Video footage from Ukraine’s 40th Artillery Brigade shared online last week shows Russian armored vehicles being destroyed by indirect fire in Kharkiv Oblast. The incidents occurred in a region just west of Luhansk Oblast, the self-styled people’s republic that Russia declared independent at the beginning of the invasion.
As fighting in Luhansk Oblast intensified in recent months, and as Russia took full control of the region last weekend, fighting has continued to the west.
The footage shows how two BMP-1/2 infantry fighting vehicles and two T-72B series tanks were destroyed, as well as an additional, unidentified armored vehicle.
The film shows the vehicles in flames, with black smoke billowing from the impact sites. It is also backed by dramatic audio and compiled in a way that suggests Ukraine is taunting Russia. Videos in this style have been released frequently since February by propagandists on both sides of the conflict.
See Russian Destruction In Luhansk Oblast
In the east, Russia appears to have the advantage over Ukraine. While Luhansk Governor Serhiy Haidai denies that Russia has taken full control over the region, the Russian military is certainly behaving as though it has. After taking control of the city of Lysychansk on Sunday – the last city controlled by Ukraine in the region – the military has since moved on to the Donetsk Oblast to the south.
Footage and images from Luhansk show destroyed Ukrainian equipment, including several armored vehicles, scout cars, and command vehicles.
On last Sunday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoifu told Russian President Vladimir Putin that their forces had achieved “full control” in the region. Ukrainian officials also announced that all troops had been withdrawn from the city of Lysychansk over fears of “fatal consequences.”
#Ukraine: The Ukrainian 40th Artillery Brigade hit Russian armour in #Kharkiv Oblast with indirect fire.
Two BMP-1/2 IFV, one T-72B series tank and another armoured vehicle were taken out. pic.twitter.com/BUu93MB5lM
— ?? Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) July 7, 2022
On Thursday, Putin threatened further military conflict in Ukraine, stating that his operation in Ukraine “hasn’t even yet started anything in earnest.”
The comments appeared to be a suggestion that Russia intends to move forward with its plans of capturing Donetsk, before potentially moving on to other parts of Ukraine.
During a meeting with parliamentary leaders, the Russian president said that his decision to prolong the war was also being motivated by continued Western support for Ukraine, claiming that NATO countries wants to weaken Russia as a result.
Nobody knows how long the conflict will last, but we should absolutely expect more footage of destruction in Ukraine in the coming days and weeks.
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.
