exercising objective control.
‘Such incidents raise legitimate questions about the quality of air-defence coverage in one of the most ”missile-hazardous” regions of Russia.’
Some reports indicated other Russian missile systems were also taken out, including Bastion and Pantsir-S1 systems.
‘The Bastion complex is one of the carriers of the Onyx missiles used by the Russians to hit Ukraine,’ adviser to the mayor of Mariupol Petr Andryushchenko said.
‘The Russian S-400 Triumf complex was destroyed in Crimea.’
It comes as Russia and Ukraine traded drone attacks early on Wednesday, officials said, with Kyiv apparently targeting Moscow again and the Kremlin’s forces launching another bombardment of Ukrainian grain storage depots in what have recently become signature tactics in the 18-month war.
A clip shared by Ukrainian officials showed a giant explosion in Olenevka, a town on Cape Tarkhankut in Crimea, after Kyiv’s forces targeted a Russian air defence system
An modern Russian S-400 air-defence system blown up in Crimea, according to Ukraine
Four Russian S-400 air-defence system vehicles
A three-hour night-time Russian drone attack in Ukraine’s southern Odesa region overnight on Tuesday caused a blaze at grain facilities, Odesa Regional Military Administration head Oleh Kiper wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
Ukrainian air-defence systems downed nine Shahed drones, Kiper said, but added: ‘Unfortunately, there are hits on production and trans-shipment complexes.’
Russia zeroed in on Odesa last month, crippling significant parts of the port city’s grain facilities days after President Vladimir Putin broke off Russia’s participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative – a wartime deal that enabled Ukraine’s exports to reach many countries facing the threat of hunger.
Russian officials, meanwhile, claimed to have downed Ukrainian drones in Moscow and the surrounding region early Wednesday, the defence ministry and the mayor said.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said one drone smashed into a building under construction in Moscow City, a prestigious business complex hit by drones twice before. Several windows were broken in two buildings nearby and emergency services responded to the scene.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense said the drone had been electronically jammed. It blamed the attack on Ukraine and said two other drones were shot down by air defence systems in the Mozhaisk and Khimki areas of the Moscow region.
Kyiv officials, as usual, neither confirmed nor denied whether Ukraine was behind the drone attacks.
Moscow’s airports briefly closed but have now reopened, according to Russian state media.
After months of resisting Russian advances on Ukrainian soil, earlier this year Kyiv’s troops began striking back on targets across the border, targeting Moscow’s military assets behind the front lines in eastern and southern Ukraine and launching drones against Moscow.
Kyiv is also trying to keep up the pressure on the Kremlin along multiple fronts, pursuing a counteroffensive at various points along the 900-mile front line, as well as diplomatically by obtaining pledges of more weaponry from its Western allies, including F-16 warplanes.
Meanwhile, three people were killed in the Belgorod region of Russia on the Ukrainian border after repeated shelling of a sanatorium, according to Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov.
Gladkov said the sanatorium in the village of Lavy, about 25 miles from the border, was shelled and that ‘the enemy dropped two grenades from a drone while people were on the street’.
The Belgorod region has witnessed sporadic fighting and shelling during the war, including a border incursion last May that prompted the Kremlin to introduce tighter security.